The Church Of The Catholic Church - 1315 Words

The concept of Religion has been around for centuries, and is what gives man many of his personal beliefs, ideology, and morals. Historically, one of the largest and most influential churches is the Catholic Church. Today, the Catholic Church is the largest denomination of any religion with its influence stretching to all corners of the globe. Since the Catholic Church maintains great influence, it is important the Vatican and the Pope are promoting views they believe to best promote Christ’s ideals and mission, and to continue to engage the congregation in order to maintain faith. The Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, commonly referred to as Vatican II, commenced under Pope John XXIII on October 11, 1962 and closed in December of 1965†¦show more content†¦The Mass and celebration of the Eucharist are very holy, and as Cardinal Newman once said, â€Å"Destroy the Mass, and you destroy the church!† (Gommar) Being the oldest Christian faith, the Catholic Church lives and dies by Mass and the cross. Vatican II’s reforms gave every parishioner a role in liturgy, allowed Mass to be performed in the vernacular, restoration of communion under two kinds, the changing of the priest’s orientation during mass, etc. (Schachern). Each of these changes has an impact on how the Mass is celebrated and received by the congregation. Versu Populum and Ad Orientem refer to the position in which a priest faces while saying mass. Versu Populum refers to the priest celebrating mass while facing the congregation, while Ad Orientem refers to the priest facing the same direction as the parish with his back to them (Steve). Originally, many churches were built with the altar against the back wall of the church, preventing the priest from facing the congregation. Ad Orientem meant that all, including the priest, were facing in the direction of the Lord and praying and making the sacrifice to him personally. Versu Populum is when the priest would face toward the parish, and involve them in the prayer and sacrifice of the Eucharist. The difference was whether more emphasis should be placed on all being involved in the sacrament, Versu Populum, or if the priest should be facing andShow MoreRelatedThe Catholic Church And The Church1294 Words   |  6 PagesThe Catholic Church has always been one to hand out praise fairly fre ely. There is a patron saint for everything, from plague to beekeeping to flowers. There are patron saints for specific cities, patron saints for specific trades, and patron saints for almost any object that comes to mind. However, in the past, the process of becoming a saint, known as canonization, was at the least thoroughly investigative. The Catholic Church has strict beliefs to be upheld and represented. For example, charityRead MoreThe Church Of A Catholic Church905 Words   |  4 Pagestold about a congregation in a small Catholic Church located in a mid-western state. One Sunday morning the mass began when the wooden door of the church opened with a loud creak. All the parishioners turned their head to see a young man—not a member of the church—enter. His hair was long and stringy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦he wore shorts†¦.with a short sleeved pull over T shirt. He had multiple tattoos on his arms and legs†¦..and†¦looked rough and unkempt. His presence in the church caused distraction and tension†¦.and reallyRead MoreThe Catholic Church And The Church1942 Words   |  8 PagesThe Catholic Church as we know it is much different than that of the past. Love, acceptance, forgiveness, giving, and tradition are all things that come to mind when the words Catholic Church are heard. If one were to ask those living in the 1400-1800s what comes to mind when thinking about the Catholic Church, their answer would have been very different. With the exception of a few countries, there is a separation of the church and state in todays’ government. In our current state of governmentRead MoreThe Catholic And The Church1130 Words   |  5 PagesA great number of Catholic members continue to leave the Catholic Church, statistics show. According to an article in the National Catholic Reporter, â€Å"One out of every 10 Americans is an ex-Catholic†¦ Almost half of those leaving the church become unaffiliated and almost half become Protestant† (Reese). Although the reasons for leaving differ amongst ex-Catholics, an important one is the teachings of the Bible, they claim. It may not make sense that the very same book that is claimed to be one ofRead MoreThe Catholic Church1416 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction The Catholic Church is unique in comparison to Protestant branches of Christianity because of the tradition, formality, and leadership. Leaders in the Catholic church such as Priests, Nuns, Bishops and Popes vow to remain celibate and follow a marriage with God and the Church rather than a spouse. It is interesting to discover whether celibacy has any impact on one’s psychosexual development and on an individual’s efficiency as a church leader. Description and origin of celibacy CelibacyRead MoreThe Catholic Church944 Words   |  4 PagesThe Catholic Church Why should one man have puissance over the way we sojourn our lives? The individual that I am referring to is Pope Francis. Personally, I feel that many people confer to the Pope as a god, giving him influence over our beliefs, as well as our lifestyle choices. As Catholics we are not allowed to partake in birth control practices, have an abortion, or participate in anything related to gay marriage. These are only a few issues that are part of a long list of unmentionablesRead MoreThe Catholic Church Essay1741 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction 3. Religion in Ireland Inglis (2007) believed that the Catholic Church was once the backbone of strong cohesive family networks and community structures that created a sense of belonging and identity in Ireland . It provided the Irish people with a certain comfort and solace and its teachings were central to the way Irish people thought. Irish Catholics were deeply spiritual people who once devoted their lives to the Church (inglis 2007). (Giddens, 2010) states religion is necessary andRead MoreThe Catholic Church874 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"What therefore God has joined together, let no man put asunder† (Catechism of The Catholic Church, 450), this was God’s plan for the matrimony of a woman and a man. God meant for a man and a woman to be joined as one in Holy matrimony as husband and wife in a union that was not to be dissolved. Therefore, as specifically spelled out in the sixth commandment, adultery is a mortal sin and contrary to the plan God had for mankind. Apostle Paul goes to great lengths to clarify the love a man shouldRead MoreThe Catholic Church1091 Words   |  5 Pageshistory of the Catholic Church, there have been many Pontifical elections and even more Popes serving as the head of the Catholic Church. The Papal Conclave was introduced years after the Roman Catholic Church was established. The position of Pope is currently occupied by His Holiness Pope Francis—whose birth name is Jorge Bergoglio. Pope Francis assumed position in March 2013 after the resignation of his predecessor two weeks prior. Taking into the account the history of the Catholic Church, the PapalRead MoreThe Catholic And Catholic Church1561 Words   |  7 PagesCatholic Mass In this spring break, I followed my Christian friend and visited a Catholic Church located in Seattle and I had a chance to witness on how they conduct their worship in the form of Mass. The Catholic Church has many practices and rituals such as Last Rites, praying the Rosary, receiving Communion, Confession, Baptism, and Mass according to the members of this church. Nonetheless, the Mass is the most crucial ritual as they consider it as the Lord`s Supper. The Mass is the Catholic`s