Brief History and Overview
The Roman Catholic Church is the oldest recorded organized religion throughout history. It is also one of the largest and most powerful institutions in the entire world. Currently, 33% of the world's population claims to be Christian, 16% claiming to be Roman Catholic. For the past 2,000 years, the Catholic Church has dominated Western civilization and is woven throughout every country's history in the western world; from causing war to granting religious freedom, to fighting against an ever-changing and contemporary society, the church can truly be seen everywhere in the history of the modern world.
Catholicism is a denomination of Christianity. All Christian religions (Protestant, Lutheran, Baptist, etc) believe in Jesus Christ to be the one and only savior of the world. Christians live their lives in waiting for Jesus to come again and take the sinless to Heaven, and punish the sinners to Hell for eternity. Specifically the Catholic faith is based in belief in the Holy Bible to be the word of God revealed through his first followers, the apostles and their disciples.
For Sister Aloysius, Sister James and Father Flynn, their lives are governed by the tenants of Catholicism, listed below. They strive to uphold these aspects of their faith to their best ability in order to be an example of Jesus Christ.
Catholicism is a denomination of Christianity. All Christian religions (Protestant, Lutheran, Baptist, etc) believe in Jesus Christ to be the one and only savior of the world. Christians live their lives in waiting for Jesus to come again and take the sinless to Heaven, and punish the sinners to Hell for eternity. Specifically the Catholic faith is based in belief in the Holy Bible to be the word of God revealed through his first followers, the apostles and their disciples.
For Sister Aloysius, Sister James and Father Flynn, their lives are governed by the tenants of Catholicism, listed below. They strive to uphold these aspects of their faith to their best ability in order to be an example of Jesus Christ.
The Ten Commandments
1. I am the Lord, your God.
2. Thou shall not take the Lord's name in vain. 3. Thou shall keep holy the Lord's day. 4. Honor thou mother and father. 5. Thou shall not kill. 6. Thou shall not commit adultery. 7. Thou shall not steal. 8. Thou shall not bear false witness. 9. Thou shall not covet your neighbor's wife. 10. Thou shall not covet your neighbor's goods. Full descriptions: http://www.the-ten-commandments.org/ten_commandments-purpose_meaning.html |
The 7 Sacraments
1. Baptism
2. The Eucharist 3. Reconciliation 4. Confirmation 5. Marriage 6. Holy Orders 7. Anointing of the Sick Full descriptions: http://www.americancatholic.org/features/special/default.aspx?id=29 |
The 7 Virtues of the Catholic Faith
1. Humility
2. Liberality 3. Chastity 4. Meekness 5. Temperance 6. Kindness 7. Diligence Detailed definitions: http://www.aquinasandmore.com/catholic-articles/the-seven-capital-virtues/article/247 |
The Mass
The Catholic worship service is called the mass. This service is one of the fundamental parts of being Catholic. Attending weekly Sunday mass is a requirement for all Catholics worldwide. Failure to attend Sunday mass is a sin against the church.
The mass has two parts: Liturgy of the Word and Liturgy of the Eucharist.
1. Liturgy of the Word- excerpts from the Bible are read aloud.
2. Liturgy of the Eucharist- the Priest performs the sacrament of the Eucharist, or Communion
Father Flynn and the sisters in Doubt know the Mass ceremony like the back of their hand. Father Flynn says Mass at least once a day, and has for the entirety of his priesthood. Sister Aloysius and Sister James attend mass every day. What keeps them engaged during the service? What are their favorite parts of going to church?
The mass has two parts: Liturgy of the Word and Liturgy of the Eucharist.
1. Liturgy of the Word- excerpts from the Bible are read aloud.
- A member of the congregation will read from the bible and the Priest will later read from one of the four gospels written by one of four apostles- Matthew, Mark, Luke or John.
- The congregation also sings hymns and recites prayers aloud together in the church.
2. Liturgy of the Eucharist- the Priest performs the sacrament of the Eucharist, or Communion
- The second part of mass is dedicated to the sacrament of the Eucharist.
- During this sacrament, the Priest changes bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ. This action is called the Consecration. Belief in this transformation, often referred to as the “mystery of faith,” is crucial to Catholic beliefs.
- Throughout the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the congregation sings more hymns and recites more prayers, such as “The Lord’s Prayer,” or the “Our Father.”
Father Flynn and the sisters in Doubt know the Mass ceremony like the back of their hand. Father Flynn says Mass at least once a day, and has for the entirety of his priesthood. Sister Aloysius and Sister James attend mass every day. What keeps them engaged during the service? What are their favorite parts of going to church?
Life of a Nun
Even though Sister Aloysius and Sister James are at different points in their lives as nuns, they both have gone through the same process to become a "bridge of Christ."
Life as a nun in the Catholic Church is a huge sacrifice and commitment to serving God for life. Nuns have little or no time for personal desires or personal business of any kind. These women have little time for family and friends outside the church. Women who are called to live a religious life do so willingly and with a strong heartfelt desire to spend their life serving the Church in any way needed.
There are two different paths a woman can choose when entering the religious life: a Sister or a Nun.
Sister Aloysius and Sister James have both chosen religious life as a sister, teaching in a Catholic school. Very different from nuns, these sisters face more struggles and interactions with the outside world. Influence from nonreligious people is more tangible for sisters. Sister James has a hard time understanding these influences, whereas Sister Aloysius, who has taught for many years now, is more accustomed to the hardness of life outside of a convent.
All religious women in the church take the same three vows upon entering the Religious Life:
1. Vow of poverty
Life as a nun in the Catholic Church is a huge sacrifice and commitment to serving God for life. Nuns have little or no time for personal desires or personal business of any kind. These women have little time for family and friends outside the church. Women who are called to live a religious life do so willingly and with a strong heartfelt desire to spend their life serving the Church in any way needed.
There are two different paths a woman can choose when entering the religious life: a Sister or a Nun.
- Sisters: women in the Religious Life who actively work within the world serving God through missionary works.
- Nuns: women in the Religious life who live separate from the world in a monastery setting; nuns devote their time to prayer and devotion and serving the needs of their monastery community
Sister Aloysius and Sister James have both chosen religious life as a sister, teaching in a Catholic school. Very different from nuns, these sisters face more struggles and interactions with the outside world. Influence from nonreligious people is more tangible for sisters. Sister James has a hard time understanding these influences, whereas Sister Aloysius, who has taught for many years now, is more accustomed to the hardness of life outside of a convent.
All religious women in the church take the same three vows upon entering the Religious Life:
1. Vow of poverty
- A promise to free herself of personal property and commitment to material things
- A promise to live a moderate life dedicated to the service of God and His people.
- A promise not to marry or participate in any sort of romantic relationship or behavior and any sexual acts.
- A promise to remain obedient to her superiors and to follow the will of God.
Life of a Priest
Just like a nun or sister, the life of a priest is completely devoted to serving the Church, God, and the Catholic people. A priest has two main duties: to celebrate the Sacraments (daily Mass, hear confessions, facilities marriage ceremonies, etc.) and to counsel Catholics in their parish.
Priests do not own their own home, but instead live in a rectory, a home owned by the church where they often reside with other priests or clergy.
Becoming a Priest
If a young man feels called to serve the religious life, he will enter the seminary. The seminary is an educational institution for men who are looking to become priests. Many seminaries require a bachelor's degree or an associate's degree to be admitted to the seminary. Attending the seminary is a four year program. While there, the prospective priests will study the Bible and the church's history in extreme content. Seminaries have dorms on their campus, so the men are fully engaged and entering a community to grow in their faith, learn more about Catholicism, and find out if the priesthood is right for them individually.
The vows a man takes when becoming a priest are the same vows a woman takes when becoming a nun or sister.
1. Vow of Poverty
2. Vow of Chastity
3. Vow of Obedience
For more information about the vows for priests view the following links:
www.christiancollegesanduniversities.com/blog/2010/10-requirements-for-seminary/
http://www.umsl.edu/services/govdocs/ooh9899/106.htm
Priests do not own their own home, but instead live in a rectory, a home owned by the church where they often reside with other priests or clergy.
Becoming a Priest
If a young man feels called to serve the religious life, he will enter the seminary. The seminary is an educational institution for men who are looking to become priests. Many seminaries require a bachelor's degree or an associate's degree to be admitted to the seminary. Attending the seminary is a four year program. While there, the prospective priests will study the Bible and the church's history in extreme content. Seminaries have dorms on their campus, so the men are fully engaged and entering a community to grow in their faith, learn more about Catholicism, and find out if the priesthood is right for them individually.
The vows a man takes when becoming a priest are the same vows a woman takes when becoming a nun or sister.
1. Vow of Poverty
2. Vow of Chastity
3. Vow of Obedience
For more information about the vows for priests view the following links:
www.christiancollegesanduniversities.com/blog/2010/10-requirements-for-seminary/
http://www.umsl.edu/services/govdocs/ooh9899/106.htm
Clergy Hierarchy
The Catholic Church has a strict hierarchy of authority that has been in place for thousands of years.
Pope: Head of the church; based at the Vatican in Italy.
Cardinal: appointed by the Pope; 178 cardinals worldwide; 13 in the U.S.; jobs is to advise the pope and elect a new pope
upon his death
Archbishop: head of a main or metropolitan diocese (a district of churches); can be a Cardinal as well; U.S. has 45
archbishops
Bishop: ordained this position; acts as a priest; minister and teacher of church doctrine; U.S. has 290 bishops
Priest: ordained this position; ministers most of the sacraments; assigned a particular religious order or to serving a parish
Brothers and Sisters/Nuns: devoted to a life committed to serving the church; become members of certain orders and
associations
Deacon: can be transitional--a seminary studying for the priesthood, or permanent-- can be married and assists priests in
administering the sacraments
Lay People: the members of the Catholic church, not holding any sort of religious position
For more information about roles in the Catholic church view the following link: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0922582.html
Sister Aloysius struggles with the chain of command in Doubt. As you can see, women were and still are not high in the hierarchy.
Pope: Head of the church; based at the Vatican in Italy.
Cardinal: appointed by the Pope; 178 cardinals worldwide; 13 in the U.S.; jobs is to advise the pope and elect a new pope
upon his death
Archbishop: head of a main or metropolitan diocese (a district of churches); can be a Cardinal as well; U.S. has 45
archbishops
Bishop: ordained this position; acts as a priest; minister and teacher of church doctrine; U.S. has 290 bishops
Priest: ordained this position; ministers most of the sacraments; assigned a particular religious order or to serving a parish
Brothers and Sisters/Nuns: devoted to a life committed to serving the church; become members of certain orders and
associations
Deacon: can be transitional--a seminary studying for the priesthood, or permanent-- can be married and assists priests in
administering the sacraments
Lay People: the members of the Catholic church, not holding any sort of religious position
For more information about roles in the Catholic church view the following link: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0922582.html
Sister Aloysius struggles with the chain of command in Doubt. As you can see, women were and still are not high in the hierarchy.
From left to right: Pope Paul VI, reigned from 1963-1978; Cardinal Alfredo Ottaviani c. 1960; Father John Foley c. 1964; and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Sister of Charity c. 1800
Sisters of Charity
Many communities of sisters around the world deem themselves “Sisters of Charity.”
Shanley writes of the community that is based in New York, founded in 1809 by St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, who became the first American-born to be canonized a saint.
The Sisters of Charity's mission is the following: “Our mission as Sisters of Charity is to share in the ongoing mission of Jesus by responding to the signs of the times in the spirit of St. Vincent de Paul and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, by revealing the Father’s love in our lives and in our varied ministries with and for all in need, especially those living in poverty."
The ministry focuses its efforts in four areas: nursing, health care, education, and child care.
The Sisters of Charity official website can be viewed in the following link: http://www.scny.org/
Shanley writes of the community that is based in New York, founded in 1809 by St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, who became the first American-born to be canonized a saint.
The Sisters of Charity's mission is the following: “Our mission as Sisters of Charity is to share in the ongoing mission of Jesus by responding to the signs of the times in the spirit of St. Vincent de Paul and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, by revealing the Father’s love in our lives and in our varied ministries with and for all in need, especially those living in poverty."
The ministry focuses its efforts in four areas: nursing, health care, education, and child care.
The Sisters of Charity official website can be viewed in the following link: http://www.scny.org/