BODY

In order to belong to the church one must accept as factually true the gospel of
Jesus as handed down in tradition and as interpreted by the bishops in union by the
pope. Fundamental in this divine tradition is the Bible, its text determined and
disseminated by the church. Adherents must also accept the church as possessing the
fullness of revelation and the church, according to the Roman catechism, is the only
Christian body that is one holy, catholic and universal. As a branch of Christianity,
Roman Catholicism can be traced to the life and teachings of Jesus Christ in Roman-
occupied Jewish Palestine about 30 CE. According to Roman Catholic teaching, each of
the sacraments was instituted by Christ himself. Roman Catholicism also holds that
Jesus established his disciple St. Peter as the first pope of the nascent church (Matthew
16:18). Centuries of tradition, theological debates, and the wiles of history have shaped
Roman Catholicism into what it is today.
The Roman Catholic Church traces its history to Jesus Christ and the Apostles.
Over the course of centuries it developed a highly sophisticated theology and an
elaborate organizational structure headed by the papacy, the oldest continuing absolute
monarchy in the world. The number of Roman Catholics in the world (nearly 1.1 billion)
is greater than that of nearly all other religious traditions. At least in an inchoate form, all
the elements of catholicity—doctrine,authority, universality—are evident in the New
Testament. The Acts of the Apostles begins with a depiction of the demoralized band of
the disciples of Jesus in Jerusalem, but by the end of its account of the first decades,
the Christian community has developed some nascent criteria for determining the
difference between authentic (“apostolic”) and inauthentic teaching and behavior. It has
also moved beyond the geographic borders of Judaism, as the dramatic sentence of the
closing chapter announces: “And thus we came to Rome” (Acts 28:14). The later
epistles of the New Testament admonish their readers to “guard what has been
entrusted to you” (1 Timothy 6:20) and to “contend for the faith that was once for all
handed down to the holy ones” (Jude 3), and they speak about the Christian community
itself in exalted and even cosmic terms as the church, “which is [Christ’s] body, the
fullness of the one who fills all things in every way” (Ephesians 1:23). It is clear even
from the New Testament that these catholic features were proclaimed in response to
internal challenges as well as external ones; indeed, scholars have concluded that the
early church was far more pluralistic from the very beginning than the somewhat
idealized portrayal in the New Testament might suggest. As such challenges continued
in the 2nd and 3rd centuries, further development of catholic teaching became
necessary. The schema of apostolic authority formulated by the bishop of Lyon, St.
Irenaeus (c. 130–c. 200), sets forth systematically the three main sources of authority
for catholic Christianity: the Scriptures of the New Testament (alongside the Hebrew
Scriptures, or “Old Testament,” which Christians interpret as prophesying the coming of
Jesus); the episcopal centres established by the Apostles as the seats of their
identifiable successors in the governance of the church (traditionally at Alexandria,
Antioch, Jerusalem, and Rome); and the apostolic tradition of normative doctrine as the
“rule of faith” and the standard of Christian conduct. Each of the three sources
depended on the other two for validation; thus, one could determine which purportedly
scriptural writings were genuinely apostolic by appealing to their conformity with
acknowledged apostolic tradition and to the usage of the apostolic churches, and so on.
This was not a circular argument but an appeal to a single catholic authority of
apostolicity, in which the three elements were inseparable. Inevitably, however, there
arose conflicts—of doctrine and jurisdiction, of worship and pastoral practice, and of
social and political strategy—among the three sources, as well as between equally
“apostolic” bishops. When bilateral means of resolving such conflicts proved insufficient,
there could be recourse to either the precedent of convoking an apostolic council (Acts
15) or to what Irenaeus had already called “the preeminent authority of this church [of
Rome], with which, as a matter of necessity, every church should agree.” Catholicism
was on the way to becoming Roman Catholic.

Teachings
The chief teachings of the Roman Catholic Church are: God’s objective
existence; Gods interest in individual human beings, who can enter into relations with
God through prayer; the Trinity; the divinity of Jesus; the immortality of soul of each
human being, each one being accountable at death for his or her actions in life, with the
award of heaven or hell; the resurrection of the dead; the historicity of the Gospels; and
the divine commission of the church. In addition the Roman Catholic Church stresses
that since the members, living and dead, share in each other’s merits, the Virgin Mary
and other saints and the dead in purgatory never forgotten. The church is seen as
having from God a system of conveying God’s grace direct to humanity. The ordinary
Catholic frequents the sacraments

Human Dignity
In a world warped by materialism and declining respect for human life, the
Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the person is
the foundation of a moral vision for society. Our belief in the sanctity of human life and
the inherent dignity of the human person is the foundation of all the principles of our
social teaching.

Community and the Common Good

In a global culture driven by excessive individualism, our tradition proclaims that
the person is not only sacred but also social. How we organize our society -- in
economics and politics, in law and policy -- directly affects human dignity and the
capacity of individuals to grow in community. Our Church teaches that the role of the
government and other institutions is to protect human life and human dignity and
promote the common good.

Rights and Responsibilities

Catholic tradition teaches that human dignity can be protected and a healthy
community can be achieved only if human rights are protected and responsibilities are
met. Therefore, every person has a fundamental right to life and a right to those things
required for human decency. Corresponding to these rights are duties and
responsibilities -- to one another, to our families, and to the larger society.

Option for the Poor and Vulnerable

Catholic teaching proclaims that a basic moral test is how our most vulnerable
members are faring. In a society marred by deepening divisions between rich and poor,
our tradition recalls the story of the Last Judgment (Mt. 25) and instructs us to put the
needs of the poor and vulnerable first.

Participation
 All people have a right to participate in the economic, political, and cultural life of
society. It is a fundamental demand of justice and a requirement for human dignity that
all people be assured a minimum level of participation in the community. Conversely, it
is wrong for a person or a group to be excluded unfairly or to be unable to participate in
society. In the words of the U.S. bishops, "The ultimate injustice is for a person or group
to be treated actively or abandoned passively as if they were non-members of the
human race. To treat people this way is effectively to say they simply do not count as
human beings.
Dignity of Work and Rights of Workers
In a marketplace where too often the quarterly bottom line takes precedence over
the rights of workers, we believe that the economy must serve people, not the other way
around. If the dignity of work is to be protected, then the basic rights of workers must be
respected -- the right to productive work, to decent and fair wages, to organize and join
unions, to private property and to economic initiative.

Stewardship of Creation
Catholic tradition insists that we show our respect for the Creator by our
stewardship of creation. We are called to protect people and the planet, living our faith
in relationship with all of God’s creation. This environmental challenge has fundamental
moral and ethical dimensions which cannot be ignored.

Solidarity
Catholic social teaching proclaims that we are our brothers' and sisters' keepers,
wherever they live. We are one human family, whatever our national, racial, ethnic,
economic, and ideological differences. Solidarity means that "loving our neighbor" has
global dimensions in an interdependent world.

Role of Government
Because we are social beings, the state is natural to the person. Therefore, the
state has a positive moral function. It is an instrument to promote human dignity, protect
human rights, and build the common good. It's purpose is to assist citizens in fulfilling
their responsibility to others in society. Since, in a large and complex society these
responsibilities cannot adequately be carried out on a one-to-one basis, citizens need
the help of government in fulfilling these responsibilities and promoting the common
good. According to the principle of subsidiarity, the functions of government should be
performed at the lowest level possible, as long as they can be performed adequately. If
they cannot, then a higher level of government should intervene to provide help.

Promotion of Peace
Catholic teaching promotes peace as a positive, action-oriented concept. In the
words of Pope John Paul II, "Peace is not just the absence of war. It involves mutual
respect and confidence between peoples and nations. It involves collaboration and
binding agreements.” There is a close relationship in Catholic teaching between peace
and justice. Peace is the fruit of justice and is dependent upon right order among human
beings.

Doctrines
The doctrines of apostolic succession is one of the keystone of the catholic faith;
it holds that the pope and the bishops have in varying degrees the spiritual authority
Jesus assigned to his apostles. The voice of the pope, either alone or in conjunction
with his bishops in council, is regarded as infallible when speaking on matters of faith
and morals taught in common with the bishops. In Roman Catholicism and certain other
Christian churches, the sacraments are a key and essential part of the faith. In Roman
Catholic teaching, the sacraments serve to perpetuate the union of God and
humankind. They are “the visible form of an invisible grace,” as St. Augustine famously
described them. Roman Catholicism celebrates seven sacraments: baptism, the
Eucharist, confirmation, reconciliation (confession), marriage, anointing of the sick, and
holy orders. Some, such as baptism, confirmation, marriage, and ordination, are
generally only to be received once in a Roman Catholic’s life. For others, such as the
Eucharist and reconciliation, frequent participation is encouraged.

Beliefs and Practices

 The core beliefs of the Catholic Church are share by the Trinitarian Christian
groups. Its catechesis makes use of the Nicene Creed and Apostles Creed, which are
accepted also by most Christian denominations. The catechism of the Catholic Church

Daily Practices
 Prayers at table, bedside and other times
 May desire daily Eucharist or attendance at Mass
 Use of sacraments or aids in the spiritual life, such as rosary beads prayer, holy
images, candles, etc.

Dying and Death

 Belief in life after death.
 Persons experiencing grave suffering and/or approaching death are usually
encouraged to pin their suffering to that of Christ’s.
 Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick very important for the seriously ill, frail
and elderly. Used to be called Last Rites.
 Autopsy and Organ Donation acceptable.
 Body to be treated with respect.
 Wakes encouraged- usually in a funeral home the day before the funeral.
 Funeral Mass is the norm but can be replaced with a funeral version of Liturgy of
the Word.
 Graveside service is also typical.

Food
 Traditional Catholics may fast and/or ask for sacramental confession prior to
receiving Eucharist and may wish to avoid meat on Fridays, especially during
season of Lent; offer to provide fish instead.
 No general dietary restrictions.

Holy days and Festivals

 Traditional Christian holidays as well as observance of special holy days when
attendance at Mass is viewed as an obligation.
  Holidays such as Christmas and Easter are celebrated as a season, not only for
one significant day.
Pregnancy and Birth
 Natural means of birth control.
 Abortion and sterilization prohibited.
 Artificial means of conception are discouraged.
 Baptism of infants may be required and urgent if prognosis is grave.

Rituals and ceremonies

 Attending Mass on Sunday and Holy Days, sometimes daily.
 Observing sacraments.
 Praying the rosary (beads to aid in saying prayers).
 Lighting candles.
 Be aware of cultural differences in observance and practice, especially in the
large and growing number of Spanish speaking communities.

Spiritual instruments, structure, and symbols

 Rosary.
 Holy water.
 Saints, especially Mary the mother of Jesus and saints associated with healing.
 Jesus pictures and statues; crucifix (cross with corpus of Jesus).
 Name of Jesus is important.
 Only male priest can offer Sacraments.
 Leadership includes priest (Father) deacon (Mr. or Deacon), nuns (Sister) and
brothers(Brother), Whom all have all taken vows as well as Eucharistic minister.