The Catholic Church
The term Catholic is already used in early Christianity. Back then it meant generally or general. In colloquial language, we almost only understand this to mean that Roman Catholic Church, more precisely the latin church based in Rome.
Catholic hierarchy
The Roman Catholic Church has a clear structure. Believers must submit to the decisions of the Church.
The pope
The head of the Church is the Pope. He is in the footsteps of the apostle Peter. At the same time he is Bishop of Rome. His official seat is holy chair in the Vatican. The Pope is also head of the Vatican State. He goes public with the blessing Urbi and Orbi at Christmas and at Easter on St. Peter's Basilica. His episcopal church, however, is that Lateran Basilica. He can be seen at the weekly General audience. It takes place every Wednesday morning in St. Peter's Square, and in extreme weather conditions also in the Vatican Audience Hall. This is the outward sign of papal dignity tiara, a three-part crown.
Cardinals and bishops
The church has named the area in which its believers live, divided into administrative districts diocese or Diocese. A diocese is headed by one bishop. He must be a Catholic priest and appointed by the Pope. There are also bishops who dated Cathedral chapter were chosen. The choice had to be confirmed by the Pope. Several dioceses together form an ecclesiastical province. Your board of directors bears the title archbishop. His diocese is named accordingly archdiocese. The Pope can also serve as clergymen Titular bishop appoint. They are then assigned to dioceses that have disappeared throughout history. In some dioceses the Diocesan bishop another Auxiliary bishop assigned.
A cardinal is usually appointed by the Pope from among the bishops. The College of Cardinals has the task of finding a successor in the event of the Pope's demise Holy See to call, this is done in conclave.
As a sign of their dignity, bishops wear a signet ring, the pectoral cross (pectoral), the crosier and the bishop's cap Miter. Scarlet color serves as a sign of cardinal dignity - headgear, shoulder cape and belt ribbon are cardinal red.
Priests and deacons
In the Catholic Church only men can join priest to be consecrated. You can't be married. You need to celibate Life. Ordination as a priest is a prerequisite for leading a community, called Parish. Only then can they be appointed to this office. Before the priestly ordination takes place the ordination to deacon. He is then allowed to donate baptisms, lead funeral ceremonies, and perform church weddings. In today's times when there is a shortage of priests, there is also the possibility that men may also be ordained deacons who do not aspire to be ordained priests. In this case they can also be married, the consent of the wife is required.
Lay people also act as helpers in the Catholic Church. They also wear liturgical robes during the service. For this service as Acolyte women and girls are also allowed. They are now in the majority in many German communities.
Distribution area
The Roman Catholic Church has over 1.1 billion members worldwide, around half of all Christians.
Europe
Traditionally, the Catholic Church is fairly well represented in Europe. Catholic countries are above all Italy, Spain, Portugal, PolandLithuaniaSloveniaCroatia with over 75% Catholics. The majority are Catholic too France, BelgiumIrelandAustriaSlovakia. In the Switzerland and in Hungary it is still about half of the population. In Germany and Czech Republic Catholics are a strong minority. Here the influences of the Reformation are clearly visible. In the north-west of Europe, the majority of the faithful belong to Protestant churches, in the east is the Orthodox Church predominant.
America
- Latin America: Due to the missionary work that started in Spain and Portugal, all Latin American states are currently predominantly Catholic. In the last few decades, however, attempts to proselytize by other Christian churches and sects by churches based in the United States going out, extremely successful.
- North America:Canada is about half Catholic. In the United States, Catholics are the strongest Christian church.
rest of the world
- Africa: North Africa is predominant Islamic. Only in Central Africa the Catholic Church is strongly represented, especially in the former French, Belgian and Portuguese colonies.
- Asia: Here the Catholics are numerically in the minority almost everywhere. The only exceptions are Philippines.
- Australia: About a third of the population professes the Catholic faith.
Catholic teaching
The sacraments
For the Catholic Church is a Sacrament an outward sign of a grace that was instituted by Jesus himself. Accordingly there are 7 sacraments:
- the baptism
- the Confirmation
- the Eucharist or St. Communion
- the confession or the sacrament of penance
- the marriage
- the Ordination
- the Anointing of the sick (formerly also extreme unction called)
Since marriage is a sacrament for the Catholic Church, a separation can take place, but not a divorce. It is not possible for Catholic Christians to marry in church a second time after a (civil) divorce.
Commandments
In addition to the Ten Commandments anchored in the Bible, the Catholic Church also knows five Church Commandments:
- the Sunday duty. It includes the commandment to take part in a mass on Sundays and on religious holidays and not to do any work that could endanger the sanctity of the day.
- to receive the sacrament of penance at least once a year, i.e. to go to confession at least once a year.
- to go to communion at least once a year during Easter.
- Adhere to fasting and abstinence days (Ash Wednesday, Good Friday).
- to stand by the Church and to support her materially.
The liturgy
The house of God
A building does not become a Catholic church until it is consecrated. For this purpose the building is anointed by a bishop. At the place of this anointing is a cross as a visible sign in many churches, often it is the 14 stations of the Way of the Cross. As in most other Christian denominations, the sanctuary in a Catholic church faces east. Often one side makes sense Eternal light. The candle shows one tabernacle, in which consecrated hosts are kept. Usually a tabernacle can also be found on the main altar. Then on the side is the sacristy. The liturgical vestments and objects are usually kept in this adjoining room. In older churches, the chancel is separated from the rest of the church by a communion bench.
If you enter a Catholic church, you will find a vessel with holy water in the entrance area. The believers dip their fingers into such a basin when entering and use them to cross themselves. At least in Central Europe, it is customary for believers to have knees in addition to seating. Traditionally it was the case that the men sat on the right side and the women sat on the left. In rural areas, some people have their permanent place, which is nowhere written down, but respected by all the locals. Are on the sides or near the entrance Confessionals. Larger churches have side altars on the left and right. There is usually a baptismal font on one of them.
Liturgical vestments and objects
It used to be common for Catholic priests to usually wear a black cassock in public. White can also be seen in tropical areas. Nowadays, a Catholic priest can hardly be recognized as such by his clothing in his spare time, since he is dressed quite "normally". In the service, the clothes are adapted to the color of the liturgy. Over a white one Alb or a choir shirt, the priest wears a chasuble, called Chasuble. A stole is a sign of priestly office. The Birett or Pfaffenhütchen something has gone out of style. The acolytes also wear a gown and a choir shirt.
During Advent and Lent, the liturgical color is violet; on the Christmas and Easter holidays, white predominates, often splendidly embroidered. he clothes of the altar boys are often red, for the priests also on Palm Sunday and on Apostle festivals. In the time of the year (after Pentecost) the clothes are green. In addition to purple, black can also be worn for funeral services, and in recent years blue has also been used on Marian holidays.
Many non-Catholics are bothered by the unfamiliar scent of incense on festive days, which, like clothing, is a relic from the time as the state religion. The custom of using holy water when blessing is also unknown in most other churches. This also applies to the prayer cord, the rosaryprayed on many occasions.
Forms of worship
The most important worship service in the Catholic Church is Holy Mass. Every Catholic should visit them on Sundays (or even on Saturday evenings). The first part is a service of the word, which includes a reading from an Apostle's letter, for example, or a reading from a Gospel. This is often followed by a sermon. This part closes with the Creed, the creed. The second part is the celebration of the Eucharist. It consists of the making of the offerings of bread and wine. The prayer follows Sanctus and the change. After the Lord's Prayer and Communion, the mass closes with the blessing by the priest.
Some services are in the form of a Devotion, mostly shaped by prayer and singing. This can include chanting psalms. There are devotions to the worship of the Mother of God as May devotion. in the Rosary month Rosary worship is customary in October, and in Lent it is common to pray the Way of the Cross.
Catholic Holidays
Holy Week and Easter
The last week before Easter is celebrated in a special way in all Christian denominations. In the Catholic Church in Germany, the bells and the organ fall silent on Maundy Thursday until Gloria on Easter night. On Good Friday, therefore, are in the service Rattle or Ratchets used and the crucifixes in the churches are covered. On Easter Saturday, the resurrection is commemorated in a nightly celebration. An Easter fire is lit, the Easter candle is consecrated, the holy water for the baptism is blessed.
All over Spain, Holy Week is celebrated with processions. The celebrations of the Semana Santa in Seville.
Ascension of Christ
This holiday is on the 40th day of the Easter festival circle, which is 10 days before Pentecost always on a Thursday. Ascension Day is a Christian holiday in many denominations and a public holiday in many countries. In Italy, Poland and Hungary it is celebrated in church on the following Sunday.
Ascension Day is still in some Catholic areas Petition processions common. These lead into the field corridor, where altars have been set up at prominent points, for example at corridor crosses. Prayers are made to them for blessings for work, for daily bread, for peace. Sometimes the priest donates one Weather blessing.
The tradition has often shifted in recent years. Ascension is called Fathers day and used for private excursions.
Corpus Christi
This holiday is celebrated on the 60th day after Easter, that is, on the 2nd Thursday after Pentecost. The name comes from Middle High German and means Body of the lord or Corpus Christi. On this day, a procession takes place in many parishes after the Corpus Christi Mass. In this one consecrated host becomes in one monstrance carried in a festive procession by a priest. Usually four outside altars are visited, which were previously decorated with colorful flower carpets by parishioners. The procession is concluded in the church with solemn prayer and Te Deum.
In federal states and many other countries with a predominantly Catholic population, Corpus Christi is a public holiday. In the catholic Italy does not exist this holiday. The service is either celebrated in the evening or, in many congregations, on the following Sunday.
Pilgrimages
In the Catholic Church, pilgrimages and pilgrimages are part of the custom, sometimes encouraged by the Church, sometimes tolerated and often enough also observed with suspicion. The reasons for this are as varied as the reasons for the participating believers. These can be requests for a cure for an illness or thanks for a recovery. Often it is a desire to visit a place where something miraculous happened. Blood miracles and apparitions of saints are known. Some examples of places of pilgrimage
- Germany: Marian pilgrimage to Altoetting or Kevelaer, Blood miracle of Walldürn, Blood procession of Vineyard
- Italy: Tomb of St. Francis in Assisi, the holy house in Loreto, Madonna delle Lacrime, Marian pilgrimage Syracuse
- France: Marian apparition in Lourdes, Gypsy pilgrimage to the Camargue after Saintes Maries de la Mer
- Poland: Black Madonna of Czestochowa
- Portugal: Apparition of the Madonna in Fatima
- Spain: Pilgrimage to the tomb of the apostle James after Santiago de Compostela
- Mexico: Virgin of Guadelupe, Mexico City, most visited place of pilgrimage in the world
- Israel:Via Dolorosa to the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem
Monastery life
Monks and nuns
The word monk originally meant a man who mono, so lives alone. That was originally the hermit meant. In many religions such people have come together to find God through meditation, asceticism and prayer. This common life in isolation from the environment takes place in a monastery. A new member, a novice, is not immediately accepted into a community. This can only be done after a probationary period of several years vow take place, whereby the new member receives his religious name. The same applies to women. Female members of a monastery are called nuns.
Life in an order
The Catholic orders differ both in terms of monk's robes and in terms of their rules. What they all have in common is that they live by the rules that are according to the Gospel (evangelical councils). these are Obedience, chastity and poverty. Members of these orders are called Brothers or. sister. If they are ordained priests, they are called Father. The board of directors of a monastery is that Dept or the abbess, his deputy is the prior.
In the Middle Ages, many monasteries were the only schools. The friars often cultivated medicinal herbs. Your tasks have changed significantly in many ways. Some medals like that Salesians Don Bosco maintain schools around the world. You are currently involved in upbringing and education in developing countries. Others specialize in social services, and still others restore art. The number of monasteries has decreased significantly in the last few decades. However, it is precisely this area that continues to meet with undivided tourist interest. And the Temporary monastic life enjoys increasing popularity in a hectic environment.
literature
- : World religions: origin, history, practice, belief, worldview. Parragon, 2008, ISBN 978-1407554242 .
- : The seven world religions. Edition XXL GmbH, 2004, ISBN 978-3897363229 .
- : World religions. Ullmann, 2005, ISBN 978-3833114069 .
