Copy of `Wall Street Journal - Roman Catholic terms`

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Wall Street Journal - Roman Catholic terms Category: History and Culture > Catholicism Date & country: 29/01/2018, USA Words: 19

Vespers
Vespers are a series of prayers said in the early evening. Many Catholic, Christian and Orthodox groups say vespers, which is derived from the Latin word for evening.

Vatican II
The Second Vatican Council, or Vatican II as it has come to be known, was called by Pope John XXIII to address the church and its relations with the modern world. It was formally opened in October of 1962 and lasted until December in 1965. Innovations to worship and changes to the church’s liturgical calendar were just two of the many changes wrought by the council. These changes still spark disagreement among Catholics, with some traditionalists holding to pre-Vatican II ideas, while others think the changes following the council haven’t gone far enough.

Synod
A synod (pronounced SIN-id) is a meeting of bishops from around the world, called to assist the pope in dealing with issues of doctrine, teaching and faith. The Synod of Bishops on the Family will hold a second session next month in Rome, on the heels of the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia this month.

Papal Infallibility
Broadly speaking, the church teaches that the pope, when teaching on matters of faith and morals, and exercising his duties as a pastor and teacher of Christians, does so without possibility of error. It does not mean the pope is preserved from error in all teaching, (for instance, Pope Francis’ recent comments about climate change would not be infallible), nor that the pope can never do anything wrong.

Monsignor
An honorific given to certain priests for longevity or to honor special services.

Liturgy
A common public worship carried out by a religious group. The Catholic Mass is an example of liturgy.

Miter
The pointed hat worn by a bishop as a symbol of his office. The pope will wear a miter to represent him as Bishop of Rome. The staff carried by a bishop is called a crozier, and resembles the staff carried by shepherds, referencing Jesus’ request to St. Peter to “feed my sheep.”

Liberation Theology
A movement within the Catholic Church that focuses heavily on alleviating the suffering of the poor. The movement, which originated in Latin America in the 1950s, is looked upon with suspicion by some members of the church and its hierarchy due to perceived connections with Marxist popular movements in Central and South America during the 1960s and 1970s.

Liberal Catholic
Liberal, or nontraditional, Catholics, believe many of the church’s teachings can be altered, due to circumstances such as culture or politics. Such issues as the ordination of women or the indissolubility of marriage, for example, are being challenged by the non-traditional wing of the church. (See also Conservative Catholic.)

Holy See
The Holy See is those areas in Rome under the pope’s ecclesiastical jurisdiction when he acts under his authority as Bishop of Rome. (See also Bishop of Rome, Vatican City.)

Holy Trinity
The Catholic belief that God is the unity of three persons—the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit—each distinct one from the other but equal in office and dignity, and each one uncreated, omnipotent and eternal.

Jesuit
The Society of Jesus, or Jesuits, is a religious order founded by St. Ignatius Loyola in 1540. They took as their motto Ad maiorem Dei gloriam (For the Greater Glory of God.) The order is well-known for producing teachers, writers and missionaries. Pope Francis was the first Jesuit to be elected as pope. Boston College, Georgetown University and Loyola Marymount University are three of the many Jesuit colleges in the U.S.

Eucharist
The Catholic Church teaches that during the Mass, at the moment of Consecration, the host and wine are miraculously transformed into the actual body and blood of Christ, that he is truly present in the Sacrament, and that the Sacrament confers God’s grace upon the recipient. The Sacrament is a reminder of Christ’s Last Supper before his death and also serves as a visible sign of the community of the Catholic Church.

Dogma
A truth about morals or faith, transmitted via Scripture or tradition from the Apostles, as taught by the church.

Cardinal
A senior leader within the Catholic Church. Among their most visible functions is electing a new pope. At times in the past, men have been named as cardinals who were not ordained priests. Currently, a man must be an ordained priest and named a bishop to be given the office of Cardinal.

Conservative Catholic
More properly called a “traditional” Catholic, the term denotes someone who thinks church teaching is unchanging and is relevant and true in any age or situation, even if the expression of that truth changes due to time or culture. (See also Liberal Catholic.)

Bishop of Rome
The pope, as part of his duties, receives the office of Bishop of Rome, which was first held by the apostle Peter. Bishop of Rome is also often used as an alternate title for the pope. (See also Holy See.)

Bishop
A member of the Catholic Church hierarchy with the responsibility of teaching the faithful and representing the church to the world. A diocesan bishop is given pastoral care of the diocese entrusted to him, giving special attention to the education of youth and the training of clergy.

Annulment
An annulment is a finding of a church tribunal that what had been thought to be a valid sacramental marriage was lacking at least one of the essential elements for the sacrament. The annulment isn’t the equivalent of a divorce and doesn’t erase an existing marriage. Rather, it rules no valid marriage existed in the eyes of the church. (The pope earlier this month made it quicker and simpler for married Catholics to obtain annulments.)