...The Second Vatican Council - Foundation Documents Intro On October 11, 1962, Pope John XXIII convened the Second Vatican Council in Peter’s Basilica, Rome, in order to renew the Church and make what many people considered long overdue changes. Vatican II was an ‘ecumenical council’, meaning it was a gathering of the Christian Bishops of the world, not just the local or interregional. The purpose of the second Vatican council was to bring the Church up to date with the ever moving modern times, also known as aggionamento or as Pope John XXIII put it; “Throw open the window of the church and let the spirit blow through.” He also opened the council to all Christian denominations in a pastoral rather than doctrinal movement. The council proceeded over four consecutive autumns from 1962 to 1965. Finally with much lively discussion and debate the council reached agreement on 16 major documents. Discussion will center on the Four Foundational Documents, written to address the liturgical changes made by the council. Vatican II is still to this day considered one of, if not the, most important religious events of the 20th century and is a defining landmark in the Churches history. Sacrosanctum Concilium Sacrosanctum Consilium is the first of the documents of Vatican II. This document addresses the liturgical changes and is still today what people most associate with Vatican II. The council document changed the understanding of the liturgy, first in regards to the faithful and their...
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...America was built on religious freedom, as Puritans from Great Britain came to the United States to practice their religion freely. The biggest religious disagreement, however, has been between the Catholics and the Jews. Years ago, a man was crucified for saying he was God’s Son. His name was Jesus Christ. Those who followed his teachings were names Christians; and Christians soon resented Jews for their sinful act. This tension between Christians and Jews lead to increasing hate towards one another. Not too long ago, anti-Semitism was common. Anti-Semitism led to the death of an entire population during the holocaust. Luckily, the church took measures to rectify this anti-Semitism with the publication of Nostra Aetate. In 1965, the Vatican II Council completely transformed the church’s policies and theology with this document. Nostra Aetate signifies “In Our Time” and it is from the first line of the declaration as is customary with Roman Catholic documents. Indeed, in our time, the ill sentiments towards Jews have changed tremendously. Nostra Aetate is a unifying document that has not only led to peaceful coexistence of the Catholic and Judaic faith but also understanding of many other faiths. Ultimately, it has enabled the education of Catholicism in universities, as well as in organizations. The Nostra Aetate, discusses the relationship of the Church with Non-Christians, which was proclaimed by Pope Paul VI on October 28th of 1965. "What happened in Christ's passion...
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...determine the kind of instruction at Saint Nicholas Parish School and relate it with the instruction we have in our schools. III. Synopsis: The setting of the Film Doubt is St Nicholas's Church in the Bronx, a largely Irish-American parish, where the priest is Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and the principal of the attached grade school is Sister Aloysius (Meryl Streep). The time is the autumn of 1964, a year after the assassination of the country's first Catholic president and shortly after the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council. The opening scene is set at when cheerful, fair-haired Father Flynn preaches a sermon about sharing doubts with others in the community and facing them in one's own life, beginning with the words: "What do you do when you are not sure?" As he preaches with compelling informality, Sister Aloysius stalks the aisles, reprimanding inattentive children. Sister Aloysius entered the convent after being widowed in the Second World War. She won't allow ballpoint pens to be used in the school or secular songs to be sung at the forthcoming carol service. She believes her duty is to protect the children from a corrupt world and put them on the path of righteousness. To achieve this, she said that it is necessary to be feared. On the other hand,...
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...Analyse a religious tradition(s) in New Zealand The New Zealand society has undergone many significant changes over the past 50 years, especially those involving the religious expression and teachings of the Catholic Church. Both educational and cultural changes have affected the positioning of religion in our society and as a consequence to this the amount of citizens who claim to be Christian does not match the amount of people who actually live in New Zealand. This is evolving New Zealand from being a country known as Christian to be known as a religiously diverse. This is evident through the census data. A census taken in 2006 shows that 55.6 percent of the people who answered the religious affiliation questions claimed to be within the Christian religion. This is compared to the 2001 Census which shows that 60.6 percent of people claimed to be Christian. From this census data it is becoming more obvious that religious expression in New Zealand is becoming more and more diverse. As the numbers of immigrants continue to rise the diversity of New Zealand continues to change dramatically. It is now common to find other religious groups such as Buddhists and Muslims in New Zealand and due to this the traditional religions, especially the Catholic Church, have seen fallen numbers. From this census data shown above, it states that the overall number of people who claim to be Catholic has dropped. Although the amount of people who claim to be Hindi, Muslim and Sikh have all...
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...Specific (Catholic) Literary Principles for Interpreting the Bible What is the literal sense? Speaking of the “literal” sense or meaning of the Bible from a Catholic perspective can be very confusing because the Catholic Church does not mean by the term literal what is often meant by the word “literal” in popular American culture and vernacular. “Literal” as used by modern twenty-first century Americans assumes that the words of text describe something that factually happened. This restrictive meaning of “literal” is not what the Catholic Church means by the literal sense, literal level, or the literal meaning of the Bible. Rather, this modern contemporary American understanding of “literal” is closer to what is called literalism, which means, “fidelity to observable fact.”[1] The literal sense of some Biblical texts may require “fidelity to observable fact” but this is not always the case. Thus, in Catholic teaching, the “literal sense” is not synonymous with literalism. What the Catholic Church means by the literal sense is that the “literal sense is the meaning conveyed by the words of Scripture and discovered by exegesis, following the rules of sound interpretation” (CCC[2]116).[3] It is called “literal” because the English word literal is derived from the Latin word “littera,” which is the Latin word for “letter.” So the literal sense, according to Catholic teaching, is not a literalist reading of the text based upon literalism but is the “meaning conveyed by the...
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...Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli. He was the fourth in a family of 14. The family worked as sharecroppers. The town’s priest got him interested in religion. He was considered a star pupil with his teachers. Before he could finish his studies he was drafted as a sergeant in the medical corps and became a chaplain to wounded soldiers. He enjoyed army life however within the first few weeks he lost twenty pounds. Some of his friends wondered if he would leave the army, when the opportunity came he took off his sword and went on indefinite leave, without pay. When the war ended, he opened a "Student House" for the spiritual needs of young people. He had no problems attracting students. He was a war hero, gentle, kind and very amusing company. When the Second World War broke out he was in Greece. He got news from the prisoners and informed their families on how they were managing. He assisted many Jewish people to escape by issuing "transit visas" from the Apostolic Delegation. On March 19 1925 he was ordained Bishop and left for Bulgaria. He was given the title Apostolic Delegate and stayed in Bulgaria until 1935, visiting the Catholic population and created relationships of respect and esteem with the additional Christian communities. In the outcome of the 1928 earthquake his concern was everywhere. He carried on in silence the misunderstandings and other difficulties of a ministry on the outer reaches of society, and as a result advanced his sense of trust and abandonment to Jesus crucified...
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...The Christian Idea of Work Jes´s A. Izaguirre, Ph.D. u December 6, 2000 1 Introduction In this brief document, I try to explore the question of the meaning of work in the light of the Christian faith, particularly in the modern circumstances of work. Work holds a key to the understanding of the modern world, as is evident in technological and scientific progress. It has often been forgotten, however, that it holds a key to the understanding of the human person, both in itself (what makes a human a person) and in the individual lives of millions of women and men. These reflections are particularly addressed to you, a student at the distinctively Catholic University of Notre Dame. They are intended to present in a simple way, what the Catholic faith has to say about the question of the role of work in the development of persons and societies. Its sources are primarily Scriptures, the documents of the magisterium of the Church, and writings of contemporary spiritual writers. Finally, they present some speculations trying to explore some ethical issues in the current practice and directions of computer science. 2 Modern understanding of work Work occupies a central place in contemporary thought, legislation, and speculative thinking. Often, however, work is understood as either a means to economic development, particularly through the use of technology, or as a means of individual self-fulfillment alone. The former view tends to emphasize the objective aspects of work:...
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...Tyi Lei Johnson Theology 111 Professor Birch 11-16-08 DEATH BECOMES YOU Life is precious. It should not be made to be turned off so easily like a switch. Life should be made to be memorable. Hugh Elliott had it right when he said, “I am not dying, not anymore than any of us are at any moment. We run, hopefully as fast as we can, and then everyone must stop. We can only choose how we handle the race.” Our lives are put before us to run the race and meet the finish line with a sense of tranquility. The finish line, the ending of our lives, should not be determined by us. God made and put us on this earth for a reason. We should not take that so lightly. He is the only one that gets to call the shots on how our lives should be controlled. It might mean to continue living your life with the utmost humility or it might mean meeting the Lord before some of your family members and friends do. I am a firm believer in the fact that life should begin and end at the will of the Lord. So of course, I think euthanasia is immorally wrong. The American people need to know that history shows that euthanasia is inhumane, that the Catholic Church sees it as a debatable issue, and that it seems that the United States view on euthanasia has probably remained the same throughout the years. The definition of euthanasia has stayed the same throughout the years. So, it seems the definition does not change with the times. Euthanasia is the intentional killing or omission...
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...Essentially Catholic Today’s Catholics are much more different than their yesteryears in a variety of ways. Their values and characteristics have remained almost unchanged for hundreds of years even though todays challenges are quite different from those that were endured many years ago. The crucial characteristics of a devout Catholic would include the following; containing an excellent hold on sacramentality, committing oneself to the community, holding human life in high regard, a good understanding of the Bible scriptures, and possessing hope and faith in God. Women’s roles within the religion and church have altered throughout the progression of time and growth of the religion. Firstly, some associated characteristics of Catholicism have some unique similarities with many of the other World’s religions. Roman Catholic beliefs do not differ drastically from those of the other major branches of Christianity, Greek Orthodoxy and Protestantism. All three main branches hold to the doctrine of the Trinity, the divinity of Jesus Christ, the inspiration of the Bible, and so on. But on other doctrinal points, there are clear Catholic distinctive in belief. Distinctive Roman Catholic beliefs include the special authority of the pope, the ability of saints to intercede on behalf of believers, the concept of purgatory, and the doctrine of transubstantiation - that is, that the bread used in the Eucharist becomes the true body of Christ when blessed by a priest. (Catholic Beliefs...
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...Populorum Progressio, written in 1967, Pope Paul VI mainly focuses on the idea of the development and progress of people, which has become a deep concern to the Church. With the increase of hunger, poverty, endemic disease, and ignorance of the people, Paul requires that all men should explore this serious problem. Populorum Progrssio is divided into two main parts: man’s complete development and the common development of mankind. Paul focused on a variety of Catholic teachings which relate to the moral areas. One of the areas that Paul focuses on is solidarity. Solidarity is one of the principles of social justice we have discussed in class, which is defined as that we are one family and to look at all people as neighbors, not as enemies. Paul encourages the rich to stand in solidarity with those who are impoverished. Solidarity involves acknowledging the sufferings of our neighbors and doing whatever there is to minimize their difficulties. Paul suggests that nations should incorporate effective economic structures that will address the needs of the impoverished. This principle of morality of solidarity is still applied in our daily lives right now. Even though the idea of solidarity should be applied in our world today, we are faced with a huge gap between the rich and the poor. In fact, it might be correct to say that the gap between the rich and the poor has gotten greater since the time of Paul. With the corporate globalization and economic structure, it is almost impossible...
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...have been made in recent times to overcome these tensions and To find more common ground among the Biblical faiths? What Christian acts and Attitudes did the Catholic Church address and try to change in recent Vatican Declarations and subsequent Papal messages in regard to members of other Faiths in general and in regard to the Jews in particular? Many efforts have been made prior to the twentieth century and in the twentieth century to overcome tensions between biblical faiths. Two faiths, Christianity and Judaism have shared a traumatic history, they have consistently objected to each other’s claims and beliefs. The Christian church for centuries rejected Jewish people, as it strongly argued that God rejected the Jews, as they do not accept Jesus as a savior. Nostra Aetate was a document, which emerged as a result of a number of horrific events; most significant event of them all was the Holocaust. Even though the Holocaust was not an act that the church supported, following it there was an awakening in the Christian world. The Christian world to an extent felt responsible for the act as they openly condemned Jews. This moment in history began the ongoing process of reconciliation between the two bodies. Pope John XXIII in 1962 called the Vatican Council II to focus on how church teachings can be adjusted and taught to the modern world. After three years of deliberation on 28 October 1965 a document was created which included an instrumental section called the “Nostra...
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...July 13, Portsmouth marks the birth of American Naval hero John Paul Jones. Though Jones did reside in the city for two years while the warship America was being outfitted, it is merely a place where he rested. It is a bit of an exaggeration to call the city his home. However, the naval accomplishments that were made by Jones are something that Portsmouth should be honored to have been part of. A local historian in the Portsmouth Herald article reporting on the celebration was quoted with describing Jones as a murderer, pirate, slave trader, and rapist. The writer went on to say in an almost cynical tone that Jones “fled” to France, where he died, only to be resurrected as some sort of political crutch by Teddy Roosevelt to back America’s “great white fleet.” This primitive narrative does not do justice to a man of Jones stature, who lived in a bitter time. John Paul Jones was highly influenced by the era. His duty at sea before the American Revolution was that of a hardy seaman who was promoted over his peers because of his skill and prowess, not his birthright. As a merchant sailor, his actions were consistent with the era. This neither refutes nor excuses his actions. Considering Jones was first 12 when he started his career at sea he was not a slave trader. He did work on two ships that were involved in the trade. He left the business of slave trading out of hatred. Perhaps out of disgust for the mistreatment of the slaves or the gruesome conditions physically sickened...
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...the Pope in the Vatican. He studied theology in University and was promoted to the papal of secretariat state (Coppa). He worked on revisions to the canon law which was known to the base foundation for the Second Vatican Council that his succeeding pope, Pope John XXIII, executed. He was elected to be the pope based on these credentials. Pope Pius XII was active in efforts...
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...REVELATION Dei Verbum Solemnly Promulgated by His Holiness, Pope Paul VI on November 18, 1965 The full text is available at http://www.cin.org/v2revel.html Numbers in square brackets [x] are footnotes which are found at the end of the document. PREFACE 1. Hearing the word of God with reverence and proclaiming it with faith, the sacred synod takes its direction from these words of St. John: "We announce to you the eternal life which dwelt with the Father and was made visible to us. What we have seen and heard we announce to you, so that you may have fellowship with us and our common fellowship be with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:2-3). Therefore, following in the footsteps of the Council of Trent and of the First Vatican Council, this present council wishes to set forth authentic doctrine on divine revelation and how it is handed on, so that by hearing the message of salvation the whole world may believe, by believing it may hope, and by hoping it may love. CHAPTER I REVELATION ITSELF 2. In His goodness and wisdom God chose to reveal Himself and to make known to us the hidden purpose of His will (see Eph. 1:9) by which through Christ, the Word made flesh, man might in the Holy Spirit have access to the Father and come to share in the divine nature (see Eph. 2:1S; 2 Peter 1:4). Through this revelation, therefore, the invisible God (see Col. 1:15; 1 Tim. 1:17) out of the abundance of His love speaks to men as friends (see Ex. 33:11; John 15:14-15)...
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...Yr 10 RE Assessment Task 2, Term 2, 2018 Major Christian Denominations Due: Monday 14th May, 2018 8:30am Step 1 Outcomes assessed: Research a variety of Christian denominations found in Sydney. Task/Step 1: Boys are to research TWO Christian denominations, one being the Roman Catholic Church and the second will be allocated by your RE teacher. Roman Catholic One unique symbol This is the Keys of Heaven, which symbolises the authority and power of the papacy. The keys are a symbol that stem from the Gospel of Matthew whereby Jesus tells Peter that he will give him the keys to the kingdom. This reflects the authority of the papacy as the Church regards St Peter as the first bishop of Rome and is often depicted...
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