What is a Catholic?

Word Association

‘It’s a church. Everyone has a belief, so…They

don’t worship God, they don’t worship the Bible.’

Woman in her forties

‘Open minded.’Man in his forties

Word Association

‘I don’t know about the Church because I’m a Hindu.’

What about the Pope, have you heard of him?

‘Yeah, the Pope does good things for the whole world and is a respectable person.’

Man in his fifties

Word Association

‘It’s just a faith… Confession…

helping people?’

Man in his thirties

Word Association

‘I haven’t got a clue. I’m Orthodox and I don’t know what the differences are. The most important thing is to believe in something because it really helps you.’

Woman in her twenties

What word associations do you have?

• Priest?

• Communion?

• Confession?

• Morality?

• Pope?

Visiting a Catholic church can seem, to some, like landing on another planet.

Alien?

A Catholic?

• Is a follower of Jesus Christ, the Son of God

• Jesus is a historical figure• Jesus = our best friend

Relationship

• A Catholic = in a relationship with God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit

• God offers everyone unconditional love

• He offers everyone mercy and the forgiveness of their sins (the wrongs that they have done)

Sourced from: http://paulhill.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/rublevs_trinity.jpg

Basic Teaching

• Jesus is The way to finding true freedom, peace and happiness.

• He taught that we should love our neighbours as ourselves.

• Our messes and mistakes can be put right – we can be forgiven and know peace.

• We can be healed from deep wounds and hurts by calling on the name of Jesus.

• If we believe in Jesus we will live forever with him in heaven.

Pause for a moment. What do you think about the above?

What’s the connection – Jesus + Catholic?

The Catholic Church is the one that Jesus Founded

•It has deep roots and traces its foundation to Jesus Christ. •There is an unbroken historical chain from first century AD to the Catholic Church today.

Three Important Sources The Catholic Church has three important sources of spiritual

revelation, inspiration and teaching authority:

1. Scripture (the Bible)

2. Tradition

3. Magisterium

Without one of these our knowledge of God and the Christian life would be partial and incomplete. They provide Catholics with a firm and solid life foundation.

Which authority sources do you / have you listened to in your life?

The Bible is central to Catholic life

‘God, who through the Word creates all things (see John 1:3) and keeps them in existence, gives men an enduring witness to

Himself in created realities (see Rom. 1:19-20). Planning to make known the way of heavenly salvation...’

Dei Verbum (Latin for ‘Word of God’), paragraph 3Dei Verbum is a document that teaches that the Bible is the Word of God and is intended for all people, in all times and in all places. It makes sense, that if

God is speaking to people, he needs to speak in a human fashion. In order, to accomplish that objective, God worked through human authors.

The Bible = the Word of God

‘Those divinely revealed realities which are contained and presented in Sacred Scripture have been committed to writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. For holy mother Church, relying on the belief of the Apostles (see John 20:31; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:19-20, 3:15-16), holds that the books of both the Old and New Testaments in their entirety, with all their parts, are sacred and canonical because written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they have God as their author and have been handed on as such to the Church herself.’ Dei Verbum 11

It is a living book written by human hand, inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Tradition

Tradition makes Catholics distinct

What does tradition mean?

‘...a belief, principle or way of acting which people in a particular society or group have continued to follow for a long time, or all of these in a particular society or group…’ Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Online Dictionary

Tradition Continued

= wisdom of lived experience= Divinely inspired= Helps us to understand God

‘This living transmission, accomplished in the Holy Spirit, is called Tradition, since it is distinct from Sacred Scripture, though closely connected to it.’ Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) 78The Catechism sets out the teaching of the Catholic Church.

‘The Tradition here in question comes from the apostles and hands on what they received from Jesus' teaching and example and what they learned from the Holy Spirit. The first generation of Christians did not yet have a written New Testament, and the New Testament itself demonstrates the process of living Tradition.’Catechism of the Catholic Church 83

Magisterium‘It is this Magisterium's task to guarantee them (God’s people) the objective possibility of professing the true faith without error. Thus, the pastoral duty of the Magisterium is aimed at seeing to it that the People of God abides in the truth that liberates.’ Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) 890

‘…this Magisterium is not superior to the Word of God, but is its servant. It teaches only what has been handed on to it. At the divine command and with the help of the Holy Spirit, it listens to this devotedly, guards it with dedication and expounds it faithfully.’ CCC 86

Catholics trust and, in freedom, follow

the teaching of God’s

representatives on earth. This teaching

authority is called the Magisterium =

the Pope and Bishops.

Teaching AuthorityThe Catholic Church’s authority source comes from Jesus Christ. Its teachings should be received and lived in freedom. This teaching authority was first received by St Peter (the first Pope), who passed this authority on through the ages to his successors – the current Pope and bishops. This unbroken succession from the apostle St Peter to the Pope today is what makes the Catholic Church distinctive from other denominations. The Pope serves as the source of unity. With his bishops he teaches and shepherds those within the Church.

The Bishops of England and Wales

Archbishop Vincent Nichols

Pope Benedict XVI

Catholic Teaching DocumentsThere are many. Here are some extracts from

Humanae Vitae (Latin for ‘Of Human Life’) 9, , tteaching about married love:

‘It is a love which is total—that very special form of personal friendship in which husband and wife generously share everything, allowing no unreasonable exceptions and not thinking solely of their own convenience.’

‘Whoever really loves his partner loves not only for what he receives, but loves that partner for the partner's own sake, content to be able to enrich the other with the gift of himself.’

Humanae Vitae is a document that explains theteaching of the Catholic Church regarding abortion, contraception and other issues pertaining to human life.

Catholic Teaching Documents‘Work is one of the

characteristics that distinguishes man from the rest of creatures, whose activity for sustaining their lives cannot be called work. Only man is capable of work, and only man works, at the same time by work occupying his existence on earth. Thus work bears a particular mark of man and of humanity.’

Laborem Exercens (‘On Human Work’), Introduction

Laborem Exercens is a document that develops the concept of man's dignity in work.

Catholic Life = Community Life

• The Catholic Church is made up of over one billion people

• Members embark on a spiritual journey with others in community

• We understand ourselves as being part of a worldwide family

• We pray for and support one another• This is the model of Church that Jesus

intended • Membership = a free gift open to all

Do you want to be part of a/this community?

Perhaps you want to find out more?

Saints are spiritual friends and role models

Mary, the Mother of God is given a special place of honour. Catholics do not worship Mary but honour her.

In the Catholic Faith many signs and symbols are used to aid

prayer and learning about God

Sacraments are an important part of the Catholic Faith

There are seven:• Baptism• Confirmation• Eucharist• Reconciliation• Anointing of the Sick• Matrimony• Holy Orders

= God-given spiritual channels through which life flows. They are described as ‘outward signs of inward grace’.

‘The sacraments are perceptible signs (words and action) accessible to our human nature. By the action of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit they make present efficaciously the grace that they signify.’ CCC 1084

Eucharist = source

and summit

‘The Church draws her life from the Eucharist. This truth does not simply express a daily experience of faith, but recapitulates the heart of the mystery of the Church.’

Ecclesia de Eucharistia (Latin for for ‘Church of the Eucharist’) 1

During the Eucharist (Mass) Catholics receive the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. It is the source and summit of our life as Christians.

Called to put the message into practice

‘You must love your neighbour as yourself.’

Jesus Christ, Mark’s Gospel chapter 12

Mother Teresa of Calcutta

• ‘Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.’

• ‘Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person’

• ‘I want you to be concerned about your next door neighbour. Do you know your next door neighbour?’

The fullness of life!

• Catholics are fully alive!

• ‘I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full.’ Jesus Christ, John chapter 10

• The Catholic Faith offers things that no amount of money can buy.

Catholic Life: A Summary

•Focus = Jesus Christ•Catholics = Christians, followers of Jesus Christ•Are in relationship with God•Jesus founded the Catholic Church•Scripture, Tradition, Magisterium•A community•Sacraments•Saints and Mary•Signs and symbols•Faith in Action•Catholic life means journeying towards being fully alive

Possible Next Steps

• Pray

• Explore

• Reflect

• Appointment

• Initiation – RCIA and baptism

Sourced from: stanthonyoakley.org

For more information and if you have questions to ask please contact the Catholic Enquiry Office: tel. 020 7901 4863; email: enquiries@life4seekers.co.uk ; website: www.life4seekers.co.uk. Also: www.catholicchurch.org.uk

Credits and copyrightThis resource is provided by the Home Mission Desk of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales. It was created in partnership with members of the Seekers’ Team who are based at the Franciscan Friary in North Wales (Wrexham Diocese). It is designed to provide a brief overview of the Catholic Faith for those who know little or nothing about it.

Unless otherwise stated the images used come from two sources:www.istockphoto.com and Mazur/catholicchurch.org.uk. Copyright is unknown for the cartoon image and some of the images of the saints: Please advise if you know the sources. Images should not be copied from this PowerPoint and used elsewhere.

If you would like more information about the work of Home Mission in England and Wales please contact the Home Mission Desk on 020 7901 4818 or email: homemission@cbcew.org.uk For more information about the work of the Bishops’ Conference please see: www.catholicchurch.org.uk

Please feel free to send suggestions if you feel this resource can be improved.

Thank you and God bless you.