{"id":983,"date":"2022-04-16T18:08:43","date_gmt":"2022-04-16T10:08:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/suicideawareness.my\/boblew\/?p=983"},"modified":"2022-04-17T19:04:38","modified_gmt":"2022-04-17T11:04:38","slug":"983-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/suicideawareness.my\/boblew\/983-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 3:
Catholic Practices<\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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Catholic beliefs are expressed on a day-to-day basis through Catholic practices. The seven Sacraments describe some of the most important of these practices.

The Sacraments<\/strong>

The Catholic Catechism says: “The whole liturgical life of the Church revolves around the Eucharistic sacrifice and the sacraments. there are seven sacrament sin the Church: Baptism, confirmation or Chrismation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony” (CCC Part 2, Section 1, Chapter 1:1113). The Sacraments were codified at the Council of Trent (1545-1563 AD). The Catholic Catechism also says “The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper to each sacrament. They bear fruit in those who receive them with the required dispositions” (CCC Part 2, Section 1, Chapter 1:1131).

Given that salvation is conferred by grace through the life of the Catholic Church, participation in the sacraments is essential for the receipt of that grace. Four of the above sacraments (baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, and penance\/confession) are meant for all Catholics, and are necessary for initiation into the Catholic faith. The remaining three sacraments are specific to the individual and the situation (anointing of the sick, matrimony, and holy orders).

1. Baptism<\/span>. Catholics believe that infant baptism is necessary because of “original sin” and is not symbolic. Rather, baptism (as an infant or as an adult) directly “saves” a person, makes him\/her a member of the Body of Christ, washes away sin, and conveys the Holy Spirit to that person (CCC Part 2, Section 2, Chapter 1:1213-1284). Baptism is performed only once.

2. Confirmation<\/span>. The conferring of the sacrament of confirmation usually takes place in early adolescence (around the age of 14, and after baptism). This is a way that Catholics at an age of accountability can confirm their faith commitment and begin to equip themselves with the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, right judgement, courage, knowledge, reverence, and wonder or awe (CCC Part 2, Section 2, Chapter 1:1303). These gifts are used to serve as a witness to their faith in Jesus Christ, through “thought, word, and deed” (Lumen Gentium, 1964). Catholics believe that they are to be the presence of Jesus in the world in order to bring all people to God. Like baptism, confirmation is performed only once. While 95% of Catholics born pre-Vatican II (before 1962) was confirmed, only 69% of the MIllennial Generation (born 1980 to 2000) has received this sacrament (CARA, 2008).

3. Eucharist.<\/span> The Eucharist is very important to Catholics, who are expected to receive the wafer (body of Christ) and drink the wine (blood of Christ) during “the Mass” (the name for Catholic Church services). However, if the person has committed any serious sins, he or she is encouraged to first go to confession (below) before taking the Eucharist. Catholics believe that Jesus Christ is literally (not symbolically) present in the Holy Eucharist, including all of him – his body and blood, as well as his divinity (called “Doctrine of the Real Presence” or transubstantiation) (CCC Part 2, Section 2, Chapter 1:1374). Youth usually receive this sacrament for the first time around the age of 7 or 8 years (called First Holy Communion). The Eucharist is offered at every Mass, and all baptised Catholics are encouraged to receive it at that time (only baptised Catholics and only those without an unconfessed “grave” sin). Although many Catholics receive it weekly or even daily, the Eucharist cannot be taken more than two times per day (according to Canon Law). The Pew Research Centre (2015b) found that 43% of US Catholics receive the Eucharist every time they attend Mass; among Catholics who have received their First Holy Communion and attend Mass at least once\/week, the figure is 79% (CARA, 2008).

4. Penance<\/span> (confession). Catholics believe that they should confess grave or “mortal” sins to a priest (sacrament of confession), but can go directly to God to confess minor sins (as Jesus instructed in the Lord’s Prayer, Matthew 6:9-13) (CCC Part 2, Section 2, Chapter 2: 1446-1447). Confession usually takes place in a small cubicle where the person confesses sins and the priest absolves them and gives the person “penance” to do (penance involves actions to make up for the sins, such as saying a certain number of prayers or doing good deeds). There is no light in the confession booth, and the person is separated from the priest by a screen (making it completely anonymous). Many Catholics go to confession regularly to confess their minor sins, even if they haven’t committed a mortal sin. A mortal sin, however, is a serious one that blocks a persons’ relationship with God and may prevent the person from going to heaven unless they confess and have it absolved by a priest. Confession is required only after committing a mortal sin; however, Catholics are encouraged to go once a month. Approximately 2% of US Catholics go once\/month, 30% go about once\/year, and 45% never go (CARA 2008).

5. Anointing of the Sick<\/span> (also called unction or extreme unction). This sacrament is administered by an ordained priest or bishop to a person who has attained the age of reason and is sick. The anointing is with oil that has been blessed for this purpose. Although the sacrament in the past was usually administered only to those who were dying and just before death (“last rites”), it is now given to anyone who is seriously ill or really old (even when not dying) if requested (CCC Part 2, Section 2, Chapter 2: 1514-1515). Although this sacrament is usually only administered to those with serious physical illness, it may also be administered to those with serious mental illness (based on the logic that many mental illnesses are physical diseases of the brain) (Zenit, 2010). The sacrament is intended to provide peace and courage, renew trust and faith in God, strengthen the person against the temptation to become discouraged or disheartened, and even provide forgiveness of sins if the person is unconscious or unable to confess (CCC Part 2, Section 2, Chapter 2:1520). The sacrament is usually administered following confession and receiving the Eucharist. It can be repeated if the person recovers and then falls ill again, although a frequency of once\/month would likely be too often. About half (51%) of US Catholics have requested this sacrament for themselves or a sick family member (CARA, 2008).

6. Matrimony<\/span>. For Catholics, marriage is a holy sacrament performed for life (“for richer or poorer, in sickness or in health until death do you part”) and cannot be broken prior to the death of one partner except in rare cases (CCC Part 3, Section 2, Chapter 2:2382). Today, the priest may “annul” a marriage depending on the particular circumstances of the couple, although there is usually a rather lengthy process that must be done through to determine if there are grounds for annulment (decided on by the priest). If a Catholic remarries before the original marriage has been annulled, then ex-communication from the church is the result. Pope Francis recently streamlined the process by which divorced Catholics can get an annulment from the Catholic Church (in just 45 days if both members of the couple agree), although this prompted the “no sex” rule by Catholic Church leaders, which means that divorced Catholics can get remarried but cannot have sex until the annulment of the original marriage is final (Doughty, 2015).

7. Holy Orders<\/span>. This sacrament qualifies Catholic priests to serve in the Catholic Church, and is conferred by a Catholic bishop. Considerable training, including a bachelor’s and master’s degree from a Catholic seminary or graduate school is usually required for ordination into the priesthood. A vow of celibacy accompanies this sacrament, and the sacrament is only administered to men (CCC Part 2, Section 2, Chapter 3:1538, 1577, 1579). Approximately one in six (16%) Catholic men have reconsidered becoming a priest or a religious brother (CARA, 2008).

Other Catholic Practices<\/strong>

Besides participating in the life of the Catholic Church through the sacraments, there are many other Catholic practices as well.

Attending Religious Services<\/span>. Catholics are obligated to attend Mass (religious service) once a week on Sunday, based on the 3rd Commandment in Exodus 20:8: “Remember the Sabbath date and keep it holy.” Approximately one-third of US Catholics (31.4%) attend Mass on any given (CARA, 2008).

Prayer<\/span>. Catholics believe in prayer before meals, bedtime, and at other times as well. Pew Research Centre (2014) indicates that 59% of Catholics pray daily.

Saying the Rosary<\/span>. “Saying” (praying) the rosary is a practice that many Catholics engage in, particularly women. The rosary is a string with a cross followed by five groups of ten small beads (decade), with additional large beads before each decade. Saying the rosary means saying the Lord’s Prayer (large bead) followed by a set of 10 Hail Mary’s (small beads), which for the full rosary is repeated five times. Approximately half of Catholics (52%) report that they say the rosary (CARA, 2008).

Fasting and Abstinence<\/span>. The United States conference of Bishops (2017) declares the following: “Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of fasting and abstinence for Catholics. In addition, Fridays during Lent are obligatory days of abstinence. For members of the Latin Catholic Church, the norms on fasting are obligatory from age 18 until age 59. When fasting, a person is permitted to eat one full meal, as well as two smaller meals that together are not equal to a full meal. The norms concerning abstinence from meat are binding upon members of the Latin Catholic Church from age 14 onwards.” Among US Catholics, about 60% say they abstain from meat on all Fridays during Lent (CARA, 2008).

Donating Money or Time<\/span>. Two-thirds of US Catholics (62%) report that working to help the poor and needy is essential to being “Catholic” (Pew Research Centre, 2015c). Catholics are not obligated to tithe a certain percentage of their income to the Catholic Church. However, the Catholic Catechism says: “The fifth precept (“You shall help to provide for the needs of the Church”) means that the faithful are obliged to assist with the material needs of the Church, each according to his own ability. The faithful also have the duty of providing for the material needs of the Church, each according to this own abilities” (CCC Part 3, Section 1, Chapter 3:2043). The Code of Cannon Law (1983) also says: “The Christian faithful are obliged to assist with the needs of the Church so that the Church has what is necessary for divine worship, for the works of the apostolate and of charity, and for the decent support of ministers. They are also obliged to promote social justice and, mindful of the precept of the Lord, to assist the poor from their own resources.” The Catholic Church is one of the largest charitable organisations in the world, and in the United States alone, the total revenue taken in for charitable purposes by Catholic Charities and Catholic Relief Services combined equaled $1.29 billion (making these two charities combined the 5th largest US charity) according to Forbes Magazine<\/em> (Barrett, 2016). Among working-age US Catholics, 45% are members of a household that regularly gives weekly to their parish (92% of weekly Mass attendees) (Gray et al., 2013). Approximately one-third (34%) give $100 or less per year, one third (33%) give $101-500 per year and one-third (33%) give $501 or more per year (48% of weekly Mass attendees give $501 or more per year). Also, see Indulgences below.

Observing Holy Days<\/span>. In addition to Sundays, the obligatory Holy Days in the US during the year are the Solemnity of Mary (Jan 1), Ascension of Jesus (May 5), Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (August 15), All Saints Day (November 1), Feast of Immaculate Conception (December 8), ad Christmas (December 25). Catholics are obligated to attend Mass on Holy Days. Lent (40 days before Easter) is an important time for Catholics, especially the week before Easter. As noted above, about 60% of US Catholics say they abstain from meat on Lenten Fridays, and 45% say they typically attend and receive ashes at the Ash Wednesday church service (at the start of Lent) (CARA, 2008).

Miscellaneous Practices<\/span>. Common religious practices of Catholics include lighting candles for loved ones (alive and deceased), wearing or carrying a crucifix or cross (32% of all Catholics and 39% of those who attend Mass weekly), wearing or carrying a medal or pin of an angel or saint such as St Christopher or St Francis of Assisi (42% of Catholics who attend weekly Mass), and having a picture or statue of Mary on display in their homes (59% of all Catholics, 67% of Hispanics, and 80% of those who attend Mass weekly) (CARA, 2008).

Indulgences<\/strong>

There is much misinformation and confusion with regard to this particular Catholic practice. Some Catholics and many non-Catholics believe that an indulgence is giving money to the Church to pay off sins and thereby reduces the time spent in Purgatory. Even if this were true, attempts by Catholic clergy to obtain donations to the Church for this reason would not be all that different than what happens in many Protestant churches today. In order to increase Sunday offerings, many Protestant pastors promise the faithful blessings in heaven for giving generously (see Warren, 2002, p 34).

The abuse of this practice in the Catholic Church, however, was one reason why Martin Luther ignited the Protestant Reformation in 1517. While the selling of indulgences (“paying off of sins”) was common by some unscrupulous priests during the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church outlawed the practice in 1567, calling it “simony” (after Simon the magician who tried to buy the Holy Spirit from Peter, see Act 8:9-24). Simony is defined by the Catholic Catechism as “the buying or selling of spiritual things” (CCC Part 3, Section 2, Chapter 1:2121). The Catholic Catechism defines an indulgence as “a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints” (CCC Part 2, Section 2, Chapter 2:1471). The “treasury” here refers to the one in heaven based on Matthew 6:19 “Do not store up treasures for yourselves on earth, where moth and woodworm destroy them and thieves can break in and steal. But store up treasures for yourselves in heaven, where neither moth nor woodworm destroys them and thieves cannot break in and steal.” In Catholicism today, an indulgence usually means saying a particular prayer, visiting a particular place, or performing specific good works.

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Catholic beliefs are expressed on a day-to-day basis through Catholic practices. The seven Sacraments describe some of the most important of these practices. The Sacraments The Catholic Catechism says: “The whole liturgical life of the Church revolves around the Eucharistic sacrifice and the sacraments. there are seven sacrament sin the Church: Baptism, confirmation or Chrismation, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-983","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/suicideawareness.my\/boblew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/983","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/suicideawareness.my\/boblew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/suicideawareness.my\/boblew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/suicideawareness.my\/boblew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/suicideawareness.my\/boblew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=983"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/suicideawareness.my\/boblew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/983\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1086,"href":"https:\/\/suicideawareness.my\/boblew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/983\/revisions\/1086"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/suicideawareness.my\/boblew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=983"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/suicideawareness.my\/boblew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=983"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/suicideawareness.my\/boblew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=983"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}