Catholicism For Dummies

**Peer through the stained glass and get an inside look at Christianity's most popular religion** Catholicism can seem a bit mysterious to non-Catholics—and even Catholics. Embrace your curiosity and turn to __Dummies__ for answers! Full of fascinating facts and written in a friendly style, __Catholicism For Dummies__ explains the basics of Catholic beliefs like the importance of Sunday Mass; the seven sacraments; the purity of the Blessed Virgin Mary; heaven, hell, and purgatory; the Trinity; and so much more. You'll learn about the Catholic perspective on women as priests, saints as examples of how to live, and prayer as the basis of a relationship with God. This easy-to-read resource offers an overview of a rich and diverse faith. You'll also discover: * The ins and outs of living as a Catholic and why followers of the faith observe traditions like attending Mass on certain days of the year, praying the rosary, and not eating meat on Fridays * Information on what the pope does, how he is selected, the history of the Vatican, and what it's like to be a priest in today's society * Details about the church's position on modern social issues, like poverty, abortion and the death penalty, same-sex marriage, and contraception Whether you're a cradle Catholic or just curious about the world's second largest religion, __Catholicism For Dummies__ has the answers you're seeking to a faith that's been around for thousands of years. Order your copy today. Introduction About This Book Conventions Used in This Book Foolish Assumptions How This Book Is Organized Part I: What Do Catholics Believe? Part II: Celebrating the Mysteries of Faith Part III: Living a Saintly Life Part IV: Praying and Using Devotions Part V: The Part of Tens Part VI: Appendixes Icons Used in This Book Where to Go from Here Part I: What Do Catholics Believe? Chapter 1: What It Means to Be Catholic What Exactly Is Catholicism Anyway? Knowing What the Catholic Church Teaches Grasping the basic beliefs Respecting the role of the Church and its leaders Worshipping as a Catholic: The Holy Mass Bringing body and soul into the mix Participating inside and out Behaving Like a Catholic Following the general ground rules Avoiding sin Heeding the Church’s stance on tough issues Praying as a Catholic: Showing Your Devotion Praying and using devotions Realizing the importance of Mary and the saints Following traditions Chapter 2: Having Faith in God’s Revealed Word How Do You Know If You Have Faith? Having Faith in Revelation Faith in the written word: The Bible Faith in the spoken word: Sacred Tradition Backing Up Your Faith with Reason: Summa Theologica Through motion Through causality Through necessity Through gradation Through governance Chapter 3: In the Beginning: Catholic Teachings on Creation and Original Sin Making Something out of Nothing Breathing Life into the World: Creationism or Evolution? Angels and Devils: Following God or Lucifer Infused knowledge, eternal decisions The angels’ test and the devil’s choice Witnessing the Original Sin Tempting our first parents Losing gifts Wounding our nature Being redeemed by God’s grace Facing the four last things Anticipating What’s to Come: Moving toward the End of Creation The Second Coming Resurrection of the dead General judgment The end of the world Chapter 4: Believing in Jesus Understanding Jesus, the God-Man The human nature of Jesus The divine nature of Jesus The Savior of our sins; the Redeemer of the world The obedient Son of God The Gospel Truth: Examining Four Written Records of Jesus Catholic beliefs about the Gospel How the Gospels came to be Comparing Gospels Dealing with Heresy and Some Other $10 Words Gnosticism and Docetism Arianism Nestorianism Monophysitism Chapter 5: Defining “The Church” and What Membership Means Establishing a Foundation: Built on Rock Seeing the Church as the Body of Christ and Communion of Saints Understanding the Four Marks of the Church Fulfilling Its Mission The priestly office: Sanctifying through the sacraments The prophetic office: Teaching through the Magisterium The kingly office: Shepherding and governing through the hierarchy Membership Has Its Benefits Chapter 6: Who’s Who in the Catholic Church Getting to Know the Pope How the pope gets his job Is he really infallible? Now that’s job security Where the pope hangs his hat Who’s Next in the Ecclesiastical Scheme of Things Cardinals Bishops and archbishops The vicar general The parish priest Deacons Monks and nuns, brothers and sisters Part II: Celebrating the Mysteries of Faith Chapter 7: Body and Soul: Worshipping Catholic Style Getting Your Body and Soul into the Act Understanding Some Symbols and Gestures The sign of the cross The genuflection The crucifix Holy water Sensing God Through sight Through touch Through smell Through sound Through taste Chapter 8: Entering the Church: Baptism, Communion, and Confirmation Come On In — The Water’s Fine Becoming Christ’s kith and kin Washing away original sin Baptizing with water Receiving the sacrament of Baptism in other ways The Holy Eucharist Understanding the consecrated host Discovering who can receive Holy Communion Partaking of First Holy Communion Coming of Age: Confirmation Chapter 9: The Sacraments of Service and Healing The Sacraments of Service and Community Marriage — Catholic style Holy Orders The Sacraments of Mercy and Healing Penance Anointing of the Sick Chapter 10: Celebrating the Catholic Mass What Exactly Is the Mass? Honoring the Sabbath publicly Participating fully Uniting past, present, and future The Two Parts of the Mass Beginning the Mass Acknowledging sin (Penitential Act) Gloria Opening Prayer (Collect) The Liturgy of the Word The Liturgy of the Eucharist Vatican II and the Celebration of Mass Allowing worship in vernacular languages Other changes resulting from Vatican II Checking out the Roman Missal, Third Edition Understanding the Latin roots Seeing why change was necessary Knowing what it means for you in the pew Adjusting the Mass for the Occasion Weekday and Sunday Holy days of obligation Simple and solemn celebrations Spiritual Seasons of the Year Christ Our Light: The first half of the liturgical year Christ Our Life: The second half of the liturgical year Part III: Living a Saintly Life Chapter 11: Obeying the Rules: Catholic Law Following the Eternal Law of God The divine positive law The natural moral law The human positive law Playing by the Church’s Rules Attending Mass on all Sundays and holy days of obligation Receiving the Holy Eucharist during Easter season Confessing your sins at least once a year Fasting and abstaining on appointed days Contributing to the support of the Church Observing Church marriage laws Supporting Missionary Work of the Church Chapter 12: Loving and Honoring: The Ten Commandments Demonstrating Love for God I: Honor God II: Honor God’s name III: Honor God’s day Loving Your Neighbor IV: Honor your parents V: Honor human life VI and IX: Honor human sexuality VII and X: Honor the property of others VIII: Honor the truth Coming Out Even Steven Chapter 13: Being Good When Sinning Is So Easy Cultivating Good Habits Prudence: Knowing what, when, and how Justice: Treating others fairly Temperance: Moderating pleasure Fortitude: Doing what’s right come hell or high water The Seven Deadly Sins Pride goeth before the fall Envying what others have or enjoy Lusting after fruit that’s forbidden Anger to the point of seeking revenge Gluttony: Too much food or firewater Greed: The desire for more and more Sloth: Lazy as a lotus-eater Chapter 14: Standing Firm: The Church’s Stance on Some Sticky Issues Celibacy and the Male Priesthood Flying solo for life No-woman’s-land Matters of Life and Death Abortion Euthanasia The death penalty The Just War Doctrine Planning Your Family Naturally The moral argument against artificial contraception The natural alternative to contraception What if you can’t conceive naturally? Defending Traditional Family Life Part IV: Praying and Using Devotions Chapter 15: Growing in the Faith Having a Personal Relationship with God through Prayer Practicing the four types of prayer Getting to know spontaneous and formal prayer Praying in Private and in a Community Taking personal time with God: Private prayer Joining others for communal prayer Saying the Lord’s Prayer Taking It to the Next Level: The Stages of Spiritual Growth Purgative: Practicing self-denial and sacrifice Illuminative: Distinguishing good from evil Unitive: Connecting with God Chapter 16: Showing Your Love for God Going Beyond Your Basic Duty Knowing when and where to pray devotions Separating devotions from Mass Running the Gamut of Devotions Praying novenas to the saints Loving litanies Looking at statues and icons Making pilgrimages Going on a retreat Wearing sacred gear Praying the Rosary Saying the Divine Mercy Chaplet The Way of the Cross Chapter 17: Expressing Affection for Mary No, Catholics Don’t Worship Mary What Catholics Believe about Mary She’s the Mother of God She’s the Mother of the Church She’s the Mother of the Mystical Body of Christ She was conceived through Immaculate Conception She went to heaven, body and soul Her never-ending virginity Up Close and Personal with Mary May crowning First Saturdays Marian shrines and apparitions Chapter 18: Honoring the Catholic Saints Having a Place in the Hearts of Catholics Honoring God’s Good Friends It’s All about Intercession Recognizing a Saint Looking at the process to becoming a saint Going through the investigations for sainthood Experiencing the beatification and canonization Mass A Saint for Every Day of the Year Discovering the Communion of Saints Saints in heaven Believers on earth Souls in purgatory Chapter 19: Practicing Catholic Traditions Adoring the Blessed Sacrament Participating in Benediction Adoring at church during Perpetual Adoration or the 40-hour devotion Representing Life’s Journey: Other Religious Processions Meatless Fridays The tradition of abstaining Substituting Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy for abstinence Using Sacramentals Signifying death with ashes Commemorating with blessed palms Receiving the blessing of throats Exorcising demons Tolling bells Celebrating Year-Round Feast of the Epiphany Feast of Candlemas St. Patrick’s Day St. Joseph’s Day Marian Feasts in May Feast of St. Anthony of Padua Feast of St. Thérèse of Lisieux Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe Part V: The Part of Tens Chapter 20: Ten Famous Catholics Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta (1910–1997) Blessed Pope John Paul II (1920–2005) Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen (1895–1979) Mother Angelica (1923) John F. Kennedy (1917–1963) Alfred E. Smith (1873–1944) Father Edward Flanagan (1886–1948) John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892–1973) Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874–1936) Christopher Columbus (1451–1506) Chapter 21: Ten (Plus One) Popular Catholic Saints St. Peter (Died around a.d. 64) St. Jude (Died during the first century a.d.) St. Benedict (480–circa 543) St. Dominic de Guzman (1170–1221) St. Francis of Assisi (1181–1226) St. Anthony of Padua (1195-1231) St. Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491–1556) St. Bernadette Soubirous (1844–1879) St. Thérèse of Lisieux (1873–1897) St. Pio of Pietrelcina (1887–1968) Chapter 22: Ten Popular Catholic Places Rome The Basilica de Guadalupe San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy The Basilica of Czestochowa, Poland The Basilica of Lourdes, France Fatima, Portugal The Cathedral of Notre Dame The National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception The Minor Basilica of Saint Anne de Beaupré The Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament Part VI: Appendixes Appendix A: A Brief History of Catholicism Non-Christian Rome (A.D. 33–312) Christian Rome (A.D. 313–475) Barbarian invasions and the fall of Rome (A.D. 476–570) Pope St. Gregory the Great to Charles Martel (590–741) Christendom: One big, mighty kingdom The Golden Age The downward spiral The growing need for reform The reformers The Catholic Church’s response: The Counter Reformation The Age of Reason The Age of Revolution The Modern Era Appendix B: Popular Catholic Prayers Our Father (Pater Noster) Hail Mary (Ave Maria) Glory Be Salve Regina Memorare Act of Contrition Prayer to Guardian Angel Grace Before/After Meals Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel Act of Faith Act of Hope Act of Love (Charity) Prayer before meals Prayer after meals Prayer of the Publican Prayer of St. Ephraim of Syria Prayer to St. Maron Cheat Sheet Ever wonder what Catholics believe, what they do, and why? This book explains the origins and the practices of Catholic Christians that have lasted for nearly two thousand years. Learn about their doctrine, discipline, liturgy, and morality as well as the foundation of the Church, from St. Peter to Pope Francis, and from the Vatican to the typical parishioner in the pew. Sacraments, commandments, precepts, and more are all explained here. Want to know what goes on at a Catholic Mas? What is Marian devotion all about? Whether you're a cradle Catholic, a lapsed Catholic, considering becoming Catholic, or just curious about Catholicism, find answers to many of your questions in this book. If nothing else, you'll discover some fascinating facts that over one billion believers embrace around the world