ELEMENTS OF RELIGION

BELIEF IN SUPERNATURAL POWER

Miracles

A miracle is deemed a supernatural occurrence since it cannot be explained by science. The

Catholic Church uses these events as an opportunity to prove (or disprove) an individual's
connection to God. To be canonized as a saint, for example, a person has to perform two
confirmed miracles; in other words, two things that are deemed a scientific impossibility such as
healing someone from an incurable disease. Through a rigorous process, the church's clergy
sends investigators to conduct interviews and research to see whether an event was an actual
miracle in which God's hand intervened. In an effort to legitimize miracles, the church dismisses
about 95% of all petitions for miracles.

Demonic Possession

Some Catholic priests expel demons through exorcism.

The Holy Bible, Catholicism's scripture, includes many instances of people possessed by an evil
spirit. During this possession, victims suffer from such maladies as muteness, blindness or
depression. In one case, "a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to
Jesus. And. . .the demon was driven out." The process by which these spirits are expelled,
known as exorcism, has been exaggerated by movies and television, resulting in priests hesitant
to assist people believed to be possessed. Recently the church has urged its clergy to continue
performing exorcisms, a ritual centered upon prayer and requiring the use of holy water, a Bible,
and a cross. Catholicism, furthermore, reminds people that power over demons is derived from
Jesus' name and not from a priest's magical abilities.

BELIEF IN THE HOLY OR SACRED

Catholics believe that scripture and tradition together point to the sacred narrative of the
Church itself, which is the vehicle of God's continuing work in the world. Revelation did not end
with the closing of the New Testament but persists in the Holy Spirit's guidance of the Church.
When Jesus' apostles gathered for the feast of Pentecost shortly following his death and
resurrection, "suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven" as
tongues of fire appeared over their heads and they received the ability to speak in languages
they had not previously known (Acts 2:1-4). This, Catholics believe, was the Holy Spirit suffusing
the leaders of the emerging Church with powers of teaching authority and proclamation, a
power that Jesus had given particularly to his disciple Peter (meaning Rock), declaring that "on
this rock I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18).
SYSTEM OF RITUALS
The point of entry into the world of Catholic ritual is the Mass, the main worship ceremony of
the Church. The Mass is highly structured, with four sections: the Introductory Rites, the Liturgy
of the Word, the Liturgy of the Eucharist, and the Concluding Rites. During the Introductory
Rites, the priest and others who will serve as his helpers for the Mass enter the sanctuary,
where believers are already gathered; opening prayers are spoken, believers are called upon to
remember their sins, and the glory of God is praised. In the Concluding Rite, the people are
blessed and sent back into the world renewed by their experience of God's presence in the
Mass.

The liturgies (Greek for "worship") reflect the importance to Catholics of both the sacred
narratives contained in scripture and their physical communion with the divine. The Liturgy of
the Word is composed of readings from the Hebrew scriptures and the New Testament; the
recitation of the Church's main profession of faith, the Nicene Creed, by the entire community;
prayers for the people; and the homily (the preaching done by the priest or deacon).

SINFUL ACTS
In Catholic theology, is a gravely sinful act, which can lead to damnation if a person does not
repent of the sin before death. A sin is considered to be "mortal" when its quality is such that it
leads to a separation of that person from God's saving grace. The sins against the Holy Ghost
and the sins that cry to Heaven for vengeance are considered especially serious.[1] This type of
sin should be distinguished from a venial sin that simply leads to a weakening of a person's
relationship with God. Despite its gravity, a person can repent of having committed a mortal sin.
Such repentance is the primary requisite for forgiveness and absolution.[2] Teaching on
absolution from serious sins has varied somewhat throughout history. The current Catholic
teaching was formalized at the 16th century Council of Trent. A sin belongs to the internal
forum (the forum of conscience) and refers to the relationship between a man and God, which
is undermined by the sinful act, a deliberate violation of the law of God, which means the
person’s turning away from God and turning to creatures. A sin is forgiven by God, either
immediately (provided there is contrition) or mediately (through sacramental absolution), the
latter being the only ordinary way for the forgiveness of mortal sins.

THE METHOD OF SALVATION

Salvation in Roman Catholicism is a process. To begin, God grants actual grace to a person
which enables him to believe in Christ (CCC 2000) and also believe in the truth of the Catholic
Church (CCC 1814). After belief, the person must be baptized, which is necessary for salvation
(CCC 1257). This baptism erases original sin (CCC 405), unites the person with Christ (CCC 977),
infuses grace into the person (CCC 1999), and grants justification (CCC 1992, 2020). After
baptism, he is saved. But, to maintain his salvation, it is necessary for him to perform good
works (CCC 2010, 2068, 2080) and participate in the sacraments (CCC 1129) which provide grace
that is "proper to each sacrament" (CCC 1129, 2003). This is necessary in order to maintain
infused grace (CCC 987, 1468). However, grace can be lessened by venial sins or completely lost
by mortal sins. Venial sins (CCC 1862) remove part of the infused grace but not the saving grace
known as sanctifying grace (CCC 1863). To remedy the problem of venial sins, the Catholic is to
take the Eucharist which the Church teaches forgives venial sins (CCC 1416). He must also
perform various penance which must be done in concert with perfect contrition (CCC 1452). But
there is a problem. Sins require punishment. Even though sins are absolved by a priest (CCC
1463, 1495) the punishment due to a person because of his sin can remain. To deal with that
remaining punishment, indulgences are administered to deal with the punishment due to the
guilt of the sins already forgiven (CCC 1471, 1498). These indulgences draw upon the "good
works of the Blessed Virgin Mary" (CCC 1477) and "of Christ and the saints" so as to obtain "the
remission of the temporal punishment due for their sins" (CCC 1478). Furthermore, the
indulgences can be applied to themselves or the dead (CCC 1471) who are in purgatory (CCC
1498). Now, in case the Catholic has committed a mortal sin, then all his infused grace is lost.
To regain this grace, he must partake of special penance (CCC 980) since it helps restore grace
that was lost (CCC 1468, 1496). To conclude, the Roman Catholic must have faith, participate in
the sacraments, take the Eucharist, keep the commandments, perform penance, and do
indulgences in order to attain, maintain, and regain his salvation as well as reduce the
punishment due to him for the sins of which he has already forgiven.

MODE OF WORKSHIP
Some of the traditional worship practices of Roman Catholics include making the sign of the
cross, kneeling, bowing, and receiving the Eucharist during their worship ceremonies. Their
main form of worship is called the Mass. It is celebrated every day. Catholics are required to
attend on Sunday and on a few Holy Days of obligation. In the United States, the Holy Days of
Obligation are: Mary, Mother of God (January 1), The Assumption of Mary (August 15), The
Immaculate Conception (of Mary) (December 8), The Ascension of Jesus (40 days after Easter),
Christmas (December 25) and All Saints Day (November 1). These can be remembered by the
following phrase: 3 for Mary, 2 for Jesus and 1 for all the saints. While these are all practices of
Roman Catholics, other Christian churches also use many or all of these same practices.
Catholics put more emphasis on the Virgin Mary (Jesus's mother) than many other Christians,
calling her the "Mother of God," "The Queen of Heaven," and praying through her to her Son,
Jesus, regularly, as "Mediatrix of graces" at a level higher than other saints.

LITURGY AND IDEOLOGY

The Liturgy of the Eucharist is the core of the Mass and the heart of Catholic belief. Monetary
gifts of the faithful as well as the sacrificial gifts of the bread and wine are brought to the altar;
the priest and the participants speak a series of formal prayers, including a communal recitation
of the Lord's Prayer; believers exchange a sign of peace among themselves in the form of a
greeting or a handshake; and the entire community watches the transformation of the bread
and wine into the body and blood of Christ, which believers then receive into their own bodies.
This transformation from the simple elements of bread and wine into the physical presence of
the divine is called transubstantiation and is a point of mystery and wonder for Catholics.

PLACE OF WORKSHIP
A place of worship is a specially designed structure or consecrated space where individuals or a
group of people such as a congregation come to perform acts of devotion, veneration, or
religious study. A building constructed or used for this purpose is sometimes called a house of
worship. Temples, churches, synagogues and mosques are examples of structures created for
worship. A monastery, particularly for Buddhists, may serve both to house those belonging to
religious orders and as a place of worship for visitors. Natural or topographical features may also
serve as places of worship, and are considered holy or sacrosanct in some religions; the rituals
associated with the Ganges river are an example in Hinduism.