Catholicism
Catholicism is a religious denomination that intrigues me by claiming to be a continuation of the early Christian ministry established by Jesus Christ and for the fact that it is far much the oldest Christian group today. It is a combination of several Catholic churches who share common doctrines, theology, and spirituality with the belief that Jesus Christ is the son of God. From my research, I was able to observe clearly all the rituals and rites performed at the Cathedral of Christ the Light Church in Oakland. Most importantly I shared this information with three priests Mark, James, and Michael, who were my primary sources of information concerning the religion of Catholicism during my research project.
First and foremost, I had the opportunity to gather information on the basic belief structure of the Catholic faith. From my findings, I realized that their views do not differ substantially from those of Greek Orthodoxy and Protestants who are the other famous Christian groups. Essential Catholic beliefs include the Bible, which is believed to be the inspired and accurate word of God. Baptism is the second theory and equally important aspect for one to be considered a Christian in a Catholic church. It is the only sure way that one is thought to have acquired salvation, and it can occur either through water, blood or even desire. God's Ten Commandments are the holy texts and guidelines to be strictly followed as a way of instilling morals. The commandments give a clear description of the expected code of conduct for everyone who claims to be a Christian. Catholics also embrace the existence of God in three persons; the Holy Trinity, which is God the Father, the God the Son and God the Holy Spirit (Kozlovic, 2012). Additionally, I got enlightened on the distinctive beliefs that are only practiced by Roman Catholics. These include the ability of the saints to intercede on behalf of others, the superior authority given to the pope, doctrine of transubstantiation and the concept of purgatory. All of my informants assured me that baptism was the way in which they became involved in this Christian community, but this was only after the mastery of the doctrines of this church. I had a source saying "it took me three months in the baptismal class to learn the church teachings which is a compulsory passage for one to become a Christian. You must have a background of the Catholic teachings".
Roman Catholic churches also practice some ritual activities. I learned that Mass is the leading worship ceremony of the church and always marks the beginning of Catholic rituals. This mass is structured around into sections which include: the introductory rites which form the first part followed by the Liturgy of the Word, Liturgy of the Eucharist and finally the conclusion rites. I witnessed that during the introductory rite, the priest, and the mass servants enter the church where believers have already gathered, opening prayers take the priority; believers are called upon to recall their sins and glory to God. When concluding the Mass, members are blessed and sent back to the world with the feeling of having renewed their relationship with God.
Liturgy is a Greek word meaning "worship." It was my observation that occurred in two sections, the word, and the Eucharist. The Liturgy of the word is significant as its symbol of the sacred stories contained in the scriptures. This concept is concerned mainly with the scripture readings from the book of Hebrews and other books contained in the New Testament, recitation of the Holy name, the Apostles Creed, prayers by the people and preaching by the priest (Rowan, 2011). Secondly and most importantly is the Liturgy of the Eucharist, which exists as the principal part of the mass service and the most cherished Catholic belief. Sacrificial wine and bread including financial gifts are brought to the altar and the priest together with his mass servants’ conduct some formal prayer and even recitation of the communion verses as wine and bread get prepared for the people to partake. Before the bread and wine are received as the body and blood of Jesus Christ respectively, believers participate in greetings as they watch the transformation of body and blood of their savior. This communion is the most joyful and mysterious point in Catholic churches commonly referred to as transubstantiation. The Eucharist is one of the seven sacraments performed with the purpose of conferring grace to believers, and it creates a closer connection between them and the divine. The person who partakes of the Holy Communion must have a relationship with God for the sacrament to perform its intended purpose and also increase the individual's faith in God.
Participants of this famous Catholic ritual involve men and women, youths and children. Every member of the community is accepted provided they are a believer. I also noticed that there is the particular attire for the priest conducting the mass and the ones helping in serving the mass are also dressed accordingly in robes. During the introductory rite, there is a lot of singing and dancing as the altar group is escorted to deliver the Holy word of the Lord. Regarding the church building, it is surrounded by fourteen images on the wall which represent the Rosalie and the way to the cross. Lastly Catholics have images of Christ and the Virgin Mary, who is considered a saint who helps in prayers. These idols matter to believers who kneel before them as they conduct their prayers.
Mass is a critical aspect of this religion and from my previous knowledge, I can confirm that indeed this ritual practice has served some of the functions expected from religion or spirituality. The mass transforms the people by helping them grow spiritually and give them a sense of belonging and completeness. Some believers testified that it has enabled them to appreciate the sacred part of life and improved their relationships with other people and as a result, has brought about unity. This mass practice has enabled the people to feel more connected to their God to whom they believe. Translation has also emerged as a vital tool portrayed in participating in the mass and thus has helped individuals to interpret life activities and develop a sense of meaning and purpose of their existence and understand their relationship in a larger sense.
References
Kozlovic, A. (2012). Roman Catholicism in Fantastic Film: Essays on Belief, Spectacle, Ritual
and Imagery, edited by Regina Hansen. Rsrr, 2(1), 229-234
Rowan, Y. (2011). 1 Beyond Belief: The Archaeology of Religion and Ritual. Archeological
Papers Of The American Anthropological Association, 21(1), 1-10
