“Catholicism is a denomination that is a subset of Christianity. There are several misconceptions surrounding Catholicism and Christianity. There is a fair share of the populace that does not know what the difference is or what each of them entails. A Christian is a follower of Jesus Christ.” Followers of Jesus Christ further classified according to various denominations like Catholics, Protestants, Anglican, Orthodox or any other branch of the religion.
Being a Catholic refers to being a Christian who follows the Catholic religion, passed on through the succession of the Popes of Rome and the Vatican Empire passed down through history. The Pope who is the overall leader leads believers. This means being part of the largest of the Christian Churches. Doctrines laid out are requirements of all Catholics to follow. They then guide the faithful through their journey of faith with the help of the church leaders.
“Depending on apostolic succession and beliefs, the elements of their lives in the pursuit of faith develop. One is the life and dignity of the human being. They proclaim that human life is sacred and the dignity of the human is the basis of a decent vision for the society and is the basis of all the principles of their social teachings.” The other one is promotion and respect to the family. Marriage and family are the key social establishments to support and strengthen. Catholicism teaches the rights and responsibilities of humanity. Every person has a fundamental right to life and a right to basic needs. Tradition teaches that to protect human dignity and a healthy community, human rights and their responsibilities covered. They also give attention to the poor and the needy. There is also a great emphasis on solidarity and the dignity of work and the right of workers.
Catholics profess that faith is a personal act, a free reaction of the human person to the plan of God who reveals himself. They believe in one God, the Father almighty who is the creator of heaven and earth. They believe that he is a three in one God who is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. They believe that there is only one faith it is a supernatural gift from God and the Holy Spirit has to help internally in order to believe. The church is the pillar of the truth and is the mother who teaches the language of faith.
They get their direction from the teachings of the bible, which they hold strongly. Their hierarchical church leadership is guidance for their day-to-day journey in faith and led by the Pope who is the overall head of the Catholic Church. They also get direction from the Holy Spirit who communicates to them in various ways and manifests himself in various forms.
They understand their God as the creator of the whole universe. He is a three in one being who is made of the father the son and the Holy Spirit. He is the provider guider and protector of all Christians through their journey of faith in this life. They avoid evil and going against the commandments of the Bible, they believe God authored. They avoid controversy at all costs; they also do not like publicity that exposes the individual, faith or even their ways of life.
Catholicism is not a cult as has been a misconception in the past. There is a great misconception that they perform rituals similar to cult worship, especially when it comes to the celebration of mass. This is not what it is and instead it is a community of believers with their own way of life just like any other.
The return of Christ at an unknown time is one of the main tensions that surround their religious life. There is no much threat to the religion as a whole but on several occasions, there have been political unrests in some parts of the world that have led to tension in the church. This is a case common where Catholicism is the minority religion.
The shared vision of the Catholic Church is to promote peace, and to live in accordance to the elements of their faith in readiness of the coming of the savior. The myths and dragons they live with include the holy conception of Mary and the politics revolving around the birth of Jesus. Also of great controversy is the relationship of Jesus and Mary Magdalene.
My initial idea of Catholics was an uptight and overrated religion whose proclamation of faith was a little bit over the edge. Their customs and believes were a bit odd and the celebration of mass was one thing I could never be accustomed to. However, with time I have learnt their ways and realized it is a denomination like any other and its faith is no different from the rest of us.
Bibliography
Gerald,O`collins and Mario Farrugia. Catholicism: The Story of Catholic Christianity. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003.
Gerner, Katy. Catholicism. New York: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, 2008.
