Form Of Expression And Ways Of Life

• Typical interior features of Catholic churches

  • Nave where worshippers sit
  • Sanctuary with altar, lectern, tabernacle
  • Baptismal font
  • Confessional
  • Statue of Sacred Heart of Jesus
  • Statue of St Peter
  • Statues of saints
• Sanctuary in older churches

  • Separated from the people and often elevated, reflecting pre-Vatican II ideas
• Architectural styles of Catholic cathedrals

  • Westminster Cathedral (Neo-Byzantine)
  • Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral (concrete and aluminium)
• Altar


  Reflects the belief that the priest offers Mass on the altar as a symbol of Christ offering himself as a sacrifice to God on the cross
• Candles


  Reflect the belief that Jesus is the light of the world
• Tabernacle


  Reflects the belief that Jesus is really present in the Blessed Sacrament
• Baptismal font


  Reflects the belief that baptism is what makes a person a member of the Church
• Lectern


  Reflects the belief that faith and truth come from the Bible (the readings) and the teaching of the Church (the homily)
• Sacred Heart


  Symbolises the eternal fire of God's love in Christ
• Focus of Catholic worship: the Mass


  1. People gather in the nave

  2. Priests and servers gather in the sanctuary

  3. Lectern used for Liturgy of the Word

  4. Altar used for Mass when gifts are placed and consecrated
• Blessed Sacrament


  Consecrated hosts kept in the tabernacle
• Lectern


  Raised stand from which the Bible is read
• Nave


  The main worship and seating area
• Sanctuary


  The sacred space where the altar is and where Mass is celebrated
• Tabernacle


  Where the Blessed Sacrament is kept in Catholic churches
• The Catechism says that the People of God should build a church for worship wherever the authorities allow it
• The Catechism says that a church is a house of prayer in which the Eucharist is celebrated and reserved, where the faithful assemble, and where Jesus Christ is worshipped
• Arguments for the statement "The design of Catholic churches helps people to worship God properly"

  • The nave provides a good place for the congregation to take part in the Mass
  • The sanctuary provides the altar which is central for the Liturgy of the Eucharist as the priest consecrates the hosts and offers the sacrifice of Christ
  • The lectern is essential for the Liturgy of the Word when God's word is read and interpreted in the priest's homily
  • The Blessed Sacrament is placed in the tabernacle as a focus of worship for individuals coming into church
• Arguments against the statement "The design of Catholic churches helps people to worship God properly"

  • Putting the worshippers together in the nave can be distracting as people watch the people in the congregation rather than worshipping God
  • The sanctuary being cut off from the congregation can make it difficult for the congregation to join in the worship of the Liturgy
  • You could use any sort of flat surface to celebrate Mass and Catholic beliefs about transubstantiation would not be affected
  • The readings and the homily could be given by a priest sitting among the congregation and it would not affect the beliefs or worship
• Baptistry

  Where people are baptized
• Holy water font

  Where people dip their fingers in holy water when entering the church
• Confessional

  Where people go to confess their sins to a priest
• Cathedra

  Chair for the bishop and priest
• Lectern

  Raised platform where the Bible is read aloud
• Altar

  Made of consecrated stone, at the centre of the church, where the sacrifice of Christ on the cross is brought into the present in the Mass
• Crucifix

  A cross with an image of Christ on it, reminding worshippers of Christ's redemption
• Tabernacle

  A container for consecrated hosts, reminding Catholics of the redemption brought by Christ's sacrifice
• A Catholic church is more than a building or a meeting hall; it is a place of worship where Catholics celebrate the redemption brought to the world by Jesus Christ
• Arguments for the statement "The tabernacle is the most important feature of a Catholic church"

  • The tabernacle contains the consecrated hosts which are the Body of Christ
  • The tabernacle is the focus to which worshippers genuflect when they enter the church or pass by the tabernacle
  • The tabernacle reminds Catholics of the redemption brought by Christ's sacrifice in his body broken for you
  • Catholics believe there is a holy and special presence in a church building that keeps the hosts in the tabernacle
• Arguments against the statement "The tabernacle is the most important feature of a Catholic church"

  • The baptistry is more important because without baptism people cannot take the other sacraments
  • The altar is more important because this is where transubstantiation occurs
  • The altar is more important because this is the focus of the Mass, the most important part of Catholic worship
  • The altar is an altar of sacrifice where the sacrifice of Christ on the cross is brought into the present in the Mass so that Christ's redemption still affects people today
• Main sacred objects for Catholics

  • Sacred vessels (paten, ciborium, chalice)
  • Holy water stoup
  • Cloths and vestments
  • Sarcophagi
  • Hunger cloths
• Sacred vessels


  Vessels used for the bread and the wine, believed to hold the body and blood of Christ in sacramental form
• Sacred vessels


  • Handled with care and washed and wiped clean after each Mass
  • Particularly important because they are used for the sacrament of the Eucharist and are crucial to belief in the sacred mystery of transubstantiation
• Holy water stoup


  Contains water blessed in the name of the Trinity, used on entering the church as a reminder of baptism and the washing clean from sin through the cross of Christ, and a reminder of the promise of eternal life promised in baptism
• Cloths and vestments


  Sacred objects used as special covers for the altar and lectern and for the priest to wear, with certain colours for certain seasons of the Church's year to express Christian beliefs
• Sarcophagi


  Containers for dead bodies, often made of stone, displayed in churches because they contain the bones of saints, reflecting Catholic beliefs about saints and the holiness which can be gained through prayer and contemplation next to a saint's sarcophagus
• Hunger cloths


  Cloths produced by charities such as CAFOD, relating the life of Christ to themes of justice and peace, reflecting Catholic beliefs about the need for Christians to follow the example of Jesus and fight for world justice and peace
• Uses of sacred objects outside of church

  • Chalice, paten and ciborium used to consecrate and distribute Holy Communion
  • Holy images, statues and crucifixes used in private devotions and prayer
  • Holy water used to bless oneself and can be sprinkled at home
  • Votive candles lit to symbolise prayers being offered
  • Priests wear special vestments outside church for such things as funerals
• Different views to Catholic Christianity


  • Catechism
  • Architecture, design and decoration of Catholic churches
  • Sacred objects in Catholicism
  • Secular art
  • Icons
  • Scriptures
  • Sculptures and statues
  • Symbolism and imagery in religious art
  • Drama, mystery and passion plays
  • Traditional and contemporary music and worship
• Catholic churches


  • Have a nave (seating area)
  • Have a sanctuary (where priests and servers are during mass)
  • Have an altar (where the priest offers mass, showing that Jesus is offering himself)
  • Have candles (showing that Jesus is the light of the world)
  • Have a lectern (where the Bible is read, as faith and truth come from the Bible readings)