RE sources of wisdom and authority

• the body of christ means the individuals from the christian community
• The Body of Christ means the individuals form the Christian community and each person has a part to play in continuing the work of Jesus on earth today.
• The People of God means the group of people who have found faith in Jesus and through Baptism are part of God's people.
• The Church has different roles: The Laity, The Clergy and The Religious. Each member has the responsibility to contribute to the Church in different ways; with Jesus as the head of the Church, Catholics believe they are the living Gospel.
• Prayer of St Teresa of Avila:

  "Christ has no body but yours.
• St Paul's Letters to the Corinthians and the Romans: "the body is one and has many members"
• Mary is seen as a model for the Church because of her faith and trust in God. She is the perfect image of discipleship

  (following the teaching of Jesus) and charity. She is a personal role model for Catholics: open to God and willing

  to accept his requests despite the difficulties.
• In the Gospel of Luke (The Annunciation) Mary says "Behold, I am the handmaid of the lord; let it be to me according to your word."
• She is a powerful model because she was the first disciple, she had immense faith in Jesus.
• The Catechism states that "Mary's role in the Church is inseparable from her union with Christ and flows directly from it."
• Mary is the mother of Jesus therefore she is the mother of the Church. Mary is the embodiment of what it means to be Catholic.
• There are many feast days, special prayers and places of pilgrimage dedicated to Mary.
• There are divergent views about Mary within Christianity, Protestants do not agree with the veneration of Mary, it is felt this contradicts the Bible do not worship other Gods.
• The Four Marks of the Church are: One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic. These are named in the Nicene Creed and are therefore part of the Declaration of faith for Catholics.

  The four marks help identify the Church as the one true faith established by Christ.
• The Church is one - unity in Trinity, united through one Mass
• The Church is holy - it is founded by Jesus - the source of all holiness
• The Church is Catholic - it is universal and worldwide
• The Church is apostolic - the living tradition of the apostles guided by the magisterium.
• There are divergent Christian views on the four Marks. Some want a unified Church and argue that the idea of there being one church is undermined by the different denominations. The meaning of universal is slightly different for Protestants and Catholics; Protestants use it to mean the wider community as well as the universal presence of Jesus Protestant Christians reject the authority of the Pope.
• Jesus is seen as a role model for Christians making moral decisions, the Gospels are our source of authority on how Jesus lived
• Jesus showed examples of: forgiveness, servanthood, social justice and love for all.
• Jesus is the fulfilment of the Law of Moses: he came to help Jews how to understand the Law and not to change or abolish it. "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them"
• 'Natural law 'do good and avoid evil' provides set rules that are discoverable by all, however, these can be interpreted in different ways which is problematic.
• Virtue ethics consider the moral character of a person to help analyse their ethical decision for instance if a person is considering telling a lie; what would this say about their moral virtues or character? However, what people consider a virtue differs depending

  on age, culture etc. and so this is not a reliable moral guide.
• Conscience is the internal voice guiding everyone, Catholics have a moral responsibility to follow their informed conscience. However, those Catholics who do not embrace Bible and Church teachings will not have the same informed conscience as others.
• Catholics also have the Magisterium to help them make personal decisions, those Christians who do not follow the authority of Rome will not accept this

  as a moral guide instead relying on the Bible.
• What is the Magisterium?

  The word can be used in 3 ways: 1. To refer to The Teaching Authority of the church.

  2. To refer to those who wield this authority: the Pope and the Bishops together.

  3. To refer to the official teachings of the church.
• Apostolic Succession. Catholics believe that Jesus gave his authority to the Apostles, and the apostles appointed successors (replacements) to whom they handed over their authority. The line of their successors still exists today in the Pope and the Bishops.
• The Ordinary Magisterium: This is collected together in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It draws from may sources.
• The Extraordinary Magisterium: This

  comes from either

  1. Ex Cathedra declarations by the Pope

  2

  Ecumenical Councils.
• Why is the Magisterium important for Catholics today?

  1. Interpretation: It helps them interpret the Bible and Apostolic Tradition correctly. For example the Nicene Creed helps Catholics to see that Jesus is truly God and not an angel.

  2. Application: It guides them on how to apply the Bible to modern ethical issues. For example should Catholics be involved in experimenting on human embryos?
• The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965)

  What was it?

  A meeting of Bishops and the Pope to update Catholic Teaching!
• Sacrosanctum Concilium- Reform of liturgy: More participation by the laity
• Lumen Gentium- Beliefs about the Church- Possibility of salvation for non-Christians
• Del Verbum- Scripture- The Word of God is not just a book, but a person, Jesus. Bible and tradition are equally important.
• Gaudium et Spes- Humanity and society- Covers economics, poverty, social justice, culture, science, technology and ecumenism (unity among Christian denominations)
• 3Ls Language, Liturgy and Laity-

  1. Language: The Mass no longer had to be said in Latin: it could be said in the local language.

  2. Liturgy: The Liturgy was updated to have more participation by the laity.

  3. Laity (non priests): would be more involved in the Liturgy and in the activities of the church.
• 4 s Scripture, Salvation, Social Justice and Science

  1. Scripture: Catholic beliefs about scripture were clarified (e.g. that it has equal authority to tradition).

  2. Salvation: For the first time the Church suggested that non-Christians could be saved.

  3. Social Justice: It taught about the Church's role in society and in seeking social justice

  4. Science: It discussed the impact of modern science.
• What is the Bible?

  The Bible is a collection of books which Christians believe to be holy because they are inspired by God.
• 1. Law: This covers the first 5 books of the Bible AKA the Torah. This be gins with the story of creation and finishes with the Israelites preparing to enter the Promised Land. It is called The Law' because it contains the Ten Commandments (and other commandments) which is the Law God gave to Moses.