CHURCH AND THE KINGDOM

• Justice


  The state in which every human being has their basic needs provided for. All are equal before God, so all should be treated equally.
• Peace


  Not simply a lack of conflict but a state of harmony with all mankind. Without justice, peace cannot exist.
• Reconciliation


  The act of reconciling two people who have previously been opposed or involved in some kind of conflict. This allows justice and peace to work in healing division and God's love to establish God's Kingdom, which is united.
• The Kingdom of God is a hugely important part of the Lord's Prayer in Catholicism. In expressing that 'thy Kingdom come' Catholics are expressing the expectation of the coming of Christ and the final Day of Judgement when the Kingdom of God will be established in full glory. They are also declaring the wish that God's will and reign will be established within their own hearts, signifying his kingship over every individual believer.
• The Lord's Prayer: 'Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy nome, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us, and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil (Matt 6:9-13)'
• Hierarchy of the Church


  • Pope
  • Cardinals
  • Bishops
  • Priests
  • Laypeople
• Jesus gives St Peter the authority to be 'the rock on which I built my church'. This authority given to Peter, Catholics believe, has been handed down successively to be bestowed upon the Pope today.
• The Pope occasionally takes advice from councils, such as the Second Vatican council. This was done by Pope John XXIII between 1962 and 1965 to ensure that the Church did not become too insular.
• The Second Vatican council issued four major documents:

  Dei Verbum, which addressed the important role of the Bible as the Word of God

  Lumen Gentium, which addressed the importance of the role of the church

  Sacrosanctum Concilim, which addressed liturgical matters and changes to facilitate improvements in the worship for laypeople

  Gaudium et Spes, which addressed Church teaching as relating to the current day.
• 1 John 4:20: '"Those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen"'
• This teaching underlines to Catholics that loving others is of utmost importance. Everyone is considered to be a brother or sister- everyone is a neighbour.
• Types of care provided by Catholics

  • Local care (e.g. St Vincent de Paul society)
  • National care (e.g. Caritas Social Action Network)
  • Global care (e.g. CAFOD)
• Kingdom values


  • Humbleness
  • Mercy
  • Pursuit of goodness
  • Peace
• Some choose a career path that reflects kingdom values, such as becoming priests, monks and nuns who take vows of chastity, obedience and poverty, and focus on serving their community and the needy.
• Others may choose to live out kingdom values through marriage, as Catholics believe a married couple can display committed love and create life, spreading the kingdom values in their family and community.
• CAFOD (Catholic Agency For Overseas Development) is a form of global Catholic aid which attempts to meet the needs of those who are vulnerable globally.
• Pope Francis has continually pursued peace, justice and reconciliation, such as promoting justice by speaking against damaging economic policies, repairing US-Cuban relations, and improving interfaith relations.
• Pilgrimage


  A religious journey, usually to a holy land, such as to Jerusalem where Jesus lived. It gives observers a link to the scriptures in a physical way, as well as an opportunity to refresh their faith.
• Pilgrimage sites

  • Jerusalem
  • Lourdes
  • Walsingham
  • Rome
• Stations of the Cross


  The practice of walking around different parts of a church (14) and saying a prayer at each station, each representing a stage in the death of Christ.
• Many Catholics view themselves as being on a mission from God to spread the news of Jesus to the world, known as evangelism. This can be expressed in drama, e.g. in works such as Les Misérables and The Mission.
• Four marks of the Church

  • One
  • Holy
  • Catholic
  • Apostolic
• The Church is professed to be conciliar and pontifical, meaning the Pope's role is supported by a council of bishops and he has the highest authority in giving final rulings.
• The Church has been relatively vocal on social teachings since Pope Leo XIII, due to the love of humanity held by the Church and the wish to spread the gospel.
• Luke 1:26-35: 'This passage is where Mary, the mother of Jesus, accepted her role in God's plan for salvation. The Magnificat is a prayer she sang following this acceptance, which is believed by Catholics to be an example for how members of the Church should function as disciples.'
• The Magnificat has caused controversy as some have interpreted it to be a political call to bring down corrupt governments or the powerful, or to be revolutionary.
• Gaudium et Spes 57


  "Christians on pilgrimage towards the heavenly city, should seek and think of those things which are above."

  • shows that Catholics see life as a pilgrimage
• Pilgrimage


  A journey that has a spiritual purpose, where the destination may be a sacred religious place
• Catholics believe life is a pilgrimage


  A journey to meet God at death
• Stations of the Cross


  1. Pray before the Stations

  2. Accompany Jesus on his final journey

  3. Reflect on a short reading about the event shown

  4. Say a prayer at each Station
• Catholics may do the Stations of the Cross on the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem, the street through which Jesus carried his cross
• What pilgrimage means to Catholics


  • Life is a journey towards God
  • During their lifetime, a Catholic's actions should reflect the idea of making progress on the journey towards God
  • Everything they do should contribute to the purpose of getting closer to God
• Christians, on pilgrimage toward the heavenly city, should seek and think of these things which are above.: 'Gaudium et Spes 57'
• Important Catholic pilgrimage sites


  • Jerusalem
  • Rome
  • Lourdes
  • Walsingham
• Why Catholics visit Jerusalem


  To share in Jesus' life and suffering
• Why Catholics visit Rome


  • To renew their faith and commitment to Jesus
  • To show their commitment to the Catholic Church, and their unity with the Pope and all Catholics
• Why Catholics visit Lourdes

  To be healed physically or spiritually by the waters
• Why Catholics visit Walsingham


  • To go on pilgrimage without having to travel abroad
  • To spend time in prayer with other Catholics
  • To make themselves more aware of their place in the Church, the community of believers
• Catholic attitude towards mission or evangelism


  • The main idea is to show God's love through doing good actions
  • Missionaries hope that actions which express God's love and forgiveness will have a real effect on other people, influencing them to do good things in turn
  • Missionaries and evangelists are guided by the teachings of Jesus, who taught that having the right attitude is more important than blindly following God's law
  • Showing love, kindness and forgiveness are sometimes more important in missionary work than simply following the rules
  • Mission and evangelism require total commitment to God
  • Missionaries and evangelists may face hardships or ridicule as part of their work, but this should not lessen their commitment to their faith and work
  • Sometimes goodness may involve ignoring the demands of Church law
• Examples of mission and evangelism in drama

  • In Les Miserables, the bishop's act of love and forgiveness persuades Valjean to become a better person
  • In Les Miserables, Valjean's kind act towards Javert ultimately saves Valjean from imprisonment, showing that goodness wins out over the law
  • In The Mission, the priests stay to defend the native people despite the danger to their own lives and the order of their bishops to abandon the people