Voting for the Pope

No earlier than 15 days and no later than 20 after the death or resignation of a pope, all cardinals are summoned to Rome for a secret conclave. Conclave comes from the Latin word cum clave, meaning with key because cardinals are quite literally locked into the Sistine Chapel until they elect a new pope.

After all the cardinals are gathered inside the chapel, they begin deliberations. The cardinals are permitted no contact with the outside world during the conclave. Under threat of excommunication (being expelled from the church), no cardinal is allowed to discuss what happens in the conclave, in order to keep outside political influence to a minimal amount.

A two-thirds majority is needed in order to elect the pope. When voting for the pope, each cardinal writes a name on a piece of paper, then places it on a golden paten (plate). The paten is then turned upside down so the paper can fall into a chalice (cup) underneath. There is a lot of symbolism in this gesture, since the Catholic Mass uses those two objects for the bread and wine during the Eucharistic Prayer (more on that in the future).

If no person receives two-thirds of the vote, or if the nominee declines, then wet straw is mixed with the paper ballots and burned in the chimney. This combination results in black smoke, alerting outside observers that a majority has not yet been reached. There is one vote in the morning and another in the evening. This pattern continues every day for 21 elections. If there is still no supermajority by the 22nd election, a simple majority (50 percent plus 1) is used. Once someone wins the election and accepts the nomination, the ballots are burned without straw and white smoke is seen outside by observers.

Traditionally, papal elections took place in 3 different forms:

Acclamation: A name is presented and all the cardinals consent without using the secret ballot.

Compromise: If no one achieved a 2/3 majority after several ballots, then the entire College of Cardinals would choose a handful of electors to make the decision for the entire body. A unanimous vote was necessary to employ compromise.

Scrutiny: Each cardinal proposes a candidate and gave reasons for his qualifications before the individual cardinals cast their ballots. This is the only method that the papal conclave uses in the present era.

Once a cardinal receives a two-thirds majority vote, he is asked if he accepts the nomination. If he answers yes, he is then asked, "By what name are you to be addressed?" In 533, Pope John II became the first pope to change his name when elected. Since he was born with the pagan name "Mercury," he changed it to the more Christian name of John. However, after Sergius IV was elected in 1009, all subsequent popes would also change their names upon their election. Pope John Paul II was born Karol Wojtyla and Pope Benedict XVI was Joseph Ratzinger until his election.

Pope Primaries?

Unlike Western democracies, the government of the Catholic Church is more of a monarchy.
The Church is a hierarchy, in that the supreme authority is vested in one man, the pope. However, bishops control regional areas, known as dioceses, while priests run their individual parishes. Individual Catholics do not vote for their pope, bishop, or priest. The hierarchy operates more like a military chain of command than an elected democracy. In other words, no, there is no primary and no popular vote.

Other religions and Christian churches allow for the laity to participate in positions of authority from a little to a lot, but Catholicism has pretty much remained monarchial since the appointment of St. Peter. Laypersons are encouraged to participate in other ways,

You may have heard the phrase, "He who enters the conclave a pope, leaves a cardinal." The meaning? When a pope becomes sick or elderly (or dies), the College of Cardinals meet in a conclave to elect a new pope. During that time, rumors are rampant over who will be elected to take the Chair of St. Peter. Often, the media will name certain cardinals as the most likely candidates, called papabile (meaning pope-able in Italian). But usually, the papabile cardinals are almost never elected. So if a man enters the conclave as a favorite (or worse, acts as though he wants the job), then he'll leave as a cardinal because his fellow cardinals will choose someone more humble.

How the Pope Gets the Job

The College of Cardinals elects the pope. No, the College is not a university like Notre Dame or Boston College, but a gathering of all the cardinals from around the world (Think Electoral College in the United States). The Pope picks bishops to become cardinals and the cardinal's primary duty is to elect a new pope when the current one dies. Since popes tend to average a decade or more in office, cardinals really don't have much else to do besides wait for the pontiff to pass on.

Cardinals under the age of 80 are eligible to vote for a new pope. The number of electors is limited to 120, but Pope John Paul II appointed so many that the new limit became 137. However, considering that most cardinals tend to be older men, by the time John Paul II died the actual number of under-80, healthy, voting electors was lower than 120.

Theoretically, the College can elect any cardinal, bishop, priest, deacon, or layman from anywhere on Earth. However, if a layman is elected (very rarely, but it has been done), he need to become a deacon, priest, and bishop before he can assume office- since one of the Pope's duties is serving as the Bishop of Rome. Usually, they pick another cardinal since they know each other and there's only about 120 to choose from, rather than 3,500 bishops and 400,000 priests.

Sunday Off-Topic: Mass Variations

Every Introduction course always has its off-topic tangents, and Catholicism 101 is no different. On Sundays, we'll delve into some aspects of Catholicism that we might not otherwise get to. These areas are kind of up to my whim, but they will usually focus on unusual parts of Catholicism.

If you go to a Catholic parish on the west side of town one weekend, then spend another Sunday in an inner-city parish, you might notice some differences. One Mass may not be in English, or another might have a healing service at the conclusion. Both services are Catholic (meaning that they are sanctioned by the Pope) but they may be celebrated a bit differently.

Latin (Western) Church- Follows the ancient traditions of the Christian church in Rome from the time of Sts. Peter and Paul in the 1st century. As the capital of the Roman Empire, the Roman language (Latin) spread throughout Western Europe, bringing the church influences with it. Today, most parishes in Western Europe, Australia, and the Americas are considered the Latin Church. Even though the language used is no longer Latin, the prayers, gestures, etc., are all the same throughout. The Mass used is called the Nouvo Ordo (New Order) Mass, and is usually celebrated in the local language, although it can still be celebrated in Latin.

Eastern Catholic Church- Also in full Communion with the Vatican, it includes the Byzantine Church and other Eastern Orthodox Churches that were restored under the authority of the Pope in the 17th century. The seven sacraments are valid, but the Eastern Mass follows the tradition of the Orthodox Church, using the liturgy of St. John Chryostom. Eastern Catholics largely consist of the parishes in Eastern Europe and Asia.

Tridentine Mass- Masses are said only in Latin. These are usually parishes that have received permission to continue using the "old" mass that was the norm from the 16th century Council of Trent until the Second Vatican Council in 1963. In celebrating the Tridentine Mass, the priest uses the Roman Missal of 1962, which contains all the necessary prayers, readings, and liturgical directions. The priest also celebrates this Mass facing the altar, with his back to the assembled congregation. Pope John Paul II allowed these Masses to come back into use in 1988.

Charismatic Masses- Not really a seperate type of Mass, just New Order Masses celebrated in a different manner. Charismatic means sharing the gifts of the Holy Spirit, including healing or speaking in tongues. People who are unfamiliar with Charismatic Catholic Masses often mistake them for Pentecostal services, and indeed both denominations are devoted to the Holy Spirit and receiving its gifts.

Getting to Know the Pope

Every structured environment has a chain of command - governments, corporations, schools, sports programs - and the Catholic Church is no exception. In the coming weeks, we'll go over the church hierarchy and the duties of its members.

Best known to both Catholics and non-Catholics alike, the Pope in Rome is the supreme and visible head of the Church. The word pope is actually an English translation of the Italian word il Papa, meaning father, which leads us into another name for the Pope, Holy Father. Just as a Catholic priest is called "Father" in a spiritual sense, so also is the Pope called "Holy Father" by Catholics across the globe.

There are a lot of other papal titles, too: Successor of St. Peter, Vicar of Christ, Patriarch of the West, Supreme Pontiff, Roman Pontiff, Primate of Italy, Sovereign of the Vatican City, and Head of the College of Bishops. The most-used titles, however, are Holy Father, Pope, and Roman Pontiff. As if the title itself weren't enough, the Pope actually holds two different offices-he serves as both the bishop of Rome, and head of the entire Catholic Church.

Privileges of Membership

Being a member of a parish or diocese isn't really optional in the Catholic Church. Besides, it isn't beneficial to not belong to one. The Church tries to balance the individual with the community. Communal public worship has its place-specifically at Sunday Mass, but there is also something to be said for quiet solitude, holy hours, and mental prayer, as well.

Catholics don't have a choice when it comes to worshipping communally and personally. Catholic belief is that humans need both perspectives. This is part of the reason that the Cross is a symbol in the Church-the vertical bar represents a personal relationship with the Lord, which can only be done individually. The horizontal bar represents a person's obligation to also belong to the faith family of a parish and diocese. When Catholics are registered to a particular parish, they get more than envelopes for the collection basket. They also become members of a spiritual family that wishes to pray both with and for them. When Catholics are asked to be Godparents at a Baptism, only registered Catholics can get a confirmation from their pastor that they are in good standing. Whenever they are registered in a parish, they will be listed for prayer when they become hospitalized. And guess who receives visits from Catholic chaplains in the hospital? Unregistered Catholics tend to slip between the cracks, and are often unintentionally ignored.

Often, you will read that a person is a "former" or "fallen away" Catholic. You almost never read about former Muslims, Jews, Protestants, etc. Oh, they exist, to be sure. But, for whatever reason, various media personalities and authors are always fascinated by ex-Catholics. My guess is that the mystique and mystery of Catholicism help to fuel the curiosity that non-Catholics have towards it.

Four Marks of the Church - Apostolic (Continuity)

The final characteristic is one of connection to the past-particularly the Church's ability to trace itself back to the original apostles-12 men chosen by Jesus to assist him, and seperate from the 72 disciples who also followed him, but from a distance. The word apostle comes from the Greek apostello, which means to send forth, and the word disciple comes from the Latin discipulus, meaning student.

Jesus created the Church around the apostles, and this connection to the past is based on much more than just nostalgia. Every ordained priest, deacon, and bishop can legitimately trace their orders back to the original 12 apostles. That link is crucial because both credibility and authority can be traced back to the original ordinary men handpicked by Jesus to lead the church. Apostolic means that the Church has distinct ties to the original 12 apostles: Simon Peter, Andrew, his brother, James, John, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the Less, Simon the Zealot, Jude Thaddeus, and Judas Iscariot, who would betray Jesus.

Four Marks of the Church- Catholic (Universality)

The third Mark is the catholic (universal) nature of the Church. Since it is not limited to any one country, culture, or ethnic group, the Catholic Church remains unified through its diversity. Almost every language on Earth is used to celebrate Mass or to administer the Sacraments. Although the Church is centered administratively in Rome, it is certainly not an Italian religion. The election of Polish and German popes has proven that. The papal visits to parishes all over the world have also helped to remind people of the Church's universal nature. The fact that the Church also emphasizes Eastern and Western traditions is another example.

On every continent of the world (yes, including Antarctica), at least one priest is celebrating Mass, teaching Catholic doctrine, and honoring the Pope's authority. Catholicism has sought to spread the Gospel through missionary work throughout the Earth's history. Whether it was St. Peter in 1st Century Rome, Matteo Ricci in 16th century China, or Pope John Paul II visiting just about everywhere, the point is that the Church exists all over the globe and that makes it truly universal.

Watch the next televised Vatican Mass on Christmas or Easter and notice how many cultures and nations are represented by the various bishops and cardinals who work in the Vatican, along with the millions of pilgrims and visitors who make the trip each year.

4 Marks of the Church- Holy (sanctity)

The second defining charactersitic of the Catholic Church is its holiness. The individual members of the church themselves are not holy (even the leaders, as the many scandals throughout history have proven), but the Church as a collective body is, because it's considered the bride of Christ and the Mystical Body of Christ. Individual members of the Church are quite capable of sinning, but the Church as a whole cannot sin as it was founded by Christ himself. The Church's sanctity is expressed in its daily prayer.

Worldwide, priests, deacons, sisters, brothers, seminarians, and laypeople pray the Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office or the Breviary. Mostly consisting of Psalms and other readings of the Bible, this ancient collection and method of praying dates back to the early church.

The Church's holiness is also expressed in its daily celebration of Mass. Somewhere on Earth at any and every hour, a Mass is being celebrated. The Church also expresses its holiness through its preservation and protection of the Sacraments, ensuring that they are followed properly and reverently throughout the Earth. A vehicles of grace, the Sacraments sanctify Catholics whenever they receive them.

Often, critics of Catholicism will point to a corrupt pope, bishop, or priest in history (or today) as an argument against the Church's holiness. This argument is really no more valid than saying that an abusive spouse is proof that the institution of marriage is bad. Just because a few people cannot fulfill the obligations and responsibilities of marriage does not mean that marriage is not a good thing. The Church should get the same benefit of the doubt, its defenders say. Unlike other institutions (such as the US government), the Church was founded by God and is, for that reason, perfect in every way. While the individual members that make up the Church are flawed and prone to error, Catholics believe that the institution itself is divine and faultless. How can this be? This is because Catholics (and most Christians, for that matter) believe the Church to be more than simply the sum of its parts on Earth. The Church is made up of the baptized on Earth, the saints in heaven, and the souls in purgatory as well (the last inclusion is more of a Catholic/Anglican perspective).

Sunday Off-topic: Cradles, Converts, & Reverts

Every Introduction course always has its off-topic tangents, and Catholicism 101 is no different. On Sundays, we'll delve into some aspects of Catholicism that we might not otherwise get to. These areas are kind of up to my whim, but they will usually focus on unusual parts of Catholicism.

Some Catholics stick close to their faith for their entire lives, while others may change focus for a time, then return to the Church. Still others come from a completely different background, or were not part of religion in their earlier lives prior to becoming Catholics. Here is some "slang" terminology used to describe the three groups of Catholics.

Cradle Catholics - Born, baptized, and raised in the Catholic faith.

Converts - Previously belonged to another religion or no religion and came into Catholicism later in their lives.

Reverts - Cradle Catholics who left the Church, perhaps joining another religion. Eventually, they return, or revert back to their Catholic heritage later in life.

The Four Marks of the Church -One (Unity)

Nearly 2,000 years, 265 popes, and 1 billion members means that obviously something in the Catholic Church has been succesful at keeping things running. One of the primary cornerstones in the Church is the Four Marks of the Church. The Nicene Creed, expressed at every Mass, sums up the Four Marks. The Creed professes belief in "one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church." The Creed is a summary of all the key parts of Christian doctrine that Sacred Tradition formulates, which the Church believes is the unwritten word of God.

The first characteristic of the Church is its unity. The office of the pope means that the Church has a single leader. One deposit of faith means that one entire set of doctrines is presented in a universal catechism. Catholics in all parts of the world believe the same articles of faith everywhere. There is a single set of laws, known as canon law, which govern the entire Church. The Code of Canon Law for the Western (Roman or Latin) Church is different from the Eastern (Byzantine) Church, but both come from the Papacy in Rome. Both sets of canon law also overlap in the crucial areas of belief, so there is consistency. Either way, whether you're Roman Catholic or Eastern Catholic, you're still under the authority of one supreme court, legislator, and judge-the Roman pontiff, aka the Pope. For example, there is one set of Catholic rites, the seven sacraments, and they are celebrated in the same manner everywhere on Earth. Services may be in different languages, but only bread and wine are used at Mass; no one may substitute anything else, no matter what the local culture is.

This unity of doctrine and authority is a hallmark of Catholicism. Many other religions are united in belief and practice, but Catholicism is unique in that its unity is symbolized by a single person -the pope - who ensures that the sacraments are celebrated properly all over the world, that the same doctrines are taught everywhere, and that every member accepts the authority of the bishop in Rome.

An example of this difference can be found in the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Eastern Orthodox celebrate the same seven sacraments and follow a similar set of laws, but the patriarchs of the regional churches (for example, the Patriarch of Constanstinople for the Greek Orthodox Church, or the patriarch of Moscow for the Russian Orthodox) are all equal with each other in authority. The Orthodox Church has synods, where the separate bishops gather, but there is no single authority over all. Traditionally, as the oldest seat, the patriarch of Constanstinople garners the most respect. But even he cannot interfere with those outside of his ministry.

Prior to the Schism in 1054, the other patriarchs viewed the pope as the Patriarch of the west, and he was given the title of Primus inter Pares - Latin for "first among equals." However, after the Schism the Eastern Orthodox no longer recognized the pope and left each regional church to be governed by its own spiritual leader (the patriarch). In contrast, both the Western and Eastern branches of the Catholic Church have the same methods of worship, the same doctrines, and the same authority. The only differences lie in how the seven sacraments are celebrated. However, they are still the same beliefs.

2 More Holidays

Feast of St. Therese of Liseux
On October 1, roses are traditionally blessed and given to the sick, the elderly, and others with special needs in the parish. This tradition undoubtedly derives from St. Therese's promise while on Earth that she would spend her time in heaven sending a "shower of roses" to the faithful. As a nun in France, St. Therese had given flowers as a small act of her love for God, since she believed that she could never perform great deeds. She is the patron saint for those diagnosed with AIDs and, of course, florists.

Feast of Our Lady of Guadeloupe
Catholics, especially those with Hispanic backgrounds, celebrate this feast day on December 12 (yes, today). The Basilica of Guadalupe sits on Tepeyac Hill in Mexico City, where a dark-skinned Virgin Mary reportedly appeared to St. Juan Diego, a poor Indian peasant, almost 500 years ago. The Virgin of Guadalupe left her image on Juan Diego's cloak as proof that she had appeared. (If this sounds familiar to those of you in your early 20s, it might be because the children's television show Wishbone featured the story.)

Today, the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe decorates almost anything Hispanic:t-shirts, storefronts, and even cars. Many Hispanics identify with and devote themselves to her. To understand why the Virgin is so popular, one needs to understand the historical context of her appearance. Ten years prior to her 1531 appearance, the Spanish had ravaged Central America, commiting genocide on the local tribes. The Indians were demoralized and a collective death wish took hold.

That all changed with the Virgin's appearance to Diego, an Indian who had been converted to Christianity. She spoke to him in his native tongue, saying, "Do not let your heart be troubled... Am I not here? Am I not your mother?" Diego said that she told him to build a church where she could hear her people's weeping and sorrow. When Diego told the Spanish Bishop Juan de Zumarraga about what he had seen, the Bishop of Mexico did not believe him. Ashamed at his failure, St. Diego avoided Tepeyac Hill, but the apparition found him again and told him to fill the pockets of his coat with roses and to only open his cloak for the Bishop.

Diego did as he was instructed and, when he opened his tilma, the roses fell out and an image of the Virgin was miraculously impressed upon the cloth, bringing the Bishop of Mexico to his knees. The church was built on Tepeyac Hill (where it still stands) and, more importantly, the native people had a place to worship and thus regained their will to live-an even greater miracle.

Feast of St. Anthony of Padua

Many Italian communities celebrate the Feast of St. Anthony of Padua on June 13 with special Masses and processions. This is ironic since Anthony was not Italian, but Portuguese. However, he did spend time in the country. St. Anthony was an eloquent preacher who was born in 1195 and was a contemporary of St. Francis of Assisi, although there is no evidence that the two ever met.

According to legend, Anthony was an ardent defender of the faith and once traveled to Morocco with the intent of being martyred, although a severe sickness forced him to return to Italy. His homilies were said to be so brilliant that both church intellectuals and iliterate peasants were able to identify with him. However, one story says that he also became so frustrated while preaching to heretics who would not listen that he sarcastically turned and preached to fish instead.

St. Anthony of Padua is the patron saint of both marriages and lost items.

May

The month of May is dedicated to Mary, the Mother of Jesus. It also happens to be the month of Mother's Day. Catholics traditionally celebrate this month by having May crownings-crowns of roses adorn statues of Mary, and young boys and girls who have just received First Communion wear similar outfits for the occasion. Marian hymns are emphasized throughout the month and, in some places, outdoor processions occur in which a statue of Mary is carried through the streets.

Solemnity of St. Joseph

March 19th marks the Solemnity of St. Joseph, the Husband of Mary and Patron of the Universal Church. Although Lent is a time for penance and mortification, there are days that are special enough to warrant celebration even if they fall during the penitential days of Lent. This had greater importance in the past, when many Catholics did not eat any meat or dairy for the entire forty days and only had one full meal a day. Understandably, this made people somewhat weak and frail towards the end.

To allow people to relax a little on the whole penance thing, the Church made exceptions for certain feast days - called solemnities- during Lent. Two examples of these are the solemnitites for St. Joseph on the 19th and the Annunciation (when the angel Gabriel told Mary that she was to be the Mother of Jesus) on the 25th of March. Italians really tend to whoop it up on the Solemnity of St. Joseph, placing a statue of St. Joseph on their dinner tables and asking their priest to bless their breads and pastries. The bread is then given to the poor and the family eats the pastries. A traditional favorite is the Zeppole, a cream puff made in St. Joseph's (or San Giuseppe, as they call him) honor.

St. Patrick's Day

Everybody knows about the wearing o' the green and celebration of all things Irish on the Feast Day of that country's patron saint on March 17th. Morning Mass, parades, soda bread and potato soup, and especially beer are recognized as St. Patricks' Day customs. So many Irish came to the United States during the Potato Famine of the 1840s that the United States itself adopted this part of Irish culture. In fact, more people in the U.S. celebrate it than in Ireland.

St. Patrick was actually born in Scotland in the year 387 and died on March 17, 493 A.D. The son of a Roman officer, Patrick was captured by Irish pirates as a teen and sold into slavery. During that time, he learned the Celtic language and combated the Druid cult. There are two ancient sources that show St. Patrick existed, his Confession and his Letter to Coroticus. The Confession reveals his calling from Pope St. Celestine I to convert the Irish peoples, while Coroticus was a warlord that Patrick frequently corresponded with. Pious tradition says that he explained the nature of the Trinity -one God in three persons- by showing converts the three-leaf shamrock.

Feast of the Candlemas

Also known as the Presentation of the Christ, Candlemas is celebrated on February 2nd, the day before the Feast of St. Blaise (when Catholics get their throats blessed). White beeswax candles are blessed during or after Mass on the 2nd, and many people take them home afterwards. Whenever Catholics pray in their home, asking for God's assistance during a time of crisis, distress, war, dangerous weather, or serious illness - especially when a priest is called to administer the Annointing of the Sick-these candles are lit before the priest enters the home. People tend to pray like crazy at times such as these.

Sunday Off-Topic: Blessings

Every Introduction course always has its off-topic tangents, and Catholicism 101 is no different. On Sundays, we'll delve into some aspects of Catholicism that we might not otherwise get to. These areas are kind of up to my whim, but they will usually focus on unusual parts of Catholicism.

Catholics love to have their priests bless them and some of their personal belongings - house, car, pet, etc. Usually, however, they ask for the blessing of a religuous item - a rosary, religuous medal, Bible, etc. Any devotional article or object integral to our lives and faith can be blessed, but that does not mean that it becomes a good-luck charm. A priestly blessing is just a way of showing gratitude to God for his Divine Grace, and putting these objects under his care.

An example of this is a Marian statue. If you see a statue of the Virgin Mary in a Catholic's yard, it has probably been blessed by a priest. It's not a magical object, and doesn't make the yard grow in a special manner. It is just a reminder of Mary, the Mother of God, and of the Catholic love for her.

An unusual, yet popular, blessing in the Church is celebrated on February 3. Throats are blessed on the Feast of St. Blaise, a bishop and martyr who saved a choking boy. Traditionally, candles used on the Candlemas (tomorrow's post) are used to bless the throats and St. Blaise's intercession is asked on all ailments of the throat.

Palm branches are blessed on Palm Sunday (the Sunday before Easter) and Catholics usually take the fronds home and weave them into crosses to place on a wall crucifix. The previous year's palms are burned and used on Ash Wednesday to impose ashes on everyone's forehead to remind them of prayer, fasting, and repentance. Neither the ashes, the throat blessing, nor the palms are magical. They're just symbols representing a spiritual life.

Catholics who don't attend Mass on a regular basis often get the derogatory label of PAT (palms, ashes, and throats) Catholics, meaning that they only go whenever things are given out. These, however, are a small minority of Catholics as a whole.

Whenever a priest blesses an article, like a rosary, statue, or Bible, he makes the Sign of the Cross with his right hand over the object then splashes holy water on it while saying the prayers of blessing. The holy water serves to remind the owner that the object is now reserved for sacred use only (such as to enhance prayer life). Once blessed, the object cannot be used for profane (nonreliguous) purposes.

So pretty much anything can be blessed, as long as the item will be used for moral purposes and will not be sold. Blessings aren't magical, but change an object into a sacramental to remind us of God's generosity, and can invoke God's blessing whenver it is used in conjunction with prayer.

Feast of the Epiphany

January 6th is the traditional date for the celebration of the Feast of the Epiphany worldwide. However, American parishes that say the Mass in English usually celebrate it on the first Sunday after New Year's Day. The Epiphany commemorates the visit of the Magi, the three kings who brought gifts to the newborn Christ in the stable in Bethlehem.

A custom among German, Polish, Russian, and Slovak families is to have their pastors bless chalk on this day (More tomorrow about blessings). Then, with the blessed chalk, they write the numerals for the new year over their door, and the initials "CMB" in the middle of the numerals. For example, this coming Feast would be 20CMB09. "CMB" stands for the initials of the three wise men: Casper, Melchior, and Balthasar. This custom reminds those in the home to ask for the prayers of those three saints during the upcoming calendar year.

Besides being the initials of the wise men, "CMB" is also the abbreviation for the Latin phrase Christus Mansionem Benedicat (May Christ bless the home)

Celebrating Year-Round

A really cool thing about Catholicism is thing large number of days that are cause for celebration within the Church. Almost every day is reserved to either honor a saint or commemorate a special passage in Christ's life. For example, the Feast of the Transfiguration recognizes when Jesus transfigured himself before the apostles. Over the next few days, we will cover some of the more interesting and unique celebrations.

General Ground Rules

There are some minimum ground rules that Catholics must follow.

1. Attend Mass every Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation
2. Go to Confession annually or when necessary.
3. Receive Holy Communion during Easter, although it is recommended that you receive it at least once a week.
4. Observe the fasting and abstinence laws: Only one meal on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and no meat on Fridays during Lent.
5. Obey the laws of marriage within the Church.
6. Support the Church financially, usually at least 10 percent of your income.

We will cover some of these rules in more detail in later posts. Generally, Catholics are required to live a good, Christian life. This involves praying daily, participating in the Sacraments, exercising sound moral judgment, and accept the teachings of Christ and His Church.

The first step for being Catholic is knowing the precepts and faith. This process is called Catechesis, the process of learning the Catholic faith, theology and doctrines.

The second step is accepting the faith, or Trust. Catholic believers must trust that what they are learning is, in fact, the truth. After learning what the Church believes, the Catholic must believe the truth in which he/she has been instructed (another area where some Protestants disagree).

The third, final, and most difficult step is practicing the faith. A Catholic is not supposed to just blindly obey the Church's rules, but should understand the wisdom and reason behind each belief. Catholics are instructed to practice what they believe. The main premise is that all men and women were made in the image and likeness of God and that all have been saved by Christ and ALL are the children of God. A person must carry this over into their daily lives in order to truly believe it. Racism and anti-Semitism contradict this belief.

The Fundamental Perspective

The Catholic perspective on life is different than most Protestant ones. Catholics believe that everything created by God is good, but has the potential to be abused or misused. The Church believes that humankind is capable of moral consciousness and has the ability to reason. The Church encourages its members to excercise this moral reasoning to determine the ethical solution to everyday situations.

Catholics don't see science as contrary to faith, but as an aid in discovering some of the universe's mysteries. Although Catholicism is well-known for its hierarchical structure, it also emphasizes individual responsibility and accountability. Both religuous and secular education are important to Catholics, and reason is necessary to understand and defend the faith.

Catholicism isn't just a Sunday event. It factors into the daily lives of and decisions of all its people. Faith is woven into all aspects of our life, including political, economic, and family issues. The fundamental Catholic perspective is that NOTHING is outside of God's jurisdiction, so he is aware of any and every thought, word, and deed that you make-24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Primary Way to Worship

Individual Catholics belong to parishes, which are local places of worship. Both the daily church and weekly services are called Holy Mass, and they are modeled as reenactments of Holy Thursday (when the Last Supper was celebrated) and Good Friday (when he died to give humankind the means to eternal life).

Attendance to Sunday Mass is required for Catholics. Not attending is considered a grave sin, unless there is a good reason for not going (such as illness or inclement weather). Most Christians attend Sunday services, but most Catholics also have the option of Saturday evening Mass, as well.

This Saturday evening Mass, also called the Vigil Mass, is relatively new in Church history. It was begun in 1983 under the rationale that anytime after sundown is considered to be the next day in Jewish tradition, so a Saturday evening mass fulfills the Sunday obligation.

Sunday is still the preferred day of worship, as a day to go to church and to spend time with the family. The Vigil Mass is no longer restricted to those who must work on Sunday, but is offered to all. The obligation to avoid unnecessary work on Sunday still remains, however, as it's the Day of the Lord for all Christians globally.

The Saturday evening worship is somewhat unique to Catholicism, and also carries over to other Holy days as well. Due to the time issues facing most American families today, most parishes offer Vigil Masses for Holy Days of Obligation and some even offer Masses on the morning of that Holy Day.

Many accuse Catholics of just going through the motions by attending the required Sunday Mass, and it's true that many do. However, Mass involves more than merely being present on Sunday-it requires both body and soul. It is for this reason that Catholic services involve a lot of different postures, standing, sitting, kneeling, bowing, singing, etc., in order to better worship the Lord.

Unfortunately, many Catholics don't fully appreciate God's grace and don't practice what they hear in Mass. There is a recurring joke that the most dangerous places on Earth are parish parking lots immediately after Mass. Some people leave before the Mass is actually over, attempting to "beat the rush." Most Catholics are respectful, however, and leave church at the proper time-after the last hymn and after the priest leaves the sanctuary.

Catholicism: Basic Beliefs

Catholics are, above all else, Christians. Like Jews and Muslims, Catholics are monotheistic- they believe that there is only one God. However, like all Christians, Catholics also believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, a belief unique to Christianity. Catholics also believe that:

• The Bible is the revealed, inspired, and error-free Word of God.

• Baptism is necessary for Salvation. Baptism is the rite of becoming Christian. There are three ways that Catholics believe one can be baptized: by water, by blood, or by desire.

• The Ten Commandment provide an moral standard that all MUST follow.

• That God is in three persons - The Holy Trinity. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Catholics also believe that each human being is a union between body and soul. The entire of idea of religion is that we are native to the two different worlds of matter and spirit. Since God created the physical world, it is inherently good. That is, until it is misused by humankind.

The Seven Sacraments - Baptism, Penance, Holy Eucharist, Confirmation, Matrimony, Holy Orders, and Annointing of the Sick. Catholics believe these are the outward signs that Jesus gives us to signify divine grace. Each of these rites commemorates a different stage in the spiritual development of a Catholic, but they are based on the same idea of union between matter and spirit, and body and soul. Each of the Sacraments involve a physical symbol that represents the unseen spiritual reality that grace supernaturally provides. For example, water is used as a symbol for Baptism, and oil represents the annointing of our souls.

Which brings us to our next area of belief- Symbols. Anyone who has ever observed a Catholic worship can testify to the prominence of symbols in the Church. Stained glass representing saints, burning incense candles, the bread and wine, all symbolize deeper spiritual meanings. As humans, we only have five senses that connect us to physical world. Catholicism uses symbols to help our senses remind us of the invisible reality of divine grace.

Grace is the free, undeserving love that God provides everyone on Earth. It is the inspiration that we need to do his Will. Grace was the reason that early Christians preferred to be martyred rather than deny Christ. Grace strengthened St. Bernadette Soubirous enough to overcome the mockery and derision of others when she claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary. Since Grace is not of this world, we cannot feel it or detect it with any of our senses.

Catholic belief is that Grace sustains our souls. It allows us to selflessly conform to the Will of God and it keeps our spirit active. Catholicism teaches that Grace is an undeserved gift that God provides us, unsolicited. You cannot experience salvation without it. That said, Grace is a gift, which means that it is up to each individual person to decide whether to accept it or not. And merely accepting it is not enough, the individual must cooperate with Grace to serve God's will. It must translate into action by the person, or it is pointless.

Definition of "Catholic" (with a capital "C")

To be "Catholic" means to live a completely Christian life and hold a Catholic perspective of the world. The Catholic ideal is that all people are basically good at heart, but are all affected by a dreadful affliction known as sin. This affliction initially wounded us, but it can kill humankind spiritually if left unchecked. There is only one cure-divine grace-and the best way to receive this grace is through the Sacraments. Catholics believe that the Sacraments are seven rites that are created by Jesus and entrusted to the Church.

Basic tenets of Catholic belief:

-It's not just a theology. Catholicism IS a daily commitment to follow God's will, whatever it may be.

-God offers divine grace, but a Catholic must accept it and cooperate with it.

-We can exercise free will. Because He loves us, God never forces us to act against our free will, but there are consequences for committing evil. By turning from God, you are not only hurting yourself but others as well, as no Catholic is alone in the world. We are all part of that spiritual family known as the Church.

-The Church is not just a place to go on Sundays. It serves as a Mother-figure. It feeds us spiritually, instructs us in doctrine, provides healing and comfort for those that require it, and disciplines us when necessary.

In the next few weeks, this blog will focus on what exactly this whole Catholicism thing is from an overall perspective. Then, over the next year, it can gradually delve into the specifics.