The Catholic Creeds
There are four creeds of the Catholic Church. The Apostles' Creed is the one typically used when praying the rosary. The Nicene Creed is the one recited during Mass. These two state the basic tenets of the Catholic faith - God created the universe, begot His son Jesus who was born to the Virgin Mary, was crucified, buried, and resurrected, and ascended into Heaven. They also affirm the belief in the Communion of Saints, forgiveness of sins, and eternal life.
The Athansian Creed and the Trentine Creed go a bit further, the latter, written by Pope Pius IV himself, includes "and I promise true obedience to the Bishop of Rome" (at the time, himself). To read all four creeds, please click on the external link above.
The Magisterium
What is the Catholic Magisterium? The Return of the Three Kings? Vatican magicians? The Great and Powerful Wizards of Oz, pulling the strings and calling the shots heard 'round the world? A secret and mysterious Good 'Ol Boys club? Find out by clicking on the external link above.
Canon Law
While Divine Law is the rule of God, Canon Law is the rule of the Catholic hierarchy. And on those rare occasions when the two might conflict, too many clerics go with Canon. In fact, it has often been used as a cruch by lame bishops who dare not go against the Vatican for reasons self-serving but are somehow okay with throwing Matthew 25 and the Ten Commandments to the wind.
Canon law covers things like privileges and dispensations, the power of governance, the college of bishops, removal or transfer of priests, excommunication of laity, the acquisition of goods, mixed marriages, and feast days. Click on the external link above to read the law straight from the horse's mouth.
Crimen Sollicitationis
This document came to light because it was referenced in a footnote to a May 18, 2002 letter from Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, head of the Vatican's doctrinal congregation, to the bishops of the world regarding new procedures for sex abuse cases.
Crimen Sollicitationis is a secret document issued by the Holy Office of the Vatican (now the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Fath) in 1962, instructing bisops about how to handle cases i which priests were accused of using the privacy of the confessional to make sexual advances to penitents. The document also instructs bishops on how to handle cases of the "worst crime", in which a priest is sexually involved with an animal, a child, or man. Canon lawyers disagree about the extent to which the document is still in force.
The document calls for such cases to be handled in secret, and extends that secrecy to the document itself. The document imposes secrecy even upon victims of sexual abuse. Extreme penalties for violations of secrecy, including excommunication that can only be dismissed by the pope himself, are imposed. Perhaps as a result, some bishops claim not to have known of its existence.
Crimen Sollicitationis came to light in 2002, in the context of new procedures for handling accusations that a priest had sexually abused minors. Lawyers involved in cases against the church have argued that the document is evidence of obstruction of justice. In response, defenders of church policy have argued that the policy of secrecy extended only to Canon law actions up to and including defrocking of a priest, and would not have prevented a bishop from reporting accusations of child molestation to the civil authorities. They also argue that, because the document was secret, it is unlikely to have influenced the actions of church officials.
SPECIAL REPORTS: CATHOLIC BISHOPS AND SEX ABUSE
Must Read Report/Database by The Dallas Morning News
The Structure
Headquarted in Europe, but stationed all across the globe. That is the Catholic Church. Everyone knows about the pope but what is the difference between a cardinal, a bishop, and an archbishop? And why are some pastors monsignors and others aren't? Why are some deacons married and others aren't? We know the Church is not a democracy but Is it totalitarianism at its worst? Hopefully, these questions and others can be answered by clicking on the external link above.
Explanation of the election of a pope and the list of popes
The Principal Offices of the Vatican (Roman Curia), from book Vows of Silence
The Catholic Hierarchy , from book Vows of Silence
The Apostolate of the Laity
In 1965, Pope Paul VI promulgated the Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity, in Latin, Apostolicam Actuositatem (notice the action verb "Act" in reference to the laity). This is basically the rights, responsibilities and privileges of the lay members of the Catholic Church. Not all Catholics believe it, though. There are still some church ladies going around wagging their fingers at anyone who challenges the actions of a priest. And, unfortunately, there are still plenty of Catholics who still follow the "pay, pray, and obey" command. While Divine law, found in the pages of the four Gospels, should be the driving forces behind all Christians, some Catholics seem to have to hear it from a man with Vatican 'authority'. Well, here it is. Just follow the external link above.
The Supposed Infallibility of the Pope
Is the pope a sinner? You becha! Could he ever be wrong? Yep! Is he given special wisdom directly from God? Only if his pride prevents it, but so is every other humble person who looks to God for guidance. And anyone who says otherwise isn't paying attention. Find out more by clicking on the external link above.
The Catholic Catechism
What does the Catholic Church teach, beyond the creeds? What do the people believe, beyond those words memorized in the second grade? How does the catechisms of Aquinas and Trent differ from that of the ever-popular Baltimore, Pius, and the current Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)? Click on the external link above to find out.
The Iron Law
In 1910, Pope Pius X penned an Oath against Modernism that was "to be sworn to by all clergy, pastors, confessors, preachers, religious superiors and professors in philosophical-theological seminaries. This might be referred to as The Iron Law and it might have something to do with one bishop's explanation for being held in contempt of court for not turning over his files on one of his clergy sex offenders, "When the United States government is around for 2000 years, it can start telling the Catholic Church what to do".
The Ten Commandments
The Seven Sacraments
The Mysteries of the Rosary
The Beatitudes
The Charter
In 2002, in response to the media firestorm created by the revelation by Boston Globe reporters that the scope of the clergy sexual abuse scandal was much greater than previously believed by the public, the United States bishops adopted a written policy they promised to follow when it came to protection children from harm. The Charter mandated annual audits that they tried to eliminate less than a year later because they "were tired" and had such a "tough year". The audits aren't independent. The bishops hire the auditors and tell them what to audit and how to audit. As an advocate wisely pointed out, "They [the bishops] make up the rules and pay the referees". The external link above will take you to their own website.
Cleansing of the Temple: Time to Clean House!
In Jesus' time, He had to force out the greedy and disrepectful church leaders out of the temple. How often history repeats itself. The link above offers several examples from the past.
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