Catholicism: Key Concepts

• Solidarity involves Christians sharing material and spiritual goods as a sign of charity and friendship.
• Ecumenism is a Holy Spirit-led movement seeking union of all Christian religions and global unity within the Catholic Church.
• Omnipotence is God's unlimited power to do and know all things.
• Apostasy is a baptized Christian's denial of Christ and rejection of the Christian faith.
• Heresy is a belief that contradicts Church teachings.
• Schism represents a break in Christian unity where a group separates from the Church.
• Dogmas are central Catholic truths defined by the Magisterium that Catholics must believe.
• Doctrine is a general term referring to the teachings of the Catholic Church.
• Idolatry is the worship of someone or something other than the true God.
• The Deposit of Faith is the heritage of faith in Sacred Scripture and Tradition from the Apostles.
• Pontiff refers to the Pope or Bishop of Rome, meaning "bridge builder".
• An Apologist defends the faith, dispelling false rumors about Catholicism and making it reasonable to non-Christians.
• Predestination is the belief that God determines life outcomes, negating the importance of individual actions.
• Tradition is the customs or beliefs passed down through generations.
• Theotokos means "Mother of God" or "God-bearer."
• Episcopate is the term of office for a Bishop.
• Episcopal Collegiality refers to all the bishops of the Church with the Pope as their head, having supreme authority over the universal Church.

Martin Luther's Beliefs:

• Sola Scriptura: Scripture alone is the authority, rejecting the Old Testament.
• Sola Fide: Salvation is achieved through faith in God alone.
• Sola Gratia: No one can keep all of God’s commandments due to human behavior, so grace alone matters.

Eastern Catholic Churches:

• These Churches are in union with the Catholic Church but maintain their own worship styles.

Causes Behind the Great Schism:

• Pope Leo the Great condemned the Council of Chalcedon, which claimed authority over the Church in the Byzantine Empire, asserting that Church authority belongs to the Bishop of Rome.
• Emperor Leo III condemned venerated sacred icons, while the Pope defended their use, stating it wasn't idolatry.
• The Western Church believed the Holy Spirit descended from the Son, while the Eastern Church believed He descended through the Son.

Facts About Eastern Catholic Churches:

• Eastern churches no longer in union with Rome are known as Eastern Orthodox churches.
• Eastern churches that remained in union with Rome are Eastern Catholic churches.
• Eastern Churches accept the Pope as the leader.
• Eastern Churches are fully Catholic.
• Eastern Churches worship with their own style of liturgy.

Heresy Example: Apollinarianism:

• Heretical belief: Jesus had a human body but lacked a human soul.
• Church's response: Jesus was fully man and fully God.

Practices Uniting the Catholic Church with Other Christians:

• Renew and be faithful to your Christian vocation.
• Live a more holy life according to the Gospel.
• Pray with and for separated Christians.
• Grow in knowledge of other ecclesial communities and their beliefs.
• Form yourself in the faith so that you can comfortably share it with others.
• Remain informed about the latest dialogue among the theologians and meetings among the different churches.
• Work together with other Christians in efforts of service to all people, especially the poor.