Important Church Terms

• Corruption is acting against what is good and right based on God's teachings
• Papal Primacy refers to the Pope's supreme authority and role in maintaining Church unity
• A Schism is a division between groups resulting from disagreements
• Filioque, Latin for "and the Son," describes the Holy Spirit's relationship with the Father and the Son in Christian theology
• Byzantine relates to Byzantium or the Eastern Orthodox Church
• Orthodox means adhering to traditional beliefs and practices within a religion or philosophy
• The Pilgrim Church describes the church's journey through life toward unity with God in heaven
• Heresy is a belief contradicting the core teachings of the church
• A Papal Encyclical is a formal letter from the pope to Catholics or the public
• Veneration is showing deep respect for saints or holy objects, distinct from worshiping God
• Vernacular is using the local language in church services and prayers for better understanding and participation
• Laity refers to church attendees who are not clergy

Vatican II (1962-1965)

• Called by Pope John XXIII to modernize the Catholic Church
• The main goal was to make the Church more accessible and relevant
• Mass was changed from Latin to local vernacular languages for better understanding
• There was more involvement of non-clergy in services and decisions
• Relations with other Christian denominations and religions improved
• Liturgy changes made church practices more relatable and encouraged active participation
• The priest's position changed to face the congregation
• It affirmed the right to religious freedom and respect for individual conscience
• Interfaith Dialogue involves different religions discussing their beliefs to create unity
• The role of the laity was important because it engaged followers and allowed them to connect to their faith through active participation
• Engagement and participation in Mass increased
• There was an upgrade in music

Split Between Eastern and Western Churches

• The main reasons were Papal Primacy, the Filioque Clause, and differences in sacraments
• The Schism led to the creation of the Orthodox (Eastern) and Catholic (Western) denominations
• Papal Primacy: The Western church's pope claimed authority over the Church, sidelining the power of the bishops and pope of the East
• Filioque Clause: The Western Church added "And the Son" to the Nicene Creed, angering the East, who believed in abiding by traditional laws, and because it was implemented without council
• The East uses leavened bread to represent the Risen Christ, while the West uses unleavened bread to symbolize Passover

Council of Nicaea (325 AD)

• Called by Emperor Constantine
• Addressed the Arianism controversy regarding Jesus' divinity
• The Nicene Creed was created, affirming Jesus as fully divine
• Arius argued that Jesus was divine but not fully equal to God the Father
• The Nicene Creed became the summary of Christian beliefs

Modern Impact of the Council of Nicaea

• The Nicene Creed defines Christian beliefs
• It set a unified date for Easter
• It established a process for church councils to resolve religious issues

Role of the Laity

• To actively participate in spreading the Gospel and serving the community
• Responsibilities include attending Mass, receiving the Eucharist, singing hymns, and engaging in prayer
• The Second Vatican Council emphasized their active role in Church life, particularly through the use of the vernacular in liturgy

Reformation

• The word means to change (reform)
• Martin Luther saw salvation as achieved through faith, stating, "We can’t ever be good enough, through our actions to merit salvation"
• Sola fide = Only Faith
• Indulgences at the time were pieces of paper that were supposedly able to reduce a person's time, and had no spiritual relation, and were a corrupt practice
• Luther believed salvation could not come through the church's power because popes made mistakes
• The 'Theses' were papers that addressed the issue of indulgences and other corrupt practices of the Catholic Church, and were published on October 31, 1517
• Luther invented the printing press to spread his beliefs
• Luther translated the Bible from Latin to German
• People could understand and better connect with the faith because of his translation

Martin Luther's 95 Theses

• List of 95 arguments against the Catholic Church's practices
• Focus on the selling of indulgences
• Posted in 1517 as a call for reformation

Abuse of Indulgences

• The church made people believe that to atone their sins, they pay 50% of their income
• Only bishops and priests can give them out