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Common Good

The sum of total social conditions that allow people to reach their fulfillment more easily.

Kingdom of God

God’s reign or rule over all things, fulfilled in Heaven.

Society

A group of persons bound together by a principle of unity that goes beyond each one of them.

Beatitudes

Teachings by Jesus that describe the attitudes of those who are truly happy or fulfilled.

Justice

A Cardinal Virtue that helps us give God and neighbors their due.

Communion

Sharing life with one another, reflecting the love and service of the Trinity.

Precepts of the Church

Minimum requirements for Christian living, uniting moral life with liturgy.

Natural Law

Man’s participation in the eternal law of God, indicating good or evil.

Sacramentals

Sacred signs of God’s grace that help prepare us to receive His grace.

Authority

The quality of exercising power over others that comes from God.

Citizenship

One’s status as a member of a political society.

Golden Rule

Christ’s teaching to treat others as you would like to be treated.

Government

Individuals or institutions that exercise power over people in a given area.

Just Hierarchy of Values

The acknowledgment that certain values are more important than others.

Just War Doctrine

Church teaching on conditions required for a war to be considered just.

Right

That which someone has just claim to, including God-given rights.

Heresy

A teaching that consciously and deliberately rejects Church doctrine.

Charlemagne

King of the Franks and Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.

Crusades

Invasions by Christians to take the Holy Land, Jerusalem.

Saint Dominic

Founder of the Dominican order, known for promoting the apostolic life.

Inquisition

Investigations aimed at discovering and rooting out heresy.

Middle Ages

Period from about AD 500 to AD 1500, from the collapse of the Roman Empire to the beginning of the Renaissance.

Eastern Schism of 1054

The split between Eastern and Western churches due to disagreements.

Saint Francis

A friar who helped found a convent and lived a life of service.

Saint Thomas Aquinas

An influential scholar whose teachings greatly impacted the Church.

Monasticism

Christian life lived by monks or nuns devoted to prayer.

95 Theses

A list by Martin Luther critiquing the Catholic Church's practices.

Age of Reason

Period where reason was emphasized over faith in understanding the world.

Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC)

A complete summary of Catholic beliefs.

Council of Trent

Where the Church addressed issues that necessitated reform.

Conquistadors

Spanish conquerors of the 16th century.

Empiricism

Belief that knowledge is obtained through human senses.

Humanism

Cultural movement emphasizing human achievements over the divine.

Holocaust

The genocide during WWII where millions were killed, primarily Jews.

Indulgence

A gift given for religious journeys, initially to forgive sins.

Industrial Revolution

A period of significant economic growth and invention in Europe and America.

Martin Luther

Reformer who initiated the Protestant Reformation.

Rationalism

Philosophy asserting the universe is governed by natural laws.

St. Francis Xavier

Jesuit missionary known for spreading Christianity in India.

St. Ignatius of Loyola

Founder of the Jesuit order focused on education and service.

St. Isaac Jogues

French Jesuit martyred while working with Native Americans.

St. Teresa of Avila

Reformer of the Carmelite Order focused on simplicity and prayer.

The Joy of the Gospel

First apostolic exhortation by Pope Francis.

World Youth Day

Celebration for youth to gather and deepen their faith.

Pope Leo XIII

Pope who published the first social encyclical addressing workers' rights.

One the Condition of Labor (Rerum Novarum)

Papal encyclical addressing social and economic issues of the Industrial Revolution.