Global Catholicism Terms

General Terms

• Gaudium et spes: Vatican II’s Pastoral Constitution (1965)

  • clarified and reoriented the role of the church's mission to people outside of the Catholic faith

  • represents an inner examination of the church by the council and features a response to problems affecting the modern world

• Evangelii Nuntiandi: apostolic exhortation issued by Pope Paul VI (1975)

  • emphasizes the importance of evangelization in the contemporary world

  • calling for a renewed commitment to spreading the Gospel and addressing social justice issues.

• Ecclesia in Africa: apostolic exhortation issued by Pope John Paul II (1995)

  • shapes the Church’s mission in Africa

  • emphasizes faith, social justice, and cultural integration in the service of a more just and peaceful Africa

• Evangelii Gaudium: apostolic exhortation issued by Pope Francis (2013)

  • calls for a renewed commitment to spreading the Gospel

  • the Church must understand itself as a community of missionary disciples, who are "permanently in a state of mission"

• Laudato Si: apostolic exhortation issued by Pope Francis (2015)

  • focuses on the urgent need to care for the planet

  • calls for global action against environmental degradation and climate change

• Synod on Synodality: three year process of listening, dialogue, and prayer (2021-2024)

  • set the tone for a deeply participatory process aimed at listening, inclusivity, and shared decision-making

  • aims to renew the Church's mission and governance by incorporating wider perspectives and input from all levels of the faithful

Catholic Terms

• Liturgical Year: cycle of ritual observances in a calendar year for the Catholic Church

  • provides a structured way for Christians to annually commemorate the key events in Jesus' life, including his birth, death, and resurrection

  • major part of the book Purple Hibiscus

• Rosary: devotional prayer to Mother Mary

  • helps people draw closer to God by meditating on the life of Jesus

  • major part of the book Purple Hibiscus, used a lot by Papa Eugene

• Novena: nine day devotional prayer to God to ask for special favors and graces

  • sense of urgency and neediness, recognizes that we are helpless without God and that control of the situation is squarely in His hands

  • major part of the book Purple Hibiscus, used a lot by Papa Eugene

• Theology of the People: type of liberation theology that informed Pope Francis’ agenda and ministry

  • emphasizes respect for the culture and popular religious expressions of the poor

• Liberation Theology: type of theology that advocates for social change and the liberation of oppressed people

  • radically reinterpreted Christian faith and advocated for a break from the Church’s elitist image and a return to the people’s control

  • calling for the Church to prioritize the needs of marginalized communities and advocate for political and economic change

• Papal Nuncio: a Vatican diplomat who represents the Holy See to a country or international organization

  • performs the same functions as an ambassador and has the same diplomatic privileges

  • important for promoting good relations between the civil government and the Holy See and observes and reports to the pope on the conditions of the Roman Catholic Church in the region

• Indulgence: gift from God through the Church as a way to reduce or remove punishment for sins

  • Luther believed that indulgences were unbiblical and immoral, and that they prevented Christians from truly repenting

• Canonization: the Catholic Church's formal process of declaring a deceased person a saint

  • process that has been reformed several times throughout the centuries → changed from popular acclamation to a formal process

  • changed significantly by Pope John Paul II → reduced waiting period and number of miracles, eliminated “devil’s advocate” and expanded the definition of martyrdom

• Ultramontanism: a Catholic belief that emphasizes the power of the pope

  • rejected modern ideals in favour of the supremacy of Catholicism and the Catholic Church in public life

  • William Francis letter in Chicago Tribune identified Notre Dame as “ultramontane”

• Catholic Action: movement of lay people within the Catholic Church which advocates for increased Catholic influence on society

  • based on the idea that people are both sacred and social, and that how society is organized affects human dignity

  • generally includes various subgroups for youth, women, workers, and so on

• Sacrament: outward signs instituted by Christ to confer grace

  • Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Ordination, and Matrimony

  • important aspect of Catholic life; organized by major and minor; sacs of initiation, sacs of healing, sacs at the service of communion

• Sacramentality: the idea that God is present in human life, and that rituals, or sacraments, make God's presence tangible

  • it allows Catholics to see God in all things, including nature, people, and events

• Sacramental: sacred object, prayer, or blessing that helps deepen faith

  • things blessed by the church to help people focus on good thoughts and devotions

  • signified in some imitation of the sacraments

• Preferential Option for the Poor: Catholic social teaching that emphasizes the care of the marginalized

  • views issues as what this might look like from the perspective of the poor

  • key point in Pope Francis’ book Life

• Laetare Medal: highest honor given by Notre Dame

  • it is given to a Catholic who has made an outstanding contribution to the Church and society

• Santo Subito: bypasses the lengthy canonization process and makes someone a saint immediately

  • used by Catholics especially during a funeral, usually when there is a recently deceased pope

Councils

• Council of Jerusalem: discussed Gentile converts and Mosaic laws (50 AD)

  • the first Christian Council

  • decided that Gentile converts to Christianity did not need to follow all Jewish laws, such as circumcision, in order to become Christians

• Council of Chalcedon: defined Jesus Christ as one person with two natures (451 AD)

  • he is both fully divine and fully human

• Council of Trent: convened as response to the Protestant Reformation (1545-1563)

  • the Church aimed to reaffirm its core doctrines, address key criticisms of Protestants, and implement reforms to revitalize Catholicism

  • marked a key part of the Catholic Counter-Reformation

  • defined Catholic beliefs such as the nature of the sacraments, the authority of the Bible and tradition, and the concept of justification by faith and good works

• Medellin: critical to the shaping of the modern Church (1968)

  • second regional meeting of Latin America’s bishops

  • shaped the goals of the modern Church and helped to give us an Argentinian pope

• Vatican Council II: created major changes to Church’s practices and teaching to better engage with the modern world

  • goal was not to change but to update and renew to reflect the needs of modern society

  • updated the liturgy, promoted interfaith dialogue, emphasized the role of the laity