Don Bosco’s educational style was “the most radical in Catholicism”. All the activities of the holy educator were included in the plan of the redemptive mystery of Christ. This aimed at restoring in humankind the image of God, to liberate them from sin, develop baptismal grace, and increase faith, hope and charity, the essence of supernatural life, until their transformation in Christ. In Don Bosco’s simple and straightforward language all of this could be encapsulated in the phrase which was always on his lips “to save souls”. Deeply rooted in Catholic tradition, he was able to see and embrace “ante litteram” the entirety of Christian principles of education, as would be defined by Pius XI in his encyclical Divini illus Magistri
and then confirmed and clarified by the Council document Gravissimum educationis: Since all Christians have become by rebirth of water and the Holy Spirit a new creature so that they should be called and should be children of God, they have a right to a Christian education. A Christian education does not merely strive for the maturing of a human person [...], but has as its principal purpose this goal: that the baptised, while they are gradually introduced to the knowledge of the mystery of salvation, become ever more aware of the gift of Faith they have received, and that they learn in addition how to worship God the Father in spirit and truth especially in liturgical action, and be conformed in their personal lives according to the new man created in justice and holiness of truth; also that they develop intoperfect manhood, to the mature measure of the fullness of Christ and strive for the growth of the Mystical Body; moreover, that aware of their calling, they learn not only how to bear witness to the hope that is in them but also how to help in the Christian formation of the world that takes place when natural powers viewed in the full consideration of man redeemed by Christ contribute to the good of the whole society. Wherefore this sacred synod recalls to pastors of souls their most serious obligation to see to it that all the faithful, but especially the youth who are the hope of the Church, enjoy this Christian education”.
The study of religion is often a rigorous process because the central tenets of the subject: image, ritual, and myth are often copious in their complexity. For example, consider the multiple meanings that are inherent in the image of a crucifix. Some Christians might view it as an image of suffering, whilst others would reject that notion and instead perceive it to be one of love. These differences may seem inconsequential at first, but they can overtime shape the beliefs of an individual and by extension a community. To understand this dynamic better one only has to analyze the Christo Aparecido (Christ Appeared), an authentic Mexican crucifix with a fascinating history from the colonial era to the present. This history is made known by the text, Biography of a Mexican Crucifix: Lived Religion and Local Faith from the Conquest to the Present by Jennifer Hughes, from which I contend that over the life of the Christo Aparecido there continues to be an understanding among devotees that this crucifix is sacred because it displays animus while being a vestige for the sacred to occupy. To support my position I will attempt to relate the moments where the Christo Aparecido is said to show signs of life, in particular his stay in Mexico City during the colonial era and his role in more modern times with rival groups clashing over its efficacy in the village of Totolapan.
Elected in 1958 as a ‘caretaker Pope’, Pope John XXIII implemented the greatest reforms in the Church’s history. His involvement within the Church had played a significant contribution to the reforming of social, political and liturgical Christian traditions. During the early twentieth century, the Catholic Church still held the century old conservative beliefs and traditions as they continued to separate the Church from the secular world, therefore, disadvantaging the Church to a world that was modernising. In addition to this, the Church restricted modernist thoughts due to the belief that new theologies would threaten the power and authority of the Church, but ...
Through the close study of two of the aspects shown in the diagram, their contributions allow Christianity to be considered a living religious tradition. The significant contributions of Pope John XXIII, during both his papal and Pre-papal life have had everlasting effects on not only Catholicism, but Christianity as a whole and lead to the sense of Christianity being a living religious tradition. His works include two Papal encyclicals, Mater et Magistra and Pacem in Terris, along with his work being Apostolic Delegate of Greece and Turkey. Moreover, The significant practice of Baptism has further contributed to Christian being considered a living religious tradition as it accounts for the premise of most Christian beliefs to be initiated, especially in terms of salvation and affirming the beliefs in the trinity and following the teachings of Jesus Christ.
...nd analyzing the writing of Pope Francis it allowed me to further my understanding of not only his particular style of teaching, but also of the various issues surrounding Christian ethics. Reading his book, changed my perspective on a few issues and had an impact on me in regards to my life as a Christian. By writing this paper, I was able to identify the main focuses of Christianity in order to become more effect, relevant, and credible. In addition, I was able to further my understanding of the issues surrounding Christian ethics, which will allow me to help others more effectively by following in Jesus’s footsteps. Overall, I enjoyed the assignment and it opened up my eyes to the different issues surrounding the four areas of concern mentioned in The Joy of the Gospel, which are the new idolatry of money, option for the poor, inequality, and common good/peace.
He is exemplifying what it takes to be a virtuous person and if we follow these types of beliefs then the world we live in would be a much safer, and happier place. From this speech, I learned that when the Pope speaks about morality that his words are, in fact, infallible. Everything he said was unarguably the truth.
In Montgomery Gentry’s hit song “Where I Come From”, he sings about his small town southern pride. In this country tune, the line “That little white church is gonna have a crowd,” is accompanied by lyrics about a town that could easily be located in East Tennessee. One thing that can be assumed from Gentry’s song is that the, “Little white church” he sings about is probably not a Catholic cathedral. In southern towns, like the one Gentry sings about, Protestant churches drastically outrank Catholic churches. In Kingsport Tennessee, Catholic churches are outnumbered forty two to one by Baptist churches alone. This statistic makes it easy to see why, as a whole, Protestants are uneducated and overly critical about the Catholic faith, the very religion that Protestantism is derived.
The contemporary notion of standard education that, education is for everyone first arose in Europe during the Protestant Reformation. Along with some of the greatest art and literature, the Reformation brought about the greatest industrial developments and wealth ever experienced in history. The Protestant work ethic, which is a concept in theology, sociology, economics and history which emphasizes hard work, frugality and diligence as a constant display of a person 's salvation in the Christian faith, in contrast to the focus upon religious attendance, confession, and ceremonial sacrament in the Catholic tradition (Weber, 1905), helped to bring about great prosperity in Western Europe and North America. This way of perceiving work and living arose mostly through the Protestant Reformers particularly John Calvin. In the area of science, it is possible that there would have never been modern science were it not for the Reformation. All scientific endeavor before that had been controlled by the church. These are of course not all but just some of the most notable results of the Protestant
It was necessary for the Church to play a role in this education of the people,
Rising nationalism, the Western Schism, and even new philosophies arising from the renaissance were contributing factors. But on October 31, 1517 every event prior seemed less significant. On this date, Martin Luther nailed a paper listing ninety-five theses, all magnifying problems within the Catholic Church. This was the birth of the protestant reformation, a major blow to the Catholic Church and her followers. This drove the church to make many in-house adjustments, from religious orders to political influences of the church, reworking the framework of the traditional Mass itself and even restructuring many in house positions. This list of corrections made and actions taken in response to the Protestant Reformation is commonly referred to as the Counter Reformation.
Those these other Christian religions made significant progress, Catholicism still intertwined itself deeply with the educational system. Unlike other countries who have prohibited rel...
Shuck, M. That They May Be One: Social Teaching of the Papal Encyclicals, 1749-1891. Washington DC: Georgetown University Press. 1991.
St. Francis was born in Assisi, Italy 1181. At the time of his birth, he was established as a sinner, meaning he did many things against God in his younger life. Francis grew up as one of several children; his parents names were Pietro and Pica Bernardone. His father Pietro, was a wealthy cloth merchant and he owned a farmland. His mother Pica, was a marvelous Frenchwoman. His parents social statuses indicate that Francis was very affluent growing up. When Francis was baptized, he obtained the name of Giovanni, which later on was changed Francesco by his father out of his affection towards France and because it is where his business had steered him when Francis was first born. When Francis was growing up, he was not a very studious child. Initially, Francis received elementary directives by the priests at St. George’s in Assisi then he learned more in the school of the Troubadours, who at the time were working towards improvements in Italy. Because he resisted learning, Francis’ literary education was limited. During Francis’s teenage years, he was very spoiled. Francis would lavish himself in outstanding foods, alcohols, and women; even when he was sick he had people come to take care of him. He was very adored and favored by many people so that is why no one tried to limit or teach him. At one point, Francis was known as ...
The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), as stated by Hobson and Welbourne (2002), is seen as a catalyst for major change in the “discourse of religious education”. Religious educators have found it necessary to change not only what they teach, but more importantly, how they teach it to make accommodations for the changes in society that have included the impact of early Catholic schools and the shift from lay to religious teachers. These changes have also included secular theories from the doctrinal approach to the education approach, increases in population due to immigration, multicultural influences generated by this change in population and finally families who no longer have strong ties to parish communities.
Education from the Church has initiated structural learning which brought a gradual end to the barbaric era (Dark Ages). The Church’s legacy gained them the medieval reputation of society and this has influenced the reputation of the Church today.
Everyman, in its attempt to clearly depict the importance of man’s morality, focuses on a faith based on works, however; this focus is not on good deeds already obtained but on locating said deeds before proceeding to death. It would seem, then, that it is not necessary for Everyman to reflect on good deeds he has performed but that he find a way to acquire them quickly. Unlike the Protestant view, which bases religion on faith alone, Everyman noticeably centers on the Catholic religion that was prevalent during medieval times. Since illiteracy was a vast problem, Catholic religious leaders needed to get their message out to their followers. It was vital that these people become aware of the fate of their souls if they disregarded works. Everyman made it clear to all that saw it that without “good deeds” they had no way to heaven. It did not, however, require that these good deeds be performed over time but that they could be found, through “knowledge”, before death came.