Christian healing

• Sprinkling of water- Priests sprinkles the people with holy water and says "let this water call to mind our baptism in christ, who by his death ad resurrection has redeemed us."
• The Liturgy of the Word- A short Gospel reading.
• Laying of hands- Priest lays his hands on the sick person, after recalling the words from the letter of James.
• Anointing of oil- Priest anoints the sick perosn's forehead and hands with oil. (usually in the shape of the cross.)
• Liturgy of the Eucharist- Eucharist may be offered, usually in the form of the body, if the person is at home.

Wise Watson Helped Obliging Earls

[sprinkling of] Water, {the liturgy of the] Word, [laying of] Hands, [anointing of] Oil, [liturgy of the] Eucharist

• It can be received:
  • by anyone who might die because of illness
  • by someone who is about to undergo major surgery
  • by someone who is unconscious
  • more than once.
  • by people of any age
• The sacrament can affect people by:
  • Giving them spiritual strength and peace of mind
  • Spiritual growth
  • helping them feel that God's close
  • helping them face death calmly
  • them knowing God loves them
  • giving their loved ones strength
  • giving comfort

• Christians believe that the death and ressurection of Jesus means eternal life with God is available for all believers,
• Although the body decays in the ground/ is cremated the soul survives.

Roman catholic funeral rites

• Priest greets mourners
• Coffin sprinkled with Holy water- connects with baptism
• White sheet/ cross placed on coffin- white sheet=baptismal garment
• Requiem mass- mass for dead
• Prayers- God's care for person died
• Coffin sprinkled again with holy water
• Taken to cemetry

• Christians believe those who are faith ful will have eternal life.
• St Paul described the after life as ressurection.
• In the creed, Christians sya they belief in resurrection of body and life after death
• Those died totally unrepentant go to hell forever.
• Those who have comitted themselves to God go straight to heaven
• Most peole go to purgatory 
• Church offfers special masses for the dead

•  Human life is sacred because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God and it remains forever in a special relationship with the creator.
• ‘So God created human beings making them to be like himself. He created them male and female.’ Genesis
• God called Jeremiah and said: ‘I chose you before I gave you life and before you were born I selected you to be a prophet to the nations.’ Jeremiah
• You created every part of me; you put me together in my mum’s womb. Psalm
•  New Testament: St.Paul’s letter to Christians at Corinth: ‘Surely you know that you are God’s temple and his spirit lives in you. So if anyone destroys his temple God will destroy him. For you are holy and you are his temple.’ Corinthians
• ‘Humans are living image old. Life is entrusted to man as a treasure must not squandered. Human person incomparable value.’ Pope John Paul II

The sanctity of life is the belief that life is holy and precious because we have been created by God. To end it prematurely is considered a grave moral sin. It is to reject God's gift of his face. Life is of infinite value and must be protected.

Contraception (Birth control)

• Method used to prevent pregnancy
• Artificial contraception (E.g. condom/contraceptive pill)
• Natural contraception (E.g. rhythm of menstrual cycle)
• "Fertilityis a gift...married couples should see it as their proper mission to transmit human life..." (Catechism of the Catholic Church)
• All the Christian churches at one point thought that contraception was sinful. It was held th
•  For contraception:sexual relationship enjoy without fear pregnancy, insufficient financial funds, genetic disorder, space the births, increase world population.
• RC teachings: to express love between partner and give life to children- creative love of God, making love sign of sacrament of marriage, contraceptives separate creative function of intercourse and is unnatural, contraception dangerous to society

• Means any death of a baby in the womb and its expulsion from the mother's body. Can sometimes happen of its own accord i.e. miscarriage. 
• Procured Abortion: deliberately killed and removed from the womb
• RC: ‘Human life is sacred; all men must recognise that fact.’ Pope Paul VI
• ‘Life protected utmost care from moment of conception abortion infanticide abominable crimes.’ 2nd Vatican Council
• 1974 Declaration procured abortion: proper respect for human rights, movement women’s right frees women from injustice is not an excuse for abortion as it denies another person the fundamental right to life.
•  Reasons why people ask for abortions are serious product of many sorrows miseries, every man and woman with feeling and certainly Christian may be ready to do what he can to remedy them.

Key language:

• Foetal rights= unborn child's right to life and respect
• Maternal rights= rights of the mother
• Pro-choice= belief that women have the right to decide wether to have an abortion themselves
• Pro-life= anti-abortion view that foetus has absolute right to life
• Viability= point at which a baby can be born with some chance of survival

The law in the UK

• Abortion up to 24 Weeks:
  •  risk to physical mental health of woman, 
  • can select foetus if there is multiple pregnancy, 
  • risk to physical or mental health of existing children
• Up to term: 
  • probability of grave permanent injury to woman’s physical or mental health, 
  • substantial risk of severe physical or mental disability in foetus, 
  • risk of life to the woman.

IVF= In vitro fertilisation (fertilising an egg [ovum] with sperm artificially outside women's body, then replant growing child into womb- sometimes called 'test tube' babies.

RC Teaching: 

• proper place for conception of children is within sexual relationship
• Children are gift and blessing from God
• Science makes something possible but not necessarily make it right
• All human beings right to life conception new techniques respect that right
• No spare embryos should be created
• Sperm and ovum must belong to couple. Third party donation is adultery

• Euthanasia comes from Greek words meaning good death
• Involves someone else who perform killing or provides means of death
• Compulsory (other people decide), Voluntary (person decides)

•  RC TEACHING:
  • Human beings god’s creation life sacred
  • Breaks commandment thou shall not kill
  • Duty to help others when they suffer not at any price
  • Killing someone who is ill is murder and playing god to say when life should end
  • Hospices offer care from terminal diseases to accept it with dignity
  • Pain relief may be given as side effect life is shortened but patient must be sane for death