RE Catholic Christianity Unit 10 Key Words

Atonement - Reconciliation between God and humanity

Catechism - Official teaching of the Roman Catholic Church

Compassion - A feeling of pity which makes one want to help the sufferer.

Creeds - Statements of Christian Beliefs

Faith - Firm belief without logical proof

Incarnation - The belief that God took human form in Jesus

Monotheism - The belief in one God

Repentance - The act of being sorry for wrongdoing and deciding not to do it again

Salvation - The act of delivering from sin, or saving from evil

Trinity - The belief that God is three in one

Unity - God's way of being one

Anglican Churches - Churches that are in communion with the Church of England

Apostolic - The belief that the Church can only be understood in the light of the apostles

Bishops - Priests specially chosen by the Pope who are responsible for all the churches in a diocese

Catholic - Universal or worldwide

Holy - Of, or relating to, God, sacred

Laity - All of the people of the Church who are not chosen to be bishops, priests or deacons

Magisterium - The Pope and the Bishops interpreting the Bible and tradition for Roman Catholics today

Nonconformist Churches - Protestant Christians separated from the Church of England

Ordination - Making someone a priest, bishop or deacon by the sacrament of holy orders

Orthodox Churches - National Churches which are in union with the Patriarch of Constantinople (e.g. the Russian Orthodox Church)

Papacy - The office of the Pope

Absolution - Through the action of the priest, God grants pardon and peace

Chrism - The oil used in baptism, confirmation and ordination

Commemoration - The belief that the Eucharist is simply a remembrance of the Last Supper

Contrition - Sorrow for the sin committed and deciding not to do it again

Holy Week - The week before Easter Sunday

Liturgy of the Eucharist - The re-enactment of the Last Supper during which the bread and wine are transubstantiated

Liturgy of the Word - The Bible readings in the second part of the Mass

Penance - An action to show your contrition

Penitential Rite - The confession and absolution at the beginning of Mass

Rite of Communion - Receiving the body and blood of Jesus

Sacrament - An outward sign through which invisible grace is given to a person by Jesus

Transubstantiation - The belief that the bread and wine become the body and blood of Jesus

Active Life - The life lived by religious orders who work in society as well as praying

Charity -  Voluntary giving to those in need

Contemplative Life - The life of prayer and meditation lived by some religious orders

Displaying Religion - Making a show of your religion, e.g. by praying in the street

The Evangelical Counsels - The vows of poverty, chastity and obedience

Holy Orders - The status of a priest, bishop or deacon

Hypocrite - A person who acts in a way that contradicts what they say

The Law of Moses - The laws God gave to Moses in the Old Testament

The Monastic Life - Living as a monk or nun in a monastic community

Religious Community - A religious order who lives together as a group, e.g. the Benedictines

The Sermon on the Mount - Jesus' description of Christian living

Vocation - A call from God to lead the Christian life