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A.D.
–
The abbreviation for the
Latin Anno Domini, translated “in the year of the Lord,” and
used in the system of dating in effect since the sixth century
to count the years since the birth of Christ.
© Fireside New American Bible
Aaron – The great-grandson of Levi, son
of Amram and Jochebed, brother of Moses and his associate in leading
the Jews out of Egypt. Although Aaron was subordinate to Moses and
derived all his authority from him, his individual responsibilities
and duty were of equal importance to those of his younger brother.
Most important in the history of Aaron is his divine appointment as
high priest of Israel, resulting in the setting apart of Levi as the
priestly tribe and the promulgation of the levitical system of
sacrifices and offerings.
© Fireside New American Bible
Aaronites – The Levites of the
family of Aaron were sometimes designated by this title,
particularly the priests who served in the sanctuary.
© Fireside New American Bible
Abba - This is the emphatic form of the Aramaic word for father, and
is employed in addressing God as the Father, the one and only
spiritual Father.
© Fireside New American Bible
Abel – 1. The second son of Adam and Eve
according to Genesis: a shepherd who sought to honor God by a
sacrifice of the best lamb of his flock. His brother, Cain, a tiller
of the soil, also made an offering of his first fruits; Abel’s
sacrifice was accepted, but Cain’s was rejected. Cain then murdered
his brother. The narration reflects the conflict between the nomadic
and agrarian cultures which occurred in the biblical lands. Abel’s
blood foreshadows the blood of Christ.
2. Name of several villages in Israel, with additions in the case of
the more important, to distinguish them from one another.
© Fireside New American Bible
Ablution – Comes from the Latin ‘abluo’,
and refers to a washing or cleansing. In liturgical language it
refers principally to the washing of the hands at Mass by the
celebrant, the purification of his fingers which have touched the
Sacred Species after Communion, and the purification of the sacred
vessels at the same time.
© Fireside New American Bible
Abortion – The intentional removal of
the fetus from the womb before it is capable of living outside the
uterus. Direct abortion is a grievous sin comparable to homicide,
since the fetus is considered a living human being. According to
Cannon Law, all who participate in obtaining an abortion, whether
such action is physical or moral, incur an automatic excommunication
from the Catholic Church. Accidental or unintentional abortion is
known as a miscarriage.
© Fireside New American Bible
Abraham – Father of a multitude.
Abraham’s original name, Abram, was changed by the Lord as a token
of the covenant that he should become the “father of many nations.”
He was born at Ur of the Chaldees, a descendant of Shem and son of
Terah and an uncle of Lot. There he married Sarai, his half sister,
and migrated to Haran with Terah and Lot. Abraham was then called by
God to leave his home and relatives and go to the land which the
Lord would show him. This divine call marks a period in the history
of salvation when Israel would be the bearer of religious truths.
According to the divine plan, Abraham was to be the father of a
great nation: he was to acquire a great name and he was to be the
instrument by which God’s special blessing would be conferred upon
all mankind, since the future messiah would descend from him. Some
time later the Lord appeared to Abraham and declared that he would
have numerous descendants, although his wife had been barren, and
that his heir would be a son called Isaac. Before his death Abraham
underwent a most difficult trial. The divine promise of numerous
descendants was intimately linked with his son Isaac; yet, when God
called upon him to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham showed perfect obedience
to the divine will. On this occasion Isaac even carried the wood for
the human sacrifice to Mount Moriah and thus became a type of Jesus
Christ carrying His cross to Calvary. Abraham was saved from
sacrificing his son, however, when a ram was substituted. Having
manifested his Faith, Hope and Love of God in such a heroic manner,
Abraham was blessed with renewed promises of offspring. In every
detail of his career, Abraham stands out as the “father of the
faithful” and thus occupies a very prominent position in the
Christian liturgy. His feast is named in the Martyrology of October
9, and his sacrifice is mentioned in the Cannon or the Mass.
© Fireside New American Bible
Abram – The name given to the patriarch
Abraham by his father Terah; he is called Abram in the narrative of
Gn 11:26-17:4; in Gn 17:5, God changes his name to Abraham as a sign
of the divine promise that he is to become “the father of many
nations”; by God’s choice of a new name for Abraham, He shows His
particular Fatherly care for him as His son.
© Fireside New American Bible
Absolution – 1. The power of a
priest to forgive sins through the Sacrament of Penance. Christ gave
this power to the disciples when He said, “If you forgive men’s
sins, they are forgiven them; if you hold them bound, they are held
bound.” (Jn 20,23.) All rightfully ordained ecclesiastics can remit
the sins of penitents who confess their sins, expressed sorrow for
having committed them, resolve not to offend God again, and perform
the penances given to them. 2. Conditional absolution is granted
when the priest is not sure the penitent has fulfilled all the
requirements necessary for a complete absolution, but where the
refusal to absolve might result in the individual’s spiritual loss,
or where the sacrament is in danger of nullity. 3. General
absolution is the simultaneous forgiveness of sins of a group when
individual private confession is not possible. The Rite of Penance
provides for a special “Rite of Reconciliation of Several Penitents
with general Confession and Absolution.” Such general Absolution is
to be used at the discretion of the local bishop or when necessary
at the discretion of the priest who should then inform the local
bishop. The good of the penitents should always be kept in mind in
using general absolution.
© Fireside New American Bible
Abstinence – 1. Penitential:
Depriving oneself of meat or of foods prepared with meat on days
prescribed by the Church as “penitential”: Ash Wednesday, Good
Friday, and all the Fridays of the year which are not solemnities
(in the United States, not all Fridays of the year but only the
Fridays of Lent). The discipline binds those fourteen years of age
and above. 2. Sexual: To refrain from sexual intercourse, completely
(total abstinence) or periodically (periodic abstinence or periodic
continence). Total abstinence is observed in obedience to the Sixth
Commandment by single persons and couples whose marriages are not
recognized by the Church as valid. Periodic abstinence is observed
by a married couple for regulating conception by natural means or
for ascetical motives.
© Fireside New American Bible
Acts of the Apostles -
The book of the New Testament, written by St. Luke, which narrates
some of the important events in the lives of Sts. Peter and Paul
and, to a lesser degree, of the Apostles John, the two James, and
Barnabas. The Acts are a historical narrative which describes the
founding of the Church on Pentecost, the influence of the Holy
Spirit on the early Christians, the persecution of the faithful, the
miracles worked in confirmation of their faith, and the rapid
expansion of Christianity throughout the eastern Mediterranean
world. The Acts were written about A.D. 63, in Greek.
© Modern Catholic Dictionary, Eternal Life Publications
Adam - The English translation of a
Hebrew word which simply means man in the generic sense of humanity.
According to the biblical account in Genesis, humanity is
distinguished from the rest of creation. The creation of Adam in
Genesis need not be taken as a scientific description of the
creation of a single man; it is a dramatic and moving account of the
creation of the human person due to the life-giving power of God.
The account captures the basic truth of Judaeo-Christian tradition
that God is indeed the creator and human persons are creatures. The
aspirations and failures of each person are personified in Adam who
is a creature made in the image and likeness of God, alienated from
the creator, but yet given a promise of a future. St Paul in 1
Corinthians 15 sees Christ as the New Adam who attained the
fulfillment of his own humanity in the resurrection. The story of
Adam is described in the opening chapters of Genesis. Much truth
about human existence unfolds in the story of Adam and Eve.
© Fireside New American Bible
Adoration - The act of religion by
which God is recognized as alone worthy of supreme honor because he
is infinitely perfect, has supreme dominion over humans, and the
right to human total dependence on the Creator. It is at once an act
of mind and will, expressing itself in appropriate prayers, postures
of praise, and acts of reverence and sacrifice.
© Modern Catholic Dictionary, Eternal Life Publications
Adoration of the Eucharist
- Acknowledgment that, because the whole Christ is really present in
the Blessed Sacrament, he is to be adored in the Eucharist as the
incarnate God. The manner of showing this homage differs among
countries and has varied through the ages. The postconciliar
legislation for the Latin Rite requires that the Blessed Sacrament,
whether in the tabernacle or exposed on the altar, is to be
venerated by genuflecting on one knee.
© Modern Catholic Dictionary, Eternal Life Publications
Adoration, Perpetual - The
practice of continuous exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, usually
in the monstrance, for the purpose of uninterrupted vigil and
adoration on the part of the faithful. Exposition and adoration of
the Blessed Sacrament are seen by Catholics as a means of focusing
the heart and mind in prayer, with attention fixed on the mystery of
the Eucharistic presence of Christ in the Church.
© Fireside New American Bible
Advent
-
Arrival or coming.
Advent is the penitential season which precedes Christmas and also
marks the beginning of the liturgical year of the Church. The
exact duration of Advent varies from year to year, but it always
begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas. During Advent
the themes of hope and expectation are accentuated. The Church
prepares to celebrate the coming of the Lord in human flesh and
blood through the birth of Jesus. Though a penitential season,
there is no compulsory fast or abstinence.
© Fireside New American Bible
Advent Wreath - A decorative
table wreath, usually composed of holly or fir branches. The wreath
is constructed to hold four candles (three of which are purple and
one is rose-colored) standing for the four Sundays of Advent. In a
paraliturgical service, either in the home of at the beginning of
the Eucharist, the candles are lighted on the consecutive Sundays of
Advent until, by the fourth Sunday, all of the candles are burning.
The practice is meant to cultivate a deeper sense of the liturgical
season of Advent.
© Fireside New American Bible
A band or circle of green foliage, surrounding four candles that may
be enclosed in glass and are lighted successively in the four weeks
of the Advent season. They symbolize the coming celebration of
Christmas, when Christ the Light of the World was born in Bethlehem.
© Modern Catholic Dictionary, Eternal Life Publications
Agape - Greek word for love that has
come to posses a uniquely Christian sense in referring to the deep
and active care God has for the world, and the selflessness
appropriate to Christian love of others. It occurs twice in the
Synoptics (Mt 24:12; Lk 11:42). The term was also used in the early
Church to designate a common meal held either before of after the
celebration of the Eucharist.
© Fireside New American Bible
The most distinctively Christian form of love. Used by Christ to
describe the love among the persons of the Trinity, it is also the
love he commanded his followers to have for one another (John
13:34-35). It is totally selfless love, which seeks not one’s own
advantage but only to benefit or share with another.
© Modern Catholic Dictionary, Eternal Life Publications
Alleluia - The word Halleliua is
directly from the Hebrew Bible, meaning “Yahweh be praised.” It is
used extensively in the Psalms (and elsewhere) as a doxology. It
appears in the New Testament and in the early Church liturgical
texts.
© Fireside New American Bible
Hebrew hallelujah “praise Yahweh.” Ancient liturgical form of
jubilation especially in the Psalms, now in the Divine Office and
Eucharistic liturgy. Best known in the Easter chant and in the
Alleluia verse at Mass.
© Modern Catholic Dictionary, Eternal Life Publications
Amen - An adverb derived from the Hebrew
word ‘aman,’ meaning to confirm, support. In the Old Testament the
term is found at the end of curses, and also at the close of public
prayers, and benedictions. It also occurs at the end of the first
four books of the Psalter. In the New Testament, it is often placed
at the beginning of a discourse, where is means “truly,” or it may
be found at the end of a statement where it means, “so be it.” The
Jewish people used “Amen” as the response to prayers, and the
Christians adopted the word as indicated in the Gospels.
© Fireside New American Bible
Solemn prayerful affirmation, taken over by the Christians from the
synagogue for scriptural and liturgical use in apostolic times. It
was often spoken by Christ, and is given as one of his names
(Revelation 3:14). Now used as an acclamation of assent or religious
confirmation of the speaker’s own thoughts.
© Modern Catholic Dictionary, Eternal Life Publications
Amos, The Book of - The
oldest book of the prophetic literature and the first collection of
prophesy in the Old Testament isolated as a separate book; where
there were earlier prophets, e.g., Elijah, and Nathan, none merited
a book of his own. Amos (c. 750 B.C.) was a shepherd and trimmer of
sycamores in Tekoa, a village south of Bethlehem, without any
special training or inclination for religious mission, Amos was
abruptly called (Am 7:15) from his work to preach against abuses in
the north, in Bethel and Samaria. He specifically indicts the
attitudes of those people in Israel who had grown affluent, to the
detriment of the poor. He issued a sobering reminder to the people
that the covenant they shared with God demanded that God be all the
more exacting in His demands of Israel (Am 3:2).
© Fireside New American Bible
Anathema - Solemn condemnation, of
biblical origin, used by the Church to declare that some position or
teaching contradicts Catholic faith and doctrine."If anyone,” Paul wrote to the Galatians, “preach to you a gospel
besides what you have received, let him be anathema” (Galatians
1:9). Reflecting the Church’s concern to preserve the integrity of
faith, the Fathers anathematized heretics in a variety of terms.
Polycarp called Marcion the firstborn of the devil. Ignatius saw in
heretics poisonous plants, or animals in human form. Justin (c.
100-65) and Tertullian (160-220) called their teachings an
inspiration of the Evil One. Theophilus compared them to barren and
rocky islands on which ships were wrecked, and Origen said they were
pirates placing lights on cliffs to lure and destroy vessels in
search of refuge. These primitive views were later tempered in
language, but the implicit attitudes remained and were crystallized
in solemn conciliar decrees. The familiar anathema sit (let him be
anathema, or excommunicated) appears to have been first applied to
heretics at the Council of Elvira (Spain) in 300-6, and became the
standard formula in all the general councils of the Church, as
against Arius (256-336) at I Nicaea (325), Nestorius at Ephesus
(431), Eutyches at Chalcedon (451) and the Iconoclasts at II Nicaea
in 787.
© Modern Catholic Dictionary, Eternal Life Publications
Andrew - One of
the Apostles, the son of John of Bethsaida. He was a fisherman like
his brother, Simon Peter and lived and worked in Capernaum. Andrew
urged Simon Peter to follow Christ, and he and his brother then
became disciples and then later Apostles. Tradition assigns Scythia
in Greece and Thrace as the scenes of his later ministry. He is said
to have suffered crucifixion at Patrae in Achaia bound to a
decussate cross (shaped like the letter X, often called a St.
Andrew’s cross).
© Fireside New American Bible
Angel - Messenger,
that is, of God. A pure spirit created by God. The Old Testament
theology included the belief in angels, the name applied to certain
spiritual being or intelligences of heavenly residence, employed by
God as the ministers of His will. The scriptures give no indication
of the precise time of the creation of angels, their existences is
taken for granted from the earliest times. Our Lord often speaks of
angels; according to the New Testament angels are exceedingly
numerous, and seven classes of angels are mentioned: Angels, Powers,
Virtues, Principalities, Dominations, Thrones, and Archangels. (In
addition the Old Testament mentions Cherubim, and Seraphim.) God
bestowed upon angels great wisdom, freedom and power, and their many
appearances in the New Testament are ample indication of the leading
role God has assigned to them. Both the New and Old Testament refer
to the fall of many angels. The temptations of Adam and Eve
presupposes the existence of bad spirits or demons who were cast
into hell from which they have no hope of redemption.
© Fireside New American Bible
A pure, created spirit, called angel because some angels are sent by
God as messengers to humans. An angel is a pure spirit because he
has no body and does not depend for his existence or activity on
matter. The Bible tells us that the angels constitute a vast
multitude, beyond human reckoning. They differ in perfection of
nature and grace. Each is an individual person. According to
Christian tradition, they form three major categories in descending
order. The word “angel” is commonly applied only to those who
remained faithful to God, although the devils are also angels by
nature. Moreover, “angel” is the special name for the choir of
angelic spirits, from whom guardian angels are sent to minister to
human needs. The existence of angels has been twice defined by the
Church: at the Fourth Lateran Council (Denzinger 800) and the First
Vatican Council (Denzinger 3002).
© Modern Catholic Dictionary, Eternal Life Publications
Angelus -
Devotion in honor of the Incarnation, commemorating the angel
Gabriel’s annunciation to the Blessed Virgin. Recited approximately
at 6 A.M., noon, and 6 P.M., it is the opening word of the prayer
“Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariae” (the angel of the Lord declared
unto Mary). The evening Angelus probably owes its origin to the
curfew bell, a signal for evening prayer. The morning recital began
as a prayer for peace. The noon Angelus was first said only on
Friday. It is replaced by the prayer Regina Coeli Laetare (Queen of
Heaven, Rejoice) during the Easter season.
© Modern Catholic Dictionary, Eternal Life Publications
Ann - St. Traditional
name for the wife of Joachim and the mother of the Blessed Virgin
Mary.
© Fireside New American Bible
Annunciation - The feast,
observed on March 25, commemorating the announcement of the
Incarnation by the angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary. There are
references to the feast as early as the fifth century. Its date was
finally determined by the date of Christmas on December 25. It is
considered a feast of the Blessed Virgin and, in the revised
liturgy, is a solemnity.
© Modern Catholic Dictionary, Eternal Life Publications
Anointing of
the Sick - The sacrament instituted by Christ and celebrated
by the Church to offer the healing grace of God to the infirm and
the aged, remit sin and make known the prayerful solicitude of the
entire Body of Christ for those beset by illness or ailment. The
roots of this sacrament are indicated in two places in the New
Testament; Mk 6:13, and Jas 5:14-15. Careful not to say that the
sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is explicitly conferred in
these pericopes, the Church nevertheless teaches that that matter,
the form, the proper minister and the spiritual efficacy and indeed
are anticipated.
© Fireside New American Bible
Sacrament of the New Law, instituted by Christ to give the sick
spiritual aid and strength and to perfect spiritual health,
including, if need be, the remission of sins. Conditionally it also
restores bodily health to Christians who are seriously ill. It
consists essentially in the anointing by a priest of the forehead
and the hands, while pronouncing the words “Through this holy
anointing and His most loving mercy, may the Lord assist you by the
grace of the Holy Spirit, so that, freed from your sins, He may save
you and in His goodness raise you up.” In case of necessity, a
single anointing of the forehead or of another suitable part of the
body suffices. Olive oil, blessed by a bishop, is normally used for
the anointing, but any vegetable oil may be substituted in case of
emergency.
The institution of anointing by Christ is an article of the Catholic
faith, defined by the Council of Trent (Denzinger 1716). The Church
further teaches that this sacrament is implied in Gospel reference
to Christ sending out the disciples, who “anointed many sick people
with oil and cured them” (Mark 6:13); moreover that the sacrament
was promulgated by the Apostle James when he wrote, “Is anyone among
you sick? Let him bring in the presbyters of the Church and let them
pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And
the prayer of faith will save the sick man and the Lord will raise
him up and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him” (James
5:14-15).
© Modern Catholic Dictionary, Eternal Life Publications
Anointing -
Literally the pouring of oil on someone or something in a religious
ceremony. Its biblical purpose was to make sacred the object
anointed. Thus kings were anointed (I Samuel 10:1), priests (Exodus
28:41), and prophets (I Kings 19:16). The reference to anointing in
the New Testament as a sacred rite pertains to the sacrament of
anointing the sick, but the verb here used (James 5:14), aleipho, is
unique. It therefore has a different meaning from “to make sacred,”
as elsewhere in the Bible. In the Catholic Church, holy oils are
used in the administration of the three sacraments, which impart a
permanent character (baptism, confirmation, and holy orders) and
with a different purpose, in the anointing of the sick. Oil is used
in the blessing of altars, bells and sacred vessels. There are also
a number of blessed oils, e.g., in honor of St. Serapion (fourth
century), that are used as sacramentals.
© Modern Catholic Dictionary, Eternal Life Publications
Antichrist -
This term is only found in the writings of the Apostle John, and in
only four passages in these epistles. It refers to the ruling spirit
of error, the enemy of the Gospel, and the opponent of Christ who
will precede His Second Coming and the end of the world.
© Fireside New American Bible
Apocalypse - to
uncover, reveal. A style of writing common in Jewish circles in the
centuries immediately proceeding and following the life of Christ.
Written at a time of persecution, in the style of a revelation made
to a prophet, it is marked by the use of symbolic numbers, animals
and other creatures. Written to those people familiar with the Bible
and its symbols (i.e. Christians and Jews) its meaning is
decipherable to its readers but not to outsiders. This, of course,
is most useful during a time of persecution since the code is known
by the faithful and but not by the persecutor. A prominent feature
is its telescoping of the past, present, and future events so that
all three maybe interpreted in the light of each other to give hope
that God’s saving acts will always endure.
© Fireside New American Bible
The Book of Revelation, commonly
attributed to St. John the Apostle. It was written to encourage the
persecuted Christians by foretelling the fall of Rome and the final
victory of Christ and his church. It is also a prophetical work,
describing in anticipation the many trials of the followers of
Christ and their eventual triumph over Satan and the forces of
Antichrist. It is also eschatological, in predicting the glories of
the Heavenly Jerusalem in the City on High. The Apocalypse is the
most image-laden book of the New Testament, rich in allegory, and
subject to numerous, legitimate interpretations.
© Modern Catholic Dictionary, Eternal Life Publications
Apologetics - The science that
aims to explain and justify religious doctrine. It shows the
reasonableness of such doctrine in the face of the objections
offered by those who refuse to accept any religion, especially
Christianity and more particularly Roman Catholicism. Also called
fundamental theology as the science that establishes the credibility
of Christian revelation on the evidence of miraculous phenomena and
the testimony of unbiased history.
© Modern Catholic Dictionary, Eternal Life Publications
Apostles, Acts of the -
one sent forth, a messenger or delegate. In the New Testament the
word is used in a wide sense to a messenger, and in a special sense
to the twelve chosen by Christ to be a witness to His life and
Resurrection and then preach His Gospel. Of the twelve Apostles, all
except Judas came from Galilee; Peter and Philip were married. Most
of the Apostles died through martyrdom for their faith in Christ,
Our Lord.
© Fireside New American Bible
Apostolic
Succession - The continuous and authoritative succession of
the Church from the time of Jesus Christ to the present day. Our
Lord selected Peter and the other Apostles, conferring upon them
various powers, and ordaining them to carry on the work of His
Church. These powers and missions have been lawfully pasted on to
the present day Pope and bishops by the valid consecration of
bishops and the conferring of holy orders.
© Fireside New American Bible
Archangels -
Spiritual beings who belong to the eighth group or choirs of angels.
The word angel means messenger; an archangel is a messenger sent by
God on an assignment of greater importance. The only three
archangels mentioned in the Bible are Michael, captain of the
heavenly host; Gabriel, who announced to Mary that she was to become
the Mother of God; and Raphael who guided Tobiah.
© Fireside New American Bible
Article of Faith - A term used by the catechism of the Council of Trent, speaking
of the Apostles’ Creed: “The chief truths which Christians must hold
are those which the holy Apostles, the leaders and teachers of the
faith, inspired by the Holy Spirit have divided into the twelve
Articles of the Creed.” But the term “article” has a long history
and designates whatever a Catholic must believe, whether defined by
the Church as revealed or commonly held by the Church’s ordinary and
universal Magisterium as revealed in Scripture or sacred tradition.
© Modern Catholic Dictionary, Eternal Life Publications
Ascension -
Christ’s going up to heaven forty days after his resurrection from
the dead. All the creeds affirm the fact, and the Church teaches
that he ascended into heaven by his own power, as God in divine
power and as man in the power of his transfigured soul, which moves
his transfigured body, as it will. In regard to the human nature of
Christ, one can also say, with the Scriptures, that it was taken up
or elevated into heaven by God (Mark 16:19; Luke 24:51; Acts 1:9,
11).
Rationalism has denied the doctrine since the earliest times, e.g.,
Celsus in the second century. It tries to explain the Ascension as a
borrowing from the Old Testament or from pagan mythology, but in
doing so omits the basic differences.
Doctrinally the Ascension means the final elevation of Christ’s
human nature into the condition of divine glory. It is the
concluding work of redemption. According to the church’s common
teaching, the souls of the just from the pre-Christian era went with
the Savior into the glory of heaven. Christ’s Ascension is the
archetype and pledge of our own ascension into heaven.
© Modern Catholic Dictionary, Eternal Life Publications
Assumption -
The doctrine of Mary’s entrance into heaven, body and soul. As
defined by Pope Pius XII in 1950, the dogma declares that “Mary, the
immaculate perpetually Virgin Mother of God, after the completion of
her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into the glory of
heaven.”
While there is no direct evidence of the Assumption in the Bible,
implicitly the Church argues from Mary’s fullness of grace (Luke
1:28). Since she was full of grace, she remained preserved from the
consequence of sin, namely corruption of the body after death and
postponement of bodily happiness in heaven until the last day.
The Church does not rely on the Scriptures for belief in Mary’s
Assumption. The doctrine is rather part of the oral tradition,
handed down over the centuries. It was therefore certainly revealed
because, in reply to the questions, the Catholic bishops of the
world all but unanimously expressed the belief that this was part of
the divine revelations. In explaining the grounds for the Church’s
belief, Pius XII singled out the fact that Mary was the Mother of
God; as the body of Christ originated from the body of Mary (caro
Jesu est caro Mariae); that her body was preserved unimpaired in
virginal integrity, and therefore it was fitting that it should not
be subject to destruction after death; and that since Mary so
closely shared in Christ’s redemptive mission on earth, she deserved
to join him also in bodily glorification.
© Modern Catholic Dictionary, Eternal Life Publications
Authority
- The right of a society to direct and compel the members to
co-operate toward the attainment of the end of that society.
Ultimately all authority in a society comes from God but in
different ways, depending on the kind of society.
In a conventional society, founded by the free agreement of men and
women who set its purpose and choose its means, God is the final
source of authority, but indirectly, in the sense that he is the
source of everything. He created the persons who form the society
and gave them the faculties by which to direct the society.
In natural societies, such as the family and state, God is the
source of authority directly and immediately. He established the
natural law that requires that people organize themselves. The
authority passes from God directly to the society and not through
the personalities of the founders.
In theocratic societies, such as the Catholic Church, God founded a
particular society by supernatural revelation. He specified its
structure and determined its leaders. Here God is most directly and
immediately the source of authority, not only in governing but also
in teaching the faithful who belong to the society.
© Modern Catholic Dictionary, Eternal Life Publications
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