Church Doctrine

Following the final Mass of the Jubilee year — the Mass of the Ephiany, the Holy Father signed an Apostolic Letter, Novo Millennio Ineunte ("At the Beginning of the New Millennium"), which calls for a "pastoral plan" for the new millennium, and expresses the Holy Father’s hope for the future in Catholic youth...

Apostolic Letter by Pope John Paul II to the Bishops, Clergy and Faithful to mark the Centenary of Orientalium Dignitas of Pope Leo XIII..

Solemnly Promulgated by His Holiness, Pope Paul V1 on November 21, 1964..

Evangelii nuntiandi (Evangelization in the Modern World) is an apostolic exhortation issued on 8 December 1975 by Pope Paul VI on the theme of Catholic evangelization. Evangelii nuntiandi is Latin and derives its name from the first words of the text: Evangelii nuntiandi studium nostrae aetatis hominibus. ("The effort to proclaim the Gospel to the men of our time.") The exhortation affirms the role of every Christian (not only ordained ministers, priests, and deacons, or religious, or professional church staff) in spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Sections Include: Introduction I: From Christ The Evangelizer To The Evangelizing Church II: What Is Evangelization? III: The Content Of Evangelization IV: The Methods Of Evangelization V: The Beneficiaries Of Evangelization VI: The Workers For Evangelization VII: The Spirit Of Evangelization Conclusion Endnotes..

Gaudium et Spes, the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, was one of the chief accomplishments of the Second Vatican Council. The document was approved by a vote of 2,307 to 75 of the bishops assembled at the council, and was promulgated by Pope Paul VI on December 7, 1965, the day the council ended. As is customary with Catholic documents, the title is from the first sentence and means "Joy and Hope" in Latin. Contents - The numbers given correspond to section numbers within the text. Gaudium et Spes was promulgated by Pope Paul VI Preface (1-3) Introduction: The Situation of Men in the Modern World (4-10) Part 1: The Church and Man's Calling (11-45) The Dignity of the Human Person (12-22) The Community of Mankind (23-32) Man's Activity Throughout the World (33-39) The Role of the Church in the Modern World (40-45) Part 2: Some Problems of Special Urgency (46-93) Fostering the Nobility of Marriage and the Family (47-52) The Proper Development of Culture (53-62) The..

Dei Verbum. One of the principle documents of the Second Vatican Council, Dei Verbum was promulgated by Pope Paul VI on November 18, 1965. The document Dei Verbum is one of the most authoritative and important documents of the Council. Its purpose is to spell out the Churchs understanding of the nature of revelation, that is, the process whereby God communicates with human beings. It touches on questions about Scripture, tradition and the teaching authority of the Church. Dei Verbum continues the trajectory initiated by Divino Afflante Spiritu, allowing Catholic scripture scholars to read the Bible as arising within particular social and cultural contexts. The major concern of the document is to proclaim a Catholic understanding of the Bible as the "word of God." This understanding is placed within the larger context of the Church's understanding of revelation itself. Here the document speaks not of revelation about God, but the revelation of God. God communicates his very self t..

This parish favorite from Robert Hamma is the perfect tool for parent formation and for preparing the baptismal liturgy. New downloadable tools help parish leaders train parents to connect the sacrament with everyday life and better understand their role as their child's first catechists. Bestselling parish resource with 122,000 copies sold Official texts from the Rite of Baptism for Individual and Several Children and all approved lectionary readings contained in the booklet ..

For those who know little of the man or the background to the new Pope, this is an excellent introduction. Into this small book, Greg Watts has packed a lot of information; he gives a brief biography of Joseph Ratzinger from childhood, through the war years, to Seminary, brief Parish life and becoming an academic Theologian. He sets the scene for Vatican II and explains how Ratzinger came to attend. In 1977 how Ratzinger became an Archbishop and a Cardinal and how in 1981 Pope John Paul appointed him to become the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and it is in this role that many of us have read of him in the newspapers. Greg Watts takes us through many of the events that reached the headlines, giving the facts, and their background. The picture of Pope Benedict XVI that emerges, is of a very clever, a very wise man, faithfully carrying out what he prayerfully believes is right...

Pope Benedict XVI's second encyclical, Saved In Hope, ("Spe Salvi" in Latin) takes its title from St. Paul, who wrote, "In hope we have been saved". In this special deluxe hardcover edition of the work, the Holy Father continues a line of thought he began with his first encyclical, God is Love. Love and Hope are closely related in the spiritual life. Love of God involves hope or trust in God. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, "The virtue of hope responds to the aspiration to happiness which God has placed in the heart of every man". Hope enables us to look to the next life, but it also inspires and purifies our actions in this life. Pope Benedict considers modern philosophies and the challenges of faith today in light of the virtue of hope. "Confronted by today's changing and complex panorama, the virtue of hope is subject to harsh trials in the community of believers. For this very reason, we must be apostles who are filled with hope and joyful trust in God's promises..

Few attempts had been made to define 'the crusade' before the first edition of this book was published in 1977. Since then, a number of historians have built on Jonathan Riley-Smith's original conclusions. Now in its third edition, this classic starting point for the study of the crusading movement has been thoroughly revised and up-dated in the light of recent research. ..

Church Documents on Catholic Education 1965 - 2002 ..

The love of Christ towards Migrants.  This encyclical was published in 2004.  It both summarises the teaching that is laid out in all previous documents and conextualises it in the present era. The love of Christ towards migrants urges us (cf. 2 Co 5:14) to look afresh at their problems, which are to be met with today all over the world. In fact nearly all countries are now faced with the eruption of the migration phenomenon in one aspect or another; it affects their social, economic, political and religious life and is becoming more and more a permanent structural phenomenon. Thus Christians are called on to: • give witness to and practice not only the spirit of tolerance – but also respect for the other’s identity. • to open a way towards sharing with people of different origins and cultures a “respectful proclamation” of their own faith. • called to a culture of solidarity so as to achieve together a real communion of persons. ..

The 16 documents of the Second Vatican Council (1963-65) are included in this volume together with Notes and an Index. Ideal for students...

This document underlines the "roots of obedience" found "in that search for God and His will which is also the will of believers". The text also deals with the issue of "difficult obedience", when "the demands made on the religious are particularly hard to meet" or when - in the words of St Francis of Assisi - the person who must obey feels that there are "better or more useful things for his soul than those ordered him by his superior". In these situations we appeal to "Christ first among the obedient" who "learned obedience through all he suffered". The function of authority is presented through the category of "human mediation" of God's will. The document goes on to clarify that this does not mean "the will of the superior coincides perfectly with God's own will". When, however, a person in religious life is faced with a legitimate order from a superior, the Lord asks him or her to obey the authority which in that moment represents Him...

How the Catholic Church after Vatican 11 Took over the leadership of the World Ecumenical Movement. The last several popes have made the quest for Church unity an item of the highest priority on their agendas. This issue is dealt with in this extraordinarily well researched and very readable book...

This exciting new development for Christian unity offers a practical way for non Catholics to enter into the Catholic Church while retaining elements of their heritage and their hierarchy. It is important for both Catholics, Anglicans and other Christians to study this document in order to understand the new provision and how it will affect the life of the Church. The Apostolic Constitution and accompanying norms are the response of the Holy Father to the many requests that have been submitted to the Holy See from groups of Anglican clergy and faithful in different parts of the world who wish to enter into full, visible communion with the Catholic Church. The Constitution introduces a canonical structure which will allow for entry into full communion with the Catholic Church while preserving elements of the distinctive Anglican spiritual and liturgical patrimony. The Complementary Norms accompanying the Constitution will guide the implementation of this provision. This Apostolic Con..