Introduction to Catholicism

The Papacy

Catholicism is a religious organization that preaches, studies, and practices Christianity. Historically, Catholicism and Protestantism make up the two main branches stemming off of the tree of Christianity in the West. One of the most defining aspects of Catholicism revolves around the papacy and the Catholic Church’s connection to Rome (hence “Roman Catholic Church”), where the Pope of the Catholic Church resides. According to Lawrence Cunningham, “[U]nity with the bishop of Rome (the Pope) is the linchpin that guarantees the unity of Catholicism” (23), thus demonstrating the importance and influence of the papacy within the Catholic Church.


Sometime during the second century, historical documentation shows the first signs of an emergence of a central voice over Christians in Rome. These early voices justified their authority by claiming to be direct descendants of Peter, one of Jesus’s original disciples who took a leading role in continuing his ministry after his resurrection. Over time, the power of this authority in the city of Rome (revered as the sacred place where both Peter and Paul, another major player in furthering Jesus’s ministry after his resurrection, were martyred) grew and became more established. And, as the Church continued to grow in size and wealth, it needed a central figure to lead it. As a result, the papacy is one of the oldest continuing offices of authority in the world and the oldest in Western civilization, having existed for almost 2,000 years. Over two millennia, the powers, authority, rights, and honors of the Pope have gradually expanded into what they are today. Popes live in the Vatican City in Rome, an independent territory owned by the Catholic Church and accepted as sovereign. Overall, the Pope serves as the primary leader of the Catholic Church whose principal task is maintaining unity within that institution.



The Seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church

  • Baptism

  • Confirmation

  • Eucharist

  • Penance

  • Sacrament of the Sick

  • Matrimony

  • Holy Order


The Catholic Church has a sacramental perspective on the world by upholding seven sacraments. In The Blackwell Companion to Catholicism, Susan K. Wood explains this perspective by saying that the Church “is characterized by a sacramental world-view in which the created, finite, material reality is revelatory of the divine and communicates God’s presence and activity on our behalf” (Buckley et al. 340). Therefore, the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church are physical, real manifestations of God’s presence in the world.


The first three sacraments–Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist–are the sacraments of initiation, where a person begins to understand the doctrines of the church and the lifestyle led by faith that embodies those doctrines. Baptism, which can be performed on anyone but is most commonly seen performed on infants or young children, involves the minister submerging the person in water or pouring water over the forehead. Baptism is deeply rooted in Christianity due to the many instances of baptism found in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Confirmation, which happens sometime after Baptism, typically during a person’s adolescent years, involves renewing the Baptism in the form of professing one’s faith and therefore commitment to the Church. The Eucharist, most commonly referred to as Holy Communion in non-Catholic denominations, is the culminating act in initiation because it represents the sacrifice Jesus made of his body and blood to bring God’s new covenant to Earth. Entire congregations share in Holy Communion together, eating a small piece of bread or a wafer and drinking a small amount of wine or juice, which respectively represent the holy body and blood of Christ. Therefore, members of the Church experience a unity with one another and with Christ through the act of the Eucharist.


While the first three sacraments focus on establishing a person’s relationship to Christ and the Church, the remaining four sacraments further build that relationship as well as focus on healing. First, Penance is the sacrament of reconciliation, where church members recognize their sins and imperfections as a means for restoring their relationships with God and the Church. One way members of the Catholic Church achieve Penance is through confession, where members meet privately with their congregation’s priest to openly confess their sins. As a result, the point of Penance is recognizing one’s sinful nature and asking God for forgiveness. Second, the Sacrament of the Sick involves a church community praying over a sick person in their congregation as a sign of support for that person, thus aligning with the teachings of the Book of James, which says, “Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven” (James 5.14-15 NLT). The Sacrament of the Sick provides comfort to the sick person, reminding of God’s grace through the support given by fellow members of the congregation. Third, Matrimony is a sacrament that represents the relationship between Christ and the Church as referred to by Paul in his letter to the Ephesians (Eph. 5.22-24). In marriage, spouses use their unity to help attain holiness and continue a community of followers of God by having children. Finally, the sacrament of Holy Order refers to the appointment of members of the church to office positions such as bishop, priest, or deacon. This sacrament recognizes the authority and responsibility of bishops, priests, and deacons to care for the congregation and the workings of the church community, all in an effort to further the mission of Christ.



Mass, Catechism, and Prayers

Mass is a religious service in the Catholic Church that celebrates the Eucharist, or the taking of Holy Communion. Noelle Khan notes that mass typically "takes place on weekdays" as well as "on Sundays and holy days like Easter" and that "Catholics are obligated to attend mass" to celebrate the Eucharist. Mass contains several additional components, including prayers, readings from scripture, and specifically reciting the prayer of the Nicene Creed, which is an extension of the more commonly known prayer of the Apostles’ Creed. The Lord’s Prayer is then recited in conjunction with Holy Communion. However, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops explains that the "high point of the Liturgy of the Word is the reading of the Gospel. Because the Gospels tell of the life, ministry, and preaching of Christ, it receives several special signs of honor and reverence. The gathered assembly stands to hear the Gospel and it is introduced by an acclamation of praise" ("The Mass: Structure and Meaning").


Masses demonstrate the number of different features associated with the expression of one’s faith in the Catholic Church, including catechism and numerous prayers. While the entire catechism of the Catholic Church outlines the doctrines, beliefs, and practices of the church, smaller pieces of the entire doctrine can be used during masses, many times in the format of a question-and-answer response, to teach and remind church members the basic principles of their faith and religion. Many U.S. Catholic churches in the first half of the twentieth century used the Baltimore Catechism, which was established in 1884. According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, “the Baltimore Catechism contained 421 questions and answers in thirty-seven chapters and gave unity to the teaching and understanding of the faith for millions of American Catholics” (“Subcommittee”). Today, however, Catholic churches use the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which was first published in 1994 and is divided into four parts: the Profession of Faith, the Celebration of the Christian Mystery, Life in Christ, and Christian Prayer. The Catechism of the Catholic Church summarizes the purpose of its contents by explaining that "the name catechesis was given to the totality of the Church's efforts to make disciples, to help men believe that Jesus is the Son of God so that believing they might have life in his name, and to educate and instruct them in this life, thus building up the body of Christ" (8).


The Catholic Church also utilizes a multitude of traditional prayers during mass, such as the aforementioned Nicene Creed, the Apostles’ Creed, and the Lord’s Prayer as well as the Hail Mary prayer, the Tantum Ergo prayer, and many others. Similar to the question-and-answer format of catechisms, prayers sometimes use call-and-response, such as in the middle of the Tantum Ergo prayer, where the leader says, "You have given them bread from heaven," and the congregation replies, "Having all delight within it" ("Tantum Ergo"). The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops explains that, while prayers are often used in masses, church members are not required to memorize all the prayers. Catholics may find that "some of these prayers [they] may wish to learn 'by heart' so that they become part of daily living" (“Basic Prayers”), but memorizing prayers is not a requirement for mass.


Works Cited

"Basic Prayers." United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/prayers/basic-prayers.

Buckley, James J., et al., editors. The Blackwell Companion to Catholicism. Chichester, Wiley-Blackwell, 2011.

Catechism of the Catholic Church. 1992. 2nd ed., Vatican City, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, 2019.

Cunningham, Lawrence. An Introduction to Catholicism. Cambridge, Cambridge UP, 2009.

Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Translated by Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Tyndale House Publishers, 2015.

Khan, Noelle. The Meaning and Ritual of Catholic Religious Services. Fordham University, 2015, www.fordham.edu/download/downloads/id/3145/catholic_mass_fact_sheetpdf.pdf.

"The Mass: Structure and Meaning." United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, www.usccb.org/offices/public-affairs/structure-and-meaning-mass.

"Subcommittee on the Catechism." United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, www.usccb.org/committees/catechism.

"Tantum Ergo." United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/prayers/tantum-ergo.