Roman Catholic Religion - Term Paper Example

Final Project: Informative Paper on the Roman Catholic Religion Informative Paper on the Roman Catholic Religion Introduction of the Roman Catholic Religion The Roman Catholic religion was actually revealed to have stemmed from the Christian Church to have spurred during the 5th century B.C. (History of the Catholic Religion, n.d.). As emphasized in Religion Facts website, “There was only the "one, holy, catholic church" affirmed by the early creeds, which was the body of Christian believers all over the world, united by common traditions, beliefs, church structure and worship (catholic simply means "universal")” (Roman Catholicism, 2012). Contemporary times have identified the Roman Catholic religion as comprising 33.32% of the world’s major religions being ranked as first in the number of adherents; followed by Islam with 21.01% of the world’s population (Major Religions of the World Ranked by Number of Adherents, 2009). In this regard, the aim of the current essay is to present a religion that is not one’s own and to visit a place of worship, as well as to interview a person of that faith. The paper would hereby initially provide information on the place of worship that was visited and a detailed review of the site. Subsequently, a summary of an interview with a person of the Roman Catholic religion would be provided. The next section would compare this religion with the Islam religion, prior to relaying personal reflections on the Roman Catholic religion, in general. A concluding portion would highlight and summarize relevant points that were discussed and provide a closing remark on what one learned during the course of study. Name, Location and Review of the Site The Catholic Church is visually distinct and identifiable as a place of worship for Roman Catholics due to its universal architectural structure that shares similarities in containing an apex that usually houses a resonating bell and the structure of a crucifix at a strategically seen location. The sizes and styles are different from each other, as well as the way that the inner architectural structures were designed. One observed that some local Catholic Churches name their place of worship according to an identified saint or holy person. In this case, usually the image of the saint or holy person is also seen to be built as a sculptured design outside the edifice and also inside the place of worship. In Long Island, New York, one of the most visited Roman Catholic Churches is the St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church located at 43-19 30th Avenue, Long Island City, New York. It is simply designed in architectural structures painted in tinge of beige or tan at the outside façade. There is a tall tower upfront that contains the church bell. The inner structure is also simple, especially the altar that contains the crucifix with the image of Jesus Christ as he died on the cross. It is designed in an oval structure also in shades of beige and light mahogany with different panels. Tainted intricately designed mosaic glass designs could be seen above the altar to provide ample lighting to the inner church. There were pews for the devotees to seat and some extensions so that they could kneel during the mass or when people are in reflective prayer. The place is also filled with flowers, used as adornment and some candles were situated in a specified place. The have a parish office and the mass schedules were posted as Saturdays 4:30 pm and 5:45 pm; Sundays 7:45 am, 9:00 am, 10:30 am, and 12:00 pm. There are also schedules for masses on weekdays such as: Mondays to Saturdays at 9:00 am; Mondays to Fridays at 12:00 pm; and Wednesdays at 7:30 pm. The whole place was solemn and basically quiet, even during the mass when the priest is expected to deliver the sermon or the homily and the congregation responds, in various portions, as needed. Interview Summary The person interviewed while visiting the place of worship was a middle-aged woman of about 45 years of age. She was seen to be accompanied by her son as they emerged from the place of worship after a Saturday 5:45 p.m. mass. One respectfully asked her permission for conducting the interview stating that the purpose is to comply with a requirement in a college course. Having understood that the personal details would not be divulged and the results of the interview would form part of the final paper, she congenially obliged. From the results of the interview (where the more comprehensive summary is attached as Annex A), the following were noted: (1) she is a Roman Catholic; (2) she belonged to the Asian group, particularly the Philippines were it was noted that majority of the population are devout Catholics; (3) she and her children attend regular weekly masses, specifically the anticipated mass on Saturdays; (4) religious traditions and practices range from attending 9-day novena, especially during Christmas vigil masses; observing Holy Week celebration on the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ until Easter Sunday; seeking repentance and forgiveness through Holy Confession; and being actively involved in regular prayers, fasting and sharing of resources to the needy. Comparing and Contrasting with Islam Religion There are similarities in both Roman Catholic and Islam religion. From what one read and observed, there are similarities in stipulating a place of worship: (churches for Roman Catholics and mosques for Muslims), in practicing regular prayers and fasting; in using prayer beads (Muslims) or rosaries (Roman Catholics) and in acknowledging belief in one supreme or divine being (God for Roman Catholics and Allah for Muslims). There are also identified holy days of obligations where intense prayers and fasting are made. Also, both religious regularly learn and adhere to the teachings from their respective holy books (Holy Bible for Roman Catholics and Qur’an for the Muslims). Likewise, one acknowledged that there are similarities in adhering to the ethics of reciprocity or to the Golden Rule (for Catholics) and to the teaching in Islam that indicates that a believer of the Islam faith would necessitate loving one’s brother as much the same way as one loves himself. In contrast, the disparities between the two religions fall in terms of the following: (1) that the belief in one God is differentiated through the Roman Catholic’s belief in the Holy Trinity (God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit) while Islam only acknowledges Allah as one and true God; (2) as deduced, Jesus is believed to be the son of God and therefore possesses divine power in Roman Catholics; but is believed to be a prophet in Islam; (3) there are differences in traditions and rituals where the Roman Catholics observe distinct Sacraments (Baptism, Confirmation, Communion, Holy Matrimony, Penance or Confession, and Last Rites or Extreme Unction during death); while Islam faith focuses on the pillars of Islam such as: “Shahadah - A profession of faith; Salat - Prayer five times daily; Zakat - alms giving; Sawm - Fasting during the Holy month of Ramadan; and Hajj - Pilgrimage to the Holy city of Mecca” (Comparison Table between Christianity, Islam and Judaism, 2012); and (4) Islam devotees reportedly believe that man is born without sin while Roman Catholics allegedly believe that sin is inherited from the transgressions of Adam and Eve; among others. Likewise, although both religions stipulate holy days of obligation, these days and dates are different between Roman Catholic and Islam. For Roman Catholic, the more famous holy days of obligation are noted as follows: Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Sunday, All Saints Day, and Christmas (Richert, 2012). For Islam, the holy days of obligation include the following: “Muharram (Islamic New Year); Ashura (celebrating Moses exodus day and for Shi’ah Muslims, commemorates the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Husayn ibn Ali); Mawlid al-Nabi (Muhammad’s Birthday); Ramadan begins (the holy month of fasting); Eid al-Fitr (Ramadan ends); Hajj Pilgrimage to Mecca; Arafat Day (9th day of month Dhu’l-Hijjah or Hajj, unity day at Arafat mountain); and Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice)” (Muslim Holy Days (Islamic Special Holidays), n.d.). One could deduce therefore, that the holy days of celebration for Roman Catholics are significantly different from the holy days for Muslims. According to the person interviewed, in the Philippines, a predominantly Roman Catholic country, these holy days of obligation are rendered holidays where work and classes are suspended to enable the devotees to celebrate and practice their faith. Likewise, even as a Catholic country, in contemporary times, according to the interviewee, their government likewise acknowledges that there is a need to respect the holy days of Muslims and such, days such as Eid-al-Fitr is also declared a holiday for the whole nation. Personal Reflections on the Religion In view of one’s research, observation and interview of a devotee of the Roman Catholic religion, one is bound to express that despite apparent differences, there are likewise similarities between the Roman Catholic religion and one’s own. As such, one strongly believes that there is not much points of arguments since both religions aim to attain salvation by leading a good life according to the teachings and observance of defined practices and rituals. The most important thing is that people continue to respect adherence to enabling the practice of one’s beliefs and religious traditions, regardless of where one is transferred to. Meaning, as a Roman Catholic in the Philippines, the person I interviewed continued to practice her faith and enjoined her children and family members to observe the religious practice that was inculcated in their culture. Therefore, migrating to the United States did not preclude them to continue attending masses, receiving Holy Communion, praying, fasting, and doing good to others, regardless of race, culture, ethnic background, or other demographic factors. One also realized that the ethics of reciprocity applies to both religions. This means that for Roman Catholics, the Golden Rule which states: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (The Golden Rule, n.d., par. 2) also similarly is observed in Islam, as: “Not one of you is a believer until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself” (The Golden Rule, n.d., par. 4). It was actually emphasized that “the Golden Rule or the ethic of reciprocity is found in the scriptures of nearly every religion. It is often regarded as the most concise and general principle of ethics” (The Golden Rule, n.d., par. 1). Therefore, the similarities in application and conformity is consistent with adherence to ethical, moral, and legal codes of conduct and behavior that assists in preserving global and universal peace. One must therefore focus more on what religions share with each other so that the strength in finding similarities would unite men;rather than find differencies what divide and potentially create chaos and indifference. Conclusion The project has successfully achieved its objective of to present a religion that is not one’s own, particularly focusing on the Roman Catholic religion, and to visit a place of worship, as well as to interview a person of that faith. Through the learning experience, one gained ample knowledge on the Roman Catholic religion, including their place of worship as one visited and observed St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church and the personal views and practices of one of its devotees who was interviewed. The comparative analysis brought to light several similarities as well as differences between Roman Catholic religion and Islam. One acknowledges that it is important to be given the opportunity to practice one’s religious beliefs regardless of one’s location. Likewise, as reflected on, one must focus on the similarities that united different religions to provide a stronger bond and acknowledge that we are all one people in the face of the Earth. Religion should therefore be used as an instrument of unity and not as a tool for divisiveness. Just like the ethics of reciprocity, we must recognize that by doing good to other people, regardless of race, culture, ethnic background, or religion, we are in fact instrumental contributors to world peace. Maintaining smooth and congenial interpersonal relationships with peoples from diverse religions would ensure that in the end, our objective of attaining salvation through eternal life would eventually be fulfilled. References Major Religions of the World Ranked by Number of Adherents. (2009). Retrieved from Charts Bin: http://chartsbin.com/view/3nr Comparison Table between Christianity, Islam and Judaism. (2012, March 6). Retrieved from Christianity In View: http://christianityinview.com/xncomparison.html Roman Catholicism. (2012). Retrieved from Religion Facts: http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/denominations/catholicism.htm History of the Catholic Religion. (n.d.). Retrieved from Medieval Life and Times: http://www.medieval-life-and-times.info/medieval-religion/history-of-the-catholic-religion.htm Muslim Holy Days (Islamic Special Holidays). (n.d.). Retrieved from 30-Days Prayer Network: http://www.30-days.net/islam/basics/islamic-holidays/ The Golden Rule. (n.d.). Retrieved from World Scripture: http://www.unification.net/ws/theme015.htm Richert, S. (2012). Roman Catholic Liturgical Calendar 2013. Retrieved from Catholicism About.com: http://catholicism.about.com/od/holydaysandholidays/a/2013_Lit_Cal.htm Annex A: Interview Findings She was asked if she had been a Roman Catholic all her life and her response was in the affirmative. She said that she is a devout Roman Catholic and remains to observe the religious practices and traditions that have been passed down from her parents and members of her cultural group. She said she belonged to the Filipino group of Roman Catholics who were known to be the only predominantly Catholic nation in Asia. One asked her what are the common practices that Roman Catholics observed and she responded that among them are attending masses, preferably on Sundays. However, during Saturdays, 6:00 p.m. masses are considered anticipated mass for Sunday masses. Attending masses would exemplify their love and believe in God and in observing the teachings on the gospel. She said that the priest, the main celebrant in the mass, delivers a sermon based on verses in the Holy Bible. Attending regular masses would therefore acquaint parishioners on these verses and teachings and would assist them in observing the ways that Roman Catholics are expected to maintain. Aside from this, she often looks forward to the 9-day novena masses especially prior to the birth of Jesus, which commemorates the celebration of Christmas on December 25. According to her, in her country, the Philippines, these masses are held at dawn, usually at 4:00 a.m. daily from December 16 up to December 24, as a means of sacrifice and preparation for the birth of Jesus. Likewise, they also observe the celebration of Holy Week, where the passion and death of Jesus is remembered and ends with a grand celebration through a high mass on Easter Sunday; where devotees get to renew and re-affirm their Catholic faith. They usually receive Holy Communion within the mass and are expected to go to confession when sins are committed to ask forgiveness and repentance. She acknowledged that it is important for them to share their blessings and be of help to others, especially to the needy. Roman Catholics could do this by volunteering their time, or donating money or goods that are needed, especially during natural calamities. The important thing, she said, is that faith that is learned should not only benefit oneself, but should be extended to others by lending a helping hand. Read More