1.How church architercture reflects Catholic belief Flashcards
How do churches help Catholics to worship?
-they provide a space where Catholics can worship together (especially at mass) or pray alone,gives it a more communal feel to mass and may help people feel comfortable to pray
-churches built since 1965 place more emphasis on the position of the altar as it is the focal point of the mass
How does decoration help Catholics (statues,paintings etc)?
-statues of saints encourage and inspire Christians to follow their examples
-the care that has been put into
the design and decoration of
the church shows devotion
to God, and helps people feel
that God is respected
Catholic churches built before 1965-how does it help prayer?
-facing east towards Jerusalem,this is where Jesus died and rose again (remembrance of the sacrifice can help encourage prayer)
-in the shape of a cross,as a reminder of the cross on which Jesus died
-with the altar against the east wall before 1965 the Mass was
said by the priest in Latin, who would usually speak very quietly
with his back towards the congregation. This meant that people
attending Mass did not feel very involved in the service.
Catholic churches built after 1965-how does it help prayer?
-it ensures that as many people can see and join in with mass
-with the altar more towards the centre of the church,and seats for congregation some or all the way around the altar (this means more people can feel involved with the mass)
Youcat 190
“In God’s house we gather together to pray in common or alone”
Key terms
-the Church:people of God (Christians)
-a church:a building for worship
-altar:the place of sacrifice
-Stations of the Cross:a series of 14 images that remind Catholics of Jesus’ final journey to the cross
