Mission of the Church

Question 1

Why is the Church described as an ‘assembly’?

Answer 1

It is assembly of God’s People - the church is the people God gathered together

Question 2

What is the definition of the Church?

Answer 2

The Church is the People of God united to God and to each other by the Holy Spirit in baptism

Question 3

What are some ways of picturing the Church?

Answer 3

• A building made of ‘living stones’ - with Christ as the cornerstone
• The Body of Christ, - with Christ as the Head of the Body
• A sheepfold - with Jesus as the Good Shepherd

Question 4

What is a chaplain?

Answer 4

A person who performs religious services in hospitals, prisons, schools or the armed services and offers people spiritual and emotional guidance. Usually a lay person but sometimes ordained. May be Christian or multi-faith.

Question 5

What is the difference between chaplains and priests?

Answer 5

Chaplains do not have to be ordained, do not have to take on the same vows as priests, and can therefore be lay people with families.

Question 6

What does a hospital chaplain do?

Answer 6

• Talk to the patients
• Deliver communion and offer a friendly ear to patients
• Offers counselling to the patient and their family
• Offers their time to hospital staff

Question 7

What do army chaplains do?

Answer 7

• They will travel the world with different army units
• Offer support for those who might be finding army life difficult

Question 8

What does a prison chaplain do?

Answer 8

• Will always see any new inmate who requests to see him as prison life can be very difficult and lonely
• Listens to the prisoner, offers him words of hope from the bible
• Help the prisoner come to terms with his crime and be sorry for what he has done

Question 9

What do school chaplains do?

Answer 9

• Offer guidance in difficult situations that maybe you might find difficult to tell your parents or yours teachers about
• Offer guidance in your faith
• Help to develop your relationship with God

Question 10

What is sexism?

Answer 10

The belief that one gender is inferior to the other

Question 11

What is gender/sex discrimination?

Answer 11

When one sex is disadvantaged because of their gender

Question 12

What is a patriarchal society?

Answer 12

Jesus was born into this system of society, where men have the dominant role.

Question 13

What arguments are there for woman priests?

Answer 13

• The priest represents the whole church - both male and female
• Both men and women can be baptised - they are equal on entry into the church and so should be treated equally after
• Jesus showed great respect to women - it was to women that he first appeared after his resurrection
• Jesus gave all his disciples the mission to ‘spread the gospel message to the ends of the earth’ - it is difficult to do this if half the population do not have the choice to become priests
• The society Jesus lived in was patriarchal - today we live in a society in which men and women are equal

Question 14

What arguments are there against woman priests?

Answer 14

• Jesus chose men to be his 12 apostles so only men should be priests today
• When celebrating mass the priest acts in the person of Christ. Catholics today should witness the same miracle that the disciples witnessed 2,000 years ago
• The priesthood is a vocation - not a right
• The teaching of the church is right for all times and should not be changed to fit with a changing society

Question 15

What did the Pope do in 1994?

Answer 15

He wrote a letter saying that women could not become priests in the Catholic Church. It was inappropriate and broke with tradition.