SOWA

Question 1

3.1 The Bible

How is the Bible arranged?

Answer 1

OT divided into:
- Torah (first 5 books containing laws of Judaism and Ten Commandments
-The prophets (the history books, has messages from God to the people)
-The writings (such as Psalms - wise sayings such as Proverbs

NT divided into:
-Four Gospels
-Acts of Apostles
-The letters
-Revelation

Question 2

3.1 The Bible

Why is the bible important for Catholics?

Answer 2

-Records teachings of Jesus and tells Christians what to believe and how to live
-Records life, death and resurrection
-Contains the Decalogue - Gods basic guideline on how to live.
-Reveals what God is like and what he does for Christians

Question 3

3.2 Interpretations of the Bible

Different Christian views of the Bible

Answer 3

-No agreements in the early days on what books would make up the Bible
-Catholic Bible was decided at Council of Trent - included Greek old testament translated into Latin
-At the Reformation, Protestants used Hebrew Old Testament (34 books compared to 47 for Catholics)

Question 4

3.2 Interpretations of the Bible

Different ways to interpret the Bible: Inspired Word of God

Answer 4

View of Catholics. The idea that the Bible came from and was inspired by God but written down by humans.
Timothy - “All scripture is inspired by God”
God is the primary author - human writers were inspired by the Holy Spirit. There is truth in the message of the Bible.

Question 5

3.2 Interpretations of the Bible

Different ways to interpret the Bible: Liberal Word of God

Answer 5

Belief that the Bible is true, word for word. There are no mistakes (inerrant) and it must be taken literally. If there is a contradiction it is a deliberate one. If there is a contradiction with science, then science must be wrong.

Question 6

3.2 Interpretations of the Bible

Different ways to interpret the Bible: Liberal View

Answer 6

Belief that the Bible was written by humans who were inspired like many authors. The Bible contains spiritual but not literal truths. The Bible invites closeness to God by sharing human experience. Believes that some parts of the Bible are outdated and irrelevant to modern life.

Question 7

3.2 Interpretations of the Bible

What do Catholics believe about the Bible?

Answer 7

-It is inspired by the Holy Spirit which means it comes from God and should be accepted and followed by Catholics.
-God speaks through the Bible, showing his character and commands, so it should be followed
-The Bible contains God’s laws on how to behave, showing how God wants them to live, especially in the Gospels where Jesus teaches how to live Christian life.

Question 8

3.2 Interpretation of the Bible

Why is the Bible important?

Answer 8

• For some Christians, it has God’s words (his truths) in it and so therefore is important
• It has Jesus’ examples and teachings in it as Jesus said that no one comes to the Father except through him
• It helps guide Christians on how to live a good moral lifein the way God wants which helps them achieve salvation
• Teaches us what happens after death

Question 9

3.3 The Magisterium

What is the hierarchy of the Magisterium?

Answer 9

Pope: -Spiritual leader of all 1.2 billion Catholics around the world
-Catholics believe he has been given power and authority passed on from Jesus through the apostles, which is shared with other bishops

Cardinals: -Main responsibility is to choose a new Pope when one dies or abdicates. They form the Roman Curia and serve as the Pope’s right hand men
-They assist with overseeing all the bishops around the world and have responsibility of Catholic education to name a few

Archbishops: -Responsible for an archdiocese
-Means ‘chief bishop’ and is more senior than a bishop, looking after a larger, more important diocese

Bishops: -Responsible fore a diocese which is a larger area made up of several parishes. He is responsible for all the priests, deacons and all the Catholics that live in that area

Parish priests: -have the responsibility of looking after people who live close to the church called a parish
-priest look after the emotional and spiritual needs of his people. He can do this by:
- Leading mass weekly
- Giving advice/guidance
- Can marry and baptise people

Question 10

3.3 The Magisterium

What were the gifts of the Holy Spirit?

Answer 10

On the day of Pentecost the Apostles receive gifts that allowed them to go out and ‘make disciples of all nations’. These gifts included:
- They could speak in different languages (tongues)
- They knew and understood everything from God’s perspective
- They had more faith and trust in God (faith)
- They received the power to heal the sick (healing)
- They were able to explain God’s words to others and apply it to modern day situations (Interpretation)
- They had the power to do things that science cannot explain (miracles)

Question 11

3.3 The Magisterium

What is apostolic succession?

Answer 11

• Most apostles died horrific deaths and were martyrs for Catholicism
• Catholics believe that the Apostles passed on their power and authority to others and received the same gifts and power as the original apostles and they too went out into the world to spread the message
• Catholics believe this has continued for 2000 years until today with the Magisterium
• Catholics believe that the Pope has the exact same power and responsibility as St. Peter. He inherited the power and authority from the popes before him and this gives him the right to lead and guide the Catholic Church today

Question 12

3.3 The Magisterium

What is apostolic tradition?

Answer 12

• Catholics also believe that the Apostles were given their teachings by Jesus. This means that the tradition from the Apostles have been handed down in the Church through the Pope and his bishops
• This means that the teachings of the Church have not changed since the Apostles
• This is important as it means that everything that Catholics follow today is correct and true as it has come from Jesus through the Apostles

Question 13

3.3 The Magisterium

What is the main task of the Magisterium?

Answer 13

• to teach and lead Catholics around the world
• they have to explain what the Bible teaches and define what they should believe in
• the world continues to change and new problems continue to pop up e.g. Abortion, IVF, genetic engineering etc.
• the church has to keep up with these changes and ensure that Catholics are living a life in the way that God would approve of so the Magisterium has to interpret the Bible for the modern Catholic
• to do this they need to understand the Bible deeply and apply it to modern day situations

Question 14

3.3 The Magisterium

SOWA for the magisterium

Answer 14

CCC teaches that “The task of interpreting the word of God authentically has been entrusted solely to the Magisterium”

Question 15

3.3 The Magisterium

What are the three different levels of The Magisterium?

Answer 15

1) Ordinary Magisterium:
- this is when the bishops teach everything that has always been taught throughout Christianity

2) Conciliar Magisterium:
- when the Pope calls a council to decide on teachings e.g. the Second Vatican Council
- the Pope and his bishops meet together to discuss issues and dedcide on new teahcings
- this has happened only 21 times in the Church’s history

3) Pontificial Magisterium:
- where the Pope declares a teaching as ‘infallible’
- this means that there are times that the Pope can decide on a new teaching without consulting his bishops
- no one can argue with this because what the Pope says is considered ‘infallible’
- there have only been two occasions of this (Assumption of Mary & Immaculate Conception of Mary)

Question 16

3.3 The Magisterium

Why is the Magisterium important for Catholics?

Answer 16

• There is no higher authority for Catholics than the Magisterium
• It gives Catholics answers to issues that did not exist in the time of the Apostles e.g. abortion, same-sex partnerships
• It provides clear guidelines for Catholics on what to believe and how to behave as Catholics in today’s world

Question 17

3.4 The Second Vatican Council

What was the Catholic Church like in 1958?

pope john 23rd

Answer 17

• In 1958, the Catholic Church was seen as too out of date and out of touch with a modern world that had new technologies, inventions and discoveries
• In 1958, the Catholic Church had a new Pope. His name was Pope John XXIII and he said that the church was too inward
• He said “I want to throw open the windows of the Church so that we can see out and the people can see in”
• Pope John had been brought up poor and when he became pope, he refused to take advantage of his position

Question 18

3.4 The Second Vatican Council

What did the Second Vatican Council mean?

Answer 18

• In 1962, Pope John called a council meeting (concilliar magisterium) to discuss the changes that needed to be made to Catholicism
• The meeting lasted three years and at the end of it, four key documents were produced:
  1) Sacrosanctum Concilium (The Sacred Council)
  2) Lumen Gentium (The Light of Humanity)
  3) Gaudium et Spes (Joy and Hope)
  4) Dei Verbum (The Word of God)

Question 19

3.4 The Second Vatican Council

Key Document 1: Sacrosanctum Concilium

Answer 19

1) - Mass used to be in Latin. No one could understand what was being said in the mass
- So the mass was now in the vernacular. People who attended mass could now understand the different parts to the mass

2) - People who attended mass were expected to sit quietly and listen. Many felt like they were not part of the mass at all
- People could now get involved in the mass. People could go up and read from the Bible and read prayers

3) - The priest used to have his back towards the people who were sat in the mass. They couldn’t always see what was going on or hear what the priest was saying
- The priest now faced the front. All people who attended mass could now see and hear the priest as he led the service

Question 20

3.4 The Second Vatican Council

Key document 2:
Lumen Gentium

Answer 20

1) - Catholics used to be taught that only Catholics could go to Heaven. That means that any other type of Christian and non-Christians do not make it to Heaven causing arguments and divides between faiths
- The church now taught that anyone of any religion can be saved and enter heaven. This ensured that people were being brought together not divided

2) - The Church used to be seen as a pyramid shape - with the Pope at the top with the most power and everyone else below him
- The Church now seen as a circular shape. This emphasises the importance that we are all equal and it is the pope and bishops that holds it together

3) - Only priests were expected to erve Christ in the world
- All Christians are now expected to serve Christ. It doesn’t mean that we are all expected t become priests, this can be achieved in numerous ways

Question 21

3.4 The Second Vatican Council

Key Document 3:
Gaudium et Spes

Answer 21

1) - People were treated differently because of their race, gender, sexuality, religion etc.
- Now the importance of human rights were emphasised. We are all created in the image of God and therefore we deserve to be treated with dignity and respect

2) - The Catholic Church had very little involvement with those of little or no religious faith (atheist)
- Now, more involvement and communication with those of no religious faith. This is to help promote world peace regardless of religion

Question 22

3.4 The Second Vatican Council

Key Document 4:
Dei Verbum

Answer 22

1) - Catholics had to rely upon the priests and bishops in order to understand the Bible
- Now, the catholic church encouraged Catholics to read the Bible independently. They can read and listen for the gospel message to be revealed to them and apply its teaching to their lives

2) - Catholics told to rely on the Bible to guide them in life
- Now, Catholics should not use the Bible on its own to guide them in life. They should look to the Bible as well as other sources in order to guide them in life

3) - Science contradicted some of the Bible’s teachings e.g. Creation story
- The Bible was shown as not a book of science or fact. It was written by humans who were inspired by the Holy Spirit, therefore some of the stories should not be taken literally, but contain spiritual truths

Question 22

3.4 The Second Vatican Council

Divergent Christian viewpoints of Second Vatican Council

Answer 22

Some christians believed:
- it brought great relief for them e.g. being able to listen to the mass in their language
- Allowed Catholics to understand the importance behind certain aspects of their faith e.g. sacrament of Holy Communion
- Allowed Catholic voices to be heard. It showed them that the Church was willing to listen and act upon their concerns

Other Christians believed the Second Vatican Council…
- Went too far, The Mass has been Latin for 500 years and it should have stayed that way. Catholic Church is losing tradition
- Some changes gave too much freedom to Catholics e.g. independently reading the Bible. They should always be guided by those who have the power and authority to do so

Other Christians believed the Second Vatican Council didn’t go far enough…
- Women are still not allowed to become priests. The number of Catholic priests continued to decline
- Catholics are still taught that they cannot use contraception even in a marriage
- Catholics who are homosexual are still not allowed to enter a same-sex partnership
- Catholic partners are still taught that living together before marriage is a sin

Question 23

3.5 The Church as the Body of Christ

What is the ‘Church as the body of christ’ SOWA?

Answer 23

St. Paul describe the Church as the ‘Body of Christ’ when he said:

“Christ is like a single body, which has many parts; it is still one body, even though it is made up of different parts. In the same way, all of us, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether slaves or free, have been baptised into the one body by the same spirit” 1 Corinthians 12: 12-13

Question 24

# **3.5 The Church as the Body of Christ** Why is the Church as the Body of Christ important for Catholics?

Answer 24

- It means that Christ (Jesus) is still with us on Earth - It means that we as Christians are still continuing the work of Jesus in the world today e.g. we are his 'hands' - It means that Christians are united as one body and so are brought together - It shows that Christians can perform different tasks but still be in unity. We can have different talents and tasks and still be part of one body

Question 25

# **3.5 The Church as the Body of Christ** What do different Christians think about the Church as the Body of Christ?

Answer 25

- Catholic Christians say that the Pope is the leader of the Church as the Body of Christ. He has authority from Jesus to lead and guide the Church and pass on the true teachings of Christ - Some Christians such as Orthodox Christians don't accept the Pope as leader of the Church. They believe that bishops should work together to lead the Church - Other Christians such as Protestant Christians also reject the Pope as their leader and would instead let the Bible guide the Church. Instead, Churches should be rules by a body of leaders rather than just one man

Question 26

# **3.6 The Four Marks of the Church** What are the four marks of the church with SOWA?

Answer 26

- One - Holy - Catholic - Apostolic - "I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church..." - Nicene Creed

Question 27

# **3.6 The Four Marks of the Church** How is the church described as one?

Answer 27

- Means there is one body and one church. All christians are united as one church comunity through the one Lord, Jesus Christ - Catholics can only get baptised once in their lifetime as this cleanses sin and enters you into the Body of Christ - Other sacraments such as Holy Communion unite Catholics together as one community - Marriage is another example of a sacrament that unites people, just like when the Bible says "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become flesh"

Question 28

# **3.6 The Four Marks of the Church** How is the church described as holy?

Answer 28

- Catholics believe the Church is holy because God made the church. Anything that comes from God is holy and therefore the Church community belongs to God - God came down as a human in the form of Jesus (incarnation) so that he could sacrifice his life in order to make his Church holy. - The Church provides sacraments which all help a Catholic to receive God's love and blessing - The Church today is guided by the Holy Spirit

Question 29

# **3.6 The Four Marks of the Church** How is the church described as Catholic?

Answer 29

- The word 'Catholic' means universal. This refers to all members of the Christian community around the world who share the same belief in God and Jesus - Christians believe that the messages from Jesus are for everyone, no matter where they come from, what their skin colour is or their religion etc. - Catholics believe that the Church is Catholic (universal) because Christianity is for the whole world, not just for Christians. It is important that everyone has a chance to listen to the gospel message and choose fot themselves whether or not they wan to hear it - Jesus said to his disciples to "go forth and make disciples of all nations and baptise them..." this means that Catholics should evangelise (spread the message) to anyone who will listen to it

Question 30

# **3.6 The Four Marks of the Church** How is the church described as Apostolic?

Answer 30

- The Church only exists today because of the teaching and traditions that have been passed down from the apostles - The first apostles of Jesus were chosen by him to go around the world and spread the message of Christianity. They received gifts from the Holy Spirit to help them to do this and these same gifts are passed on to today's magisterium - Catholics believe that the Church was originally founded by the Apostles and their original teachings are being taught today - They also believe it is apostolic because the bishops today have taken over the same role and responsibilities of the apostles to spread the message of Jesus - The Pope has the same power and authority as St Peter did (Jesus' disciple) because it has been passed down to him over thousands of years

Question 31

# **3.6 The Four Marks of the Church** Why is the Four Marks important for Catholics today?

Answer 31

- The Church comes from God. We humans did not create it, God did, He used Jesus to create the Church for us today - Catholics cannot change the Church and make it their own because it has come from God. Catholics today are guided by God, not the other way around - The Church is worldwide. It doesn't just belong to one country or culture, it belongs to everyone - The Church can be traced back to the original apostles of Jesus through the bishops that have existed in the last 2000 years

Question 32

# **3.6 The Four Marks of the Church** Divergent Christian attitudes to the four marks

Answer 32

- All Christians agree that they belong to one universal community - All Christians agree that the Church is holy - Protestant Christians believe that they should follow what the Bible teaches them and read what the Apostles wrote down. They don't accept the Pope and his bishops as the leader of their faith

Question 33

# **3.7 Mary as a Model for the Church** Why is Mary seen as a model for the Church?

Answer 33

- Most Catholics would see Mary as a model for the church because she is the mother of Jesus Christ who is God incarnate - Mary also serves as an example of a mother to the rest of humanity. Her life reflects the value, teaching, and beliefs of the Catholic faith - Mary is believed to have been born without original sin (Immaculate Conception - one of the two infallible teachings of the Pope) - In order to bring Jesus into the world, he had to be born without sin and the only way that could be possible would be if God made Mary sin free - Her sinless and redeemed life meant that Mary's whole existence was a perfect relationship with God. - Catholics believe the Assumption of Mary (other infallible teaching) , that Mary was assumed into Heaven and did not suffer

Question 34

# **3.7 Mary as a Model for the Church** How is Mary a model of Discipleship?

Answer 34

- Catholics consider Mary to be the first disciple because she believed in Jesus from the moment she became pregnant - Mary accepts that she will carry and give birth to the Son of God which was very brave of her as she would of been given a lot of abuse for falling pregnant outside marriage - "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord" Luke 1:38

Question 35

# **3.7 Mary as a Model for the Church** How is Mary a Model of Faith?

Answer 35

- Mary was very young (around 15) and unmarried when she became pregnant with Jesus. She also risked death by carrying Jesus - She didn't question what was going to happen to her she just accepted it - She also showed faith in God soon after the birth of Jesus. King Herod was sending his men to Bethlehem to kill all baby boys. God warned Joseph in a dream that this was going to happen. They both trusted God and went before the men arrived - When Jesus grew up into a man, Mary still had trust in God's plan. When Jesus was nailed to a cross, Mary was there to support her son even though it must have been so painful and upsetting to watch - This shows Catholics that we too must have faith in God even when bad things happen in our life

Question 36

# **3.7 Mary as a Model for the Church** How is Mary shown as a Model of Charity?

Answer 36

- Mary gave up her own life and abandoned her own dreams in order to bring Jesus into the world. - St. Bonaventure describes her ultimate act of charity: "*Mary loved the world as to give her only-begotten Son*"

Question 37

# **3.7 Mary as a Model for the Church** Why is Mary important for Catholics today?

Answer 37

- Mary was chosen by God to have a baby even though she was a virgin. She is the only human to be born without original sin - Mary is important because she gave birth to Jesus who is God - If she did not obey God, Jesus might never have been born. Without his birth, there would be no Christianity and no salvation - Catholics believe that Mary can help Catholics with their prayers. This is why they pray the 'Hail Mary' and say the rosary

Question 38

# **3.8 Sources of Personal and Ethical Decision Making** How should Catholics make a personal and/or ethical decision?

Answer 38

- To help them to make the right decision, Catholics can turn to: 1) The Bible 2) The example of Jesus 3) The Church 4) Tradition 5) Conscience

Question 39

# **3.8 Sources of Personal and Ethical Decision Making** How is the teaching of Jesus an authoritative source of moral teaching?

Answer 39

Jesus' moral teaching can be summed up in two ways: 1) **The Golden Rule** - "in everything fo to othets as you would have them do to you: for this is the law and the prophets" - Matthew 7:12 2) **Love thy neighbour** - a man asked Jesus what he must do to go to heaven. Jesus picked out two commandments. He said the first is to 'love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength' and the second most important is to 'love thy neighbour'

Question 40

# **3.8 Sources of Personal and Ethical Decision Making** Describe what Natural Law means to Catholics

Answer 40

- Catholics believe that we were all created by God with 'natural law' within us. There are people in the universe who have never heard of the Bible or Jesus so how do they know which actions are good or evil? - Thomas Aquinas says that God created us with the ability to know what is 'good' - God created things that were 'good' for us e.g. sunlight good for plants. We also know how to avoid what is 'bad' e.g. we know to avoid dangerous situations as it could harm or kill us

Question 41

# **3.8 Sources of Personal and Ethical Decision Making** Describe what conscience is for Catholics

Answer 41

- The Catholic Church teaches that the conscience is the voice of God and therefore all Christians should follow it - St. Paul and St. Thomas said that Christians should use their conscience as the final part of decision making - a last resort if the Bible or Church cannot provide and answer to a difficult situation - However, some Christians are doubtful about using their conscience when making moral decision as they may make a mistake. Their conscience could tell them to do something that is 'evil' even though they think it may be good - The Church teaches that you need to ensure that you are not doing evil in order to do something good when following your conscience e.g. don't kill one person in order to save the lif of three