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Catholics believe that baptism is necessary for the removal of the inborn sin that is part of all human beings simply because they are human and not divine like God. The second sacrament is confirmation which signifies that "the person has become an adult in the eyes of the church and confirms the promise made by others at baptism" (Thompson, 155).
The third sacrament is of the Eucharist which re-enacts in words and actions Jesus sharing bread and wine with His disciples at the Last Supper. This sacrament is highly liturgical with ornate symbolism. In essence, the bread and the wine "actually become the body and blood of Jesus Christ when the priest speaks the words of consecration." Another sacrament is reconciliation or confession in which penitents "confess their sins to God through the priest who in the name of God and with the authority of the church pronounces forgiveness" for sins. The fifth sacrament is anointing the sick which Catholics believe "gives grace for healing or to assist a person in the passage from life to death and beyond." The fifth sacrament is marriage which "signifies the union of Christ and the church and gives spouses the grace to love each other with the love which Christ gave to his church." The final sacrament is ordination to the priesthood which sets a man apart for the official sacramental ministry of the church. Catholics believe that this "gives the priest the grace required to carry out the demands of priesthood, but only men are ordained in this capacity" (Thompson, 158).
In the modern world, the Catholic Church has been forced to confront a number of problems related to tradition,...
For example, some of these problems are linked to the on-going debate over birth control and the role of women in the church, especially related to priesthood; also, the church now finds itself having to confront many of the problems linked to the 21st century, such as "globalization, terrorism, poverty, American dominance and the clash of Christianity with Islam" (Caldwell, "The Future of the Church," Internet). In addition, the Catholic Church is concerned with problems in Africa and the AIDS/HIV crisis, the refusal of many Catholics in the U.S. To "buy the church's teachings on sexual morality," and the euthanasia movement in Holland. In essence, the Catholic Church must face these and other issues in order to "bring a new approach on how to deal with these questions in the 21st century" (Caldwell, "The Future of the Church," Internet).
Bibliography
Caldwell, Deborah. "The Future of the Church." Beliefnet. Internet. 2007. Retrieved at http://www.beliefnet.com/story/164/story_16420_1.html.
History of the Catholic Church." All About Religion. Internet. 2008. Retrieved at http://www.allaboutreligion.org/history-of-the-catholic-church-faq.htm.
Saenz, Rogelio. "The Changing Demographics of the Catholic Church." Population Reference Bureau. Internet. 2008. Retrieved at http://www.prb.org/Articles/
2005/TheChangingDemographicsofRomanCatholics.aspx.
Thompson, Sarah. The Roman Catholic Church: A History. New York: Random House, 2004.
Vinning, Michael. Perspectives on the Catholic Church. Boston: G.K. Hall, 2005.
Bibliography
Caldwell, Deborah. "The Future of the Church." Beliefnet. Internet. 2007. Retrieved at http://www.beliefnet.com/story/164/story_16420_1.html.
History of the Catholic Church." All About Religion. Internet. 2008. Retrieved at http://www.allaboutreligion.org/history-of-the-catholic-church-faq.htm.
Saenz, Rogelio. "The Changing Demographics of the Catholic Church." Population Reference Bureau. Internet. 2008. Retrieved at http://www.prb.org/Articles/
2005/TheChangingDemographicsofRomanCatholics.aspx.
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