Practice Essays Religion Module 1- Catherine McAuley

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1 Practice Essays Religion Module 1- Catherine McAuley The legacy of The Venerable Mother Catherine Elizabeth McAuley s work remains an important part of todays society as the Mercy values and work of Mercy sisters are known and present in many countries around the world today. Catherine underwent great change in her life as a result of the influence of the Catholic religion. In this essay I will address the influence of Catherine s father on shaping her vocation and life works. How Catherine s vocation was shaped by the Catholic mission and how Catherine lived out her vocation through corporal and spiritual works of Mercy. Finally it will discuss how Catherine maintained her faith and obedience towards God through every challenge she faced, looking to him for guidance. Catherine McAuley is an ideal example of what it means to be a conduit of God s loving and compassionate Mercy in the world. Catherine McAuley was born on the 29th of September 1788, to James and Elinor McAuley, in Dublin Ireland. During this time Ireland was divided into the rich and the poor. The rich were made up by predominantly by Protestants, where as the poor are predominantly Catholic. Life was par ticularly hard for Catholics during this time due to Penal Laws that where created to suppress the Catholic religion and strengthen the Protestant stronghold on Ireland's economy. These laws prevented Catholics from participation in Catholic worship, voting, owning land, or teaching in the faith. This made life as a Catholic particularly difficult and almost always resulted in poverty. Catherine s father played a very influential part in Catherine s life, he ignited her growth towards God and sparked her passion to help the poor. CM witnessed her fathers compassion and kindness from the doorstep of their family home. Catherine observed a kind father gathering the poor Irish children of the lanes (Regan, 1978). He was Catherine s first model of service to the poor. Unlike many Catholics he resisted the pressure to renounce his faith to fit into society and CM followed in his footsteps. James McAuley opened Catherine s eyes to the needs of the poor. Mr McAuley was Catherine s first mentor in the Catholic faith and was a ideal role model for her. Catherine s early introduction to faith helped her through the unforeseen hardships to come, including the death of her father, and the families descent into poverty. Catherine s father ignited the flame of God which continued developed through out her lifetime. Through her father Catherine began to discover her life vocation, and continue his mission with the poor. Inspired by the caring actions of her father, Catherine developed her life vocation to live in a way that imitated Jesus charity, humility and love on earth and live out God s will. Her life works were shaped around the Catholic mission to Love and serve God and others. Catherine used her life to become an instrument of God on earth and she prayed to him for guidance in this life mission. Throughout her life this mission to love and serve was fulfilled a multitude of times. The House of Mercy on Baggot street in Dublin was opened by CM on the 24th September 1827, it provided services for destitute women, a home for orphans, a school for the poor and rooms for volunteers. Catherine throughout her life remained true to the belief that It is for God we serve the poor, and not for thanks (CM, N.D). She devoted her life to living out this quote and devoting all her works to God, her guide and support. Catherine McAuley lived in a way that reflected Christ s love for all. She did this through living out and acting on the corporal and spiritual works of Mercy. Catherine McAuley was the ultimate model of corporal and spiritual works of Mercy, not only promoting them, but living them. CM formed the sisters of Mercy in 1831, forming an order

2 allowed the women to continue their critical work among the poorest people of Dublin. CM saw physical and spiritual needs of the poor inseparable and of equal value. She strongly believed in the scripture of Matthew 25:40 As you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it for me., serving the poor and destitute in Jesus name. Together with her sisters and volunteers they would visit the sick in hospital, shelter, give food and drink to the homeless and destitute, in the house of Mercy. Spiritually they would pray for the living and the dead, instruct the ignorant by educating others in the Catholic faith and forgave offences. The House of Mercy played a large role in facilitating the process of corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Throughout her life CM faced many challenges, throughout each one she remained true and faithful to God. CM put all confidents and faith that God would provide and never abandoned her faith in times of hardship. Her deep compassion and love sustained her in all the challenges she faced and gave her a freedom to respond creatively, lovingly and in ways that empowered and encouraged others. Catherine believed that people should Put your whole confidence in God. He will never let you want necessaries for yourself or children. Some challenges that C faced included her families decent into poverty, throughout this time of her life she fostered the belief that God would provide and remained spiritually rich through prayer. After her parents died Catherine stayed with the Armstrongs, practicing Protestants who ridiculed Catholicism throughout this time C stayed true to God and found crosses for prayer in trees and window frames. C grew even closer to God when she took her religious vows, which shaped her in the values of chastity, poverty and obedience. Although she faced many challenges C remained true and faithful to God, who through each challenge prevailed and guided C in her path to Mercy. Catherine understood and lived the conviction that Christ has no body now but ours and exemplifies that each one of us brings our own unique gift to living that vision in the place and time in which we find ourselves. CM faith towards God was sparked by her father, guided by her vocation and the catholic mission, expressed through the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, it strengthened her through challenges and remained strong throughout her life. She left a legacy which can be seen across the world, living up to her quote We should be as shining lamps, giving light to all around us. (CM, N.D). The Catholic faith shaped and guided CM in her works as a preacher, carer, nurse, mother, teacher and instrument of God on earth. Module 2- Stewardship Intro Every person on Earth relies on the environment for their basic means of survival, whether it be for food, shelter or clothing. The Earth and all life on it are gifts to us from God and all part of his creative power. Humans are called to respect this gift. To re-engage with our environment and take responsibility for it; live sustainably, live so that there are enough resources for everyone. This forms the basis of the religious belief of stewardship. A religious belief is a key idea which followers hold to be deeply and permanently true. Every person is called to stewardship, and it has a direct relationship with the lives of people. There are consequences that can be felt by all when we do not live in a sustainable way or one that reflect the belief of stewardship. Our current Pope, Francis recognised the need for change publishing the Encyclical Laudato Si.

3 What is stewardship? Where/when were we given the responsibility/call? Effect of stewardship on people Stewardship is the call to respect, care for and share the resources of the earth, which are vital for the common good of people. Care for animals and the environment is a common and universal duty, and ecological problems call for a change of mentality and the adoption of new lifestyles. Humans were given this responsibility in the book of Genesis. Then God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth (Genesis 1:26). Stewardship has a direct effect on the lives of all who inhabit the Earth. We rely on the environment everyday of our lives, for food, for clothing, for shelter and for medicines. It is also a place where people have experienced a great closeness with God through its beauty and wonder. Creation is a gift from God and provides us with these things, the basics for our lives, yet it can so easily and so often be taken for granted. CST of stewardship/ relationship with people The CST of stewardship reminds us that we must respect creation and we have an obligation and responsibility to care for it. A Catholic social teaching is a body of doctrine developed by the Catholic Church on matters of social justice, involving issues of poverty and wealth, economics, social organisation and the role of the state. They have developed throughout time and have developed from practical reflection on the realities of modern life in the light of the principles and themes of Catholic Social Teaching. (CST.org.uk) The CST of Stewardship calls us to action in order to preserve the earth for generations to come. Consequences of not practicing stewardship When Stewardship is not practiced the lives of all people are effected, particularly those who have very little impact on the Earth. Around the wold more than 3 billion people, nearly half the worlds population live in poverty without the basic necessities of life. Lack of stewardship can leaf too a strain on the agricultural and fishing industries in developing countries, lack of clean drinking water and environmental devastation. Pope Francis highlights this in Laudato Si, Hear the cry of the ear th and the cry of the poor, the quote illustrates the direct link between a lack of stewardship and poverty. Climate change is an issue that plagues our headlines and threatens the lives of many. Science has shown that the destruction caused by a lack of stewardship, the release of greenhouse gases, forestry and consumerism has led directly to climate change. The developing world are the main contributors by the poor are the ones who feel the burden. A lack of sustainability endangers the lives of future generations. Laudato Si (Message, main themes, encyclical) Our current Pope, Pope Francis recognised the irreversible impact humans were having on the Earth and released an Encyclical, Laudato Si, On Care For Our Common Home, which highlighted these impacts, their causes and possible solutions. An Encyclical is a Papal letter addressed to all bishops of the Catholic Church that addresses issues that impact society. They main themes include the criticism of out throwaway culture and consumers, environmental degradation, climate change, poverty caused by a lack of stewardship and a call to take swift and unified global action. The purpose of the encyclical was to propose a new dialogue about how we are shaping the future of our planet. We need a conversation that includes everyone, since the environment challenges we

4 are undergoing and its human roots, concern and affect us all (Laudato Si, para 14). The encyclical calls for change, a change which our current society is striving for. How we practice stewardship today? Laudato Si has inspired this change, which forms a basis for Charity Campaigns which aim to protect our common home. The Catholic organisation Caritas Our Common Home campaign aims to support activists in the community to take action in solidarity with those most impacted by climate change, through personal actions and by demanding appropriate action from politicians. Their website provides links and programs which encourage change to protect the Earth, petitions and letters to the Prime Minister all of which are inspired by Pope Francis message in Laudato Si. Conclusion Module 3- Religious/Societal Views 5th Commandment- You shall not kill (Exodus 20:13) 7th Commandment- You shall not steal (Exodus 20:15) Capital Punishment Intro - Role of religions in society: Reasons For - Role of religions in society: Reasons Against - Capital Punishment, Churches views: reasons - Societal Views: reasons - Example Religion has an important role in society and in many areas, including religious, social, political and cultural. The Catholic church involves itself in each of these areas, though some members of society believe that it should not. There are reasons both for and against the role of religion in society, which will be explored in this essay. Issues often arise in society that have opposing views from the Catholic community and other members of society. One such issue is Capital punishment, the deliberate and authorised killing of a person as punishment for a crime. The Catholic religion has and important religious, social, political and cultural role in society. The religious reasons for the involvement of religion in society include to assist in promoting, supporting and developing each persons ability to listen to, be in touch with and respond to their questions of the human heart and find belonging and meaning in their lives. The Catholic religion in Australia provides many healthcare, education and welfare services to communities, as part of its social role in society. The views of the Catholic religion are upheld in the political area by various religious leaders and political groups, this is an important part of upholding the beliefs of all members society. Many people find religion a way of expressing themselves and contributing to society which is a part of the cultural role of religion in society. Although religion plays an important role in society, there are some reasons which oppose the involvement of religion in society. For some of the following reasons, religion can lead to discrimination on the basis of religious values, when taken too far religious values can incite hate

5 against groups or members of society, for example homosexual people. For this reason religions can turn members of society against each other because of religious views. Another reason is that some religions inflict fear, currently there is a fear of the Muslim religion because some of their values cause anger, pain and endanger members of society. Islam is a religion that often promotes the use of war, violence and terrorism to promote their religious goals. Particular religions are deeply opposed to intellectual and scientific advances. These are some reasons against the involvement of Religion in society. Capital punishment has been completely abolished in 102 countries around the world and is a very controversial issue with contrasting reasons for and against. The Catholic church are against Capital punishment as contravenes the 5th commandment Thou shall not kill (Exodus 20:13). The Church believes every life is a gift from God and is sacred as we are made in Gods image and likeness (genesis 1:27), even the life of a criminal. It also believes no human authority is greater than God and nothing can justify the deliberate killing of another. The death penalty leaves no room or redemption and does not serve as a means of protection and deterrence. The Encyclical Evangelism Vitae by Pope John Paul illustrates the need for balance between serving justice and delivering mercy. With our modern judicial systems Capital punishment is not needed to protect the common good as it previously would have been. Societal views argue otherwise, they say that protects the rest of society, deters others and acts as the ultimate warning for others. Another argument for the death penalty is that it is cheaper than life in prison and gives victims or families closure. However much of society agrees that it should only be used when absolutely necessary and in proportion to the crime committed.??? Module 4 Explain the purpose of one main structure and/or process of a particular religion. Intro Religious structures refer to the organisation of a religion, including its leadership. Religious processes refer to how things are done in a religion. They often give expression to the workings of a particular religious structure. The Catholic Church has many structures and processes that are designed to support the work and mission of the Church. These structures and processes usually have the following functions: teaching and safeguarding the Christian message, providing for the growing holiness of believers or governing the Church in Jesus name. The Magisterium of the Catholic Church is one example of a structure, it s purpose is to preserve the teachings of Christ and present it accurately and authentically to the world. Magisterium The Magisterium is made up of the Pope and the Bishops of the world. The Magisterium is the official teaching authority of the Church, whose task is to interpret and preserve the truths of the Church revealed in Scripture and Tradition. Jesus Christ formed to Magisterium to guard what has been entrusted (1 Timothy 6:20). The Pope, and the bishops, as the successors of the Apostles, share in the spiritual gifts and authority of the apostles. The authority of the Magisterium was given to Peter, one of Jesus disciples, originally named Simon. I tell you that you are Peter, and it is on

6 this rock that I will build my congregation Whatever you prohibit on earth will have been prohibited in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will have been permitted in heaven. (Matthew 16:17-20). Peter became the rock of the church and passed this authority and spiritual gifts to the Pope and Bishops through the sacrament of Holy Orders. The Magisterium is infallible, the Holy Spirit protects the Magisterium from teaching error on matters of faith and morals. 4 Teaching Levels The teachings of the Magisterium are categorised into the 4 levels of church teaching. There are different levels of teaching requiring different responses from Catholics. Some teachings are given by Councils of the Pope and bishops, others are given by Synods of the Pope and representatives of the bishops from around the world. The purposes of the teachings are to explain God s Revelation clearly, to point out how some teachings are consistent with what God has revealed and to warn about ideas that conflict with what God has revealed. A variety of statements are used when teaching, including encyclicals and pastoral letters. Teachings of Popes and bishops aim to help Catholics understand better the Christian message, and how it relates to daily life. Level 1 The first level of Catholic church teaching is the infallible teachings, they are revealed by God through Jesus. The Holy spirit has guided the Church s understanding of the infallible teachings. Some examples are Creeds, doctrines about the Trinity, the virgin Mary and the 7 sacraments. Infallible teachings cannot be changed once proclaimed and must be accepted by Catholics. Level 2 The second level is the definitive teachings, these teachings help to define a person s faith as Catholic. Examples include not being forced to act contrary to ones conscience, actions which break the 5th commandment and not forcing a person who does not believe into worship. The definitive teachings are the final word and clarify the actions of a Catholic person. Level 3 The third level of Catholic church teaching are teachings which help understanding about revelation. These teachings are about understanding the Christian message and how it relates to daily life. Their purpose is to explain revelation, show how Catholic teachings are consistent with revelation and warn about ideas which go against revelation. Some examples include social justice teachings like the Dignity of the Human Person. Level 4 The fourth and final level is teachings on contemporary issues, these are teachings which assist in guiding Catholics in how to respond to contemporary issues. The magisterium applies the Gospel by long periods of prayer, study, discussion and consultation from experts to understand how to apply teachings to current societal issues. Functions passed down/congregations/cause of saints The roles of Peter and the Apostles can be broken down into the three basic functions exercised by Jesus. They are the functions of teaching and safeguarding the Christian message, providing for the growing holiness of believers and governing the Church in Jesus name. These are continued by

7 the Pope and bishops today. Various congregations assist the pope in these duties, some include the Doctrine of Faith, the Causes of saints and Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. The Doctrine of Faith is run by German, Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller. The congregation was initiated in 1542 by Pope Paul III, it assists the Pope by filtering Catholic doctrinal literature, when they do not correctly portray the teachings or a complaint has been submitted. The Cause of Saints prepares each year everything necessary for the pope to be able to set forth new examples of holiness, saints. After approving results on miracles, martyrdom and heroic virtues of various Servants of God, the Holy Father proceeds to a series of canonisations and beatifications. Each congregation plays an important role in the functioning and governing of the Catholic Church. Conc The Magisterium of the Catholic church is an important part of the church, together with the Holy Spirit the Pope and Bishops guide and teach the churches followers. The levels of the church teaching assist followers to develop their conscience, learn how to respond to current social issues, understand and comprehend revelation and help to define a person s faith as Catholic. The Apostolic offices assist the Magisterium in conduction particular processes of the church, including the canonisation of saints and preventing the improper teaching of church teachings. The Apostolic Offices of the Catholic Church are an example of a structure which uses particular processes to support the Church s work and mission. Module 5 The impact and event or issue in history had on a religion Introduction Over time various historical events had an huge impact and shaped the Catholic Church. The industrial revolution was a radical event in human history and completely changed the lives of people all around the world. The revolution continues to have an impact on us, today. The technology available to us, production methods and the developed world we live in today, all available because of the momentous changes brought about by the revolution. Although many positives cam out of the revolution, they didn t come without huge negative impacts. The Catholic church witnessed these unjust circumstances and released the encyclical Rerum Novarum, which provided solutions for these issues. From the Rerum Novarum the church saw the emergence of the Catholic Social Teachings (CST) which guide Catholics on how to respond to various social issues. The Rerum Novarum and other encyclicals became the core of CSTs. The CSTs play an important role in guiding Catholics and Catholic organisations, such as Caritas, who's work aims to promotes and uphold the CSTs. Other events also contributed to the emergence of CSTs such as the Cuban Missile Crisis in the 1960 s. Industrial Revolution context The industrial revolution played an important role in shaping the world in which we inhabit today. Beginning in Britain in the late 1700 s, it was sparked by the ability to harness the power of earth as an energy source. The discovery of coal found close to the surface made it easy to mine, and cheap to use. The cheap energy source paired with high wages led directly to the industrial revolution, giving strong incentives to invent technologies that substituted capital and coal for labour. This together with a shift towards scientific thinking led to the invention of machines. With this came a huge change in the runnings of society and the lives of all people. The industrial

8 revolution was another of those extraordinary jumps forward in the story of civilisation (Stephen Gardiner). Society became industrial and urbanised, marking a shift to powered machinery, factories and mass production. Jobs were taken over by more efficient and cheaper machines and the process of urbanisation began, as people who lived in the country began to move to cities in search of wage labour in newly developed factories. This increase in population had a huge impact in living conditions, the cities became crowded, dirty and polluted. All areas of peoples lives were impacted and for the most part not in a positive way. The Catholic Church witnessed this large impact that the revolution was having on the British people, particularly the poor and working class and sought to address the issues surrounding poor living and working conditions. Why church involved? The people whose hard work had made the industrial revolution possible, were the ones who's lives were effected the most. Entire families moved to cities where industrial labour was in demand. Cities soon became overcrowded, unsanitary and highly polluted. Working conditions were no better. Workers had no rights, no protection and child labour was common. The mass factories were poorly ventilated, over-crowded, and replete with safety hazards. There where no government regulations on labour, so employers inflicted long hours, bad pay, began employing women and children, some as young as 8 and offered no compensation for injury. The Catholic church witnessed many acts of injustice and indecent treatment of people, many of which contradicted the word of God and the beliefs of the church. The bible calls us to Love one another. As I have loved you. (John 13:34), in this scripture humans are called to show love and charity towards each other. During the Industrial Revolution charity and love for one another was forsaken in the name of progress and profit. Many people were mistreated, treated as lesser and experienced horrible working and living conditions, which contradicted the Catholic belief that all men are equal as they are each made in the image of God (genesis 1:27). Catholic teaching illustrates that no man is more important than another and all should be treated with dignity, respect and fairness. The Catholic Church began to get involved in social issues and worked to alleviate the suffering of members of society so that it could promote the equality of all people, the dignity of each person and justice for all. Rerum novarum The Catholic church was concerned particularly with the lack of equal rights, the judgement of the poor, that lack of support for the poor from the government, the lack of concern for the worker and the general lack of wellbeing of the community, all of which contrasted its beliefs and teachings. The release of Pope Leo XIII s encyclical Rerum Novarum addressed issues created by the Industrial revolution, upheld and promoted the rights of workers and the individual right to property. An encyclical is a teaching letter from the pope to the members of the church on topics of social justice, human rights and peace. The main points addressed in the encyclical include the balance between labour and capital, the common good and the role of the state. The balance between labour and capital acknowledges that one cannot live without each other, but a fine balance must be struck to uphold the rights and dignity of all involved. Pope Leo states that Mutual agreement results in the beauty of good order, while perpetual conflict necessarily produces confusion and savage barbarity. (RN, para 19) this quote defines the importance of this balance. The common good illustrates the right to private ownership, and the teaching that the poor have a special call on our charity, When there is question of defending the rights of individuals, the poor and badly off have a claim to especial consideration. (RN, para 37) now

9 known as the preferential option for the poor. The encyclical asserts the dirty of the state is to ensure wellbeing for all of its members and promote the common good. The basis of the encyclical is to highlight everyones God-given dignity which must be upheld. Development of CST A second encyclical based on issues of Social Justice, Quadragesimo anno, was released some 40 years after Rerum Novarum was published. The encyclical expands and reflects on issues covered in RN, many of which did not apply to the current social issues. A few topics covered did, and extended into subsequent encyclicals. These links that could be traced through various encyclicals developed into the core of Catholic Social Teaching. The teachings promote a just society that is established through biblical teachings, the teachings of the leaders of the early church, and in the understanding accumulated from experience by the Catholic community as it responded to social justice issues throughout history beginning from the late 1800s. They aim to engage with the rapid changes happening in contemporary society, drawing on the riches of Catholic Tradition to identify the moral issues involved. The issues discussed in the various encyclicals, overtime developed into the basic social justice teachings now known today as the Preferential option for the poor, Dignity of the human person and the Common Good. The Social Justice Teachings emerged so that Catholics could respond to certain issues of society, in a guided manner and one that was in line with their beliefs and teachings. The severe impact of many social issues such as the Industrial revolution, great depression and cuban missile crisis brought about a need for these guidelines and contributed greatly to the development of the Social Justice Teachings. CST promoting justice today The Catholic Social Teachings guide Catholic into responding to issues of social justice in ways that reflect the key values and beliefs of the church. They ground the vision, mission and goals of Catholic organisations and social justice groups. All the different areas that Catholic Social Teaching touches upon have developed from practical reflection on the realities of modern life in the light of the principles and themes of Catholic Social Teaching. (CST.org.uk). The Catholic charity organisation Caritas works to uphold the CST. The uphold the Dignity of the human person by creating people-centred programs, where people are never treated as mere recipients of aid. They promote the Common Good by giving priority to development programs which involve collaboration with communities. Catholic charity organisations play an important role in upholding the CSTs. The teachings influence the way in which todays Catholics respond to social issues that are presented today, such as climate change, poverty, war and euthanasia. Throughout human history various events have provoked a response from the church in the form of an encyclical, many which later developed into CSTs. The Cuban Missile crisis was an event that threatened that safety of many people, the Catholic church responded to the crisis by releasing the encyclical Pacem in Terris (Peace on Ear th, John XXIII) in The event, and the expression of the encyclical influenced the social justice teaching of Solidarity, which calls catholics to commit ourselves wholeheartedly to the good of all, to stand in solidarity with our one human family. (Caritas 2016). Many events throughout history had an impact on the Catholic church and contributed to the emergence of the Catholic Social Teachings. Conclusion

10 Module 6 The relationship between one particular religious ritual or practice and the lives of people 1) Name 1 religious practice a) Identify the main features of this religion b) Outline how this religious practice plays a role in the lives of people