Catholicism Written Report
Instructions:
In your readings from the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, you gained a better understanding of what the Catholic Church teaches on specific theological topics.
You will now use the information from the texts to clearly and concisely explain the teachings listed below:
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Catholic Understanding of God as Trinity
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Salvation is Achieved through the Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ
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Eschatology – Death and the Afterlife
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Freedom
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Virtues
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Sin
Submission Instructions:
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Your report must be typed in 12 pt. Times New Roman font and double-spaced.
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Each section of the report must have a section title on a separate line (e.g., Freedom, Virtues, Sin, etc.).
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Include at least 2 direct quotations with appropriate footnotes:
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The first quotation must come from the required section of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
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The second quotation must come from the required section of the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
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The report should be formatted according to current CMOS guidelines and be at least 3 pages in length (at least 0.5 pages per section).
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A Works Cited page is not required.
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Your paper will be assessed through Turnitin.
The answer
Catholic Understanding of God as
Trinity
God is one in substance but three
in person—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—according to Catholic
doctrine. The core of Christian life and religion is this mystery. The Trinity
reveals God's inner life and love and is more than just a theological idea.
“The Trinity is One. We do not
confess three Gods, but one God in three persons, the ‘consubstantial Trinity’”
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, §253).
“The Church expresses her
Trinitarian faith by confessing a belief in the Father who created and sustains
the world, the Son who redeems it, and the Holy Spirit who sanctifies it”
(Compendium, §48).
Salvation is Achieved through the
Paschal Mystery of Jesus Christ
The Paschal Mystery—the suffering,
death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ—is at the heart of Catholic
doctrine regarding salvation. Christ opened the gates of eternal life by
defeating sin and death through this secret.
“By His death, Christ liberates us
from sin; by His Resurrection, He opens for us the way to a new life”
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, §654).
“The Paschal Mystery of Christ is
the center of the Good News that the Apostles, and the Church following them,
are to proclaim to the world” (Compendium, §112).
Eschatology – Death and the
Afterlife
Every soul is judged after death
and is either sent to paradise, purgatory, or hell, according to Catholic
doctrine. The end goal is to have eternal connection with God.
“Each man receives his eternal
retribution in his immortal soul at the very moment of his death” (Catechism of
the Catholic Church, §1022).
“At the end of time, the Kingdom of
God will come in its fullness... God will be ‘all in all’” (Compendium, §214).
Freedom
The ability to choose what is right
is what Catholic teaching sees as freedom, not the right to do anything. True
freedom is aimed at God and has its roots in truth.
“The more one does what is good,
the freer one becomes” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, §1733).
“Authentic freedom is an
outstanding manifestation of the divine image in man” (Compendium, §363).
Virtues
Virtues are strong, consistent
tendencies to act morally. The Church lists the theological virtues of faith,
hope, and charity as well as the cardinal virtues of temperance, fortitude, justice,
and prudence.
“A virtue is an habitual and firm
disposition to do the good” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, §1803).
“The moral virtues grow through
education, deliberate acts, and perseverance in struggle” (Compendium, §377).
Sin
Sin is a transgression against God those
harms relationships and human nature. It might be either venial (weakening it)
or mortal (severing contact with God).
“Sin is an offense against reason,
truth, and right conscience; it is failure in genuine love for God and
neighbor” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, §1849).
“Sin sets itself against God’s love
for us and turns our hearts away from it” (Compendium, §392).