The Church and the fullness of the Truth

This brief note explains how an investigation into the recent Magisterium of the Church reveals that the Catholic Church possesses the fullness of the truth. The words of the Second Vatican Council "the very fullness of grace and truth entrusted to the Catholic Church" (Unitatis Redintegratio, 3) are repeated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the encyclical letter Ut unum sint and in the Instruction Dominus Iesus. Although the members of the Church, over the centuries, have often failed to bear witness to the fullness of the Truth possessed by the Church, this does not reduce in any way the objective reality of the possession of the fullness of the Truth by the Catholic Church.peer-reviewe

Are You An Emissary of Jesus Christ?: Justice, The Catholic Church and the Chicano Movement

In 1969, Católicos Por La Raza (CPLR) emerged as an ethnic protest group against the injustices of the American Catholic Church in San Diego and Los Angeles, California. CPLR was critical of the Catholic hierarchy\u27s inconsistencies in relation to the Chicano community. As one of the wealthiest institutions, the Catholic Church was doing very little for a community that made up the largest part of the Church\u27s membership. For CPLR, the Christian message of justice was not practiced by the leaders of the Church. In Los Angeles, Chicanos were asking why the Archdiocese chose to close a high school in the barrio, due to lack of funds, but could still afford to build a three million dollar cathedral in downtown Los Angeles. In San Diego, Chicanos were asking the Catholic Church to become intimately involved in the everyday struggles of the Chicano community. Within this dialogue emerged a clear concept of justice and its meaning for CPLR members in relationship to the hierarchy of the American Catholic Church

The Catholic Physician and Natural Family Planning: Helping to Build a Culture of Life

This paper is based on the author\u27s answer to a question from Theresa Notare, director of the Natural Family Planning Program of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, about what Catholic scientists and physicians can do to promote NFP and what the Catholic Church in the United States can do to help physicians and health professionals promote NFP. The paper reviews the Church\u27s historical call for health professionals to study and to teach NFP methods, briefly analyzes the current state of NFP in Catholic health care, and provides an answer to Dr. Notare from the perspectives of research, education, and practice

Catholic Church Closings

The Catholic Diocese of Buffalo was established on April 23, 1847. It serves the following counties in New York State: Erie, Niagara, Genesee, Orleans, Chautauqua, Wyoming, Cattaraugus and Allegany. The Diocese covers 6,455 square miles and has a Catholic population of 702,884. In June 2005, Bishop Edward U. Kmiec, the bishop of Buffalo, initiated a “parish-based strategic plan and spiritual revitalization initiative” called “Journey in Faith and Grace.” Through this initiative, the Diocese of Buffalo “restructured” churches in the Vicariates of Southeast Buffalo, Northern Erie, and Eastern Erie. The restructuring called for 77 worship sites to be phased out, while 198 worship sites will remain in use

When Church Teachings and Policy Commitments Collide: Perspectives on Catholics in the U.S. House of Representatives

This article investigates the influence of religious values on domestic social policy-making, with a particular focus on Catholics. We analyze roll call votes in the 109th Congress and find that Catholic identification is associated with support for Catholic Social Teaching, but both younger Catholics and Republican Catholics are found less supportive. In followup interviews with a small sample of Catholic Republicans, we find that they justify voting contrary to Church teaching by seeing its application to domestic social issues as less authoritative than Church moral teachings on issues like abortion

Aquinas on Inclusion: Using the Good Doctor and Catholic Social Teaching to Build a Moral Case for Inclusion in Catholic Schools for Children with Special Needs

This article discusses the present status of students with disabilities in Catholic schools. It then builds the case, based upon the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas and Catholic Social Teaching, that Catholic Schools, to remain true to Church teachings, must offer special educational services. The article concludes with recommendations for research and practice related to inclusion in Catholic schools

6. Catholic Revival and Counter Reformation

Contemporary with Luther and Calvin, there were once again powerful constructive forces at work within the Roman Catholic church. A reformed and rededicated papacy, a revived and purified clergy, a militant spearhead in the Jesuits, and an unequivocal statement of doctrine at the Council of Trent not only contained and turned back the Protestant tide, but also helped the Roman Catholic church become once more a dynamic force in Western Civilization. What happened in the Roman Catholic West during the sixteenth century has frequently been called the Counter Reformation. This term is not altogether accurate, since Catholic revival was only partially inspired by the Protestant movement, and only a portion of its effort was directed against Protestantism. [excerpt

A new dawn? The Roman Catholic Church and environmental issues

This is a PDF version of an article published in New Blackfriars© 1997. The definitive version is available at www.blackwell-synergy.com.This article discusses the stance of the Roman Catholic Church on environmental issues and argues that the Church tends to stay on the fringe rather than get involved. Some of the ways in which Roman Catholic theologians have incorporated environmental issues into theological reflection is discussed, as are environmental challenges facing the Church in Britain (conservation, resources, biodiversity, animal welfare, biotechnology, cooperate/individual ethics, environmental justice, economics/policy development, and global issues)

First Catholic Church of England and Wales safeguarding structure to protect children from Clerical Sexual Abuse: A Commentary on Nolan (2001) till Cumberlege (2007)

The current commentary analyses the Nolan Report (2001) and the Annual Reports (2001-2007) of the Catholic Office for the Protection of Children and vulnerable Adults (COPCA) formed as a result of the Nolan Report (2001). The commentary determines how wilfully the Catholic Church of England and Wales responded to the Nolan recommendations. This paper explores the success of this first child-safeguarding model (2001 - 2007) in relation to the deficiencies and structural modifications suggested by the Cumberlege Commission (2007). In conclusion, the commentary identifies a range of shortcomings and difficulties in the establishment of a uniform and secure child protection mechanism within the Catholic Church of England and Wales