Christianity    means a belief in the divinity of Jesus Christ.   follower of the doctrines associated with Him is called a Christian.     The first major church associated with this faith is Catholicism, which can be divided into Roman, Orthodox and Eastern Rite.     Left: Christian rosary used in prayer  (Langley)  (See Also Universal Christian Beliefs, Protestantism, & a  Table for the Major Churches)

An early split in Catholicism created the Orthodox churches in countries which were once part of the Byzantine Empire, the most famous of which are the Greek and Russian Orthodox Churches. They are headed by Metropolitans, and services are held in the national language of the Church, so a Greek Orthodox service in the United States would still be in Greek.
 

A hybrid of these two are the Eastern Rite Churches. These are technically Roman Catholic, since they follow the dictates of the pope, but they use a form of worship closer to the Orthodox Church, and are associated with an Eastern European country, i.e., Ukrainian Church.  A marriage in an Eastern Orthodox Church.  The priest holds the wedding crowns over the heads of the bride and groom.  (Parrinder 437)

The Inside of a Romanian Church  from Online Icons Larger picture

The most "controversial" and the real "acid test"  between Catholics and Protestants is the teaching of transubstantiation, a Catholic belief that during the communion (eucharist) ceremony, the bread and wine actually becomes the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The infallibility of the pope on matters of doctrine (called  "speaking ex cathedra"¨) The doctrine of transubstationation has aroused great controversy over the centuries. (Parrinder 428)

The Immaculate Conception of Mary (means that she was born without "original sin"--the sin humans carry from Adam and Eve's first disobedience).  This is often confused with the Virgin Birth of Jesus.  This is the belief that the Holy Spirit made Mary pregnant,     "The Virgin of the Grotto"  at Lourdes, France.  The Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to St. Bernadette 18 times in 1858 and to have revealed to her a spring whose waters have the power of curing ills. (Langley 165)

• Sacraments are special events in Catholics lives when God sends special grace. Catholics recognize seven: baptism, communion, confession, confirmation, marriage, holy orders, and anointing of the sick (this used to be called "Extreme Unction" and was used when a person was dying, but it was opened up to the ill in the late 20^th century).

• The Catholic Church system is hierarchical. For Roman Catholics ranking goes pope, cardinals, bishops, priests. There are also subdivisions with bishops and priests, but we needn't go into that here.

Left: Bishop's mitre  (Langley)

• Sainthood is something special in Catholicism (and for some Protestant groups as well). But for Catholics, there is a special, official process the Church uses to call someone a saint. This can be confusing to non-Catholics, but if someone gets named an official Saint, they were most likely better than I'm ever going to be.

• There are also Patron saints of just about everything and everywhere. These are not gods and goddesses as my polytheistic students often think, but a saint who takes special interest in the needs of the group he or she represents and then is willing to intercede with God for special intentions. Important ones for English majors:

The Blessed Mother - Patron of China St. George - Patron of England St. Patrick, St. Brigid, St. Columba - Patrons of Ireland St. Andrew - Patron of Scotland St. David - Patron of Wales The Immaculate Conception - Patron of USA St. Cecelia - Patron of music Left: St. Patrick Patrick is invoked against snakes and is often portrayed driving them before him. (Langley 94)  Right: St. Cecelia The Angel in this romanticized portrayal of Cecilia is holding the roses that are one of her emblems. (Langley 125)

Advent is the four week period before Christmas, a time for preparation for the birth of Jesus. During this times traditional Catholics often light the Advent Wreath: three purple candles and one pink.  For the first three Sundays of Advent a purple candle is lit, and on the fourth Sunday the pink is lit. These are often decorated beautifully and build the anticipation for Christmas. 

Lent is the 40 days before Easter. It is a time of repentance, sacrifice and preparation for the coming holiday.  It starts on a day called Ash Wednesday, a day many Christian groups, not just Catholics, have their forehead marked by ashes in the sign of the Cross. (T.S. Eliot mentions this day in a famous poem of the same name.) 

Also See Christmas  and Easter.
 

• The Catholic Encyclopedia on-line: run by the Knights of Columbus, a major Catholic service

organization.
• The Holy See: Vatican Web Site

Recent photographs of the Pope's appearances and the text from his speeches are made available on this site, which is updated frequently.
• Vatican Exhibit:  Rome Reborn

Online exhibit traces the development of Vatican City during the Renaissance, including Vatican Library, Archaeology, Humanism, Mathematics, Music, Medicine and Biology, Nature Described, Orient to Rome, Rome to China.
• Christus Rex: Images of Vatican City, the Sistine Chapel, the Rafael Stanze and Loggia, and Vatican Museums. Multilingual translations of the speeches and writings of Pope John Paul II..
• Holy See (Vatican City) Geography: information about the country of Vatican City itself