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 Unit Activities & Answer Key
 
The first pillar, "The Profession of Faith," encompasses the basic doctrines of faith and addresses what Catholics believe. It is organized according to the beliefs outlined in the Nicene Creed, which is familiar to all Catholics and an excellent framework for teaching doctrine in a logical sequence. The Nicene Creed is an ancient formula that continues to be the foundation for Catholic belief, a testament to the apostolicity of the Church.
 
The Second Vatican Council promoted a renewed interest in Scripture study by using all the latest forms and tools of literary criticism: archeology, linguistics, anthropology, comparative religion, comparative literature, and so on. Such study does not alter the revealed truth of Scripture but enables us to better discover the meaning of the truths God has revealed through Scripture.
The Church uses the term Revelation with a capital R to describe the record of what God reveals to us in Sacred Scripture and the Church’s Tradition. This Revelation ended with the death of the last apostle and contains all we need to know about God and ourselves to achieve salvation. However, God continues to reveal God’s self to us today in various ways. The purpose of this revelation (with a small r) is to provide us with a deeper insight into the Revelation contained in Sacred Scripture and the Church’s Tradition.
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Find out more about Revelation. See teen’s book pages 223-224, Parish Edition; pages 357-378, School Edition. Read Part One, Section One, Chapter Two of the Catechism of the Catholic Church [paragraphs 50-141].
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Recently, Catholics and Lutherans reached an historic accord regarding the meaning of the doctrine that states we are saved by faith. This issue had been a major source of disagreement since the Reformation. There is now a shared understanding that while it is true that faith, not our own works, saves us, it is also true that we are responsible for doing the good works that faith prompts us to do. Furthermore, faith itself is a conscious choice.
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Find out more about faith and salvation. See pages 227-228, Parish Edition; pages 361-362, School Edition; in Grade Level 8 teen’s book. Read paragraphs 142-165 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church for more information.
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The Laity
Some Catholics think that only clergy and religious brothers and sisters are expected to carry out the Church’s mission. The Second Vatican Council stressed that all the faithful, by virtue of their Baptism and Confirmation, have been empowered and commissioned by the Holy Spirit to participate in the Church’s mission. This is one of the reasons there has been such an "explosion" of ministries in the Church in our day.
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Find out more about the role of the laity. See pages 229-230, Parish Edition; pages 363-364, School Edition in Grade Level 7 teen’s book. Read paragraphs 897-913 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
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Although followers of other great world religions, such as Judaism and Islam, believe in the existence of one God, only Christians believe in the mystery of three divine Persons sharing the one divine nature. Also, while many Jews and Muslims respect Jesus as a prophet, only Christians believe that Jesus is truly the divine Son of God and the Second Person of the Trinity.
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Find out more about the Trinity. See teen’s book pages 225-226, Parish Edition; pages 359-360, School Edition. Read paragraphs 232-267 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
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Ecumenism
In the Church, an important movement that resulted from the Second Vatican Council was that of ecumenism. This movement has brought about increased cooperation between various Christian churches and heightened understanding, religious tolerance, and respect for other great religious traditions of the world. As catechists, we should strive to foster understanding in the way that we speak about other faiths.
The People of God
The preferred term used by the Second Vatican Council to describe the Church is People of God. This term emphasizes the importance of the communal and relational nature of the Church and the responsibility of all its members, both clergy and laity, to carry out its mission.
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Find out more about the Church. See teen’s book pages 227-228 or 229-230, Parish Edition; pages 361-362 or 363-364, School Edition. Read paragraphs 748-870 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
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God’s Mercy
Although Jesus did not avoid talking about eternal punishment, his teachings primarily concentrated on the mercy of God. Jesus continually reached out to sinners with compassion and forgiveness instead of condemnation and threats of punishment. Our catechesis should exemplify these Christlike qualities.
Purgatory
Though it is common to speak of purgatory as an actual place, it may be more proper to understand it as a state, condition, or process of purification. It remains the firm belief of the Church that in some way prayers for our departed brothers and sisters can benefit them.
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Find out more about everlasting life. See teen’s book pages 231-232, Parish Edition; pages 365-367, School Edition. Read paragraphs 1020-1065 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
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