Latest news with #CatechismoftheCatholicChurch
Herald Malaysia
2 days ago
- General
- Herald Malaysia
The call to evangelise
Every baptised Catholic has the responsibility to catechise, to aid building a relationship with God. As we mature in our faith, we cannot be just a devotional or cultural Church but we must form a thinking Church. Jun 06, 2025 Fr Terence Kesavan asking a young participant some questions By Jennifer DuerteEvery baptised Catholic has the responsibility to catechise, to aid building a relationship with God. As we mature in our faith, we cannot be just a devotional or cultural Church but we must form a thinking Terence Kesavan, Director of the Office for Catechesis (OFC) from the Archdiocese of Singapore, stressed this at formations sessions at the Church of St Michael, May there is a curriculum for catechesis in the whole of Malaysia, Fr Terence said that it should be used only as a guide as every diocese, every parish, every class, every teacher and every child to be catechsed is Terence pointed out a glaring truth about the norm among Catholics and those of our separated brethren. While the latter have high expectations for each of their disciples, Catholics aim for the bare minimum (as can be seen in the CCC 2041 -2043). These references in the Catechism of the Catholic Church refer to the five precepts of the Catholic reiterated that Catholics today cannot afford to be lackadaisical in their way of life. Catholics should do more so that the norm is raised. The aim of Catechesis is to become disciples and learn the discipline of discipleship. There are five areas of growth in Christian living – evangelisation, teaching, service, community and fellowship and prayer and liturgy. To develop a better understanding of these areas, he encouraged all Catholics to read Rick Warren's The Purpose-Driven Life so that we would be able to reflect on our lives and answer questions like 'What Am I here for?', 'How am I doing?' and 'Where am I going?'.Fr Terence matched the six Covenants of God with mankind, from Adam and Eve to Jesus, with the different stages of maturity in spiritual growth from infancy to adulthood, stressing that there was every possibility that an adult Catholic may not be spiritually mature. Catechists were then divided into groups of three where they discussed what would happen in each stage of maturity for each of the five areas of growth in Christian living.'It was an eye-opener for me,' said one of the participants, 'as I have come to realise that I am not mature in my spiritual life at all! I really need to be serious about my faith and work towards becoming an adult in all the five areas of growth in Christian living. I need to know this so that I can help my catechism kids to aim higher and gain maturity in their spiritual life.'Fr Terence also stressed on spiritual accompaniment of catechists with those whom they catechised, the goal of which was to help the latter discover who God had made them to be. There were five dimensions to this, namely, spiritual (prayer), human (understanding of self), intellectual, pastoral (service) and connect with God, Fr Terence introduced the nine pathways to God, referring to the book Sacred Pathways by Gary Thomas. The catechists answered a series of questions and discovered how they really connected with God. Although knowing how they connected with God was good, they were encouraged to try the other ways to connect with God of the participants shared, 'I am so glad to know that enjoying nature is one of the ways that I can connect with God and it is not wrong. I don't really say a lot of prayers, but I enjoy watching sunsets and even see beauty in the formation of clouds. I am a naturalist and find God in nature.'Fr Terence went on to talk about the culture of evangelisation and how Catholics were wary of evangelising, spreading the Good News, for various reasons. He stressed that it is our duty to evangelise, especially since we have benefitted from those who have shared the Good News with us and we are convinced that Christ died to save us from sin and we are expected to evangelise to non-Catholics, re-evangelise to inactive Catholics and share testimonies with active Catholics. We are all called to evangelise because it is a participation in Jesus' RCIA was concerned, he advised that it was an Initiation so it was important that each topic was introduced not too deeply. The enquirers were being initiated into Christianity (knowing Christ), a family (knowing each other) and a way of life (knowing themselves). They had to be informed that formation continued, even after the RCIA process. Accompaniment, however, was of the essence throughout the journey. The roles of sponsors, companions and godparents were therefore very important in the whole process, from the period of evangelisation and pre-catechumenate to the period of post-baptismal Catechesis or the formation sessions, the catechists were spirited with the great responsibility they held in sharing the faith through the discipline of discipling and evangelising, not only with the catechism kids but with all around them.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The Papal conclave: How a new Pope is elected
NEW YORK (PIX11)—After Pope Francis's death, the Catholic Church is in the process of finding a new head. The new Pope will have supreme and full authority over the universal Church, according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. This process is called a papal conclave. More Local News What is a conclave? A conclave is the election process by which a new pope is elected, according to What takes place during the Conclave? The College of Cardinals, composed of 133 voting-eligible cardinals, is sequestered inside the Vatican to pray, discern, and vote for the next pope without distraction. How does one become pope? A two-thirds majority, or about 89 votes, is required for a new pope to be elected. Conclave by the numbers With over 400,000 Catholic priests worldwide, out of them, just 252 are cardinals. Only 133 'cardinals electors' are expected to cast ballots in the conclave; cardinals age 80 and over cannot vote. Of the 133 voting-eligible cardinals, 108 were appointed by Pope Francis, so this is their first conclave. What is the process of voting? According to Exaudi, a Catholic International News Agency, each cardinal writes the chosen candidate's name in Latin. The cardinals then cast their votes into a ballot box in front of the others. Their votes are counted while three groups of three cardinals, known as scrutinators, observe the counting separately to ensure accuracy. The results are then compared and announced to the group. At the end of each day, the ballots are burned. The color of the smoke indicates whether a new pope has been elected. What does the color of the smoke mean? Black smoke signals no decision, while white smoke means a new pope has been chosen. At 9 p.m., black smoke rose from the Vatican chimney, indicating no pope had been chosen. How long can the conclave last? Current rules are designed to produce an election within about 12-13 days at most, according to the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Where does voting take place? All voting takes place in the Sistine Chapel. What happens after the pope is elected? The senior cardinal will ask him if he accepts the election. If he does, he immediately becomes pope, white smoke is sent up, and Saint Peter's Basilica bells are rung. The new pope then chooses a new name, and the senior cardinal-deacon, currently Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, will introduce him publicly from the balcony of Saint Peter's Basilica. The new pope will use the Latin term of 'habemus papam' for 'we have a pope.' Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11.
