|
purgatory
purgatory [Lat.,=place of purging], in the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church, the state after death in which the soul destined for heaven is purified. Since only the perfect can enjoy the vision of God (inferred from Mat. 12.36; Rev. 21.17), and some die in grace who have still unpunished or un...
Read more
|
|
indulgence
indulgence in the Roman Catholic Church, the pardon of temporal punishment due for sin. It is to be distinguished from absolution and the forgiveness of guilt. The church grants indulgences out of the Treasury of Merit won for the church by Christ and the saints. Indulgences may be plenary, i.e., a...
Read more
|
|
novena
novena [Lat.,=a group of nine], in the Roman Catholic Church, primarily a series of public or private prayers extending over nine consecutive days, especially nine days preceding a feast. They often carry an indulgence . More rarely, a novena extends over any nine days, as nine consecutive Mondays...
Read more
|
|
|
Lough Derg
Lough Derg , in Ireland. 1 Expansion of the Shannon River, 23 mi (37 km) long and 1 to 5 mi (1.6-8 km) wide, W central Republic of Ireland. On the lake is the republic's first (1927) major hydroelectric power plant, with an 85,000-kW capacity. On Holy Island or Iniscaltra are ruins of churches and...
Read more
|
|
Waldenses
Waldenses or Waldensians, Protestant religious group of medieval origin, called in French Vaudois. They originated in the late 12th cent. as the Poor Men of Lyons, a band organized by Peter Waldo, a wealthy merchant of Lyons, who gave away his property (c.1176) and went about preaching aposto...
Read more
|
|
|
John Frith
John Frith , 1503-33, English Protestant martyr. He aided William Tyndale in translating the New Testament. After a short time in prison because of suspected heresy, Frith went to Germany in 1528 and was in Marburg, where he again assisted Tyndale. Upon his return to England in 1532, Frith was arr...
Read more
|
|
saint
saint [O.Fr., from Latin sanctus =holy], in Christianity, a person who is recognized as worthy of veneration.
Nature of Sainthood
In the Hebrew Scriptures God is "the Holy One" or "one who is holy" (Isa. 1.4; 5.19; 41.14). "His people share His holiness" (Ex. 19.6). To the Ne...
Read more
|
|
All Souls' Day
All Souls' Day Nov. 2 (exceptionally, Nov. 3), feast of the Roman Catholic Church on which the church on earth prays for the souls of the faithful departed still suffering in purgatory . The proper office is of the dead, and the Mass is a requiem . General intercessions for the dead (e.g., for th...
Read more
|
|
|
church
church [probably Gr.,=divine], aggregation of Christian believers. The traditional belief has the church the community of believers, living and dead, headed by Jesus, who founded it in the apostles. This is the doctrine of the mystical body of Christ (Eph. 1.22-23). Some divisions speak of the chur...
Read more
|
|
|
Council of Ferrara-Florence
Council of Ferrara-Florence 1438-45, second part of the 17th ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church; the first part was the Council of Basel, canonically convened but after 1437 schismatic (see Basel, Council of ). The chief goal at Ferrara was to end the schism of East and West; it was v...
Read more
|
