Descriptionary

beatification the step prior to canonization, in which the pope declares a deceased person to be blessed and therefore worthy to be prayed to for help or guidance.

beatific vision seeing God directly.

Beelzebub in the New Testament, the "prince of demons"; synonymous with Satan.

Benedictines nuns or monks who conduct their lives by the Rule of St. Benedict—with emphasis on stabil­ity, study, work, worship, and obedience to the abbot.

benediction the act of blessing at the end of a ser­vice. In the Roman Catholic Church, the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

benefice any property held by a church.

bishop a high-ranking minister in the Roman Cath­olic, Anglican, and Orthodox Churches, and others who oversees a diocese.

blaspheme to speak evil against God; to curse the name of the Lord.

breviary a books of hymns, prayers, and instruc­tions for reciting daily services in the Roman Catholic Church.

canon ecclesiastical laws, codes, or authoritative writings of a religion. Also, the books of the Bible officially accepted by the Christian Church.

canonical hours the prayers that, according to canonical law, should be recited at specific times of the day. Also, the hours when these prayers are said.

canonize in the Roman Catholic Church, to declare a deceased person a saint after beatification.

canticle a song or chant with words taken from bib­lical text; a nonmetrical hymn.

cardinal an official elected by the pope to advise and assist him in governing the church. Cardinals rank just below the pope in the Catholic hierarchy; they are responsible for electing a new pope when one dies.

catechism a short book that, in question-and- answer format, instructs candidates for confirmation in Christian doctrine.

celebrant the presiding priest or minister at the con­secration of the bread and wine at Holy Communion or Mass.

celibacy the practice of abstaining from sexual intercourse, a requirement of the Catholic priesthood; the vow of celibacy.

chaplain a rabbi, priest, or minister serving a hospi­tal, prison, school, or military base.

charge a parish.

Charismatics Christians who believe they are blessed with the gift of tongues, healing, or prophecy.

cherubim the second order of angels, below arch­angels.

chrism in the Roman Catholic and the Orthodox Church, the holy oil used in confirmation rituals.

christening the ceremony of baptizing and giving a name to an infant.

collect a short prayer before the reading of the epistle in the Mass of the Roman Catholic Church.

College of Cardinals the body of cardinals in the Roman Catholic Church.

communion fellowship. See Eucharist.

conclave a secret meeting of cardinals to elect a new pope. Also, the location of this meeting.

concupiscence theological term for the desire for the forbidden, especially sex; lust.

confession the admission of sins to a priest in the Roman Catholic Church.

confessor a male saint who did not die a martyr's death, such as most monks, bishops, priests, religious laypersons.

confirmation a service admitting a baptized infant or adolescent into the Christian Church.

consecrate to bless or make sacred. To change bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ in the Roman Catholic Church.

consistory a meeting of cardinals to conduct busi­ness or to appoint bishops.

contrition repentance for having sinned.

convocation an assembly of clergy members to dis­cuss church affairs.

Coptic Church the Christian churches of Egypt and Ethiopia.

corrupt text any Bible passages that have been modified.

covenant a testament or agreement between church members to defend and support the faith.

Dead Sea Scrolls several parchment scrolls dated from about the 1st century and discovered in caves near the Dead Sea in 1947. The scrolls include hymns, laws, teachings, and the oldest texts of the Old Testa­ment of the Bible.

dean in the Roman Catholic Church, a priest who oversees several parishes. Also, the superior of a cathedral.

defrock to remove the authority from a minister due to unethical behavior.

denomination any branch or sect of the Christian Church.

diocese a district supervised by a bishop. Also known as an eparchy in the Eastern Orthodox Church.

dispensation in the Roman Catholic Church, a bending of the rules in cases of hardship, for example, allowing someone to ignore the fast on Good Friday for health reasons.

district superintendent in the Methodist Church, a supervisor of ministers in a district.

divine office in the Roman Catholic Church, the public prayers, psalms, hymns, and readings.

divinity the essence of God and all divine things.