The late Pope John Paul II (May 18, 1920 – April 2, 2005) who died two years ago next month on April 2, 2005 at his private quarters inside the Vatican ("Pope John Paul II, March 10, 2007), after having suffered a long and steady, visibly apparent decline in decline in health for well o...

In the history of the Catholic Church there have been but a few great popes who have made a change in history, Pope John Paul II is one of them. When he was young the Nazis occupied his home country, Poland. But despite this he managed to be ordain and to go college in Rome. He showed remarkable ...

On May 18,1920, in Wadowice Poland, Karol Jozef Wojtyla was born. His parent's names were Emilia and Karol; they had an elder son named Edmund who was born on August 27, 1906. Emilia also gave birth to a daughter however, there are no records of her birth, baptism or death as a baby. Lolek (as Karol...

Discussion of end of life issues can be quite complex. Arguments on both sides of the issue can be extremely passionate due to the presence of deeply held emotional beliefs among opponents. This characteristic of the debate is fully inescapable in instances such as these. Despite the natural ...

The Sacrament of Reconciliation Within the Christian faith there are many beliefs and acts for one to follow. Such acts consist of the sacraments, for which there are seven. Believed by many to be one of the most intricate and difficult to understand of all the sacraments, is the sacrament of R...

The PapacyDid you know the Pope is not referred to by only one title? He is also referred to as such titles as: the bishop of Rome, Vicar of Christ, supreme pontiff of the universal church, primate of Italy, patriarch of the West, sovereign of the State of Vatican City, and servant of the servants o...

Abortion is one of the most controversial issues today. It has become a questionof not only ethics, but morals. In the 1973 case of Roe v Wade the Supreme Court ruledthat a woman has the right to terminate a pregnancy by abortion within the first sixmonths of the pregnancy. However, conservative ...

The Holy Land The author Paul Johnson has had a long career in journalism including the editorship of the New Statesman from 1965 to 1970. He has written many books of history including A History of Christianity (1975), Civilizations of the Holy Land (1979), Pope John Paul II and the Catholic Rest...

Euthanasia Discuss the potential implications of legalizing euthanasia in New Zealand and examine its possible advantages and disadvantages. Do humans have any rights when it comes to their own deaths? Euthanasia is a very controversial issue being discussed in today's public forums. Most...

Although Catholic schools as we know them today did not come into existence until the about a century after the birth of Christianity, Christian education can be traced back to Biblical times. Christian education predates the establishment of the early church, as a Christian school without walls exi...

Fundamentalism Fundamentalism is a term popularly used to describe strict adherence to Christian doctrines based on a literal interpretation of the Bible. This usage derives from late 19th and early 20th century Protestant ministers and scholars who used the term to reference their commitment to fu...

The Christian religion including the Catholic, Protestant and Eastern Orthodox churches is known as Christianity. Within the Christian faith there are many beliefs and acts for one to follow. Such acts consist of the sacraments, for which there is seven. Believed by many to be one of the most intr...

Research PaperThe Death Penalty: Justice for All?The first recorded case where the death penalty was implemented as a form of punishment in the United States was in 1622 for theft (Grabowski 52). The system has come a long way since then, but does it issue justice to all? Theft is no longer consid...

The issue of abortion has been very controversial throughout the years. This issue has been argued from ethical stands, human rights, religious beliefs and even politically. Efforts have been made legally, but it does not seem that a widespread compromise or settlement has been made that the majorit...

Recognition of past mistakes has led the church to better practices and pastoral care. The events of the Second Vatican Council have shown that the church is willing to look at its problems and past mistakes and then attempt to solve them. By recognizing that what they were doing was alienating thei...

Ubiquitous throughout 'The Tin Flute' and 'Angela's Ashes' the Catholic Church stands as the cornerstone of morality and the social order alike. There is no doubt that the church is a central figure for both the individual and society in general and in some aspects it plays more of a governing role ...