Religion and Theology

In Christianity, the largest community (about a billion people) or Church is known as Roman Catholic. The term Catholic which means universal is claimed by other churches as well. The prefix Roman serves to distinguish Roman Catholics from others who also claim to be Catholic. Deciding when the Roman Catholic Church began depends on perspective and on theological judgment. McBrien says that, for some, it began after the Protestant Reformation (1517). Others argue that Roman Catholicism is the original Church founded by Jesus, or perhaps by St. Peter, whom Jesus commissioned to found it (based on Matthew16 13-19) (McBrien, 1991, p. 876). Roman Catholicism regards tradition, authority and standing in succession to St. Peter as marks of authentic Christianity. Roman Catholicisms distinctive aspect, not shared by Orthodox and Protestant churches, however, is the role of the Bishop of Rome (known as the Pope). To be a Roman Catholic you must be in communion with the Bishop of Rome. You are expected to accept the teachings of the Church, which are based on tradition handed on from bishop to bishop, especially the Nicene Creed. Believing in the Trinity (in God as Father, Son and Spirit), Jesus Virgin Birth and the authority of scripture are fundamental aspects of the Roman Catholic tradition. The First Vatican Council of 1869-70 declared the doctrine of papal infallibility, which no other Christian church accepts. Catholics also believe in the immaculate conception of Jesus mother, Mary, another doctrine not accepted by other Christians.

When Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire in 380 CE under Theodosius, it was Catholic Christianity that was declared to be the sole true version. This was based on subscription to the Nicene Creed (325 CE), itself worked out at a Council Chaired by Emperor Constantine. His edict of 313 had legalized Christianity and ended persecution. The split with the Orthodox Church took place in 1417, although the two branches of the Church had already drifted apart. The Orthodox allowed priests to marry (but not bishops), used Greek as the liturgical language (not Latin) and rejected the filoque clause that Catholics added to the Nicene Creed (that the Spirit proceeds from the father and from the Son) (Bennett, 2001, p. 78-9). The Orthodox, too, did not accept the Pope as senior bishop. They recognized the Patriarch of Constantinople as first among equals. The Pope claimed the right to intervene and exercise authority in every diocese of the Church (area led by a bishop). The Patriarch claimed only moral, not binding, authority outside his own diocese. Protestants separated from the Roman Catholic Church mainly because they claimed that it placed authority above personal piety and inner spiritual renewal. However, some Protestants retained a similar structure, with Archbishops leading a province, bishops a diocese or a sub-division of a province, priests assisted by deacons ministering to the people of a parish, or locality. The three-fold ministry of the church is a characteristic that Catholics, Orthodox and such Protestants as Anglicans continue to share. Catholics recognize seven sacraments, promulgated by the Council of Trent (1547) after the Protestant Reformation. Most Protestants accept recognize only two sacraments.

Interview Summary
For the majority of Catholics, who are lay people, their religion consists of believing in the teachings of the Church, which they learn in the form of a question and answer Catechism before Confirmation and attending Mass, the weekly sacrament of the Eucharist. They love and revere the Pope. Mary and devotion to her is also an important aspects of their practice, as is commemorating Saints on their feast days. The question of authority is somewhat academic for many lay Catholics, who may choose to use contraceptives, for example, even though the Church forbids this. Most lay Roman Catholics pray regularly in the home, attend Mass weekly and on Holy Days of Obligation. Attending mass on days such as Easter Day and Christmas is considered mandatory. The interviewee spoke of praying several times a day to herself, of saying grace with her family before dinner and of attending weekly mass. Asked what aspect of her faith most affected her daily life, she replied the knowledge that I am not alone. What makes this response interesting is that almost anyone with a spiritual faith might say the same, since there is no distinctive Roman Catholic aspect to this reply. Asked whether she paid homage to her religion, she said that she never does but honors God through the religion. The interviewee had completed the Rite of Initiation for Adults, which is designed for people who did not go through catechism as a child. She was previously an agnostic and a member of the Jewish religion. She believed that the Roman Catholic Church is the best and was raising her children as Catholic. She expressed concern with the child abuse scandal (priests accused of molesting children) but said that this was due to individual acts not to the teachings of the Church. Her responses did not refer to the authority of the Pope or to distinctive features of the Church. In fact, almost any Christian might have responded in the same way, except for some of the language used, such as Holy days of obligation. Protestants do not use this term although many would see attending Church on these days as more or less their duty. Attending Confession before Mass, praying to Mary or lighting votary candles, which many other Christians do not practice, did not feature in the interviewees responses. What she appears to have found attractive and meaningful was the love and fellowship she experienced, describing Pauls hymn to love in I Corinthians as one of her favorite passages. Buddhism stresses love and compassion for all beings, too.

Comparison of Roman Catholicism and Buddhism
Buddhism is older than Christianity. The historical Buddha was probably born in 566 or 660 BCE some six centuries before Jesus. From India, Buddhism spread to other Asian countries, where it continues to flourish. It is the majority religion in at least five states. Catholicism is also a majority in many countries. The Buddha taught precepts rather than doctrines, which identifies one difference between Buddhism and Roman Catholicism. Although the Roman Catholic Church recognizes that an individuals conscience is ultimately inviolable. that he or she may have doubts, members are expected to accept the truthfulness of Catholic dogma. The Buddha encouraged people to test his teachings, to adapt them for their own spiritual development. Buddhism has no dogmas as such. There are different branches of Buddhism, such as Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana and sub-traditions of Mahayana there is a single Catholic church headed by the Pope. Buddhists have no equivalent of the Pope. On the other hand, when all Catholic bishops meet in a Council, their decisions carry authority there are also Councils of Buddhist monks, which are empowered to take decisions. Catholic priests and Buddhist monks are both celibate.

The life of a Buddhist monk is similar to that of a Catholic monk or member of a religious order. Extensive dialogue has taken place between Catholics and Buddhist on monastic life. The Benedictines and the Cistercians have a long history of engagement in Catholic-Buddhist dialogue. The obvious difference in belief between the two is that God does not play a central role, or perhaps any role, in Buddhism while Catholicism is theistic. In Catholic theology, Jesus saves people from sin. In Buddhism, you attain nirvana (end of suffering) through self-effort. Turning to practice, there is much more similarity between the two religions. A Tibetan monk, having listened to a Jesuit priest talking about Catholicism, said, your religion is the same as ours (Child, 1870, p. 1). Anyone who enters a Tibetan shrine room will immediately notice votary candles, which resemble those in a Catholic Church.

Images of the Bodhisattvas and great teachers resemble images Catholic Churches. The Taras, feminine Bodhisattvas, perhaps play devotional roles similar to Marys in Catholic practice. Relics are significant in both traditions. Originally, every Buddhist stupa contained a relic of the historical Buddha. Relics of the saints are found in Catholic churches. Sainthood in Catholicism is linked with miracles (performing these is a mark of sainthood). Miracles are also associated with Buddhist saints. For Mahayana, the Buddha might not be a God, but a visitors to a Shrine would assume that devotees worship him. An Image or Rupa dominates most shrines.

Tibetan Lamas (Lama means Shepherd) - believed to be re-incarnations of spiritual guides - have raised seats in Shrines, on which only they sit. Their role has some parallel with bishops, who have a throne in their Cathedral on which only they sit. Bishops are also shepherds (Child, 1870, p. 3). Buddhist monks main function is to teach the dharma (Buddhas teaching) but like Catholic priests they also perform rituals for lay people, such as weddings and funerals. Buddhists monks and Catholic priests are celibate. Both take vows.

Conclusion
More similar in practice than belief, both traditions place compassion and love at the center of their teachings, which is actually a strong point of resemblance, the aspect of Catholicism that the interviewee most stressed.