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Easter · is the greatest feast of the Church and the high-point of the liturgical year. It celebrates the resurrection of Jesus, and that He has conquered death for all who believe in Him.
Ecumenical Council (Concilium Œcumenicum)· is when the Church of the whole world gathers in sacred council (sacrosanctum concilium). The first council was arguably the Council of Jerusalem (see Acts 15:Vv); however, this was not technically Ecumenical as the Church was not yet dispersed or diversified. There have been 21 Ecumenical Councils, each called to address some question or trouble that faced the Church at the time: 1) Nicaea I (325; Pope Sylvester I, 314-335; Emperor Constantine, 306-337) Condemned Arianism, defined the consubstantiality of Father and Son, fixed the date for Easter, and began formulation of the Creed; 2) Constantinople I (381; Pope Damasus I, 366-384; Emperor Theodosius, 379-395) recondemned Arianism, condemned Macedonianism, and completed the formulation of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed; 3) Ephesus (431; Pope Celestine I, 422-432; Emperor Theodosius II, 408-450) condemned Nestorianism, defined that Mary is the Mother of God (Theotokos), and condemned Pelagianism; 4) Chalcedon (451; Pope Leo the Great, 440-461; Emperor Marcian, 450-457) condemned Monophysitism (Eutychianism); 5) Constantinople II (553; Pope Vigilius, 537-555; Emperor Justinian I, 527-565) condemned the 'Three Chapters'; 6) Constantinople III (680; Pope Agatho, 678-681; Emperor Constantine IV, 668-685) condemned Monothelitism, and censured a letter by Pope Honorius I; 7) Nicaea II (787; Pope Hadrian I, 772-795; Emperor Constantine VI, 780-797) condemned iconoclasm and adoptionism; 8) Constantinople IV (869; Pope Hadrian II, 867-872; Emperor Basil, 867-886) recondemned Adoptionism and deposed Photius as patriarch of Constantinople; 9) Lateran I (1123; Pope Callistus II, 1119-1124; Emperor Henry V, 1105-1125) confirmed the Concordat of Worms (1122), and responded to the urbanisation of Christianity; 10) Lateran II (1139; Pope Innocent II, 1130-1143; Emperor Conrad III, 1138-1152) ended a papal schism by antipope Anacletus II, reaffirmed baptism of infants and the sacramental nature of the priesthood, marriage, and the Eucharist against Medieval heretics, and decreed holy orders (ordination) an impediment to marriage; 11) Lateran III (1179; Pope Alexander III, 1159-1181; Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, 1152-1190) regulated papal elections, and condemned Waldensianism and Albigensianism; 12) Lateran IV (1215; Pope Innocent III, 1198-1216; Emperor Otto IV, 1209-1215) ordered annual reception of penance and the Eucharist, used the term “transubstantiation” to explain the Real Presence, and further condemned the Albigensians; 13) Lyons I (1245; Pope Innocent IV, 1243-1254; Emperor Frederick II, 1220-1250) excommunicated and deposed Frederick II for heresy and crimes against the Church; 14) Lyons II (1274; Pope Gregory X, 1271-1276; Emperor Rudolf I, 1273-1291) effected temporary union of the Eastern Churches with the Roman Church, and set regulations for conclaves; 15) Vienne (1311; Pope Clement V, 1305-1314; Emperor Henry VII, 1308-1313) suppressed the Knights Templars, and issued moral reforms; 16) Constance (1414; Popes Gregory XII, 1406-1415; Emperor Sigismund, 1410-1437) ended the Great Schism of three rival claimants to the papacies, opposed the teachings of John Wycliffe, and condemned as a heretic John Huss; 17) Florence (1438-1443; Pope Eugene IV, 1431-1447; Emperors Albert II, 1438-1439 & Frederick III, 1440-1493) reaffirmed papal primacy against claims of conciliarists that an ecumenical council is superior to a pope, and approved (what proved to be only temporary) reunion with several Eastern Churches; 18) Lateran V (1512-1517; Popes Julius II, 1503-1513 & Leo X, 1513-1521; Emperor Maximilian I, 1493-1519) opposed erroneous teachings about the soul, reaffirmed the doctrine of indulgences, and restated the relationship between popes and ecumenical councils — but failed to inaugurate an authentic and thoroughgoing reform of the Church, inadvertently helping (reformative) Protestantism; 19) Trent (1545-1549, 1551-1552, 1562-1563; Popes Paul III, 1534-1549, Julius III, 1550-1555, & Pius IV, 1559-1565; Emperors Charles V, 1519-1558 & Ferdinand I, 1558-1564) affirmed Catholic doctrines against the errors of the Protestant Reformers; reaffirmed various teachings, initiated the Counter-Reformation, reformed the clergy and morals, promoted religious instruction, established seminaries for the future training of priests, and is credited with standardising a form of the liturgy that had been inherited from antiquity. 20) Vatican I (1869-1870 [unfinished]; Pope Pius IX, 1846-1878) defined papal infallibility and primacy, and condemned errors regarding the relationship between faith and reason — but the First World War brought the council to a stop (much of the work was resumed by Vatican II); and 21) Vatican II (1962-1965; Popes John XXIII, 1958-1963 & Paul VI, 1963-1978) issued pastoral documents on the renewal and reform of the Church, intending the make the Church more effective in dealing with the contemporary world — a task that both left- and right-wing critics of the council would claim has not (yet) been properly achieved/received.
Evidenced by this series of councils is both the development of doctrine and the responsiveness of the Church to the ever-changing world. Also evidenced here is the need to gather as a community of believers, led by the bishops —those entrusted with safeguarding the faith and the Church— but led by the Holy Spirit to continue the mission of Christ as best we can.
Encyclical · (from the Greek for ‘letter’) generally refers to some writing of the pope for the world. Pope Francis was well-know for his two (complimentary) encyclicals Laudato Si’ (2015) and Fratelli Tutti (2020).
Eschatology · the study of the end (eskhatos) times or the ‘last things’.
Eucharist · from the Greek word eucharistia (which roughly translates as ‘thanksgiving’) is a term often and appropriately applied to the Mass.
Evil · can be understood as the absence of good or that which is contrary to (or at odds with) good(ness).
St Ignatus of Loyola has a mediation on the ‘two standards’. This invites us to consider our allegiance to good or evil as opposing powers with their own leaders: Jesus as Lord of Peace and Satan the master of deceit.
Evangelical Counsels (the) · are poverty, chastity, and obedience. They are evangelical in that they point to the gospels (εὐαγγέλιον / euangélion), the good news; they are counsels in that they direct those who attend them to certain freedoms.
Those who vow themselves in religion generally do so with vows to live poverty, chastity, and obedience according to the rule (Latin regula, from which comes the word ‘religion/religious’) of their congregation. There are some exceptions: those who take some additional vow aligned to their charism; and the Dominicans who make the single vow of obedience, understanding that the others are carried by obedience to their constitutional living the rule of St Augustine.
Secular (that is diocesan) priests do not make vows to live these counsels in any communal or regulated way. Nevertheless, they are expected to adopt them. Hence the jibe said by non-religious priests of/to the religious: “They make the vows, but we keep them.”
Evangelisation · is the sharing of [the] good news. Town criers are secular examples of evangelisation,
Pope Paul V reminded us that “The whole Church therefore is called upon to evangelize” (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 1975, #66), or, as some have translated it: “the Church exists in order to evangelise”. While she does many other things, aimed at the glory of God and salvation of souls, this is her core work in every age.
Excommunication · is the separation of some person from the body of Christ that is the Church. It can be imposed as a consequence for some action — typically a violation of law, or it can be incurred, ipso facto (by the very fact) for some limited offences or actions.
Importantly, excommunication makes no judgment of the person’s soul per se. But it separates them from the Church and the sacraments — essential helps to salvation. Moreover, there are provisions designed in Canon Law to allow those excommunicated to be reconciled and restored to the life of the Church.
Exorcism · is the act of driving out, or warding off, demons, or evil spirits, from persons, places, or things. So-called ‘minor’ exorcisms take place in baptisms and with other anointings. A major/formal exorcism is reserved to the licence of the local ordinary (bishop).
Exorcist · is a ministry to which any man can be instituted, historically along the process of formation and preparation for ordination to the presbyterate (priesthood). Each Diocese as at least one ordained priest designated for the occasional formal exorcism.
Extreme Unction · is the anointing(unction) of an ill person, along with other prayers (e.g. communion, if suitable), celebrated at the latter extremity of their life — that is shortly before their death.