Architecture as a Form of Expression in Catholic Christianity (AQA GCSE Religious Studies B): Revision Note

Architecture of Catholic Churches: Beliefs and worship

• The Church is the people who make up the worldwide Catholic community

• The church (without a capital letter) also refers to the building in which Catholics gather to worship and attend Mass

The purpose of churches

• Catholic churches are buildings in which believers gather to worship, both individually and as a community

• They are designed to help and inspire Catholics to pray because they are:

  • Designed to reflect the glory of God, so great care is taken in how they are laid out and decorated

  • Quiet places where people can concentrate on their prayer, and there may be side chapels to help with this

  • Decorated with signs, symbols and statues that remind Catholics of key events in the life of Christ or the saints. This focuses and inspires them in their prayer

Catholic Churches before 1965

• Traditional Catholic church buildings were built facing east towards Jerusalem, where Jesus died and rose again

• They were often in the shape of a cross, called cruciform

  • This showed the central importance of Jesus’s death

• The altar was against the east wall

  • The priest said Mass (in Latin) with his back towards the people

Catholic Churches after 1965

• After the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965), church buildings underwent changes

• In churches built before 1965, the layout was altered

  • The altar was moved closer to the people to make them feel more involved in the Mass

• New churches were designed to ensure as many people as possible were close to the altar and felt involved during Mass

• Some churches were built in a circular shape with the altar in the middle, for example, the Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral

  • The circular design also represents God’s eternal love

_{Attribution: Gershowitz, CC0}

Church features and expressions of redemption

• Catholic churches around the world vary in shape, size and level of decoration

  • However, they all contain four main features: the altar, lectern, crucifix and tabernacle

• Each of these features helps Catholics remember the redemption Jesus Christ brought through his suffering, death and resurrection

Lectern

• The lectern is a book stand from which the readings take place during the Mass

  • During every Mass, there are at least two readings from the Bible

• The Bible is the Word of God, so the lectern is always placed in a prominent place in the church

  • This helps everyone to hear God’s word clearly

• Some lecterns are ornately decorated; others are plain

Altar

• The altar is the “place of sacrifice”; the stone table where consecration takes place during the Mass

  • It is the table at which the bread and wine are blessed and offered to God

  • This offering is joined with the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross 

  • The bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ 

  • This means that Christ is truly present on the altar at each Mass; receiving the Body and Blood of Christ through Holy Communion strengthens the lives and faith of believers

• At each Mass, the bread and wine are offered in “remembrance”, following Jesus’s instructions at the Last Supper

  • At the altar, Jesus’s words are repeated: “This is my body … this is my blood”

Crucifix

• The crucifix is a cross with the figure of Jesus on it, reminding Catholics of Christ’s suffering and sacrifice for humanity

• It inspires believers to be grateful for all that Jesus did for humanity and to show love in return

Tabernacle

• The tabernacle is a box or safe where the consecrated bread is placed after the Mass for later use

  • This is known as the “reserved sacrament”

  • It is taken to people who cannot come to Mass to receive Holy Communion, such as the sick and the elderly

• People pray before the tabernacle because it contains the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist 

• A light shines next to the tabernacle at all times to show that the Real Presence of Jesus Christ is being kept there

_{Attribution: Bjankuloski06, CC BY 4.0}

Contrasting church features and Catholic beliefs

• There are some variations between church features within different Catholic churches and between the Catholic Church and other Christian denominations

Altar and table

• An altar is a place of sacrifice and thanksgiving

  •  Animals were sacrificed at an altar several times in the Old Testament

• For Catholics, the blessing of the bread and wine at the altar represents the ultimate sacrifice Jesus made on the cross — his life

  • The altar reminds them that Jesus’s sacrifice is being made each Mass through the bread and wine that become his Body and Blood

• Each time Catholics take part in Mass, they give thanks for this sacrifice

  • Therefore, the altar is the central feature in a Catholic church

• Mass is also a re-enactment of the events of the Last Supper when Jesus shared a meal with his disciples at a table

  • Some Catholic churches use a table at Mass to remind worshippers that they are joining in with the Last Supper

• Other Christian denominations, including Protestants, see Holy Communion services as just a remembrance of the Last Supper

  • Therefore, they would use a table rather than an altar

Cross, crucifix and Risen Christ

• A crucifix is a cross with the figure of Jesus on it 

• All Catholic churches contain a crucifix because:

  • It reminds believers of Christ’s suffering and his sacrifice for humanity

  • It inspires believers to be grateful for all that Jesus did

  • Mass re-enacts Jesus’s sacrifice, and Catholics consider it important to have a crucifix present in the church to help them call this sacrifice to mind

• A cross does not contain the figure of the crucified Jesus

• Many Christians prefer to use a cross rather than a crucifix because:

  • The crucifix makes people focus too much on Jesus’s suffering, rather than his victory over death

  • Jesus is no longer on the cross because he rose again from the dead

  • The cross shows this victory over death

  • It is a more hopeful symbol of new life for Christians

• A statue or picture of the Risen Christ shows an image of Jesus in glory after his resurrection

• Some Christians prefer to use an image of the Risen Christ because:

  • Like a cross, an image of the Risen Christ shows Jesus’s victory over sin and death

  • It focuses on Jesus as the glorified Saviour

  • It helps believers focus on the resurrection as the most important event and the basis of Christian faith