Popular piety
pietyThe observance of religious rules. means devotion, or acting in a religious way. So ‘popular piety’ refers to the most common ways Catholics demonstrate their devotion to God.
The Rosary
The Rosary (with a capital R) refers to a form of prayer in the Catholic Church, including the Apostles' CreedA Christian creed based on the teaching of the Apostles. It had been written by the 4th century AD., the Lord's PrayerThe prayer spoken by Jesus to his disciples, starting with the words "Our Father". and the Hail MaryA prayer to the Virgin Mary, based on the words said by the Angel Gabriel.. The rosaryA string of beads used as a method of prayer or meditation, for example by Buddhists and Roman Catholic Christians. (with a small r) refers to the string of knots or beads Catholics use whilst performing these prayers. The Rosary emphasises the importance in Catholicism of the Virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus. It also emphasises God’s power and the role of Jesus.
Eucharistic adoration
During EucharistA service celebrating the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, using elements of bread and wine., Catholics praise God’s presence in the form of the body and blood of ChristA title given to Jesus meaning Messiah or Anointed One.. By sharing the bread and wine, Catholics believe they are sharing in the person of Jesus. This is known as transubstantiationCatholic belief that the bread and wine become the actual body and blood of Christ at Holy Communion.. It is the belief that the bread and wine become the body and blood of Jesus.
This service may involve various forms of worship, such as set prayers, hymns and personal reflection.
Stations of the Cross
These are a series of 14 images that depict Jesus on the day of his crucifixion. They are accompanied by a set of prayers. They are arranged so that Catholics can travel from image to image in the correct order. At each ‘station’, Catholics stop to pray and reflect. This can be done as part of a group or individually. It generally happens during LentA period of 40 days in the Christian calendar. or on Good FridayFor Christians, the day they remember when Jesus was crucified..
Sources of authority
The Catholic Catechism states:
The religious sense of the Christian people has always found expression in various forms of piety surrounding the Church’s sacramental life, such as the venerations of relics, visits to sanctuaries, pilgrimages, processions, the stations of the cross, religious dance, the rosary, medals, etc.
This emphasises that worship and devotion are connected to the seven sacramentA Christian ceremony based on the words or actions of Jesus in which God is believed to be present and active, eg baptism, Eucharist. The Catholic Church has seven sacraments in total.. It also reminds Catholics that there are many ways to be pious and participate in religious practice.
Different Christian attitudes to piety
Non-Catholics regard some of these practices as important. For example, ProtestantChristians who broke away from the Roman Catholic Church during the Reformation. They believe in the teachings of the Bible but reject the authority of the Pope. also remember the stations of the crossA series of pictures, carvings or images in 14 steps showing and commemorating Jesus' journey to the cross before his crucifixion. during Easter services. However, Protestants do not use the Rosary, and they have a different understanding of Eucharist. For example, Protestants do not believe in transubstantiationCatholic belief that the bread and wine become the actual body and blood of Christ at Holy Communion.. Protestant Christians instead believe that the bread and wine hold the spiritual presence of the body and blood of Jesus but do not become it.
