United States Catholic Catechism for Adults

APPENDIX A. GLOSSARY

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recall the death and Resurrection of Christ and look forward to his glorious return. ANGEL: A spiritual, personal, immortal creature with intelligence and free will, created by God to serve him unceasingly and to act as a messenger to carry out the plan of salvation. ANGER: When considered as one of the Capital Sins, anger is that passion which leads one to either harm a person or want to harm a person because of a desire for vengeance. ANNULMENT (DECLARATION OF NULLITY OF A MARRIAGE): The consent of the spouses enter ing into marriage must be a free act of the will, devoid of external or internal invalidating factors. If this freedom is absent, the mar riage is invalid. For this reason, the Church, after an examination of the situation by a competent Church court, can declare the nullity of a marriage, i.e., that the sacramental marriage never existed. In this case, the contracting parties are free to marry, provided the natural obli

ABORTION: The intentional destruction of an unborn child; such an act is gravely contrary to the moral law and the will of the Creator. ABSOLUTION: The act of the priest, using the power Christ entrusted to the Church, in the Sacrament of Penance by which he pardons sin(s) of the penitent. ADVENT: A period of roughly four weeks prior to Christmas, during which the faithful prepare them selves spiritually for the celebration of the birth of Christ. AGNOSTIC: One who claims to be unable to know whether or not God exists. AMEN: A Hebrew word meaning “so be it” or “it is so”; its use serves as an affirmation of what was said previously; this term most often is used to conclude prayer. ANAMNESIS (THE MEMORIAL): Prayer after the words of conse cration at the Mass in which we