How does the church feel about mortal sin these days?
Who was Our Lady of Guadalupe, anyway?
What do you call the outermost vestment worn by the priest at Mass?
Meet a new and reliable source for virtually any imaginable question about Catholicism: The HarperCollins Encyclopedia of Catholicism. Edited by Father Richard McBrien, holder of the Crowley-O'Brien-Walter chair in theology at Notre Dame, this 1,349-page, one-volume compendium also showcases more than 80 other Notre Dame faculty members and administrators among its 280 contributors. The ND presence ranges from Holy Cross Father Theodore Hesburgh, who contributed a foreword, to Mary Katherine Tillman, an associate professor in Notre Dame's program of liberal studies, who wrote the entry on Cardinal John Henry Newman.
Organized in A-to-Z format, the entries vary from short definitions ("pyx, a small metallic receptacle used by a priest or other eucharistic minister to carry Holy Communion to those who, by reason of sickness, are unable to attend church") to lengthy articles like the 16-page entry on the Catholic Church, which covers history, doctrine, crises and reforms. Twenty-nine other feature-length articles deal with such topics as the sacraments, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, Catholicism in the United States, Vatican II and women in the church.
The writing style, expository but authoritative, avoids overtones of catechesis. The information seems thorough and up to date. For example, there's a half-column on centering prayer and a somewhat shorter passage on exclusive language, a couple of topics one might not find in older encyclopedias.
The book is engagingly illustrated with both black-and-white and full-color photographs that include a representative sampling of Catholic art over the centuries. The dust jacket is richly appealing.
The book was conceived in 1989 when McBrien was approached by two editors at HarperSanFrancisco. Then the chair of the theology department, he had little time to do much more than identify some main areas of Catholic life and recruit 18 associate editors from the Notre Dame faculty.
When he retired as chair of theology in 1991, McBrien kicked the process into high gear. Except for a semester out to polish a new edition of his book Catholicism, he worked steadily on the encyclopedia project up through last February. Of that stretch of time he has said: "I have never invested as much time or energy in a project. I shall never do another one."
The hardbound volume sells for $45 and can be found at most booksellers.
The church's position on mortal sin is that the three traditional conditions -- grave matter, full knowledge and full consent -- are still considered necessary to truly mortal sins.
Our Lady of Guadalupe: empress, patron saint and mother of the Americas, she appeared in 1531 near Mexico City and left an icon miraculously painted on a peasant's mantle.
The outer liturgical vestment worn at Mass is a chasuble.