CATHOLIC WORD BOOK - Knights of Columbus, Supreme Council

of economics and social organization, were
stated about the middle of the 19th
century by Karl Marx, author of The
Communist Manifesto and, with Friedrich
Engels, Das Kapital. The elements of
communist theory include: radical
materialism; dialectical determinism; the
inevitability of class struggle and conflict,
which is to be furthered for the ultimate
establishment of a worldwide, classless
society; common ownership of productive
and other goods; the subordination of all
persons and institutions to the
dictatorship of the collective; denial of the
rights, dignity and liberty of persons;
militant atheism and hostility to religion,
utilitarian morality. Communism in
theory and practice has been the subject of
many papal documents and statements.
Pius IX condemned it in 1846. Leo XIII
dealt with it at length in the encyclical
letter Quod Apostolici Muneris in 1878 and
Rerum Novarum in 1891. Pius XI wrote on
the same subject in the encyclicals
Quadragesimo Anno in 1931 and Divini
Redemptoris in 1937. These writings have
been updated and developed in new
directions by Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul
VI and John Paul II.
Compline: The night prayer of the Church
that completes the daily cursus (course) of
the Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office).
Concelebration: The liturgical act in which
several priests, led by one member of the
group, offer Mass together, all
consecrating the bread and wine.
Concelebration has always been common
in churches of Eastern Rite. In the Roman
Rite, it was long restricted, taking place
only at the ordination of bishops and the
ordination of priests. The Constitution on
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the Sacred Liturgy issued by the Second
Vatican Council set new norms for
concelebration, which is now relatively
common in the Roman Rite.
Concordance, Biblical: An alphabetical
verbal index enabling a user knowing one
or more words of a scriptural passage to
locate the entire text.
Concordat: A church state treaty with the
force of law concerning matters of mutual
concern — e.g., rights of the Church,
arrangement of ecclesiastical jurisdictions,
marriage laws, education. Approximately
150 agreements of this kind have been
negotiated since the Concordat of Worms
in 1122.
Concupiscence: Any tendency of the
sensitive appetite. The term is most
frequently used in reference to desires and
tendencies for sinful sense pleasure.
Confession: Sacramental confession is the
act by which a person tells or confesses his
sins to a priest who is authorized to give
absolution in the sacrament of penance.
Confessor: A priest who administers the
sacrament of penance. The title of
confessor, formerly given to a category of
male saints, was suppressed with
publication of the calendar reform of 1969.
Confraternity: An association whose
members practice a particular form of
religious devotion and/or are engaged in
some kind of apostolic work.
Congregation: (1) The collective name for
the people who form a parish. (2) One of
the chief administrative departments of