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Popular Catholicism
(900 words)

Within the Roman Catholic Church the popular religion of ordinary believers concerns the practice of rites and customs in the life cycle and festivals in the church year.

1. Pre-Vatican II

Before Vatican II the faithful typically attended Sunday mass, did penance and took communion at Easter, observed daily, weekly, and annual times of devotion and piety, and participated in festivals, pilgrimages, and other events. Catholic piety covered the whole of life and fo…

Cite this page
Altermatt, Urs, “Popular Catholicism”, in: Encyclopedia of Christianity Online. Consulted online on 03 October 2023 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2211-2685_eco_P.121>
First published online: 2011
First print edition: ISBN: 9789004169678, 20080512



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