This week in Transcultural Nursing we researched the Catholic culture.  I expected to learn about the traditional religious ceremonies and beliefs they have.  I did learn a little more about these things, but I did not seek that out specifically.  I tried to focus my efforts for research in a different area.  I wanted to learn more about the history of the Catholic church since it is one of the oldest Christian churches in existence.

From this research I learned that the Catholic church is the church that emerged after the death of Jesus Christ.  They believe that the mantle of the church passed from Christ to Peter, who is considered the first pope.  From Peter, the line of popes has been an uninterrupted chain all the way till present day.  People from the Roman Catholic Church believe that the current pope possesses all the same authority and power that Christ gave to Peter.

I think the best way to utilize what I have learned this week is to simply recognize another's beliefs and respect them for it.  They are not my beliefs, but someone else does believe in this and I need to be considerate of that.  We need to establish relationships of trust with our patients, and that cannot be achieved if they feel we have contempt for them or disregard their beliefs and feelings in anyway.

I find the Catholic culture very fascinating.  They have such a rich history and every simple thing they do has meaning and significance.  I appreciate the value they place in performing things perfectly.  I would love to learn more about how their current religious traditions came to be and possibly go and view them myself.