Catholic Church
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The Catholic Church is the largest Christian denomination in the world, with over one billion adherents.[1] It comprises one of the three great divisions of Christianity, together with Protestantism and Eastern Orthodoxy.
The Church consists of those Christians who are in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, who is generally called the Pope, currently Pope Benedict XVI. The Church teaches that the Pope is the successor of St. Peter, whom Catholics regard as the original leader of Christ's apostles and as the first Bishop of Rome.
The Pope and the rest of the international leadership of the Church are based in Vatican City in Rome. Vatican City is an independent state in its own right, and is the smallest state in the world in terms both of geography and of population.
The split between Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy dates to the eleventh century. The split between Catholicism and Protestantism occurred some time later, in the sixteenth century. It is generally known as the "Reformation", though Catholics sometimes refer to it as the "Protestant Revolt". The principal issues of contention between Catholics and Protestants are known as sola scriptura (the doctrine that the Bible alone is the final authority for Christians, which denies the authority of the Church) and sola fide (the doctrine, popularized by Martin Luther, that faith alone, as opposed to faith expressed in good works, is sufficient for salvation).
The Catholic Church has a complex hierarchy of clergy, including:
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"Roman Catholic" versus "Catholic"
The term "catholic" (from the Greek katholikos) means "universal", and its roots in ecclesiastical parlance go back to the early years of Christianity. Some Protestants believe that (Roman) Catholics do not have the right to monopolize the term, and so prefix it with the adjective "Roman". Some Catholics object to this nomenclature, precisely because it denies the status of the (Roman) Catholic Church as the universal Church of Christ. Historically speaking, the term "Roman Catholic" was coined in nineteenth-century Britain as a euphemism to replace insulting terms such as "papist" that had previously been in use.
The Catholic Church is made up of thirty-one distinct branches or "rites", including the Byzantine Rite, the Ambrosian Rite (only in Lombardy, a northern Italian region) and the Maronite Rite. By far the largest Rite, and the most prevalent in the West, is the Latin Rite, and Catholics sometimes use the term "Roman Catholic" to denote this component of the Church.
History
Early Years
The Catholic Church traces its authority to Jesus through the apostle Peter. The Church sees the Bishops as the natural successors to the apostles, and reasons that since Peter was the leader of the apostles, Peter's successors should lead the Bishops and hence all of Christianity.[2]
Catholic Growth in the Imperial Decline
Until the early fourth century AD Christianity enjoyed mixed reception in the Roman Empire and Christians were frequently subject to persecution. In the 310s Christianity became legalized and shortly thereafter became officially recognized by Constantine. In the following years Christianity in general and Catholicism in particular became increasingly powerful in the Roman Empire, although Arianism remained strong. In 380 AD, Theodosius I established the Catholic Church as the official religion of the Roman Empire. While the Empire continued to decline, Catholicism and Christianity continued to grow both among those directly under the Empire and among the barbarians until Rome was sacked by Alaric in 410. Alaric was an Arian Christian. After the collapse of the Western Empire, the Catholic Church became the most powerful political and religious force in Latin-speaking Europe and by the 8th century had achieved near total religious dominance with the removal of the last significant Arian groups.
Great Schism
During the 11th century, the Great Schism occurred between the church in the West and Eastern Orthodox Church. This schism occurred over a variety of issues, especially those dealing with how much authority the Pope had. The causes were not purely religious, but cultural and geographic elements also played a role. Although later attempts at reconciliation occurred, such as at the Council of Basel, the two remain separate to this day although both accept many of each others sacraments.
Late Middle Ages
Beginning in 1092 and continuing until the end of the 13th century, the Crusades occurred. These were a series of religious wars instigated by the Church against various other groups, especially the Muslims. Despite the focus on removing Islamic control of the Holy Land, the Crusaders massacred Jews and sacked Constantinople.
During this time period, the Inquisitions started and would continue through the Protestant Reformation. The medieval inquisition focused on rooting out Cathars, while the later inquisitions such as the Spanish Inquisition focused on people who were believed to be secretly practicing Judaism or Islam.
Reformation
In 1517, Martin Luther started the Protestant Reformation which initially focused on the giving of indulgences but eventually grew to have a wide variety of different causes and issues. Eventually, Protestants rejected the notions of saintly intercession, the authority of the pope and many of the sacraments. This eventually led to a series of religious wars in Europe and the Protestant-Catholic split became one of the dominant themes in European events until modern times.
Modernity
Centuries XVIII and XIX brought to the Church new challenges: Enlightenment and Modernism teachings about the nature of the human person, and the Industrial Revolution with the increased concern about the conditions of urban workers.
Vatican II
The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican (commonly called Vatican II), which was in session from 1962 to 1965, made major changes to official Catholic theology and liturgy. Liturgical changes included the introduction of the possibility of having Mass in local languages instead of entirely in Latin. Theologically, the council continued the importance of Mary while also adding a new emphasis on individual and personal holiness. Most controversially, the council opened the possibility of salvation for Jews, Muslims, Protestants and Bahaists.
Reactions among Catholics to Vatican II fall into roughly three camps. "Liberal" Catholics, drawing on the established Catholic belief in the "journeying" nature of the Church, see Vatican II and the new period that it marked in Catholic history as representing a significant advancement in our understanding of the divine revelation contained in the Gospels which justifies major changes in Catholic belief and practice. "Conservative" Catholics (including the recent popes) hold that the decrees of the Council, properly understood, are wholly in line with the historic Catholic faith, and that they should not be used as an excuse for unwarranted innovations. "Traditional" (or "traditionalist") Catholics regard the teachings of Vatican II as problematic, or even as heretical.
Sacraments
The Roman Catholic Church has seven sacraments:
See also
External links
- Prayers Catholic Online.
- Catholic News
- Catholic.net
Notes and references
- ↑ http://www.adherents.com/adh_branches.html#Christianity
- ↑ http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P2A.HTM
- ↑ Which sacraments are recognized is one of the important distinctions between the theology of different Christian denominations. Many Protestant denominations follow Luther and recognize only Baptism, Eucharist, and Penance.
