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→Early Church
===Early Church===
===Early Church===
[[File:Christ Giving the Key to St. Peter.jpg|thumbnail|Christ Giving the Key to [[St. Peter]]. (Matthew 16:18-20)]]
[[File:Christ Giving the Key to St. Peter.jpg|thumbnail|Christ Giving the Key to [[St. Peter]]. (Matthew 16:18-20)]]
The original Christian community was founded by Jesus Christ and led by the Apostles. The Catholic Church considers itself to be the sole and uninterrupted continuation of the first-century Church. St. [[Paul|Paul the Apostle]] was the most prolific contributor to the [[New Testament]] and the most notable of the Early Christian missionaries. Christians were subjected to persecution, first under [[Nero]] in A.D. 64 and again, more severely, under the emperors [[Domitian]], [[Marcus Aurelius]], Decius, and [[Diocletian]], in the second and third centuries.
The original Christian community was founded by Jesus Christ and led by the Apostles. The Catholic Church considers itself to be the sole and uninterrupted continuation of the first-century Church founded in [[Pentecost]]. St. [[Paul|Paul the Apostle]] was the most prolific contributor to the [[New Testament]] and the most notable of the Early Christian missionaries. Christians were subjected to persecution, first under [[Nero]] in A.D. 64 and again, more severely, under the emperors [[Domitian]], [[Marcus Aurelius]], Decius, and [[Diocletian]], in the second and third centuries.
After almost 300 years of persecution against the Church failed to stop the growth of Christianity, the Emperor [[Constantine I]] had a religious experience and, by the [[Edict of Milan]] issued in the early fourth century, legalized Christianity. Going to war with the co-Emperor of the east Lucinius over his continued persecution of Christians, Constantine won and became sole Emperor. The age of persecution was over, until the inquisitions. Some view Catholicism as a pagan "Christianity" started by Constantine, a topic better covered in the essay [[Reasons the Catholic Church is Unbiblical]].
After almost 300 years of persecution against the Church failed to stop the growth of Christianity, the Emperor [[Constantine I]] had a religious experience and, by the [[Edict of Milan]] issued in the early fourth century, legalized Christianity. Going to war with the co-Emperor of the east Lucinius over his continued persecution of Christians, Constantine won and became sole Emperor. The age of persecution was over, until the inquisitions. Some view Catholicism as a pagan "Christianity" started by Constantine, a topic better covered in the essay [[Reasons the Catholic Church is Unbiblical]].