Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Apostolic Church is one of the largest religions in the world.

Since this religion practices coerced baptism (in early childhood, when the person cannot choose), the number of true Catholics is unknown. The number of Catholics is measured according to the number of baptized. In 2008 – according to data collected by the 2010 Pontifical Yearbook – there were 1,166 million people (17.40% of the world’s population) who were baptized in their earliest childhood.

Summary

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• 1 Headquarters
• 2 History of the name
• 3 Etymology of the Name
• 4 Doctrine
• 5 Attributes of profession of faith of the Catholic Church
• 6 Doctrine
• 7 Organizational structure
• 8 Government
• 9 Congregations and orders
• 10 Extension
• 11 History
  • 1 Ancient Age
• 12 Middle Ages
• 13 The Inquisition
• 14 Modern Age
• 15 Contemporary Age
• 16 Financing
• 17 Source

Campus

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Flag of the Vatican State

The Catholic Church has its headquarters in Rome (capital of the Italian Republic ), which is called the Apostolic See , related to the See is the State of Vatican City (Status Civitatis Vaticanæ, in Latin and officially; Stato della Città of the Vatican, in Italian), an enclave within the city of Rome , in the Italian Republic .

The Vatican is an independent and internationally recognized state. Although the Vatican State is closely linked to the Apostolic See, they are different entities, since the Vatican State is a temporal power, while the Apostolic See is understood as a spiritual power for Catholics. It is headed by the pope, who receives the honorific treatment of “his holiness” from him. The current pope is Francis , a name adopted by the Argentine cardinal Jorge Bergoglio.

History of the name

The Catholic Church is known as the Roman Catholic Apostolic Church or the Roman Catholic Church; Outside Catholicism this distinction is made by those who maintain that the churches of the Anglican Communion and the Orthodox Churches recognize themselves as part of the “one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church” of the Creed and that they are also Catholic ( both in the etymological sense and in the entire content of the term) although the only difference is not being under the authority of the Pope, or they are people from countries in which the speech has adopted this expression due to intense use by relevant communities of Anglicans and other Protestants and Orthodox.

However, there are Churches in full communion with the bishop of Rome that, having different liturgical traditions, do not add the term “Roman”. Therefore, to encompass the Eastern Catholic Churches and the Roman Catholic Church, the more general term Catholic Church will be used.

According to a long tradition, there are other terms to refer to the Catholic Church, such as Sacrament of Christ, People of God, Mystical Body of Christ, Bride of Christ, Jerusalem above, building of God, Boat of Peter or Ship of Salvation.

Name Etymology

The word “church” “ἐκκλησία” (ekklesia), from the Greek “ἐk-kαλεῖν” (ek-kalein) – ‘call out’ means “convocation”. Designates religious assemblies of the people. It is the term frequently used in the Greek text of the Old Testament to designate the assembly of the chosen people in the presence of God, especially when it comes to the assembly of Sinai, where Israel received the Law and was constituted by God as his people. saint Giving itself the name “Church”, the first community of those who believed in Christ recognizes itself as the heir of that assembly. In it, God “summons” his People from all the ends of the earth. The term kiriaké means ‘that which belongs to the Lord’ ( kyrios being ‘lord’).

The expression “catholic” comes from the Greek καθολικός (katholikós), which means “universal.” In the first three centuries of the Church, Christians said “Christian is my name, Catholic is my last name.” Later the term “Catholic” was used to distinguish themselves from other Christian groups whose doctrines differed from the main line such as the Gnostics.

Theologically the term “church” designates the believing people that God calls and gathers from everywhere to form the “assembly” of all those, who by faith and baptism, have been made “children of God”, “members of Christ ” and “temple of the Holy Spirit.”

Doctrine

The Catholic Church sees itself and proclaims itself as the one charged by Jesus Christ to help travel the spiritual path towards God by living mutual love and through the administration of the sacraments (baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, penance, marriage, holy orders). priesthood and anointing of the sick), through which God grants grace to the believer.

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Eucharist, the sharing of bread as the body of Christ and wine as his blood.

The Catholic Church considers that it is entrusted with the mission of developing, imparting and propagating Christian teaching, as well as taking care of the unity of the faithful. He must also provide the grace of the sacraments to his faithful through the ministry of his priests. Furthermore, the Catholic Church manifests itself as a pyramidal structure, in which it must take care to maintain the unity of all the faithful and their obedience to official doctrine.

This church conceives itself as the only church founded by Christ, and therefore, the only authentic one compared to the other Christian churches and denominations that have historically emerged after it. The teaching authority or Magisterium of the Church bases its teachings on Revelation, which is expressed in both the Holy Scriptures and Sacred Tradition.

Attributes of profession of faith of the Catholic Church

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church , it is “one, holy, catholic and apostolic.” These four attributes, inseparably linked together, indicate essential features of the church and its mission.

Catholics profess their faith in the four attributes (or notes) of the Church through the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed. The notes of the Church are Dogma of Faith, these are according to official teaching: Holiness : the Catholic Church, despite the sins and faults of each of its members who still pilgrim on Earth , is in itself “holy” for “Holy” is its founder and “saints” are its aims and objectives. Likewise, it is holy through its faithful, since they carry out a sanctifying action, especially those who have achieved a high degree of virtue and have been canonized by the same church. The Catholic Church contains the fullness of the means of sanctification and salvation. It is Holy because its members are called to be saints.

Unity : The Church is “one” due to its origin, God himself. God is one according to Catholic doctrine. It is one because of its Founder, Christ. The apostle Saint Paul , in his First Letter to the Corinthians , refers to the Church as “Body of Christ”: The parts of the body are many, but the body is one; No matter how many the parts are, they all form a single body. In another letter, Paul also teaches about this attribute: Maintain bonds of peace among yourselves and remain united in the same spirit. One body and one spirit, for you have been called to the same vocation and the same hope. One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, who acts for all and is in all. Christ himself teaches and prays for this unity of his Church: May they all be one, just as you, Father, are in me and I in you. May they also be one in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

Catholicity : with the meaning of “universal” the Church is “catholic” in that it seeks to announce the Good News and receive into its bosom all human beings, from all times and in all places, who accept its doctrine and receive Baptism; Wherever one of its members is, the Catholic Church is present there. It is also “catholic” because Christ is present in it, which implies that it receives from Him the fullness of the means of salvation.

Apostolicity : The Catholic Church was founded by Christ on the foundation of Peter and the other apostles. The entire Apostolic College enjoys authority and power as long as it is in communion with Peter and his successors;[Peter and the other Apostles have their successors in the Pope and the Bishops, who exercise the same authority and power as in their day exercised by the first, who were chosen and instituted by Christ. It is also “apostolic” because it keeps and transmits the teachings heard from the apostles. These attributes are found in all the particular Churches that the Catholic Church encompasses, which are the particular Churches of the Roman Catholic Church (Latin Rite) and the autonomous ritual churches (Eastern Rites); All of them have in common the aforementioned essential attributes or characteristics and the supreme authority of the Pope as “vicar” (representative) of Christ on Earth.

Doctrine

The fundamental doctrine of the Catholic Church is based on the Apostles’ Creed , which includes the formulas of faith developed in the first councils in history. The Creed finds a systematic explanation in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, approved in 1992 by John Paul II . An outstanding characteristic to distinguish Catholics from other Christian groups is their acceptance of all ecumenical councils in history from the First Council of Nicaea to the Second Vatican Council .

The notion of revelation is central to Catholic doctrine, because under this term two inseparable sources are included: the Bible and tradition.

Also notable is the position occupied by the bishop of Rome. He receives the title of Pope and is considered not only bishop of his diocese but also bishop of the entire Catholic Church, that is, pastor and doctor of all Christians because he is considered the successor of Saint Peter . The election of popes has undergone changes throughout history; Since the 11th century he has been elected by the college of cardinals gathered in conclave.

Other parts of Catholic doctrine, outstanding and distinctive in relation to the rest of Christians, are the belief in the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception , and in the [[Assumption of Mary], mother of Jesus, as well as faith in the authority effective spiritual power of the Catholic Church to forgive sins and remit the temporal penalties due for them, through the Sacrament of Penance and indulgences.

Another outstanding dogma in the Catholic Church is the belief in the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist , because through the change that is called transubstantiation the bread and wine presented on the Altar are transformed into the body and blood of Christ.

Organizational structure

It has members in all countries, although their proportion in the population varies from a majority in some to almost none in others. It is a hierarchical organization in which the ordained clergy are divided into bishops, presbyters and deacons. The clergy is organized hierarchically, but takes into account the communion of the faithful. Each member of the clergy reports to a higher authority, but the higher authority must exercise its governance with the community in mind, through consultation, meetings, and the exchange of ideas.

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Basilica of Saint John Lateran

Basilica of Saint John Lateran, cathedral of Rome and Mother and Head of all the churches in the World, due to its status as the seat of the Roman Pontiff. Territorially, the Catholic Church is organized into dioceses or particular Churches, each under the authority of a bishop; some of these, of higher rank, are called archdiocese (or archdiocese) and are under the authority of an archbishop.

In the Eastern Catholic churches, these districts are usually called eparchies and archeparchies, respectively. As of August 2010, there are 2,810 dioceses, of which 623 are archdioceses. The diocese of Rome, which includes Vatican City, is the Papal See . Likewise, there are 9 Patriarchates (3 Latin and 6 Eastern rites), 9 Patriarchal Exarchates and 5 territories dependent on Patriarchs.

Some territories, without being considered dioceses, function in practice as such: they are territorial prelatures and abbeys, governed by a prelate or an abbot, respectively. Currently, there are 46 territorial prelatures, more than 80% in Latin America especially in Brazil and Peru , and 11 territorial abbeys, mainly in Italy, as well as 1 personal prelature, the Prelature of the Holy Cross and Opus Dei, based in Italy , 35 military Ordinariates and 8 Ordinariates for the faithful of Eastern rites.

Government

The government of the Catholic Church resides in the bishops, who are helped by the priests:

• The bishops: they are in charge of each diocese. They are helped by priests and deacons. No bishop, even if he has been named cardinal, has authority over another, but each one depends directly on the Pope.
• Cardinals: They are responsible for assisting the Pope in the pastoral action of the Catholic Church and in the administration of the Vatican and the Roman Curia. When the Pope dies, they are also in charge of choosing the successor in a conclave. Collectively they form the College of Cardinals. Cardinals are chosen personally by the Pope.
• The Pope: He is elected by the College of Cardinals, meeting in conclave. In 1871, the First Vatican Council placed particular emphasis on the already existing doctrine of papal infallibility, which has generated great controversy to this day. Its mission is to develop its ministry assisted by two groups of collaborators: the cardinals and the ecumenical council.
• The ecumenical council: it is the assembly of all the bishops of the world presided over by the Pope, which is convened when the most important decisions have to be made, in matters of faith (dogmas) and morals.

The bishops of a country can organize themselves in an episcopal conference or assembly of Ordinaries, in the East, whose positions are elective among the bishops of the same nation. There are also inter-diocesan organizations that involve more than one country.

We have like this:

• 113 Episcopal Conferences.
• 6 Ordinary Assemblies.
• 6 Patriarchal Synods, 1 for each Patriarchal Church (those eastern churches headed by a Patriarchate).
• 4 Major Archepiscopal Synods, 1 for each Major Archepiscopal Church (those eastern churches headed by a Major Archeparchy).
• 2 Councils of Churches (Ethiopian and Ruthenian rites).
• 14 various International Conferences.

Congregations and orders

The religious orders are not part of the hierarchy of the Catholic Church as orders, but they depend on the Pope and the bishops in various ways. They can be of two types:

• Religious orders of diocesan law: they depend on the bishop of the diocese in which they have been recognized.
• Religious orders of pontifical right: they depend directly on the Pope, although they must work in communion with the bishops of the dioceses in which they operate.

Congregations and religious orders are established according to the three basic vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Not all congregations take the vow of poverty, some make only a commitment to utilitarian poverty. Within the Catholic Church there are many monastic religious orders of friars and nuns, as well as congregations and Institutes of religious life. Its members usually take vows of obedience, poverty and chastity; In any case, the votes to be made are at the disposal of each institution. All of them dedicate their lives entirely to God. Other religious practices include fasting, meditation, prayer, penance, and pilgrimage. The fundamental objective of the members of the orders and congregations is to save their own souls and be a saving example for the entire society with their poverty, chastity and obedience, lived in accordance with the specific charisma of the constitution of each order or congregation.

Extension

• Catholic Church in Andorra
• Catholic Church in Spain
• Catholic Church in France
• Catholic Church in Morocco
• Catholic Church in Monaco
• Catholic Church in Portugal

History

Old age

According to Catholic doctrine, Jesus Christ founded a hierarchically organized and authoritative Christian community, led by the apostles, the first of whom was Saint Peter. Later according to the Acts of the Apostles, the apostles and the first followers of Jesus structured an organized church.

A letter written shortly after the year 100 by Saint Ignatius of Antioch to those of Smyrna (chapter 8) is the oldest surviving text in which the term ἡ καθολική ἐκκλησία (the Catholic or universal Church) is used: “Wherever the bishop appears, there must be the people; just as where Jesus is, there is the Catholic Church. From this Church he evidently excluded heretics, against whom he used very strong words: “wild beasts in human form – men whom you should not only not receive, but, if possible, not even have dealings with” (chapter 4 ). Ignatius of Antioch himself attests to the existence of a three-degree hierarchy that consisted of bishops, presbyters (priests), and deacons.

In the 3rd century, Saint Cyprian , bishop of Carthage , speaks of a monarchical hierarchy of seven degrees, in which the supreme position was occupied by the bishop. In this hierarchy the bishop of Rome occupied a special place, as the successor of Saint Peter.

Furthermore, the fact that the bishop of Rome came to have particularly great importance was, according to some, due to political reasons: Rome was the capital of the Roman Empire until Emperor Constantine I the Great made Constantinople the new capital, on 11 May 330 .​ Others attribute this importance to the fact, then recognized by all, that the bishop of Rome was the successor of Saint Peter, whom, according to the Gospel of Luke , Jesus chose for the mission of confirming his companions in the faith. Even in the first century, when the Apostle John was still alive , Pope Clement, bishop of Rome from 89 to 97, wrote to the Christian community of Corinth to resolve an internal problem of that particular Church.

Some authors have stated that there are not sufficient arguments to confirm that Peter was a bishop in Rome. The tradition that affirms that Peter went to Rome and there he died a martyr is also based on this letter of Saint Clement, which mentions his martyrdom (chapter 5). The Council of Nicaea I in 325 condemned Arianism, excluding followers of this theological opinion from the Church. Other Councils also defined the Catholic faith more precisely and excluded other groups, notably the Councils of Ephesus in 431 and of Chalcedon in 451.

Middle Ages

The Catholic Church, in the 5th century, had spread throughout almost the entire territory of the Roman Empire, from Hispania to Syria, with the coastal areas of North Africa . Subsequently, missions were carried out to areas of northern Europe , which reached Ireland , Great Britain , Germany , and later areas of Scandinavia , Central Europe and the Eastern Slavic populations. This long process spans from the 5th to the 11th centuries. A good part of these missions, as well as the work of re-Christianizing the territories of the former Western Roman Empire, was possible thanks to the monasteries, especially the Benedictines. The expansion of populations converted to Islam led to a progressive decline of the Catholic populations of North Africa, which would become almost complete in the modern world.

A later event meant the division between numerous churches: the Great Schism between its Western and Eastern portions whose church, still called Orthodox Catholic , would become known only by the last word: Orthodox , which occurred in the year 1054 due to the rivalries between the patriarchates of Rome and Constantinople and, theologically, around the filioque clause.

During the 11th and 14th centuries, great cultural development occurred thanks to the institution of new ecclesiastical universities, focused above all on theology, but also with faculties of arts, law and, in some places, medicine.

In the 13th century, mendicant orders were founded and began to develop, which had a great influence on the religious life of society. Towards the end of the 14th century, a schism occurred, known as the Western Schism, which affected the Catholic Church from 1378 to 1417, and which caused strong tensions and the emergence of conciliarist ideas, according to which a council could have more authority. than the Pope on some points. Conciliarism was condemned at the Fifth Lateran Council in 1516.

The Inquisition

The term Inquisition (Latin: Inquisitio Haereticae Pravitatis Sanctum Officium’) refers to several institutions dedicated to the suppression of heresy within the Catholic Church. The Medieval Inquisition , from which all the others derive, was founded in 1184 in the Languedoc area of ​​southern France to combat the heresies of the Cathars, Albigensians and Waldensians.

In 1249, the first state Inquisition was also established in the kingdom of Aragon . In the Modern Age , with the union of Aragon with Castile, it was extended to Castile under the name of the Spanish Inquisition in 1478 – 1821, under direct control of the Hispanic monarchy, whose scope of action was later extended to America. Also important were the Portuguese Inquisition during the years 1536 – 1821 and the Roman Inquisition between 1542 – 1965, also known as the Holy Office.

Modern age

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Image of Pope John Paul II

The Catholic Church faces profound changes in the Modern Age. On the one hand, an expansion of the missions began towards some areas of Africa and Asia and towards America since the travels and conquests of the Spanish and Portuguese. On the other hand, there are strong internal tensions and a deep desire for reform.

The invention of the printing press allowed for greater dissemination of the Bible and its translations, which began to circulate among Catholics in various places.

The rejection of papal authority for reasons of political and economic independence and Martin Luther ‘s rejection of the fact that money was charged for indulgences, caused the emergence of Protestantism in 1517. In the same 16th century, Calvinism began to develop in Switzerland , and then spread rapidly in other European countries. A major schism followed with the rise of the Anglican Church born of the English Act of Supremacy in 1534.

Contemporary age

Pope John Paul II stood out for his anti-communism.

Pope Benedict XVI, a prominent German theologian, represented one of the most right-wing wings of the Vatican.

Pope Francis represents the Latin American Church, with a tendency to opt for the poor.

• 1869-1870: Vatican Council I.
• 1870: disappearance of the Papal States.
• 1878: beginning of the Pontificate of Leo XIII .
• 1891: Leo XIII promulgates the encyclical Rerum Novarum, the first social encyclical of the Catholic Church, which deals with the labor problem.
• 1897: Pope Leo XIII promulgates restrictions on the use of Bibles translated into common languages ​​in his Apostolic Constitution Officiorum.
• 1903 : beginning of the pontificate of Saint Pius X.
• 1914: beginning of the pontificate of Benedict XV .
• 1917: promulgation of a new Code of Canon Law.
• 1922: beginning of the pontificate of Pius XI .
• 1929: the Lateran Pacts are signed, with which the sovereign State of Vatican City is born.
• 1939: beginning of the pontificate of Pius XII .
• 1958: beginning of the pontificate of John XXIII .
• 1962 – 1965: Second Vatican Council.
• 1963: beginning of the Pontificate of Paul VI , who continues with the Council and the work of John XXIII .
• 1978: Year of the three Popes, Paul VI dies on August 6 ; The pontificate of John Paul I begins , which only lasts 33 days on August 26 – September 28 ; After his death, a second conclave was held, which elected John Paul II on October 16 . His pontificate is especially oriented towards the implementation of the conclusions of the Second Vatican Council and travels to numerous countries.
• 1981: On May 13 , Pope John Paul II is attacked in St. Peter’s Square .
• 1983: promulgation of the Code of Canon Law with the updates arising from the Second Vatican Council.
• 1992: The Catechism of the Catholic Churchis published .
• 2000: jubilee of the new millennium, decreed and celebrated by John Paul II, who asked for forgiveness for the errors of the “children of the Church.”
• 2005: Benedict XVI’s papacy begins. It promotes ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, in continuity with the pontificate of John Paul II, in communion with the Tradition of the Church.

Financing

The Catholic Church and its institutions are financed in several ways, among which we can distinguish:

• Contributions from institutions belonging to or linked to the Catholic Church itself.
• Economic returns received in the form of capital gains from companies and institutions where capital is invested.
• Direct or indirect contributions and collections, both public and private.
• Financing from the public coffers of many of the countries where it is present.
• Various sources.

The main financial institution of the Catholic Church is the IOR (Institute for Works of Religion) popularly called the Vatican Bank, involved in important scandals of various kinds, among which are the events related to the Banco Ambrosiano, within the framework of not governing by the financial regulations of Italy by the extraterritoriality in which the Vatican City is located. According to news reports from 2010 and earlier, the IOR is being investigated and prosecuted in several countries.