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Catholic ChurchThe history, practices, beliefs, writings and news
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Denomination History, Practices and BeliefsIntroduction The Roman Catholic Church is also referred to as The Catholic Church. The term Catholic comes from the Greek meaning Universal. They are governed by the Bishop of Rome or the Pope. The Bishop of Rome, the Pope, has supreme authority. The Roman Catholic Church regards itself as the only rightful inheritor of the Church since it was placed upon Peter by Jesus. The Pope is the Catholic bishop and patriarch of Rome, the head of the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches. The role of Pope is a spiritual role as well as being the independent head of the sovereign State of the Vatican City of Rome. The pope is assisted in his administration of the church by a complicated bureaucracy known as the Curia. The Curia is located in Vatican City. It is directed by the Secretariat of State. The Pope has final authority in all matters and is considered to be infallible. It is the Pope who appoints and transfers the Bishops to the different dioceses. It was Pope Paul the VI who instituted the Synod of Bishops in 1965. The Synod of Bishops is a representative body of bishops who may be called upon by the Pope for consultation on major issues. The Synod of Bishops is not the same as the Ecumenical Councils, which is the convocation of all the Bishops of the world. The Roman Catholic Church is organized into dioceses all headed by a bishop. The most important church in a diocese is the cathedral. This is where the bishop has power over the worship and ceremonies. The bishop’s chair or throne is located in the cathedral and the bishop preaches to the congregation. A Bishop is the principal liturgical dignitary and is distinguished from the priest by the power of the Holy Orders. A Bishop has the right to admit priests to his diocese and to exclude them from his ministry. The bishop assigns his priests to parishes and gives them their duties. A Bishop delegates administrative duties to his Vicar General, Chancellors, and any other officials under him. The Clergy is under the Bishop for both secular and religious affairs. The Secular Clergy are not usually members of the religious orders or congregations. The Secular Clergy have been permanently been incardinated into the diocese under the authority of the local bishop. They usually staff the parishes of the dioceses and serve as Pastors in the parishes. The religious clergy are committed to their congregations. They work within a given diocese and must adhere to the decisions of the Bishop in public worship. Religious clergy and laity staff the schools, hospitals and any other social service in the diocese. Nuns and Brothers are members of congregations, but are not religious clergy. Cardinals are the highest dignitaries in the Roman Catholic Church after the Pope. The Cardinals are appointed by the pope. The cardinals represent the Supreme Council of churches, colleges, and on the death of the pope they are the one who elect his successor. Most cardinals are Bishops of dioceses. The Sacred Congregation of Cardinals is made up of 70 members; six Cardinal Bishops, fifty Cardinal Priests, and fourteen Cardinal Deacons. History The Roman Catholic Church claims they date back from the moment that Jesus Christ appointed the Apostle Peter as the guardian of the keys of heaven and earth as the Chief of all the Apostles. They claim Peter as the first Pope. They claim they have worldly authority and power because they believe they are the only body that is strong enough to rule after the fall of Rome in 410. The Roman Catholic Church believes without the Church, anarchy would run rampage. The word Catholic means universal. Catholic was first mentioned by Ignatius A.D. 110-15. Augustine influenced the theological and philosophical structure. It was Augustine who defended and gave the Papacy justification. Historically, the Crusades were a series of military campaigns sanctioned by the Pope during 1096 to 1291. The hope of the Crusades was to capture the Holy Land from the Muslims. The Crusades began to ensure the safety of the pilgrims that were visiting the Holy Sepulchre Church in Jerusalem, and to establish Christian rule in Palestine. Some charge that the Crusades were for the establishment of wealth and power for the Catholic Church, and question the official explanations of providing protection for the pilgrims. These Crusades lasted almost two hundred years. They included most of the Middle East, with attacks directed against Egypt and Constantinople. There were several crusades mounted against the Ottoman Turks to stop them from controlling the eastern borders of Europe. Several Popes preached about the need for a united Christian Holy war against the infidels. Pope Pius II failed to raise a crusade for the recovery of the fallen Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire, so Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire fell in 1453. Power and prosperity was desired within the Roman Catholic Church which lead to the corruption and worldliness of the leaders and laymen within the church. The Protestant Reformation came about because of the corruption of the Roman Catholic Church. The Protestant Reformation movement began in the 16th century. It eventually ended with division within the Roman Catholic Church and the establishment of new religious orders such as Lutheranism, the Reformed churches and the Anabaptist movement. The Roman Catholic Church reaffirmed the traditions that it had developed through the ages. The Protestants rejected the Roman Catholic Churches tradition and insisted Christ was the head of the Christian church and not the Pope. Protestants believed the Bible was the authority of the church and not the Pope, and the Holy Spirit, rather than the Pope, was the inspiration of the church. The Protestants differed from the Catholics in their belief that the fellowship of the membership was the strength of the church, personal experience in Jesus was the way to salvation, that an individual had the right to interpret the Scriptures. Protestants denied the authority and dogma of the Roman Catholic Church to interfere or cause them to compromise on their beliefs. The Roman Catholic Church reached the United State in 1493. It is believed there were twelve priests who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage. There were three Episcopal Sees erected in the new World in 1512. The first was erected at Santo Domingo, which is today the Dominican Republic. The second American See was Santiago de Cuba and was established in 1522. The third See was established in Mexico in 1530. The languages of these churches of the southeastern and southwester portions of the United States were in Spanish. The first missionaries sent by the Roman Catholic Church were the Franciscans, Dominicans, and Jesuits. More Roman Catholic Churches were established in Florida, Texas, New Mexico and California. French missionaries established Catholic Churches on the banks of the Saint Lawrence River, Maine, areas around the Great Lakes, Mississippi river valley and northern New York. Roman Catholics that lived in Maryland and Pennsylvania were under the jurisdiction of the Vicar Apostolic of London before 1789. John Carroll was consecrated the first Bishop in Baltimore in 1790. Immigrants from Ireland, Germany, and Italy in the 19th century helped to populate the Roman Catholic Church. Schools, seminaries and other educational institutions such as elementary schools, high schools, and colleges and universities were established by the Roman Catholic Churches. Belief The Roman Catholic Church believes the Bible is the basis for teaching, but the traditions of the Church fill in the gap between the teaching of the Bible and issues such as infant baptism that are not covered in the Bible. They believe that God is the author of the Bible and has been written down under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The Roman Catholic Church believes God inspired the human authors of the Bible. The Roman Catholic Church believes the Word of God is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith. The Gospels are the heart of all Scriptures and are the principal source for the life and teachings of the Incarnate Word of Jesus. The Roman Catholic Church believes the church is the name given to the assembly of the people God has called together from the ends of the earth. The Roman Catholic Church believes there are three meanings for the church... The people God has gathered, the diocese or local church, and the liturgical, especially the Eucharistic assembly. The Roman Catholic Church believes the church gets its life from the Word and the Body of Christ, and in doing so becomes the Body of Christ. The Roman Catholic Church believes on the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit in the church. The Holy Communion is the gathering of the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist. The fellowship and union with Jesus and other baptized Christians is considered the Church. The Roman Catholic Church believes in the veneration of the saints, especially of Blessed Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ. It was Pope Pius IX, in 1854, who proclaimed the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, and in 1950 Pope Pius XII proclaimed her Assumption of the Virgin. Adherents to the Roman Catholic Church believes their prayers and good works can help those who have died without being fully purified of their sins. The Roman Catholic Church believes in indulgences. Indulgences are the remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sin whose guilt has already been forgiven. Catholic faithful can obtain an indulgence through the help of the Roman Catholic Church. The Church as the Minister of Redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasure of the Satisfactions of Christ and the Saints. An indulgence is only partial if it removes part of the temporal punishment due to sin. The Mass of the Roman Catholic Church is the center of their worship. There are several parts to the Mass. The most important parts of the Mass are the Liturgy of the Word and the Eucharistic Liturgy, when the Holy Communion is distributed. The Mass is structured, but there are possibilities for variations such as the use of music or pageantry. Seven Sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church A Sacrament is defined by the Roman Catholic Church as a material and spoken action which confers Divine Grace upon a person. Sacraments are Christian rites that intercede for the Divine Grace and are seen as being instituted by Christ. The Roman Catholic Church theology teaches these seven Sacraments affect the spiritual benefit of the faith of the believer. Baptism is purification done by water. It is the first Sacrament that must be accomplished in order to receive the other Sacraments. The Roman Catholic Church believes baptism is the first main Sacrament of forgiveness for sinners. Baptism unites the believer with Christ, who died for our sins and rose for our justification. The Roman Catholic Church believes Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist represents the Sacraments of Initiation. This is when a believer receives the remission of original and personal sin and they may begin a new life in Jesus and the Holy Spirit, as they are incorporated into the Church as well as the Body of Christ. Baptism is a rite. The Roman Catholic Church believes in both the full immersion and pouring water on the head done in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Confirmation is one of the Sacraments that allow initiation into the Church. It goes along with Baptism and the Eucharist. Confirmation completes the Grace of Baptism by the outpouring of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Confirmation seals the baptized into union with Jesus. Eucharist is believed by the Roman Catholic Church as being objectively the Body and the Blood of Christ through the Real Presence. The term Real Presence is the belief that Jesus is truly present, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity in the Eucharist. This Real Presence happens when the bread and wine are Transubstantiation. The Roman Catholic Church believes the ritual sacramental of the Eucharist is thanksgiving to God and celebration of the Paschal mystery of Christ. The Roman Catholic Church believes The Paschal Mystery is the work of Christ in redemption accomplished by the Passion, Death, Resurrection, and glorious Ascension of Jesus. The death of Jesus destroyed our death, rising He restored our life. It is the Eucharist which renews the Paschal sacrifice of Jesus as the sacrifice offered by the Church. Penance and Reconciliation is the forgiveness of the sins of those who are reconciled with God and with the Church. The Roman Catholic Church believes the acts of the penitent are contrition, the confession of sins, and reparation together with the prayers of absolution by the priest. This is what constitutes the essential elements of the Sacrament of Penance. Anointing the sick should be administered in every serious illness or old age and should not be delayed until the point of death. Those believers who are seriously physically ill are anointed by a priest with oil blessed specifically for the purpose of unction. It has been referred to as the Last Rites or the Sacrament of the Dying. The anointing of the sick is administered by the priest to a baptized person who is in the process of death, sickness or old age. The Roman Catholic Church believes prayer and the anointing of the body with the oil of the sick gives a special grace of healing. It is a comfort to the Christian who is suffering the infirmities of a serious illness, impending death or old age because it gives them the forgiveness of sins. Holy Orders The Roman Catholic Church believes the Sacrament of the Apostolic Ministry is the mission Jesus Christ gave to the Apostles. The Roman Catholic Church believes the mission of Christ for the Apostles continues today. The Roman Catholic Church believes through the laying on of hands the sacrament of the apostolic ministry continues. There are three distinct orders; the Deacon, Priest and Bishops. Holy matrimony should be between two baptized persons and can not be dissolved. The Roman Catholic Church teaches the purpose of matrimony is to promote mutual love and procreate children. The Roman Catholic Church believes marriage is a covenant or a partnership of life between a man and woman. |
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Christians in the Know! Phil Ropp, a faithful servant of Christ, defender of his Catholic faith, and my Christian brother wrote a powerful piece concerning the things and ways of the Catholic Church he loves. In a series of letters back and forth, it was easy to discern the moving of the Holy Spirit, as divisions separating the Catholics from the Protestants were joined together in our shared effort of finding common ground. His resulting essay on the Catholic Church brought new knowledge to me, and speaks powerfully to his walk with a strong commitment toward his religion. Who better to explain the things of the Catholic Church, than one who loves his Church and his walk of faith. He has graciously allowed me to publish his letter, in it's entirety, so others can gain a better understanding, without dilution, of things Catholic from his eloquent perspective as he was moved by Him to share.David, Thank you for your prompt reply and, I might add, for making my day. Much of the contact that I get from Protestants through this web site is antagonistic. I shared a little of my faith with you and am delighted to find out that we are on the same page when it comes to living out our Christianity. Truth be told, I have many more issues with the far left liberal faction in the Catholic church than I do with Bible believing Protestants like you. In the Protestant churches when there is disagreement it is a matter of splintering off into yet another church. In the Catholic church we have members that run the gambit from closed minded fundamentalists to far out liberal lefties all under one roof. They are, of course, at each other's throats while the rest of us are somewhere in the middle just trying to follow Jesus as best we can and love each other the way we were told to do. Fortunately, the extremists at either end of the spectrum are a small but highly vocal minority and serve mostly to make more noise than trouble. We are fortunate to have Pope Benedict. As Joseph Ratzinger, he was the most prolific and brilliant Catholic Theologian of the 20th century. His books are excellent. He has a scholar's mind and a pastor's heart. The course he has set for the Church is orthodox yet loving, open and caring. This bodes well for all of us, and the open dialog that you and I have begun is the kind of communication he is trying to foster between the divergent Christian denominations. It is what God expects from us. Overall, your Catholic page is balanced and accurate. In fact, it's very good. The areas I would address are: The College of Cardinals is fluid in number and increases due to the fact that the pope has the authority to appoint new Cardinals. Cardinals that are under 85 years of age are the ones that actually elect the pope. I believe there are currently around 150. There were 15 new ones just appointed so I'm not sure what the exact count is. Cardinals are Bishops that are appointed to serve in an advisory and administrative capacity within the Curia as well as elect the popes. Cardinals are assigned symbolic jurisdiction and serve as honorary pastors of the great Italian Cathedrals. The pope, of course, is also the Bishop of Rome. "Excathedra" means in or from the chair and it is the only way a pope or bishop is infallible. Excathedra pronouncements must also be designated as such by the pope or bishop to be considered infallible. Infallible (and this is one of the most widely misunderstood concepts in Catholicism) does not mean "unerring." A baseball umpire makes errors (bad calls) on occasion, yet his authority is infallible (you can look in the paper the next day and the bad call will stand as truth). A pope can make an infallible pronouncement that reverses an earlier infallible pronouncement that was found to be in error. Doctrines such as Papal Infallibility, the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption of Mary were officially made Doctrine in the 19th century because these beliefs were under challenge by the Catholic liberals of that time. The beliefs themselves were accepted in the church from the early centuries forward but prior to the "Age of Enlightenment" had never been called into question. Pope Pius X, in his struggle against "modernism" sought to solidify these concepts into doctrine so that they might remain part of the faith. While elected ostensibly by the College of Cardinals, the belief is that the Holy Spirit chooses the pope by influencing the vote of the Cardinals. The Conclave begins each day with Mass and is a prayerful as well as political process. The pope is the Vicar of Christ. This means that he represents Christ on earth as the supreme pastor in the church. As Bishop of Rome he is the supreme Bishop and in turn each Bishop has autonomy over the priests in his diocese. What you call "Secular" priests are referred to as "Diocesan" priests, and these are the priests that (mostly) pastor parishes. "Religious" priests belongs to Orders and do not work directly under the Bishop's jurisdiction, though, ultimately, the Bishop has total autonomy and authority over everything that goes on in his diocese. Catholics believe that Christ is the head of the Church and is served on earth by the pope. The pope is a servant and a shepherd but his authority is from Christ and not his own. His role is on a grander scale perhaps, but is no different than the way a Protestant minister understands his role as pastor. There are two sources of authority in the Catholic Church. Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. Sacred Scripture is primary and is rooted in the belief that the Bible is the unerring Word of God. Sacred Tradition is the belief that God continues to reveal himself to us in meaningful ways throughout history. However, these revelations are not considered valid unless they square with the teaching of the Bible. Purgatory is often brought up as an exception to this, but the concept is taught in Second Maccabbees and this is considered scripture by Catholics. The theological concepts surrounding the Virgin Mary are built upon the premise that Mary remains spiritually active and is with us as the "Mother of the Church." The doctrines of the Immaculate Conception and Assumption are at their root theological arguments that were constructed to explain how this phenomenon could be possible. I can personally attest to her real spiritual presence. The Church recognizes Mary as present, but rules on manifestations and appearances such as Fatima and Lourdes based upon whether or not what is taught in these appearances is scriptural and of value for the general edification of the Church. The Bible always wins. Given the deeply mystical and spiritual aspects of Catholicism, this is a necessary control that the Church exercises to differentiate between the divine and the diabolical. Divine revelation is of two types. Most is for the personal edification and spiritual enlightenment of the individual that experiences it. The Church does not rule on these experiences but recognizes that they are valid for that particular person. Far more rare are the public manifestations that are for general edification, and these are tightly scrutinized. Therefore, the appearance of Mary at Fatima is sanctioned by the Church and recognized. The situation at Medjugorje is still under investigation, and the Veronica Lueken appearances at Bayside, New York have been rejected and condemned. Accepted, under review and condemned are the three categories under which spiritual phenomenon are considered. I believe that it can be argued historically that the schism that resulted from Luther's actions was not his original intent. The political motivation behind the original schism was the result of German aristocrats seeking control of Catholic wealth on German soil. It was more about politics than religion. The Catholic Church did not merely reassert her Tradition. To the contrary, the Council of Trent was convened to speak to the very legitimate accusations made by Luther in his 95 theses and this resulted in the much needed Counter-reformation. The last two Vatican councils have been an attempt to reinterpret Trent for our modern age and the result is a far more ecumenical and accepting Catholicism that seeks to reconcile with all Christians. Today, the Church teaches that all Christians are brothers. There are Christians that are in full communion with the Catholic Church and there are Christians that are "separated brethren." The pope believes that he is the spiritual leader of all Christians and is to work for the benefit of all that claim Jesus as they're savior, whether or not they recognize his authority. I covered the Real Presence of Jesus in the Mass earlier, so I guess that is about all I have to comment on. There is a link below to the Catechism of the Catholic Church that is the final authority to go by in case any comment I have made here is in error. David, it has been a pleasure dealing with you so far and I hope that we might establish a relationship that is fruitful and beneficial to both of us. I've added your link to my Online Bible Study section and you can see it by clicking on the link below. I have no illusions that I will drive a ton of traffic to your site, but I believe as you do that if one person that needs what you have finds it through this link it will be a blessing to all of us. Give it a month and let me know what your hit counts are from here. If there is any way that I might be of service to you please let me know. You will, of course, be in our prayers. May God's richest blessings be yours, Phil Radio New Jerusalem Catechism of the Catholic Church |
In vitro embryos as precious as fetuses according to Pope - 2/28/2006 Pope Benedict said that embryos developed for in vitro fertilization deserve the same right to life as fetuses, children and adults. He believes in vitro embryos have that same right even before they are transferred into a woman's womb. Traditional depiction of Judas in Pope's homily - 4/14/2006 Pope Benedict XVI recounted the Biblical betrayal of Jesus by Judas, calling the apostle a double-crosser for whom "money was more important than communion with Jesus, more important than God and his love." Rainbow appears over Auschwitz during prayer - 5/29/2006 Pope Benedict XVI visited the Auschwitz concentration camp. During his prayers he asked God why He remained silent during the "unprecedented mass crimes" of the Holocaust. As he stopped to pray, a light rain stopped and a brilliant rainbow appeared over the camp. Latin Mass limits relaxed by Pope Benedict XVI - 10/12/2006 Restrictions on celebrating Latin Mass will be eased by Pope Benedict XVI. He is making a concession to traditionalists who split with the Roman Catholic Church to protest the loss of the Latin Mass forty years ago when liberalizations of worship practice were established. The pope's intent is to "help overcome the schism and help bring (the conservatives) back to the church," said a Vatican official. Bishops adopt guidelines on gay ministry - 11/15/2006 The Nation's Roman Catholic bishops adopted new guidelines for gay outreach in their statement
"Ministry to Persons with a Homosexual Inclination." Their support to the statement was adopted by a 194-37 vote, with one abstention, at a meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Pope visits Christian minority in Turkey - 11/30/2006 Pope Benedict XVI attended a service at St. George Church in Istanbul Church, and made a pointed plea on behalf of Turkey's beleagured Christian minority. He shifted his focus from Muslim reconciliation to Christian solidarity in response to Iraq's denouncement of the Vatican being a part of the "crusader campaign". Pope Benedict pointed out that threats are precisely the reason violence must be separated from religion. His Turkey pilgrimage was intended to highlight Christian unity and the bridging of the 1,000-year-old rift between Catholics and the Orthodox, who do not recognize his authority. Clerical sex abuse requires penance - 12/16/2006 The personal priest of Pope Benedict XVI, Rev. Raniero Cantalamessa, strongly denounced the "abominations" committed inside the church "by its own ministers and pastors". "The moment has come, after the emergency to do the most important thing of all: to cry before God," said Cantalamessa, in a pre-Christmas talk delivered in a Vatican chapel. Pope Benedict was in the audience. Polish archbishop resigns after deal with secret police revealed - 01/08/2007 Warsaw Archbishop Stanislaw Wielgus abruptly resigned over revelations that he cooperated with Poland's communist-era secret police. Worshippers were stunned, and cries of "No, no!" and "Stay with us!" were heard in and outside St. John's Cathedral, as a despondent Wielgus read from a letter to Pope Benedict XVI offering his resignation. Pope John Paul's miracle linked to Nun - 03/29/2007 Sister Marie-Simon-Pierre is the French nun whose testimony of a mystery cure from Parkinson's disease will likely be accepted as the miracle proof the Vatican will use to beatify Pope John Paul II, according to an official at the Paris maternity hospital where she works. The nun claims that she was cured of Parkinson's, the same disease that Pope John suffered from, after she and her community of nuns prayed to John Paul. |
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MLA Style Citation: About the Author
Joanne B. Holstein is a Becker Bible Studies Teacher and author of Guided Bible Studies for Hungry Christians. She is a Religious Philosophy student of Liberty University, and a Homeschool parent and child advocate. She is well-known as a counsleor to Christian faithful who are struggling with tremendous burden in these difficult times. She is a leading authority on the history of development of the Christian churches and the practices and beliefs of world religions and cults. |
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