Catholic Church

"Catholic Church" redirects here. For other uses, see Catholic Church (disambiguation).

Roman Catholic Church
Saint Peter's Basilica
Classification	Roman Catholic
Polity	Episcopal
Region	Worldwide
Founder	Traditionally held to be Jesus
Origin	Traditionally c. 30 AD Jerusalem
Separations	one branch of Eastern Orthodox Church and all basal Protestant denominations
Members	1,114,966,000 (estimated)

This 15th century painting by Pietro Perugino depicts Jesus giving the Keys of Heaven to Saint Peter, considered by Roman Catholics to have been the first pope (cf. Matthew 16:17–19).

The Catholic Church or Roman Catholic Church is a Christian church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope Benedict XVI. Through apostolic succession, it traces its origins to the original Christian community founded by Jesus in his act of consecration of Saint Peter as the first pope.

The Catholic Church is the largest Christian church, representing over half of all Christians, and is the largest organized body of any world religion. According to the Statistical Yearbook of the Church, the Catholic Church's worldwide recorded membership at the end of 2005 was 1,114,966,000, approximately one-sixth of the world's population.

The worldwide Catholic Church is made up of one Western or Latin and 22 Eastern Catholic autonomous particular churches, all of which look to the Pope, alone or along with the College of Bishops, as their highest authority on earth for matters of faith, morals and church governance. It is divided into jurisdictional areas, usually on a territorial basis. The standard territorial unit is called a diocese in the Latin church and an eparchy in the Eastern churches. Each diocese or eparchy is headed by a bishop, patriarch or eparch. At the end of 2006, the total number of all these jurisdictional areas (or "Sees") was 2,782.

Origin and Mission

Emblem of the Papacy. The two keys signify the keys to the kingdom of heaven Jesus gave to St. Peter, the first pope.

Main article: History of the Roman Catholic Church

See also: History of the Papacy

The Church traces its origins to Jesus and the Twelve Apostles, and sees the bishops of the Church as the successors of the Apostles in general, and the Pope as the successor of Saint Peter, leader of the Apostles, in particular. The Gospel of Matthew 16 gives the account of Christ's consecration of Peter with the words "...you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

The Church mission is taken from Jesus' instruction to his apostles to "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you: and Lo, I am with you always, until the close of the age." After his death and resurrection, Jesus appears to Peter asking him to "feed my sheep" and "tend my sheep". The church believes it fulfills these mandates by preaching the Gospel and administering the sacraments. The Church supplements its preaching and sacramental duties by administering numerous social programs in countries throughout the world. Through catholic schools, universities, hospitals, shelters, ministries to the poor, families, elderly and marginalized, and various lay ministries, the Church tends to both corporal and spiritual needs of "the sheep".

Pope Benedict XVI

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Papal Authority

Apostolic Succession is the belief that the Pope and Catholic bishops are the spiritual successors of the original twelve apostles, through the historically unbroken chain of consecration (see: Holy Orders). The Pope is the spiritual head and leader of the Roman Catholic Church. He is elected by majority vote of the College of Cardinals and serves for life. Historically, the New Testament contains warnings against teachings considered to be only masquerading as Christianity, and shows how reference was made to the leaders of the church to decide what was true doctrine. The Catholic Church believes it is the continuation of those who remained faithful to the apostolic leadership and rejected false teachings.

Beliefs

The Crucifix,is a cross with the body of Christ. Catholics make use of the crucifix as opposed to Protestant churches who use only a cross without the body of Christ

Catholic belief on all subjects is summarized by the Vatican in a book called the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

The Creed

The Nicene Creed and the Apostles' Creed, state the main principles of basic Christian and Catholic belief. The contents of the Apostles' Creed are entirely contained in the Nicene Creed which is what is recited in all the Eastern and Western Catholic Masses today as well as the majority of all worldwide Christian churches regardless of denomination. This creed states:

"We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered, died, and was buried. On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come."

Spiritual Realm

St. Michael is one of the three archangels. Catholics frequently make use of a prayer to St. Michael for help against temptations to sin. This picture shows him defeating sin, evil, the devil

Catholics believe in the existence of spiritual beings called angels. These beings are God's servants and messengers. They are purely spiritual creatures that have intelligence, will, and immortality. A certain number of angels chose to reject God and his reign. This event is called the "Fall of the Angels". Jesus calls the leader of this group of fallen angels the "father of lies". It is through this "father of lies" that the first humans are tempted and commit original sin.

Original Sin

Main article: Original sin

Human beings, in Catholic belief, were originally created to live in union with God. Through the disobedience of the first humans Adam and Eve, that relationship was broken and sin and death came into the world. The Catechism states that "The account of the fall in Genesis 3 uses figurative language, but affirms ...a deed that took place at the beginning of the history of man" The Fall of Man left humans in a state called original sin, that is, separated from their original state of intimacy with God which followed the immortal soul into death. According to the Catechism, original sin is to each individual soul "a deprivation of original holiness and justice..." that makes each person "subject to ignorance, suffering, and the dominion of death: and inclined to sin..." The sacrament of Baptism is the means with which Catholics are cleansed from this original sin.

Sin

The Church teaches that sin robs man of his resemblance to God. Catholics are taught that there are sins of commission, we sin when we do them; and sins of omission, we sin when we fail to do them. Jesus preaches that his way leads to the fullness of life and love and following him leads the person to this fullness. Sin is the opposite of following Jesus and leads the soul to infinite unhappiness. Failing to love God and our neighbor and instead, doing harm to them, not following the Ten Commandments are some ways that Catholics can commit sin. Some sins are more serious than others. Mortal sins drive God out of the life of a person's soul. For a sin to be mortal, three conditions must be met: "Mortal sin is sin whose object is grave matter and which is also committed with full knowledge and deliberate consent"

Jesus

Jesus preaching his Sermon on the Mount

Catholics believe that the mission of Jesus included giving us his Word and example to follow. A Catholic is helped not to fall into sin and to do good instead by following the words and example of Jesus Christ which are found in the four Gospels. The Gospel of John refers to Jesus as "The Word" who is God and who was with God from the beginning and through whom all things were made. Futhermore, in the messianic texts of the Jewish Torah, which is also the Christian Old Testament, God promises to send his people a savior who will give his life as an offering for sin. This promise, according to Catholics is fulfilled in Jesus, the "lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" Through his suffering, all humankind have an opportunity for forgiveness of and freedom from sin. This forgiveness is believed to reconcile us to God. The sacrament of Penance is the means with which Catholics obtain this forgiveness and receive God's grace and help not to sin again. Penance is a sacrament required of Catholics before they can receive the Holy Spirit in the sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist.

The Holy Spirit

File:Stpetersbasilicaholyspiritwindow.jpg

The Holy Spirit is often depicted in art as a dove in reference to John the Baptist's proclamation that he saw the Holy Spirit descend upon Jesus at his baptism "like a dove".

Jesus told his apostles that he would send them the "Advocate", the "Holy Spirit" who "will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you". According to the Catechism, this Holy Spirit "restores to the baptized the divine likeness lost through sin." To the Catholic, receiving the Holy Spirit is receiving God, the source of all that is good. United with God, the person allows God to live and work through that person. Once a person has received the Holy Spirit, the Church teaches that he can produce the fruits of the Spirit which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. The sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist are the means with which Catholics obtain the Holy Spirit. The sacrament of confirmation can only be conferred once in a persons lifetime. The Eucharist is encouraged to be received as often as a person desires and at least once a week at Sunday mass.

The Church

Jesus invited his disciples to "Abide in me, and I in you...I am the vine, you are the branches" Thus, for Catholics, the Church means the people of God who abide in Jesus and form the different parts of his Body. It does not mean just a physical structure where people gather to worship God although the word 'church' is what Catholic places of worship are called. Catholic belief extends the meaning of Church to include all the faithful who have ever lived and who are believed to be still alive in heaven and who regularly help people on earth. This is called "communion with the saints" and "communion with the dead".

Gutenberg Bible printed in 1455. By the end of the 1400s, Catholics such as Johann Gutenberg were operating 250 print shops all over Europe.

The seven sacraments of the Church, of which the most important is the Eucharist, are of prime importance. The Catholic Catechism states that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father and pours out the Holy Spirit on his Body which is the Church members through the sacraments he instituted to communicate his grace. Jesus promised his disciples that "all who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be satisfied" and that God would give the Holy Spirit to those who ask. Participation in the sacraments, offered to them through the Church, is how Catholics obtain forgiveness of sins and formally "ask" for this Holy Spirit. These sacraments are:

• Baptism
• Confirmation
• Eucharist
• Penance
• Anointing of the Sick
• Holy Orders
• Holy Matrimony

Although the Catholic Church establishes, believes and teaches that the Catholic Church is the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.. It also believes that the Holy Spirit can work through and make use of other churches to bring people to salvation. In its Constitution, the Church now solemnly acknowledges that the Holy Ghost is truly active in the Christian churches and communities separated from itself and is called by the Holy Spirit to work for unity amongst all Christians.

Final Judgement and Salvation

Michaelangelo's Last Judgement in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel

Catholic belief in a final judgment day is based on the Gospel of Matthew 25:31-46. This Gospel discourse speaks of a day when Jesus sits in judgment of all mankind. He specifies that certain people will inherit God's kingdom while others will go off to eternal punishment. "Come, you who are blessed by my Father...For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me....Amen I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me." For this reason, Catholic social teaching commits Catholics to the welfare of every person. Catholic life requires both spiritual and corporal works of charity. The corporal works are embodied in the preceding quote from Matthew 25 listed above. Spiritual works require the Catholic to: share their knowledge with others, give advice to those who need it, comfort those who suffer, be patient with others, forgive those who hurt them, give correction to those who need it, and pray for the living and the dead.

Devotion to the Virgin Mary and the Saints

Jesus, the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph

Catholics believe that the church exists both on earth and in heaven simultaneously and thus, the Virgin Mary and the saints are alive and part of the living Church. Prayers and devotions to Mary and the saints are common practices in Catholic life. These devotions are not worship, since only God is worshipped. The Church calls this devotion "communion with the saints" and states in the Catechism "They do not cease to intercede with the Father for us...So by their fraternal concern is our weakness greatly helped." Catholics have endowed Mary with many adoring titles such as "Blessed Virgin", "Mother of God" "Help of Christians", "Mother of the Faithful". She is given special honor and devotion above all other saints but this honor and devotion differs essentially from the adoration given to God. Catholics do not worship Mary but honor her as mother of Christ, mother of the Church and as a spiritual mother to each believer of Christ. The Church devotes several liturgical feasts to Mary. Prayers to her such as the Rosary are common Catholic practice.

Practices: prayer and worship

In the Catholic Church, there is a distinction between Liturgy, which is the formal public and communal worship of the Church, and personal prayer or devotion, which may be public or private. The Liturgy is regulated by church authority and consists of the Eucharist (the Mass), the other Sacraments, and the Liturgy of the Hours. All Catholics are expected to participate in the liturgical life of the Church, but personal prayer and devotions are entirely a matter of personal preference. A set of precepts provided by the church are to be followed by every Catholic. These precepts set a minimum standard for personal prayer and moral effort. They are:

• You shall attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation
• You shall confess your sins at least once a year
• You shall humbly receive your Creator in Holy Communion at least once during Easter season
• You shall keep holy the holy days of obligation
• You shall observe the prescribed days of fasting and abstinence

The faithful also have a duty of providing for the material needs of the Church according to their individual abilities

A Mass being celebrated in the Grotto at Lourdes.

Eucharist (Mass)

Main article: Eucharist (Catholic Church)

Main article: Catholic liturgy

Catholic Mass is separated into two parts. The first is called Liturgy of the Word where readings from the Old and New Testament are read prior to the Gospel reading and priest's homily. The second part is called Liturgy of the Eucharist where the actual sacrament of the Eucharist is celebrated. Catholics see the Eucharist as the source and summit of the Christian life, and believe that the bread and wine brought to the altar are transformed through the power of the Holy Spirit into the true Body and the true Blood of Christ. This is called transubstantiation. The Holy Mass is a re-presentation of Christ's sacrifice on Calvary.

Sacraments

Main article: Sacraments of the Catholic Church

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1131 teaches: "The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper to each sacrament. They bear fruit in those who receive them with the required dispositions."

Confessionals in a Catholic church, used for the Sacrament of Penance

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1113, "The whole liturgical life of the Church revolves around the Eucharistic sacrifice and the sacraments. There are seven sacraments in the Church: Baptism, Confirmation or Chrismation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony." For a discussion of Saint Thomas Aquinas and the Biblical foundation of the Sacraments, go to Aquinas and the Sacraments.

Liturgy of the Hours

Main article: Liturgy of the Hours

The Liturgy of the Hours is a prayer practice similar to both Jews and Muslims' daily prayer schedules making regular use of the psalms and intermixed with New and Old Testament readings and intercessions. Catholics who pray the Liturgy of the Hours use a set of books issued by the Church called a breviary. By canon law, priests are required to pray the entire Liturgy of the Hours each day. Deacons are required to pray the morning and evening hours. Religious communities vary according to their rules and constitutions in their praying of this liturgy. The Second Vatican Council encouraged Christian laity to take up the practice. Even though individuals may pray this on their own, they consider themselves to be praying in unison, in spirit, with the entire worldwide church.

Devotional life/Personal Prayer

Rosary Beads for praying the Rosary, a common Catholic meditative prayer

Main article: Catholic spirituality

In addition to the liturgy of the Church there are a variety of spiritual practices, devotions, and pietistic practices that Catholics may participate in, either communally or individually. Aside from the Mass, Catholics consider personal and communal prayer to be one of the most important elements of Christian life.

Important examples are blessings of people and of objects, as well as devotions to particular saints, spiritualities, prayers, or Catholic traditions. Popular devotions are not strictly part of the liturgy, but if they are judged to be authentic, the Church encourages them. They include veneration of relics of saints, visits to sacred shrines, pilgrimages, processions (including Eucharistic processions), the Stations of the Cross (also known as the Way of the Cross), Holy Hours, Eucharistic Adoration, Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, and the Rosary.

Community

Armenian-Rite concelebrated Divine Liturgy, "the eucharistic sacrifice, which is the fount and apex of the whole Christian life."

Ordained Ministry

Main article: Catholic Church hierarchy

The Church has an hierarchical structure that applies to the entire Church. The Pope is at the top of this structure, followed by bishops, priests and deacons. The sacrament of holy orders is the means through which men become priests, bishops or deacons. Candidates to the Catholic priesthood must have a college degree plus another four to five years of seminary formation. This formation includes not only academic classes but also human, spiritual and pastoral education. The Roman Catholic Church ordains only men, following Jesus' example in choosing his twelve apostles. Women are believed to have an equally important, different and complimentary function in church ministry, prayer and life.

Bishops (episcopate)

Main article: College of Bishops

The Bishops, who possess the fullness of Christian priesthood, are as a body (the College of Bishops) the successors of the Apostles and are "constituted Pastors in the Church, to be the teachers of doctrine, the priests of sacred worship and the ministers of governance."

The pope, cardinals (in principle), patriarchs, primates, archbishops and metropolitans are all bishops and members of the Catholic episcopate or college of bishops. The sacraments of holy orders and confirmation can only be performed by a bishop.

Priests (presbyterate)

St. Jean Vianney, a diocesan priest renowned for penitential life and ministry as a confessor, is the patron saint of parish priests

Main article: Priesthood (Catholic Church)

Bishops are assisted by priests and deacons. Parishes, whether territorial or person-based, within a diocese are normally in the charge of a priest, known as the parish priest or the pastor.

Priests may perform many functions not directly connected with ordinary pastoral activity, such as study, research, teaching or office work. They may also be rectors or chaplains. Other titles or functions held by priests include those of Archimandrite, Canon Secular or Regular, Chancellor, Chorbishop, Confessor, Dean of a Cathedral Chapter, Hieromonk, Prebendary, Precentor, etc.

In the Latin Rite, only celibate men, as a rule, are ordained as priests, while the Eastern Rites, again as a rule, also ordain married men. Among the Eastern particular churches, the Ethiopic Catholic Church ordains only celibate clergy, while also having married priests who were ordained in the Orthodox Church. Other Eastern Catholic churches, which do ordain married men, do not have married priests in certain countries, such as the United States of America. The Western or Latin Rite does sometimes, but very rarely, ordain married men, usually Protestant clergy who have become Catholics. All rites of the Catholic Church maintain the ancient tradition that, after ordination, marriage is not allowed. Even a married priest whose wife dies may not then marry again.

Deacons (Diaconate)

Roman Catholic deacon wearing a dalmatic

Main article: Deacon

Since the Second Vatican Council, the Latin church again admits married men of mature age to ordination as Permanent deacons. "Deacons are ordained as a sacramental sign to the Church and to the world of Christ, who came 'to serve and not to be served.' The entire Church is called by Christ to serve, and the deacon, in virtue of his sacramental ordination and through his various ministries, is to be a servant in a servant-Church. As ministers of Word, deacons proclaim the Gospel, preach, and teach in the name of the Church. As ministers of Sacrament, deacons baptize, lead the faithful in prayer, witness marriages, and conduct wake and funeral services. As ministers of Charity, deacons are leaders in identifying the needs of others, then marshaling the Church's resources to meet those needs. Deacons are also dedicated to eliminating the injustices or inequities that cause such needs."

Candidates for the Diaconate go through a Diaconate Formation program that is designed based on the contemporaneous needs of their Diocese but must meet minimum standards set by the Bishops Conference in their home country. Upon completion of their formation program and acceptance by their local Bishop, Candidates receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders through Ordination. Generally, following Ordination, a Deacon is assigned by his Bishop to a local Parish in which he will perform his ministry and serve the local church and community.

Religious Orders (members of the consecrated life)

Saint Teresa of Avila, a Carmelite nun who is also honored as a doctor of the church

Main article: Consecrated life (Catholic Church)

or Roman Catholic Religious Order

Consecrated Life (also called the Religious Life) refers to the life of men and women dedicated to God in a binding manner that is recognized by the Church. Its members are not part of the hierarchy, unless they are also ordained priests, but remain members of the laity. The Catholic Church recognizes several forms of the Consecrated Life, namely, the cenobitic life in the religious institutes (often referred to as religious orders or religious congregations, cf. canons 607-709), the eremitic/anchoritic life (canon 603), the order of virgins (canon 604), the life of the consecrated widows/widowers, and in Secular Institutes (canons 710-730) and Societies of Apostolic Life (canons 731-746). It also makes a provision for the approval of "new forms of consecrated life" (canon 605).

Most of the existing forms of the Consecrated Life require their members to consecrate themselves to God by their public profession, confirmed by vow or other sacred bond, of the three Evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty and obedience, or their Benedictine equivalent, as stipulated in Church Law, both proper to the institute and universal (Canon law).

Today the majority of those that feel called to following Christ in a more exacting way in the Consecrated Life join a religious institute, in which they follow a common rule under the leadership of a superior. They usually live in community, although occasionally permission is given to individual members to live for a shorter or longer time as a hermit without ceasing to be a member of their religious institute, others may be given permission to reside elsewhere, for example as resident chaplain to a community of nuns, or as priest serving a non-local parish.

Saint Monica with son, St. Augustine. A member of the laity, she converted both her husband and son through her virtuous life.

Laity

Main article: Laity

Those Catholics who are neither ordained clergy nor consecrated religious are called laity. They are equal in dignity, in the call to holiness, and in the work to build the Church. All are called to share in Christ's priestly, prophetic, and royal office. With the common priesthood in baptism, these ordinary Catholics — e.g., mothers, farmers, businessmen, writers, politicians — are to take initiative in "discovering or inventing the means for permeating social, political, and economic realities with the demands of Christian doctrine and life." They exercise the common, baptism-based priestly office by offering their prayer and works as spiritual sacrifices, the prophetic office by their word and testimony of life in the ordinary circumstances of the world, and the kingly office by self-mastery and conforming worldly institutions to the norms of justice.

Some of the non-ordained exercise formal, public ministry in the name of the church, often on a full time and life-long basis, and often in ministries that were reserved to the presbyterate in the decades leading up to the Second Vatican Council. These are called Lay Ecclesial Ministers, a broad category which may include Pastoral Life Coordinators, Pastoral Associates, Pastoral Assistants, Youth Ministers, Campus Ministers, etc. .

Church History

Main article: History of the Catholic Church

The Early Church and Christological Councils

Early Christians were martyred as entertainment in the Colosseum. Today, Vatican City, the heart of the worldwide Church, is located a short distance from this site

From the beginning, Christians were subject to various persecutions. This involved even death for Christians such as Stephen (Acts 7:59) and James, son of Zebedee (12:2). Larger-scale persecutions followed at the hands of the authorities of the Roman Empire, beginning with the year 64, when, as reported by the Roman historian Tacitus, the Emperor Nero blamed them for that year's great Fire of Rome. According to Church tradition, it was under Nero's persecution that SS. Peter and Paul were each martyred in Rome. In AD 96 Pope Clement I wrote his first Epistle to the church of Corinth only a few years before the death of St. John, the last of the Apostles, in Ephesus. Further widespread persecutions of the Church occurred under nine subsequent Roman emperors including Domitian, Decius and Diocletian.

From AD 150 christian teachers began to produce theological and "apologetic" works aimed at defending the faith. These authors are known as the Church Fathers, and study of them is called Patristics. Notable early Fathers include Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp, Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria and Origen.

Christianity was legalized in the fourth century, when Constantine I issued the Edict of Milan in 313. Constantine was instrumental in the convocation of the First Council of Nicaea in 325, which sought to address the Arian heresy and formulated the Nicene Creed, which is still currently used by the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, Anglican Communion, and various Protestant churches. In 326, Pope Sylvester I consecrated the first Basilica of St. Peter built by Constantine.

On 27 February 380, Emperor Theodosius I enacted a law establishing Catholic Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire and ordering others to be called heretics. This period of history was also marked by the inauguration of a series of Ecumenical (worldwide) Christological Councils which established and formally codified critical elements of the theology of the Church. In 382, the Council of Rome set the Canon of the Bible, listing the accepted books of the Old Testament and the New Testament. Also, the Council of Ephesus in 431 declared that Jesus existed both as fully Man and fully God simultaneously, clarifying his status in the Trinity. The meaning of the Nicene Creed was also declared a permanent doctrine of the Church.

Medieval Period

Saint Benedict, father of Western monasticism and author of Rule of Saint Benedict. The Rule is one of the most important documents in the formation of Western society

In 452, Pope Leo the Great met Attila the Hun, and dissuaded him from sacking Rome. However, in 476, the last Roman Emperor, Romulus Augustus was deposed. Following the fall of the Roman Empire in the west, the Church entered into a long period of missionary activity and expansion among the former barbarian tribes. Catholicism spread among the Germanic peoples (initially in competition with Arianism), the Celts, the Slavic peoples; the Vikings and other Scandinavians; the Hungarians, the Baltic peoples and the Finns. The rise of Islam from 630 onwards, took the formerly Christian lands of the Levant, North Africa and much of Spain out of Christian control.

In 480, St. Benedict set out his Monastic Rule, establishing a system of regulations for the foundation and running of monasteries. Monasticism became a powerful force throughout Europe, and gave rise to many early centers of learning, most famously in Ireland, Scotland and Gaul, contributing to the Carolingian Renaissance of the 9th century.

The Middle Ages brought about major changes within the Church. Pope Gregory the Great dramatically reformed ecclesiastical structure and administration. In the early eighth century iconoclasm became a divisive issue, when it was sponsored by the Byzantine emperors. The popes challenged imperial power and preserved the use of images outside the empire. The Second Ecumenical Council of Nicaea (787) finally pronounced in favour of icons. In the early tenth century, western monasticism was further rejuvenated through the leadership of the great Benedictine monastery of Cluny.

High Middle Ages

Saint Francis receives the Stigmata

From the eleventh century onward, older cathedral schools developed into Universities (see University of Paris, University of Oxford, and University of Bologna.) Originally teaching only Theology, these steadily added subjects including Medicine, Philosophy and Law, becoming the direct ancestors of modern Western institutions of learning.

Accompanying the rise of the "new towns" throughout Europe, mendicant orders were founded, bringing the consecrated religious life out of the monastery and into the new urban setting. The two principal mendicant movements were the Franciscans and the Dominicans founded by St. Francis and St. Dominic respectively. Both orders made significant contributions to the development of the great Universities of Europe. Another new order were the Cistercians, whose large isolated monasteries spearheaded the settlement of former wilderness areas. In this period church building and ecclesiastical architecture reached new heights, culminating in the orders of Romanesque and Gothic architecture and the building of the great European cathedrals.

Pope Urban II at the Council of Clermont, where he preached the First Crusade.

From 1095 under the pontificate of Urban II, the Crusades were launched. These were a series of military campaigns in the Holy Land and elsewhere, initiated in response to pleas from the Byzantine Emperor Alexios I for aid against Turkish expansion. The crusades ultimately failed to stifle Islamic aggression and even contributed to Christian enmity with the sacking and occupation of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade.

Beginning around 1184, following the wars brought about by the Cathar heresy, various institutions broadly referred to as the Inquisition, were established aimed at suppressing heresy and securing religious and doctrinal unity within Christianity through conversion, and prosecution, of alleged heretics. Historians distinguish between the Medieval Inquisition, the Spanish Inquisition, the Roman Inquisition, and the Portuguese Inquisition as distinct historical institutions, some under state, and others under church control.

East-West Schism

Main article: East-West Schism

Over a period stretching from the seventh to the fourteenth centuries, the church underwent a gradual schism that divided it into a Western (Latin) branch, generally known as the Catholic Church, and an Eastern (Greek) branch, which has become known as the Orthodox Church. These two churches disagree on a number of administrative, liturgical, and doctrinal issues, most notably the Filioque clause and papal primacy of jurisdiction.

The Second Council of Lyon (1274) and the Council of Florence (1439) attempted to reunite the churches, but in both cases the Orthodox refused to ratify the decisions. Some Eastern churches have subsequently reunited with the Roman Catholic Church, and others claim never to have been out of communion with the Pope. (See Eastern Catholic Churches.) However the two principal churches remain in schism to the present day, although excommunications were lifted mutually between Rome and Constantinople in 1965.

Reformation

Door of the Schlosskirche (castle church) to which Luther is said to have nailed his 95 Theses, sparking the Reformation.

Main article: Reformation

The fifteenth century Renaissance brought about a renewed interest in ancient and classical learning, and a re-examination of accepted beliefs. The discovery of the Americas by Christopher Columbus in 1492 brought about a new wave of missionary activity as the Catholic Church sought to spread the faith throughout the colonies. Pope Alexander VI awarded colonial rights over most of the newly-discovered lands to Spain and Portugal.

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses, which protested key points of Catholic doctrine as well as the sale of indulgences. Others like Zwingli and Calvin developed even more radical and extreme critiques of catholic teaching and worship. These challenges developed into a movement called the Protestant Reformation. Repudiated issues included the primacy of the pope, clerical celibacy, the seven sacraments, the Eucharist, and various other Catholic doctrines and practices.

In 1534, the English Parliament passed the Act of Supremacy making the King of England Supreme Head of the Church of England. Beginning in 1536, the monasteries throughout England, Wales, and Ireland were dissolved. Pope Paul III then excommunicated King Henry VIII in 1538, beginning what would become a decisive schism between Rome and Canterbury.

Counter-Reformation

A session of the Council of Trent

Main article: Counter-Reformation

The Counter-Reformation, or Catholic Reformation, is the name given to the response of the Catholic Church to the challenge of Protestantism. Spearheaded by the Council of Trent, the essence of the Counter-Reformation was a renewed conviction in the validity of traditional Catholic doctrine and practice. This was seen as the source of ecclesiastic and moral reform, and the answer to halting the spread of Protestantism. Renewed enthusiasm led to the founding of new religious orders, such as the Jesuits, the establishment of seminaries for the proper training of priests, worldwide missionary activity, and the development of new yet orthodox forms of spirituality, such as that of the Spanish mystics and the French school of spirituality. The Council of Trent clarified and reasserted doctrine, issued dogmatic definitions, and produced the Roman Catechism. Catholicism spread worldwide, at pace with European colonialism: to the Americas, Asia, Africa and Oceania.

Modernity

Father Miguel Pro, arms spread in the form of a cross, was executed by the anti-clerical regime in Mexico.

In the 18th and 19th centuries the church found itself facing not only the teachings of Protestantism, but also Enlightenment and Modernist teachings about the nature of the human person, the state, and morality. Atheism and anti-clericalism were increasingly powerful forces. These expressed themselves in movements to secularise church lands , properties and functions. In many parts of the world religious orders were suppressed, worship discouraged, and education, healthcare and other functions were taken over by the state.

With the coming of the Industrial Revolution, and the increased concern about the deteriorating conditions of urban workers, 19th and 20th century popes issued encyclicals such as Rerum Novarum explaining Catholic Social Teaching. The First Vatican Council (1869-1870) affirmed the doctrine of papal infallibility which Catholics hold to be in continuity with the history of Petrine supremacy in the church.

Second Vatican Council Reforms

Pope John XXIII, opening the Second Vatican Council in 1962

Main article: Second Vatican Council

The Catholic Church engaged in a comprehensive process of "reform" during and immediately after the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). Convened by Pope John XXIII, the Council stressed what it saw as positive rather than what it saw as negative in other Christian communities and other religions. It was a primarily pastoral but authoritative council, called to make the historical teachings of the Catholic Church clear to the modern world.

It issued documents on a number of topics, including the nature of the church, the mission of the laity, and religious freedom. It also issued directions for a revision of the liturgy, including permission for the Latin liturgical rites to use vernacular languages as well as Latin in the Mass and the other sacraments. For consequent changes in the liturgy, see Mass of Paul VI.

Demographics

For the Roman Catholic Church regionally and by country, see [[:Roman Catholicism by country, Category:Roman Catholic Church by country, and Category:Roman Catholic Church by region]].

Catholic membership as a percentage of each country's population.

The number of Catholics in the world is around 1.1 billion and continues to increase, particularly in Africa and Asia. Brazil is the country with the largest number of Catholics. The increase between 1978 and 2000 was 288 million. In most industrialized countries, church attendance has decreased since the 19th century, though it remains higher than that of other "mainline" churches. In Europe, Romance-speaking countries are historically Catholic, northern Germanic-speaking countries Protestant, and Slavic countries split between Orthodox and Catholic, although there are exceptions. Catholicism's presence in the rest of the world is due to the work of missionaries mainly from Spain, Portugal, and France, as well as immigrants from these countries and other Catholic parts of Europe such as the Irish, who planted Catholicism throughout the English-speaking world. In Latin America, where it once had a virtual monopoly, Catholicism has suffered increasing competition from Protestantism, particularly in parts of Central America and the Caribbean. In Africa, it is most dominant in the central part of the continent, while in Asia, there are only two majority-Catholic countries: the Philippines and East Timor.

In countries where a question on religion is included in the census, the number given in the Statistical Yearbook of the Church (see, above, Introduction) is that of the census returns.

Membership

According to canon law, one becomes a member of the Catholic Church by being baptized in the Church or by being received into the Church (by making a profession of faith, if already baptized). Someone who renounces membership, for example by Actus Formalis Defectionis ab Ecclesia Catholica, may later be received back into the Catholic Church, after making a profession of faith or, when the person has not defected by a formal act, going to confession.

A person can excommunicate themselves from membership in the Church by committing certain particularly grave sins. Excommunication is the most severe ecclesiastical penalty. It prevents a person from validly receiving any church sacrament and can not be forgiven except by the Pope, the bishop of the place or priests authorized by them. Some of those who have incurred excommunication during church history are: Arius, Frederick II, Martin Luther, Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, Womenpriests.

See also

• For a list of articles related to this topic, see; Category:Roman Catholic Church

• Anti-Catholicism
• Canon law (Catholic Church)
• Catholic
• Catholicism
• Catholic social teaching
• Christianity
• Criticism of the Catholic Church
• Cultural Catholic
• Eastern Catholic Church
• Feeneyism
• Global organisation of the Roman Catholic Church
• Lay Ecclesial Ministry
• List of canonizations
• List of people who converted to Catholicism
• Lists of Roman Catholics
• Marian doctrines of the Catholic Church
• One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church
• Primacy of the Roman Pontiff
• Roman Catholic calendar of saints
• Traditionalist Catholic

References and readings

• "Catechism of the Catholic Church". Libreria Editrice Vaticana. 1993.
• "Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church". Libreria Editrice Vaticana. 2005.
• "Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae (Annual Church Statistics)". EWTN. 2004. Retrieved 2006-09-14. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
• Carroll, Warren (2004). History of Christendom. Christendom Press. ISBN 0-931888-21-2. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help) 4 Volumes.
• Central Statistics Office (2006). Annuario Pontificio. Libreria Editrice Vaticana. ISBN 88-209-7806-7.
• Crocker, III, H. W. (2001). Triumph: The Power and the Glory of the Catholic Church: A 2,000-Year History. Prima Lifestyles. ISBN 0-7615-2924-1. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
• Herbermann, Charles G.; et al. (1913). "Catholic Encyclopedia". Encyclopedia Press. {{cite web}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |author= (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
• Hughes, Philip (1947). A History of the Church: The World in Which the Church Was Founded. Sheed & Ward. ISBN 0-7220-7981-8.
• Miller, Adam S. (1997, 2006). The Roman Catholic Church: A Divine Institution or a Human Invention?. Tower of David Publications. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
• Woods, Jr., Thomas (2005). How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization. Regnery Publishing. ISBN 0-89526-038-7. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
• Barry, Rev. Msgr. John F. (2001). One Faith, One Lord: A Study of Basic Catholic Belief. Gerard F. Baumbach, Ed.D. ISBN 0-8215-2207-8.

External links

• Vatican: the Holy See the official website of the Vatican
• Catholic Hierarchy Information on Catholic bishops and dioceses
• The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church Information on the Cardinals of the Catholic Church
• Roman Catholicism Overview in Encyclopaedia Britannica
• The Catholic Guide - Information site about the Roman Catholic faith
• Template:PDFlink by Albert J. Fritsch, SJ, PhD
• Catholic Answers One of the largest lay-run apostolates of Catholic apologetics and evangelization
• Mary Foundation Free CDs summarizing basic Roman Catholic teaching on the Mass, Mary, etc.
• Catholic Wiki - An orthodox wiki site dedicated to building up a plethora of information on the Catholic Church.
• MassTimes - A comprehensive database of every Catholic Church and Mass in the entire world.
• ParishesOnline - U.S. directory of the Catholic Church.
• Immaculate Heart of Mary’s Hermitage Report - Catholic News, History and Spirituality
• Introduction to Roman Catholicism - An introduction to Roman Catholicism (part of the Christianity in View web site).

Vatican news

• Vatican Information Service
• Holy See Press Office: Daily Bulletin
• L'Osservatore Romano, English weekly edition
• Vatican Radio
• Vatican Television Center schedule
• Internet TV project promoted by Fondazione Perseus, a non-profit Italian organization[1]