Rachel Evans
The Catholic Church, based in Rome and headed by the Pope, is the oldest institution in the western world. It can trace its history back almost 2000 years to the life and teachings of Jesus Christ in Roman-occupied Jewish Palestine around 30 CE. The Church was established and built by Jesus's apostles, who gained converts in Jewish communities around the Mediterranean Sea, and over 40 Christian communities had been established by 100 AD. Today, there are more than a billion Catholics worldwide.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of origin | Approximately 2000 years ago, or AD 30 |
| Location of origin | Jerusalem |
| Current location | Based in Rome and the Vatican |
| Number of followers | 1.3-1.4 billion worldwide |
| Percentage of Christians | About 50% |
| Percentage of world population | About 16.6% |
| Number of sacraments | 7 |
| Founder | Jesus Christ |
| Current leader | Pope |
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What You'll Learn
The Catholic Church's origins
The Catholic Church, based in Rome and led by the Pope, is the oldest institution in the Western world. It can trace its history back almost 2,000 years.
The Catholic Church contends that its origin is the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ in approximately AD 30. The Church considers itself a continuation of the early Christian community established by the Disciples of Jesus. The Church considers its bishops to be the successors to Jesus's apostles and the Church's leader, the Bishop of Rome (also known as the Pope), to be the sole successor to St Peter, who ministered in Rome in the first century AD after his appointment by Jesus as head of the Church.
The period following Christ's death, from approximately 33 to 100 CE, is known as the apostolic age. During this time, the early church was headed by the 12 apostles of Jesus, who began missionary work to convert Jews to Christianity in various regions of the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Around 60 CE, Apostle Paul returned to Rome after suffering persecution for attempting to convert Jews to Christianity. He is said to have worked with Peter, another of Jesus's disciples, who became an influential leader in the Jewish Christian movement. The reputation of Rome as the centre of the Christian church may have begun during this period, although practices were conducted in secret due to Roman opposition.
In the centuries that followed, the Roman Catholic Church developed a highly sophisticated theology and an elaborate organisational structure headed by the papacy, the oldest continuing absolute monarchy in the world. The Church's previous Pope, Pope John Paul II, was widely hailed as the 'spark from heaven' who ignited the revolutions that swept away the Iron Curtain in the late 1980s.
However, some disagree with the Church's account of its origins. According to one source, the origin of the Catholic Church is the "tragic compromise of Christianity with the pagan religions that surrounded it". Instead of proclaiming the gospel and converting pagans, the Catholic Church "Christianized" pagan religions and "paganized" Christianity, thereby erasing the distinctions between the two and making itself more attractive to the idolatrous people of the Roman Empire.
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The East-West schism
The first action that led to the formal schism occurred in 1053 when Patriarch Michael I Cerularius of Constantinople ordered the closure of all Latin churches in Constantinople. In 1054, the papal legate sent by Pope Leo IX travelled to Constantinople to deny Cerularius the title of "ecumenical patriarch" and insist that he reject the teachings of the Greek church. When the leader of the legation, Cardinal Humbert of Silva Candida, learned that Cerularius had refused to accept the demands, he excommunicated him, and in response, Cerularius excommunicated Humbert and the other legates.
The validity of the Western legates' act was questionable due to Pope Leo's death, and Cerularius' excommunication only applied to the legates personally. However, the Church still split along doctrinal, theological, linguistic, political, and geographical lines, and the fundamental breach has never been healed. While there have been several attempts at reconciliation, the two sides occasionally accuse each other of committing heresy and initiating the schism.
In the centuries following the schism, events such as the Latin-led Crusades, which were originally intended to aid the Eastern Church, only served to increase tension. The Massacre of the Latins in 1182 greatly deepened existing animosity, leading to the West's retaliation through the Sacking of Thessalonica in 1185 and the capture and pillaging of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade in 1204. The emergence of competing Greek and Latin hierarchies in the Crusader states further solidified the existence of a schism.
While the two sides remained separated, relations between the churches improved following the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), which recognized the validity of the sacraments in the Eastern churches. In 1965, Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I nullified the anathemas of 1054 as a gesture of goodwill, and in 1979, the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue Between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church was established to further foster ecumenism. Despite these efforts, the official schism between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church remains, and the two churches continue to have differing practices and beliefs.
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The Inquisition
The Catholic Church, based in Rome and headed by the Pope, is the oldest institution in the Western world. It can trace its history back almost 2000 years.
The Spanish Inquisition, which began in 1478, is infamous for its severity and persecution of Jews, Muslims, and converts. It often focused on those who had converted from Judaism or Islam to Christianity, known as "Conversos" or "Marranos", due to suspicions that they secretly maintained their previous religious practices. The Spanish Inquisition resulted in approximately 32,000 executions.
In 1542, the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Roman and Universal Inquisition was established, marking the beginning of the Roman Inquisition. This institution was less active and more benign compared to its Spanish counterpart. The Roman Inquisition aimed to combat Protestant heresy and survived as part of the Roman Curia, undergoing name and focus changes over time.
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Catholic influence in Latin America
The Catholic Church, based in Rome and led by the Pope, is the oldest institution in the western world. It can trace its history back almost 2000 years. Today, there are more than a billion Catholics worldwide, spread across all five continents, with a particular concentration in Latin America. Nearly 40% of the world's Catholics live in Latin America, which is home to more than 425 million Catholics.
The history of Catholicism in Latin America is closely tied to the region's colonial past. During the colonial period, Catholic missions played a significant role in the "conversion" of the indigenous Amerindian populations. Friars and missionaries, such as Pedro de Gante and Bartolome de Las Casas, also advocated for the rights of Amerindians against Spanish colonial abuses and exploitation. They worked to educate the Amerindians about Spanish cultural expectations, social customs, and political organization through the mission system.
The spread of Catholicism in Latin America was facilitated by the pre-existing role of religion in pre-Columbian cultures, such as the Aztec and Inca civilizations. The Catholic Church replaced native religious structures with those of Catholicism, which was closely linked to the Spanish throne. The Basilica of Our Lady of Copacabana in Bolivia, built near the Isla del Sol (where the Sun God was believed to be born), is an example of the mixing of Catholicism with local customs.
In the 19th century, anti-clericalism emerged as an integral feature of liberalism in Latin America. This was based on the notion that the clergy, particularly those in administrative roles, hindered social progress in areas like public education and economic development. Despite this, the Catholic Church continued to play a significant role in Latin America, and it remains one of the largest landowning groups in most of the region's countries.
In recent times, however, identification with Catholicism has declined in Latin America. While historically, from 1900 through the 1960s, at least 90% of Latin America's population was Catholic, today, only 69% of adults across the region identify as Catholic. Many Latin Americans have converted to evangelical Protestantism or rejected organized religion altogether. Despite this decline, Catholicism continues to shape the cultural and social landscape of Latin America, with practices such as favouring a particular saint, belief in miracles and healing, and observance of Catholic holidays.
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Catholicism in the modern day
Catholicism, the largest branch of Christianity, has been around for almost 2000 years. In the modern day, there are over a billion Catholics worldwide, spread across all continents, with significant populations in Southern Europe, the United States, the Philippines, and Central and South America.
Modern Challenges and Controversies
Catholicism in the contemporary age faces several challenges and controversies. One significant issue is the ""dictatorship of relativism,"" where the prevalence of relativism and the belief that moral truths are historically conditioned can make it difficult for Catholics to practice their faith. Additionally, the Catholic Church has been criticised for its stance on sexual morality and its tendency to view modern developments negatively.
Another major issue facing modern Catholicism is the sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy and other church members, which has led to civil litigation, criminal prosecution, and public outrage worldwide. The Church has been criticised for its handling of abuse complaints, as many bishops and officials protected accused priests, allowing them to continue committing crimes. In response, formal procedures have been established to prevent abuse, encourage reporting, and promptly address complaints, although the effectiveness of these measures has been questioned.
Social Principles and Political Involvement
Despite these challenges, modern Catholicism embraces a set of distinctive social principles, including supporting workers' rights, opposing unfettered capitalism, defending oppressed peoples, and campaigning for a more equal global trading and political balance. These principles can be traced back to Jesus's Sermon on the Mount and landmark papal encyclicals like Rerum Novarum (1891).
The Catholic Church has also played a significant role in modern politics. During the 20th century, the Church's global reach continued to grow, even amid the rise of anti-Catholic authoritarian regimes and the decline of European empires. The Church acted as a peace broker during the World Wars, delivering aid to victims, and Pope John Paul II contributed to the fall of communism in Europe. However, the Church has also faced accusations of encouraging antisemitism and not doing enough to stop Nazi atrocities during World War II.
Changes in Practices and Rituals
In the modern era, the Catholic Church has also undergone significant changes in its practices and rituals. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), initiated by Pope John XXIII, modernised the Church's practices, allowing the Mass to be said in the vernacular and encouraging active participation in liturgical celebrations. These reforms aimed to bring the Church closer to the present world, but they also generated controversy, with some arguing that they did not go far enough.
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Frequently asked questions
The Catholic Church, based in Rome and headed by the Pope, is the oldest institution in the western world. It can trace its history back almost 2000 years.
Catholicism revolves around seven sacraments: baptism, reconciliation, Eucharist, confirmation, marriage, holy orders (joining the priesthood), and the sacrament of the sick (formerly known as extreme unction or the last rites). Catholics also have a strong devotion to the Virgin Mary, mother of Christ, and believe in transubstantiation, or the transformation of bread and wine into Christ's body and blood during Mass.
Catholics believe that the Pope, based in Rome, is the successor to Saint Peter, whom Christ appointed as the first head of His church. The Pope stands in what Catholicism calls the apostolic succession, an unbroken line back to Saint Peter, and holds supreme authority.
Catholicism spread globally through missionary work and now has over a billion adherents worldwide, spread across all continents with particular concentrations in Southern Europe, the United States, the Philippines, and Central and South America.
