Ethan Walker
Catholicism, a branch of Christianity, can be traced back to the life and teachings of Jesus Christ in Roman-occupied Palestine around 30 CE. The Catholic Church considers itself a continuation of the early Christian community established by Jesus's disciples. According to Catholic tradition, Jesus established his disciple St. Peter as the first Pope, and the Church was born from Jesus's life, death, and resurrection. The Church went public after the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles fifty days after Easter, and Peter, considered the rock, preached and led the early Church. The Catholic Church faced persecution in its early years, but this changed when the Roman Emperor Constantine became Christian, legalised Christianity, and worked to unify the faith. By 380 CE, under Emperor Theodosius, Christianity had become the state religion of the Roman Empire.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of origin | The Catholic Church can trace its history back almost 2000 years. |
| Number of followers | There are 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptised Catholics worldwide as of 2025. |
| Geographical spread | Catholics are spread across all five continents with particular concentrations in southern Europe, the United States, the Philippines, and Central and South America. |
| Core beliefs | The divinity of Jesus Christ, the son of God made man who came to earth to redeem humanity's sins through his death and resurrection. |
| Holy text | The core beliefs of Catholicism are found in the Nicene Creed. |
| Head of the Church | The Pope, based in Rome, is the successor to Saint Peter, whom Christ appointed as the first head of His church. |
| Clergy | The Catholic Church ordains only celibate men to the priesthood. |
| Hierarchy | The Pope is at the top, followed by cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests, deacons, and laity. |
| Key historical influence | The Catholic Church was the dominant influence on Western civilization from Late Antiquity to the dawn of the modern age, sponsoring Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Mannerist, and Baroque styles in art, architecture, and music. |
| Key historical figures | Notable figures include Pope Pius IX, Pope John XXIII, Ignatius of Antioch, Irenaeus, Pope Clement I, Justin Martyr, and Augustine of Hippo. |
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What You'll Learn
The Catholic Church's origins
The Catholic Church, the oldest institution in the Western world, can trace its history back to the first century. It is a community of Christians who follow the apostolic faith and is the largest Christian church in the world. Its beginnings are usually traced back to Jesus and his teachings, and the Catholic Church sees itself as the original and only true church.
The foundation of the Catholic Church is often associated with the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who lived in the 1st century AD in Roman Palestine. Jesus' ministry, as recorded in the New Testament, attracted a following that eventually became the early Christian church. After his crucifixion and subsequent resurrection, as believed by Christians, Jesus' apostles and their successors began to spread his message throughout the Roman Empire and beyond.
The term "Catholic" was first used to describe the Christian faith in the early 2nd century. It comes from the Greek word "katholikos," meaning "universal." This term was used to distinguish the Catholic faith from the smaller, more localized Christian groups that were emerging at the time.
One of the key moments in the early history of the Catholic Church was the Council of Jerusalem, which took place around the year 50 AD. This council, attended by the apostles and other early Christian leaders, helped to define the relationship between the growing Christian community and the traditions of Judaism, from which it had emerged.
The Catholic Church began to take on a more structured form in the 2nd and 3rd centuries, with the development of a clear hierarchy, including bishops, priests, and deacons. This period also saw the emergence of important theological debates and the establishment of key doctrines, such as the Trinity and the nature of Christ.
As the Roman Empire began to decline, the Catholic Church played a significant role in filling the power vacuum, especially in Western Europe. The Pope, as the Bishop of Rome, became an increasingly important figure, and the Church played a central role in shaping European culture and politics for centuries to come.
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The Church's teachings
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the oldest institution in the western world. It can trace its history back almost 2,000 years to around 30 CE in Roman-occupied Jewish Palestine. The Church teaches that it is the "one true church", "the universal sacrament of salvation for the human race", and "the one true religion".
The Catholic Church is distinct from other Christian churches in both its organisation and its teaching. It ordains only celibate men to the priesthood since Jesus was, it teaches, male and celibate. The Church is hierarchical, with the Pope at the top, followed by cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests, deacons and laity. The Pope, or Bishop of Rome, is considered to be the successor of Saint Peter, who was appointed by Jesus as the head of His church. The Pope is therefore said to stand in the apostolic succession, an unbroken line back to Saint Peter, and has supreme authority. Popes can speak infallibly on matters of faith and morals, although they rarely do so in practice.
The Catholic Church teaches that each of the sacraments was instituted by Christ himself. It also holds that Jesus established his disciple St. Peter as the first pope of the nascent church. The Church considers its bishops to be the successors to Jesus's apostles. By the end of the 2nd century, bishops began congregating in regional synods to resolve doctrinal and administrative issues. By the 3rd century, the bishop of Rome began to act as a court of appeals for problems that other bishops could not resolve. Doctrine was further refined by a series of influential theologians and teachers, known collectively as the Church Fathers. From the year 100 onwards, proto-orthodox teachers like Ignatius of Antioch and Irenaeus defined Catholic teaching in stark opposition to other things, such as Gnosticism.
The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) introduced significant changes to Catholic practices, modernising the Church and allowing the Mass to be said in the local language. It also encouraged "fully conscious, and active participation in liturgical celebrations", intending to engage the Church more closely with the present world. This council abandoned the notion of the Catholic Church as the sole means of salvation, acknowledging that there were other routes to heaven and opening the way for dialogue with other churches.
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The Church's organisational structure
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the oldest institution in the western world, with a history that can be traced back almost 2000 years. It is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptised Catholics worldwide as of 2025. The Church consists of 24 autonomous churches, including the Latin Church and 23 Eastern Catholic Churches, which comprise almost 3,500 dioceses and eparchies around the world, each overseen by one or more bishops.
The Catholic Church follows an episcopal polity, led by bishops who have received the sacrament of Holy Orders and have formal jurisdictions of governance within the church. There are three levels of clergy: the episcopate, composed of bishops who hold jurisdiction over a geographic area called a diocese or eparchy; the presbyterate, composed of priests ordained by bishops and who work in local dioceses or religious orders; and the diaconate, composed of deacons who assist bishops and priests in a variety of ministerial roles.
Ultimately, the Catholic Church is led by the Bishop of Rome, known as the Pope, whose jurisdiction is called the Holy See. The Pope is considered the successor to Saint Peter, upon whom primacy was conferred by Jesus Christ. The Pope is at the top of the Catholic Church's hierarchy, followed by cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests, deacons and laity. Cardinals have the right to elect a new pope upon the death of the previous one.
The Eastern Catholic Churches are in full communion with the Pope but have separate governance structures and liturgical traditions from the Latin Church. While the Latin Church's canons do not explicitly use the term, it is tacitly recognised as equivalent. Some Eastern Catholic Churches are governed by a patriarch elected by the synod of the bishops of that church, while others are headed by a major archbishop, a metropolitan, or organised as individual eparchies. Each church has authority over its internal organisation, liturgical rites, liturgical calendar and other aspects of its spirituality, subject only to the Pope's authority.
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The Church's influence on Western civilisation
The Catholic Church is the oldest institution in the Western world, with a history that can be traced back almost 2000 years. It has played a significant role in the history and development of Western civilisation, with some arguing that it built Western civilisation. The Church's influence can be seen in various aspects of Western society, including:
Art, Architecture and Music:
The Catholic Church was the dominant influence on Western art, architecture and music from Late Antiquity to the dawn of the modern age. It sponsored and promoted the Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Mannerist and Baroque styles. Many Renaissance artists, such as Raphael, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and Caravaggio, were among the visual artists sponsored by the Church.
Education:
The Church has been a major provider of schooling and other social services throughout its history. It played a crucial role in the development of universities, with monks establishing the first universities in Europe, including Oxford, Paris, and Bologna. These institutions emerged from older cathedral schools in the 11th century.
Science and Astronomy:
The Church has also contributed to the development of science and astronomy. For example, the Gregorian calendar, introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582, is the internationally accepted civil calendar used worldwide today. The Church's interest in astronomy was sparked by the need to correct the Julian calendar, which had fallen out of sync with the sky, affecting the celebration of Easter, which is tied to the Spring equinox.
Law and Politics:
The Church has influenced the development of law and politics in the Western world. Canon law finds its foundation in the earliest texts of Christianity and the interpretations of Church fathers' writings. The emergence of international law is also attributed to Catholic disputes over the nature of the soul after encounters with American Indians.
Philosophy and Culture:
Christianity and the Church have influenced Western philosophy and culture. The Bible and Christian theology have inspired philosophical and political thought, with teachings such as the Parable of the Good Samaritan influencing modern notions of "human rights" and welfare. Christianity has also contributed to the development of European cultural identity and spread to other regions, including Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, influencing their cultures as well.
While some scholars, like Edward Gibbon, argue that the Church interrupted the true progress of the West, others, like Thomas Woods, emphasise the positive role of the Church in sanctifying and giving new life to Western civilisation.
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The Second Vatican Council
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 Second Vatican Council, also known as Vatican II, was the twenty-first ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. It was convened by Saint John XXIII and lasted for four sessions from 1962 to 1965.
The council produced a series of documents to direct the life of the Church in the twentieth century and beyond. Saint John XXIII stated that the purpose of the Council was the "modernization of the Church after 20 centuries of life". This refreshment of the Church's traditions is commonly referred to as aggiornamento ("bringing up to date" in Italian). In his opening speech to the Council, the Pope emphasized the theme of aggiornamento by stating that:
> "It is absolutely vital that the Church shall never for an instant lose sight of that sacred patrimony of truth inherited from the Fathers. But it is equally necessary for her to keep up to date with the changing conditions of this modern world."
> "The restoration of unity among all Christians is one of the principal concerns of the Second Vatican Council."
The council also led to changes in the church's approach to ecumenism and a call to improved relations with non-Christian religions, especially Judaism, in its document Nostra aetate. In addition, there was the unfinished business of the First Vatican Council (1869-70). The task of the Second Vatican Council in continuing and completing the work of the first was noted by Pope Paul VI in his encyclical letter Ecclesiam Suam (1964).
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Frequently asked questions
The Catholic Church is almost 2000 years old. It started in Jerusalem and can be traced to the life and teachings of Jesus Christ in Roman-occupied Jewish Palestine around 30 CE.
Catholics believe that Jesus Christ founded the Church and that his disciple, St. Peter, was the first pope.
St. Peter eventually made his way to Rome, where he was martyred.
In 313, the persecutions of Catholics were lessened by the Edict of Milan, which legalised Christianity in the Roman Empire. In 380, under Emperor Theodosius, Christianity became the official state religion.
