Grace Thompson
The Catholic Church traces its origins to the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ in approximately AD 30. However, Jesus was ethnically and religiously Jewish, not Catholic. He was born, lived, and died a Jew, and his teachings reflected Jewish beliefs and practices of the time. The term Catholic Church was first used by Bishop and Saint Ignatius of Antioch in a letter to the Christian community at Smyrna around AD 107. The term Catholic stems from the Greek kataholos, meaning according to the whole or universal. The early Christian community that Jesus established was known as The Way, and its followers were Jews who continued to observe Jewish laws and traditions. It was only later, after the conversion of the Roman Emperor Constantine and the Edict of Thessalonica in 380, that Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire, and the Catholic Church solidified its power and influence.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Jesus's religion | Jewish |
| Jesus's ethnicity | Jewish |
| Jesus's universal message and vision | Reflected in the definition of 'catholic' |
| Jesus's mother | Virgin Mary |
| Jesus's followers | Jews, referred to as followers of "the Way" |
| Jesus's appointment | Twelve Apostles |
| Jesus's instructions to his disciples | "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations" |
| Jesus's death | Crucified in Jerusalem |
| Catholic Church's origin | Death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ in approximately AD 30 |
| Catholic Church's origin, according to Protestants | Founded by men much later in Christian history |
| Catholic Church's origin, according to the Catholic Church | Established and built by the apostles |
| Catholic Church's origin, according to historians | Compromise of Christianity with pagan religions |
| Catholic Church's role | Driving force behind major events of world history, including the Christianization of Western and Central Europe and Latin America |
| Catholic Church's role | Spreading literacy and founding universities and hospitals |
| Catholic Church's role | Development of art, music, literature, architecture, and contributions to the scientific method |
| Catholic Church's role | Playing a powerful role in global affairs, including the Crusades, the Inquisition, and the Fall of Communism in Eastern Europe |
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What You'll Learn
- Jesus was ethnically and religiously Jewish
- The term 'Catholic' means 'universal church'
- The first followers of Jesus were Jews referred to as followers of 'the Way'
- The Catholic Church was formed through a compromise with pagan religions
- The Church considers its bishops to be successors to Jesus's apostles
Jesus was ethnically and religiously Jewish
Jesus was ethnically Jewish, being born in Nazareth, Galilee, to a Jewish mother, Mary. He was also religiously Jewish, being circumcised as an infant in accordance with Jewish law and baptised as a Jew by John the Baptist in the River Jordan.
Jesus's earliest followers were also Jewish. They were referred to as followers of "the Way", and their movement seemed like another expression of Judaism. However, as the teachings of Christ spread beyond Judaism and began to attract Gentiles, conflicts arose surrounding questions of religious practice.
Jesus is said to have completed the Jewish religion by serving as the Messiah, or Christ, whom the prophets had long foretold. The completed form of Judaism is known as Christianity, and its adherents are Christians or "followers of the Christ".
The term "Catholic" means the universal Church. The Catholic Church was founded by Jesus Christ, and it 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.
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The term 'Catholic' means 'universal church'
The term "Catholic" is derived from the Greek adjective "katholikos", which means "universal". The word comes from the Greek phrase "katholou", meaning "on the whole, according to the whole, in general", and is a combination of the Greek words "kata", meaning "about", and "holos", meaning "whole". The term "Catholic" is thus associated with the idea of universality and inclusivity.
The first known use of the word "Catholic" in a religious context was by the church father Ignatius of Antioch in his Letter to the Smyrnaeans around 107 AD. In this letter, Ignatius emphasised the importance of unity among Christians, writing, "Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude [of the people] also be; even as, wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church". Here, Ignatius contrasted the concept of the universal Church with the particular Church of Smyrna, highlighting the idea that the Catholic Church transcends geographical boundaries and encompasses all believers.
The early Christian community, established by the Disciples of Jesus, is considered by the Catholic tradition to be the foundation of the Catholic Church. According to the New Testament, Jesus appointed twelve Apostles and instructed them to continue his work. The Catholic Church teaches that the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles during Pentecost signalled the beginning of the public ministry of the Church.
The universality of the Catholic Church is also reflected in its belief that it is the "one true church" and the "universal sacrament of salvation for the human race". This belief is rooted in the understanding that the Church is the continuing presence of Jesus on earth and that it alone possesses the means of salvation. The Church's evangelising mission, as reflected in Jesus' words in Matthew 28:19, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations", further emphasises its universal nature.
The term "Catholic" in the context of the Church, therefore, signifies its universal scope, encompassing all people, places, and doctrines. It represents the belief in the catholicity or universality of the Church's teachings and its presence throughout the world.
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The first followers of Jesus were Jews referred to as followers of 'the Way'
Jesus was ethnically and religiously Jewish, and he never stopped being one. However, his universal message and vision are reflected in the very definition of the word "catholic". The Catholic Church was founded by Jesus Christ, and according to its tradition, it started on the day of Pentecost in the upper room of Jerusalem. 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.
The first followers of Jesus were Jews referred to as followers of "the Way". Initially, the followers of Jesus were all Jews, and they were referred to as followers of "the Way", probably derived from John 14:6, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me". At first, the Way seemed like another expression of Judaism. However, the teachings of Christ quickly spread beyond Judaism, and as the movement attracted Gentiles, conflicts arose surrounding questions of religious practice.
As Christians continued to grapple with questions of belief and belonging, another term came into use to describe the community: "catholic". The first surviving use of the word is in a letter by Bishop and Saint Ignatius of Antioch to the Christian community at Smyrna around 110. The term "catholic" means the universal Church.
By the time of the destruction of the Second Temple (around 70 AD) and the Council of Nicaea (325 AD), Christians were still considered Jewish with Jesus as their leader. However, growing tensions soon led to a starker separation that was virtually complete by the time Christians refused to join the Bar Kokhba Jewish revolt of 132, although some groups of Christians retained elements of Jewish practice.
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The Catholic Church was formed through a compromise with pagan religions
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions and has played a prominent role in the development of Western civilization.
The Catholic Church teaches that it is the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church founded by Jesus Christ in his Great Commission. According to sacred tradition, the Catholic Church was founded by Jesus Christ. 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.
However, the term "Catholic" was first used by Bishop and Saint Ignatius of Antioch in a letter to the Christian community at Smyrna around 110 AD. The Catholic Church's origin is said to be the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ around AD 30. The Church proclaims itself to be the church that Jesus Christ died for and was established and built by the apostles.
The history of the Catholic Church is the formation, events, and historical development of the institution through time. According to Catholic tradition, it started on the day of Pentecost in the upper room of Jerusalem. The Church considers the event of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles, to signal the beginning of the public ministry of the Church.
However, some sources suggest that the origin of the Catholic Church is a tragic compromise between Christianity and the surrounding pagan religions. Instead of proclaiming the gospel and converting pagans, the Catholic Church Christianized" pagan religions and "paganized" Christianity. By blurring the differences and erasing the distinctions, the Catholic Church made itself appealing to the idolatrous people of the Roman Empire, becoming the supreme religion in the Roman world for centuries.
Paganism refers to various religions that existed during Antiquity and the Middle Ages, including the Greco-Roman religions of the Roman Empire and localized ethnic religions practiced inside and outside the empire. During the Middle Ages, the term was also used for religions outside the former Roman Empire, such as Germanic, Egyptian, and Baltic paganism.
In conclusion, while the Catholic Church maintains that it was founded by Jesus Christ and traces its origins to the early Christian community established by his disciples, some argue that it was formed through a compromise with pagan religions, blending Christian and pagan beliefs and practices.
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The Church considers its bishops to be successors to Jesus's apostles
While Jesus was ethnically and religiously Jewish, some sources argue that he was also Catholic by faith. The term "Catholic" means the universal Church, and Jesus's universal message and vision are reflected in the definition of the word "Catholic".
The Catholic Church teaches that the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, in an event known as Pentecost, signaled the beginning of the public ministry of the Church. The Church considers its bishops to be the successors to Jesus's apostles. As apostles died, the task of shepherding the Church fell to the highest-ranking ministers appointed by them, who are known as bishops. The Catholic Church has traditionally claimed a unique leadership role for the Apostle Peter, believed to have been named by Jesus as head of the Apostles and as a focus of their unity. Peter was the first Bishop of Rome, and his successors inherited the role and became the leaders of the worldwide Church.
Apostolic succession is a foundational doctrine of authority in the Catholic Church. It involves there being an unbroken line of bishops from the beginning of Christian history to the present. The chain of apostolic succession started with the apostles themselves, and when apostles stopped being commissioned in the first century, apostolic succession continued with the bishops, the successors of the apostles. According to Acts 11:26, the new community—made up of Gentiles and Jews alike—began to refer to itself as “Christian”.
The first surviving use of the word "Catholic" is in a letter by Bishop and Saint Ignatius of Antioch to the Christian community at Smyrna around 110. The New Testament records Jesus' activities and teachings, His appointment of the twelve Apostles, and His instructions to them to continue His work.
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Frequently asked questions
Jesus was ethnically and religiously Jewish, not Catholic as we understand the term today. However, his universal message and vision are reflected in the definition of the word "catholic".
The term "Catholic" means the universal Church. The word comes from the Greek "katholike ekklesia", which means "universal assembly".
The first surviving use of the term "Catholic" is in a letter by Bishop and Saint Ignatius of Antioch, written around 107 AD. However, the term was likely used earlier, possibly during the time of the apostles.
Some Protestants claim that Jesus founded the "Christian Church". The biblical evidence for this comes from the Acts of the Apostles, which states that the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. However, others argue that the early Church in Antioch was, in fact, the Catholic Church.
