Grace Thompson
Catholicism is a broad church, with many branches and denominations. The Catholic Church combines the Latin Church, the Eastern Catholic Churches of Greek tradition, and other Eastern Catholic Churches. The Roman Catholic Church is the most common, but there are also seven non-Latin, non-Roman Catholic churches: Armenian, Byzantine, Coptic, Ethiopian, East Syriac (Chaldean), West Syriac, and Maronite. Each of these churches is considered as Catholic as the Roman Catholic Church. Anglicanism, Lutheranism, and Old Catholicism are also branches of Catholicism, though the Catholic Church has judged the succession of Anglican and Lutheran ordinations to be invalid. The Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox Church, and the Assyrian Church of the East are also considered Catholic by some.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Catholicity | The concept of widely accepted beliefs and practices by Christian denominations, especially those that describe themselves as Catholic. |
| Catholic | Refers specifically to the Catholic Church and often, the Roman Catholic Church. |
| Roman Catholic | The most common type of Catholic. |
| Anglican | Anglicans, or the Church of England, separated from the Roman Catholic Church for political reasons. |
| Latin-Rite | Comprises ~90% of all Catholic Christians. |
| Diocesan Roman Catholic parishes | The most common type of Catholic parish in the United States. |
| Eastern Catholic Churches | 23 churches in communion with Rome, with unique histories and liturgies. |
| Old Catholic | Has historical ties to the Catholic Church, with limited recognition of the validity of some sacraments. |
| Eastern Orthodox Christians | Follow the Byzantine-Rite style of liturgical worship. |
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What You'll Learn
Roman Catholicism
The Roman Catholic Church maintains that it is the single Church of Christ, rejecting the idea that Protestant churches are fully part of this one church. However, the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s acknowledged that authentic goodness, truth, and beauty can be found in varying degrees in Protestant churches and even in non-Christian traditions.
Within Roman Catholicism, there are different types of parishes. Diocesan parishes are the most common in the United States, with Mass typically in English or the local language, and the priest facing the congregation. There are also more "traditional" parishes, where women may wear veils, Mass is in Latin, and the priest and congregation face the same direction.
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Anglicanism
Anglo-Catholicism, a movement within Anglicanism, emphasises the Catholic heritage and identity of the Church of England and various churches within Anglicanism. It claims to restore liturgical and devotional expressions of church life that reflect the ancient practices of the early and medieval church. The principal objective of the Oxford Movement, an influential period in Anglo-Catholic history, was to defend the Church of England as a divinely founded institution and a branch of the historical Christian Church, along with the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches.
The Book of Common Prayer, shaped by Thomas Cranmer, became the standard liturgical text of Anglicanism. After King Henry VIII broke with the Roman Catholic Church, the Church of England continued to adhere to most traditional Catholic teachings and did not initially make any other major alterations to doctrine. However, under King Henry's son, Edward VI, the Church of England became more identifiably Protestant.
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Eastern Orthodox Church
The Eastern Orthodox Church, officially the Orthodox Catholic Church, is one of the three major doctrinal and jurisdictional groups of Christianity, with approximately 230 million baptised members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops via local synods. The church has no central authority figure like the Pope in the Catholic Church, but the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople is recognised as primus inter pares ('first among equals').
Eastern Orthodox theology is based on the Scriptures and holy tradition, incorporating the dogmatic decrees of the seven ecumenical councils and the teaching of the Church Fathers. The church teaches that it is the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church established by Jesus Christ, and that its bishops are the successors of Christ's apostles. It maintains that it practises the original Christian faith, as passed down by holy tradition. The seven major sacraments, or holy mysteries, are celebrated liturgically in synaxis, with the Eucharist being the principal one. The church teaches that through consecration invoked by a priest, the sacrificial bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ.
The Virgin Mary is venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Church as the Theotokos, or 'God-bearer', and she is honoured in devotions. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the primary religious confession in Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Greece, Belarus, Serbia, Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, North Macedonia, Cyprus, and Montenegro. It has played an especially prominent role in the history and culture of Eastern and Southeastern Europe.
The Eastern Orthodox Church is defined as the Eastern Christians which recognise the seven ecumenical councils and are usually in communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Patriarchate of Alexandria, the Patriarchate of Antioch, and the Patriarchate of Jerusalem. The seven ecumenical councils recognised by the Eastern Orthodox churches are: Nicaea I, Constantinople I, Ephesus, Chalcedon, Constantinople II, Constantinople III, and Nicaea II.
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Oriental Orthodox Church
The Oriental Orthodox Church is one of the branches of the Catholic Church. It is also referred to as the "Ancient Church of the East" by the Catholic Church. The Oriental Orthodox Church is comprised of six autocephalous national churches: the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch, the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, and the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church. The Malabar Independent Syrian Church and the British Orthodox Church were once part of one of the mainstream Oriental Orthodox churches but are now independent.
The Oriental Orthodox Church is in full communion with itself but not with the Eastern Orthodox Church or any other churches. It is considered more conservative with regard to social issues. The majority of its members live in Ethiopia, Egypt, Eritrea, Armenia, India, Syria, and Lebanon, with large diaspora communities in parts of the Middle East, Europe, Asia, North and South America, and Australia.
The Oriental Orthodox Church has been historically referred to as non-Chalcedonian, anti-Chalcedonian, or pre-Chalcedonian, as well as erroneously as Monophysite, Ancient Oriental, or Lesser Eastern. The name "Oriental Orthodox Churches" was formally adopted at the Conference of Addis Ababa in 1965. The teachings of Saint Cyril the Great constitute the foundation of their Christology, and they are firmly attached to the Cyrilian formula of "One nature of the Word Incarnate".
The Oriental Orthodox Church has played a pivotal role in the expansion of Christianity beyond the borders of the Byzantine Empire. They have revived monastic life as a source of spirituality and evangelism, reorganized theological education, and created youth movements and student associations. They are considered churches of the people, without a dichotomy between institution and community.
The Oriental Orthodox Church is technically in schism and does not adhere to all the required dogmas to be considered entirely "Orthodox". They confess one composite divine-human nature in Christ, rejecting the Council of Chalcedon in 451, which caused a schism with the Latins and Greeks, who believed that the Orientals had a wrong viewpoint of Christ's nature.
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Assyrian Church of the East
The Assyrian Church of the East, officially known as the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East, is an Eastern Syriac Christian denomination. It follows the traditional Christology and ecclesiology of the historical Church of the East. The Assyrian Church of the East considers itself the continuation of the Church of the East, which developed in the regions of Assyria, Babylonia, and Persia (roughly corresponding to modern-day Iraq, southeastern Turkey, northeastern Syria, and western Iran) during the first century AD. It is an Apostolic church established by Thomas the Apostle, Addai of Edessa, and Bartholomew the Apostle.
The Church of the East was officially organized in 280 under the Catholicos-Patriarch Mar Papa bar Gaggai of Seleucia-Ctesiphon. It flourished in the eastern regions, with Christian communities spreading along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and reaching as far as Afghanistan and south-central Asia. The church also sent missionaries to the Asian continent, reaching the Mongol tribes and even China in the 7th century. However, the Muslim conquest in the same century brought new persecutions, and many Christians were forced to convert to Islam.
The Assyrian Church of the East claims continuity with the historical Church of the East and is not in communion with the Catholic, Oriental Orthodox, or Eastern Orthodox churches. The Church of the East and the Catholic Church engaged in theological dialogue and drew up guidelines for mutual admission to the Eucharist between the Chaldean Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East. The Assyrian Church of the East has a traditional episcopal structure, headed by the current Catholicos-Patriarch, Mar Awa III, consecrated in September 2021.
The Assyrian Church of the East is thinly spread throughout the world, with its main centres in Iraq, Iran, Syria, India, North America, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe. It has archdioceses and dioceses in various countries and continues to uphold the traditions and beliefs of the historical Church of the East.
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Frequently asked questions
"Catholicity" refers to the Nicene Creed and the rejection of Arianism before the Great Schism. "Catholicism" refers to the Catholic Church, combining the Latin Church and Eastern Catholic Churches, after the Great Schism.
There is only one type of Catholicism, referring to the central beliefs of the Catholic Church. However, there are 24 primary "Churches" within the Catholic Church, each with its own traditions. There are also seven non-Latin, non-Roman Catholic churches: Armenian, Byzantine, Coptic, Ethiopian, East Syriac (Chaldean), West Syriac, and Maronite.
The three types of Catholic parishes are Diocesan Roman Catholic parishes, "Traditional" or Extraordinary form parishes, and Eastern Catholic Churches.
The Catholic Church administers seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation or Chrismation, Eucharist, Penance (Reconciliation), Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony.
Catholicity refers to beliefs and practices widely accepted by Christian denominations that describe themselves as Catholic. Catholicism refers to the specific beliefs and practices of the Catholic Church.
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