Roman Catholic Church. Roman Catholic Church Roman Catholic Church

As follows from the above, Christianity has never been a single trend. From the very beginning of its formation, there were various directions and branches in it. The largest, most mass variety of Christianity is Catholicism. According to the UN, there were about 900 million adherents of Catholicism in the 90s of the XX century, which is more than 18% of all inhabitants of our planet. Catholicism is predominantly distributed in Western, Southeastern and Central Europe (Spain, Italy, Portugal, France, Belgium, Austria, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, part of Ukraine and Belarus). It covers with its influence about 90% of the population of Latin America, about a third of the population of Africa. Pretty strong position of Catholicism in the United States

Catholicism shares with Orthodoxy the main provisions of dogma and worship. The basis of the doctrine of Catholicism is the common Christian creed, the "Credo", which includes 12 dogmas and seven sacraments, which were discussed in a lecture on Orthodoxy. However, this creed in Catholicism has its differences.

What is the historical origin of the features of the Catholic doctrine and cult, and what exactly does it consist of?

As we noted in the previous topic, Orthodoxy only makes decisions in the first seven Ecumenical Councils. Catholicism continued to develop its dogma at subsequent councils. Therefore, the basis of the doctrine of Catholicism is not only Holy Scripture, but also Holy Tradition, which is formed by the decisions of the 21st Council, as well as official documents of the head of the Catholic Church - the Pope. Already in 589 at the Toledo Cathedral Catholic Church introduces an addition to the creed in the form dogma of the filioque(literally, and from the son). This dogma gives its own original interpretation of the relationship between the persons of the Divine Trinity. According to the Niceno-Tsargradsky Creed, the Holy Spirit comes from God the Father. The Catholic doctrine of the filioque asserts that the Holy Spirit also proceeds from God the Son.

Orthodox teaching believes that in afterlife souls of people depending on how a person lived earthly life go to heaven or hell. The Catholic Church has formulated dogma of purgatory- a place between hell and heaven. According to Catholic doctrine, in purgatory are the souls of sinners who have not received forgiveness in earthly life, but are not burdened with mortal sins. They burn there in a cleansing fire. Catholic theologians understand this fire in different ways. Some interpret it as a symbol, and see in it pangs of conscience and remorse, others recognize the reality of this fire. . The dogma of purgatory was adopted by the Council of Florence in 1439 and confirmed by the Council of Trent in 1562.

From the point of view of Catholicism, the fate of the soul in purgatory can be alleviated and its stay there shortened by "good deeds." These "good deeds" in memory of the deceased can be performed by relatives and friends who have remained on Earth. Under " good deeds” in this case refers to prayers, services in memory of a deceased person, as well as donations to the church. Closely related to this doctrine doctrine of the store of good deeds. According to this doctrine, proclaimed by Pope Clement I (1349) and confirmed by the Councils of Trent and Vatican I (1870), the church has a reserve of "super-duty deeds". This reserve was accumulated by the church through the activities of Jesus Christ, the Mother of God and the saints of the Roman Catholic Church. The Church as the mystical Body of Jesus Christ, his vicar on Earth disposes of this stock at his own discretion and distributes them among those who need them.

On the basis of this teaching, in the Middle Ages, up to the 19th century, the practice of selling indulgences became widespread in Catholicism. Indulgence(translated from Latin mercy) is a papal letter testifying to the remission of sins. Indulgence could be bought with money. To this end, the leadership of the church developed tables in which each form of sin had its monetary equivalent. Having committed a sin, a wealthy person acquired an indulgence and thereby received absolution. All sins, with the exception of the so-called "mortal sins", could easily be atoned for with money. All priests enjoy the right to distribute "super-due" deeds, to distribute grace, to forgive sins. And this conditions their privileged position among believers.

Catholicism is characterized by the exalted veneration of the Mother of God - the Mother of Jesus Christ - the Virgin Mary. To celebrate her special and exceptional role among the people in 1854, Pope Pius I proclaimed dogma aboutImmaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. “All believers, wrote the Pope, must deeply and constantly believe and confess that the Blessed Virgin from the first minute of her conception was protected from original sin thanks to the special mercy of the almighty God, shown for the sake of the merit of Jesus, the Savior of the human race.” In continuation of this tradition in 1950 Pope Pius XII approved the dogma about the bodily ascension of the Mother of God, according to which Holy Mother of God Ever-Virgin, after the end of her earthly journey, was taken to heaven "with soul and body for the Glory of Heaven." In accordance with this dogma in Catholicism, in 1954 a special holiday was established dedicated to the "Queen of Heaven."

One of specific features Catholicism is the doctrine of the headship of the Pope over all Christians. This teaching is connected with the claim of Catholicism to be the only, true and complete embodiment of Christianity. The term "catholic" – derived from the Greek katholikos - universal, universal. The head of the Catholic Church, the Pope of Rome, is proclaimed the vicar of Christ on earth, the successor of the Apostle Peter, who, according to Christian tradition, was the first bishop of Rome. In development of these claims at the First Vatican Council (1870) was adopted dogma of the infallibility of the Pope. According to this dogma, the Pope, speaking officially (ex kathedra) on matters of faith and morality, is infallible. In other words, in all official documents, public speeches, God himself speaks through the Pope.

An important difference between Catholicism and Orthodoxy is the social status of priests. E (Orthodoxy clergy is divided into two categories: black and white. Black clergy are monks. White clergy are clergy who have not taken a vow of celibacy. Only monks can be the highest officials in Orthodoxy, starting with bishops. Parish priests, as a rule, belong to the white clergy.In Catholicism, starting from the 11th century, celibacy has been operating - compulsory celibacy of the clergy. In the Catholic Church, all priests belong to one of the monastic orders. At present, the largest are the monastic orders of the Jesuits, Franciscans, Salesians, Dominicans, Capuchins, Christian brothers, Benedictines. Members of each order wear special clothing that allows them to distinguish them from one another.

The originality of Catholicism is manifested not only in the doctrine, but also in religious activities, including the celebration of the seven sacraments. So, for example, the sacrament of baptism is performed by dousing with water or immersion in water. The sacrament of chrismation in Catholicism is called confirmation. If among the Orthodox this sacrament is performed shortly after birth, then in Catholicism confirmation is performed on children and adolescents aged 7–12 years. The Sacrament of Communion (the Eucharist among the Orthodox) is performed on leavened dough. Orthodox prosphora is a small bun. In Catholicism, prosphora is baked from unleavened dough in the form of a small pancake.

The worship process is also different. IN Orthodox church worship is performed standing or worshipers may kneel. In a Catholic church, believers sit during worship and stand only when certain prayers are sung. In an Orthodox church, during the process of worship, only the human voice sounds in the form of musical arrangement: the priest, the deacon, the choir and the faithful sing. In the Catholic church there is an instrumental accompaniment: an organ or a harmonium sounds. From this we can conclude that the Catholic Mass is more magnificent, festive in nature, in which all forms of art are used to influence the consciousness and feelings of believers.

Canonical rules strictly distinguishing appearance and the decoration of churches, in Orthodoxy and Catholicism does not exist. However, in an Orthodox church, paintings - icons - predominate. Holy place- the altar is fenced off from the main hall by a special structure - an iconostasis. In a Catholic church, the altar is open to all eyes, and the sacrament of the sacrament of priests taking place there is seen by all people. The predominant cult element in the Catholic church are the sculptural images of Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, and saints. However, in all Catholic churches, fourteen icons are hung on the walls, depicting various stages of " way of the cross the Lord's."

The organization of the management of the Roman Catholic Church is closely connected with the peculiarities of dogma and cult. Unlike Orthodoxy, Catholicism is united in a single centralized organization. It has an international control center - the Vatican and the head of the Catholic Church - the Pope.

Vatican- This is a peculiar, unique theocratic state, located in the center of the capital of Italy - the city of Rome. It occupies an area of 44 hectares. Like any sovereign state, the Vatican has its own coat of arms, flag, anthem, mail, radio, telegraph, press and other attributes. As a sovereign state, the Vatican is recognized by the absolute majority of the states of the world and has diplomatic relations with them. The Vatican is also widely represented in various international organizations. It has a permanent observer at the United Nations. At various levels, it is represented in UNESCO - the UN organization for education, science and culture, the UN organizations for industrial development, food, agriculture, the IAEA - the international atomic energy agency, the European Council, etc.

The head of the Vatican is the Pope. He is the secular and spiritual leader of this state. The temporal power of the Pope in its present form was established by the Lateran Treaty in 1929 between Mussolini's government and Pope Pius XI. The official full title of the pope is: Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ, Assistant to the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Patriarch of the West, Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province, Monarch of the Vatican City State. Behind Throughout the history of the Roman Catholic Church, there have been 262 popes. The pope is elected by the conclave (college of cardinals) for life from among the higher clergy. From 1523 to 1978, only Italians occupied the papal throne (Two cases when the French were at the head of the Roman Catholic Church are not recognized as legitimate). In 1978, a Pole was elected to the papacy - Karol Wojtyla - Archbishop of Krakow, who took the name of John Paul II (born 1920)

According to the constitution of the Vatican, the Pope has supreme legislative, executive and judicial power. The governing body of the Vatican is called The Holy See. The central administrative apparatus of the Roman Catholic Church is called Roman curia. The Roman Curia governs ecclesiastical and lay organizations active in most countries of the world. In accordance with the reform that was carried out by Pope John Paul II in 1988, the Roman Curia includes the Secretariat of State, 9 congregations, 12 councils. 3 tribunals and 3 offices that oversee various areas and forms of church activity.

The Secretariat of State organizes and regulates the activities of the Vatican in terms of domestic and foreign policy. Sacred congregations, tribunals and secretariats deal with ecclesiastical affairs. The most important role belongs to the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. This congregation is the successor medieval inquisition, in the sense that its task is to control the activities of theologians, the clergy in terms of the conformity of their views, statements, behavior with the orthodox Catholic dogma.

The Inquisition, as you know, acted very cruelly towards the apostates. As punishment, she used flogging, imprisonment, public repentance - auto-da-fé, death penalty. Times have changed and the current Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith can only act through warnings and excommunication through a church curse. The fact that such a practice takes place is evidenced by the "Kunga case", "Boff case", which caused a wide resonance among the world community - the largest Catholic theologians who published a number of works in which they revised some provisions of traditional Catholic dogma.

New trends also touched the system of church management. There is a certain democratization of administration, the solution of many specific issues is given to the national churches. By decision of the Second Vatican Council, under the Pope, a church synod acts with an advisory vote, convened once every three years. It consists of patriarchs and metropolitans of the Eastern Catholic Churches, leaders of national episcopal conferences, monastic orders, persons personally appointed by the Pope. At the synods, the key problems of the religious life of Catholics are considered, and binding decisions are made.

At the regional level, there are episcopal conferences, which also meet periodically. And in the interval between meetings, the governing body elected by the conference operates on a permanent basis. So there are episcopal conferences of the countries of Europe, the countries of Latin America, the countries of Asia and Africa. Despite the system of centralized government, national churches enjoy considerable freedom. This freedom primarily extends to the economic activities of the national church. National churches make some contributions to the budget of the Vatican (the so-called "Peter's penny"), in accordance with their income. The remaining funds remain at the full disposal of the national churches.

The richest is considered the Catholic Church of the United States of America. Currently, the property of US Catholic organizations is estimated at almost 100 billion dollars, and their annual income is about 15 billion dollars, the real estate of the Catholic Church in the USA is estimated at about 50 billion dollars. The capitals of various organizations of the church are invested in the largest corporations and banks of the country.

Each national church is governed by a supreme hierarch appointed by the Pope - a cardinal, patriarch, metropolitan, archbishop or bishop. The entire territory of the national churches is divided into dioceses, headed by a hierarch, depending on the significance of this diocese, he can have the rank from bishop to cardinal. The primary structural unit of the Catholic Church, as well as the Orthodox, is the parish, headed by a clergyman.

An important structural unit of the Roman Catholic Church is the monastic orders, which are organized into congregations and brotherhoods. At present, there are about 140 monastic orders, which are led by the Vatican Congregation for Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. Monastic associations are mainly engaged in the promotion of Catholicism and the conversion of the population to their faith, in the form of missionary activity, as well as charity. Under the auspices of these associations, a whole network of charitable organizations such as "Kharita" operates.

Mostly new objects of missionary activity of Catholic monasticism are currently the countries of Africa and Asia. Researchers note in last years quite a significant increase in the influence of Catholicism in these regions.

In the 80s of the XX century. after the start of perestroika, democratization public life In Russia, the missionary activity of Catholic organizations has sharply increased in our country. In 1991, the governing structures of the Catholic Church in Russia were restored: the Apostolic Administration for Latin Rite Catholics in the European part of Russia (Moscow) and the Asian part of Russia. The most active in missionary activity is the Order of the Jesuits, which has legalized its activities in our country.

The active missionary activity of Catholic organizations in the territories under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Patriarchate led to serious complications in relations between the Russian Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Church. The clash of interests between these two Christian churches is especially pronounced in Ukraine and Western Belarus. Due to these clashes, the repeatedly planned visit to our country by Pope John Paul II has not yet taken place.

The wide activity of the Roman Catholic Church is manifested not only in the form missionary activity. The Vatican actively participates in international activities, takes part in the work of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, in the negotiation process on disarmament, the activities of international human rights organizations, etc. And it would be a serious mistake, based on the small size of this city-state downplay its weight in international affairs. The Vatican has a fairly high authority, and this authority is based not only on the great financial possibilities of the Vatican and the national Catholic churches, but also on the strength of the spiritual influence that it has thanks to its 900 million adherents living almost throughout the entire globe.

However, the main form of influence of the Catholic Church is the formation of the world public opinion on the most important socio-economic, socio-political and moral issues. To this end, for a long time developed and promoted social doctrine of the church. The position of this doctrine is formulated in the decisions of the Ecumenical Councils, church synods and papal encyclicals (messages of the Popes on matters of faith and morality addressed to Catholics and "all people of good will"). The social doctrine of the church contains certain socio-economic and political guidelines, following which is the religious duty of Catholic believers.

The theological justification for the status of the social doctrine of the church is based on the following two premises: the first is the assertion that Christians are citizens of the heavenly and earthly cities. The main goal of the church is to ensure their salvation, to lead them to the “city of heaven”. But the work of "salvation" is carried out in the "earthly city". Therefore, the Church, guided by the spirit of Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition should also solve the earthly problems of man. The second is a social question - it is first of all a moral question. And, consequently, the social doctrine of the church is nothing but the application of the truth of faith and morality to the sphere of social relations.

An essential place in the social doctrine of the church is occupied by an assessment of the state of modern civilization. In the documents of the church, this assessment is pessimistic. Modern civilization, from the point of view of the Catholic Church, is in a state of deep crisis. In the documents of the church, the manifestations of this crisis in the material and spiritual spheres of human life are considered in sufficient detail. In the material sphere, the emphasis is on the unresolved nature of the so-called global problems of our time, primarily the environmental problem. In the spiritual realm, the most visible manifestation of the crisis, from the point of view of the church, is the widespread consumerist ideology. As stated in these documents, modern production in developed countries has created the material prerequisites for meeting the needs of the population and, to a certain extent, freed them from the tyranny of the carnal principle. However, as the slavish dependence on the need to devote most of the time to obtaining “daily bread” gradually disappears, modern man increasingly becomes dependent on diverse things. Each satisfaction of a certain need gives rise to a new need in a person. Thus, a person falls into an endless, inexhaustible circle.

The danger of this phenomenon for a person, from the point of view of the Catholic Church, lies in the fact that a dangerous delusion arises in the human mind that the purpose and meaning of life are things and their possession. The spread of the ideology of consumerism damages the spiritual world of the individual, limits the possibilities of its comprehensive development. This ideology contradicts the “transcendental” principle in man, destroys his connection with God, distracts him from the religious tasks of “salvation”. The way out of this situation is proposed on the path of self-limitation of production and consumption, the adoption of the ideology of "new asceticism". The social doctrine of the church emphasizes that "if we possess all things and have lost God, then we will lose everything, but if we lose everything except God then we have nothing to lose. On the basis of these attitudes, a conclusion is also made about the impossibility of building a "new world" without God or against God, since this world will eventually turn against man.

The most serious attention is paid in the social doctrine of the church labor problem. In the traditional Christian teaching, labor appears as one of the consequences of original sin - the punishment of God for the willfulness of man. “In the sweat of your face you will eat bread. (Gen. 3, 192 ), – the Bible says when describing the consequences for a person of his "criminal sin." In the modern social doctrine of the church, primarily in the encyclicals and speeches of Pope John Paul II, the desire to give a humanistic coloring to Christian ideas about work is clearly expressed.

John Paul II focuses not on the sinful nature of man, but on what essentially brings God and man closer together. He constantly emphasizes that man as “the image and likeness of God” is the only creature endowed with abilities similar to God. IN Encyclical "Laborem Exercise" labor is treated not as a secondary side of human existence, but its very essence, the metaphysical condition of its being. “The Church is convinced that, this document says, that labor is the main aspect of human life on Earth.” The original sin did not lead to the emergence of labor, but only caused the labor to become hard, that it was accompanied by suffering. By committing sin, man opposed the dominion of God over himself. As a result, what was naturally subordinate to man rebelled against him. He has lost his natural dominion over nature and regains it through labor.

Modern scientific and technological revolution significantly changes the position of a person in socio-historical practice, including in the production process. The normal course of the production process depends on the level of education and professional training of the worker, on his initiative and abilities, on his attitude to work - in general, on all those elements that we call the "human factor" and which characterize a creative attitude to work. The growing role of the creative element in modern production is reflected in the Catholic concept of labor as a way of cooperation between man and God to transform the world. In this concept, a person is considered as a "creator", as a successor to the work of God. “In the words of divine revelation, the fundamental truth is deeply rooted that man, created in the image of God, participates in his work in the work of the creator and, to some extent, continues to develop and supplement it to the best of his ability, more and more succeeding in revealing the resources and values of the whole totality of the created world,” says the encyclical "Laborem jsercens". In this encyclical, John Paul II also points out that “a person must possess the earth, rule over it, since, as the image of God, he is a person, a subject capable of expediently and rationally acting, capable of self-determination and self-realization.”

Noting the importance of labor in the creation of material wealth, the social doctrine of the church focuses on the spiritual creative function of labor. The spiritual creative function of labor is considered in Catholic social teaching mainly from the point of view of man's ascent to the absolute of God. “The Church sees its special duty in shaping the spirituality of labor, which can help people, thanks to it (labor – auth.), to come closer to God, the creator and redeemer, to participate in the plan of salvation of man and the world...” Therefore, recognizing a certain positive value of human activity in transforming the world into a better being, better life, the social doctrine of the church emphasizes that the main meaning for religious life labor is not due to its creative side, but primarily due to the "hardships of labor."

One of the main dimensions of human labor in «Laborem zhzertsens» it is declared that any work, physical or mental, is inevitably associated with grief. "The cross is a necessary condition for the spirituality of labor." Catholic teaching emphasizes that the results of labor in themselves are not relevant to "salvation." The value of labor, from the point of view of this doctrine, lies in the fact that "by their activities people can prove loyalty to God, submission to the divine will." “Acquiring more and more power over the earth, thanks to labor and pushing, thanks to labor, his power over the visible world, in any case, a person at every stage of this process does not cross the original plan of the creator” - says in "Laborem Jzercens". And this means that, dismissing the notion of the self-sufficiency of man as a subject, John Paul II emphasizes the substantial value of the divine will, which should act for a person as the essence, the core of all his thoughts and deeds. his objective value, so much eschatological value. “In human labor,” John Paul II proclaims, “the Christian acquires a fraction of the Cross of Christ and accepts it in the spirit of redemption with which Jesus Christ died for us. In labor, thanks to the light penetrating into us on the Sunday of Christ, we constantly find reflections of a new life, a new good, we find, as it were, the proclamation of “a new heaven and a new earth,” in which a person participates precisely thanks to the hardships of labor.

Along with the official social doctrine of Catholicism, within the church there are a number of currents of religious thought that, within the framework of the "theology of politics", "theology of liberation", etc., offer alternative solutions to the most pressing socio-economic and socio-political problems. "Theology of politics" unites heterogeneous and even opposite ideological and theoretical currents from the point of view of social class positions. This term is also used to refer to the theorists of the left Christian movements and supporters of moderate reformism. In the "theology of politics" this is the only place for the localization of the divine presence, and direct participation in social transformation activities is declared a way of the existence of the Christian faith.

"Theology of politics" opposes the neutrality of religion in relation to politics, it seeks to develop an ideology that would involve religion in the struggle for social progress. “The Church,” says one of the founders of this trend, J.-B. Metz, - can no longer turn a blind eye to the fact of the social conditioning of religion. The opponents of Christianity, referring precisely to this conditioning, criticize religion as the ideology of the ruling classes. For this reason, a theology that attempts to counter this criticism must of necessity concern itself with the socio-political consequences of its images and ideas. Metz and other advocates of "theology of politics" admit that in the past there was a connection between the Christian church and the exploiting classes. But today, in their opinion, the situation has changed radically. If earlier the church acted as an institution of suppression, now it must manifest itself as an institution for the liberation of people. Metz defines the purpose of the church in its relation to the world as an institution of social criticism. He appeals to the "eschatological reserve of the church". “Any eschatology,” he writes, “must become a political theology of social criticism.”

Catholicism, the German theologian believes, has all the necessary prerequisites for this, since the church in its founding documents emphasizes its independence from any particular form of social structure. Since the church aspires to the eternal, it is not satisfied with any of the existing earthly political systems, and acting consistently, it is in constant opposition to any society.

The other major oppositional social teaching of the official church is "liberation theology", which became widespread in the 1970s and 1980s in developing countries, primarily in Latin America and Africa. The main ideas were formulated in the works of the Peruvian Catholic priest G. Gutierrez, they are currently being developed in Latin America - U. Assman, F. Bettu, L. Boff, E. Dussel, P. Pritchard, X.–M. Sombrino and others; in Africa - K. Appia-Kubi, A. Besak, B. Naude, J. V. Shipende, D. Tutu and others.

"Liberation theology" was formed as a result of disillusionment with Christian social reformism, reflects the revolutionary aspirations of the masses in these regions and is oriented towards the practice of political struggle. It is heterogeneous in its social orientation: it contains both moderate-liberal and revolutionary-democratic tendencies. Salvation in it is interpreted as liberation, while three levels of a single, all-encompassing liberation process are singled out: socio-political, historical and religious mythological.

The interpretation of the liberation process is to a certain extent dependent on the socio-political situation in certain countries, the personal position of theologians. Moderate-liberal - to a greater extent cultivates the religious and mythological aspect, develops nationalistic, cultural ideas. In the revolutionary democratic trend, the emphasis is on the socio-political aspect: the elimination of colonial oppression, exploitation and oppression. The class struggle and its highest form, the revolution, are recognized as the most effective instrument. At the same time, all areas of "liberation theology" make liberation dependent on the action of supernatural forces. Thus, the official social doctrines of Catholicism and unofficial, to some extent alternative political theologies, reflect the entire diverse range of social aspirations, hopes and aspirations of adherents of the Catholic faith and allow the church to engage in an active dialogue with the world.

Perhaps one of the largest Christian churches is the Roman Catholic Church. It branched off from the general direction of Christianity in the distant first centuries of its emergence. The very word "Catholicism" is derived from the Greek "universal", or "universal". We will talk in more detail about the origin of the church, as well as its features, in this article.

Origin

The Catholic Church begins in 1054, when an event occurred that remained in the annals under the name “Great Schism”. Although Catholics do not deny that all the events before the schism - and their history. From that moment on, they just went their own way. In that year, the Patriarch and the Pope exchanged threatening messages and anathematized each other. After that, Christianity finally split and two currents were formed - Orthodoxy and Catholicism.

As a result of the split of the Christian Church, a western (Catholic) direction stood out, the center of which was Rome, and an eastern (Orthodox) direction, with its center in Constantinople. Certainly, apparent cause for this event there were disagreements in dogmatic and canonical matters, as well as in liturgical and disciplinary ones, which began long before the indicated date. And this year, disagreement and misunderstanding reached its peak.

However, in reality, everything was much deeper, and the matter here concerned not only the differences between dogmas and canons, but also the usual confrontation between the rulers (even church ones) over the recently baptized lands. Also, the unequal position of the Roman Pope and the Patriarch of Constantinople greatly influenced the confrontation, because as a result of the division of the Roman Empire, it was split into two parts - Eastern and Western.

The eastern part retained its independence for much longer, so the Patriarch, although he was under the control of the emperor, had the protection of the state. The Western one ceased to exist already in the 5th century, and the Pope received relative independence, but also the possibility of attacks by barbarian states that appeared on the territory of the former Western Roman Empire. It was only in the middle of the 8th century that the Pope was given lands, which automatically made him a secular sovereign.

Modern spread of Catholicism

Today, Catholicism is the most numerous branch of Christianity, which is spread throughout the world. In 2007, there were about 1.147 billion Catholics on our planet. The largest number of them are in Europe, where in many countries this religion is the state religion or prevails over others (France, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Austria, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Poland, etc.).

On the American continent Catholics are everywhere. Also, followers of this religion can be found on the Asian continent - in the Philippines, East Timor, China, South Korea, and Vietnam. There are also many Catholics in Muslim countries, but most of them live in Lebanon. On the African continent, they are also common (from 110 to 175 million).

Internal management of the church

Now we should consider what is the administrative structure of this direction of Christianity. Catholic Church - is the highest authority in the hierarchy, as well as jurisdiction over the laity and the clergy. The head of the Roman Catholic Church is elected at a conclave by a college of cardinals. He usually retains his powers until the end of his life, except in cases of lawful self-renunciation. It should be noted that in Catholic teaching, the Pope is considered the successor of the Apostle Peter (and, according to the legend, Jesus ordered him to patronize the entire church), therefore his authority and decisions are infallible and true.

Bishop, priest, deacon - degrees of priesthood.
Cardinal, archbishop, primate, metropolitan, etc. - church degrees and positions (there are many more of them).

The territorial divisions in Catholicism are as follows:

Separate churches, which are called dioceses, or dioceses. The bishop is in charge here.
Special dioceses of great importance are called archdioceses. They are headed by an archbishop.
Those churches that do not have the status of a diocese (for one reason or another) are called apostolic administrations.
Several dioceses joined together are called metropolitanates. Their center is the diocese whose bishop has the rank of metropolitan.
Parishes are the backbone of every church. They are formed within a single area (for example, a small town) or due to a common nationality, linguistic differences.

Existing rites of the church

It should be noted that the Roman Catholic Church has differences in rituals during the celebration of worship (however, unity in faith and morality is preserved). There are the following popular rituals:

Latin;
Lyon;
Ambrosian;
Mozarabic, etc.

Their difference may be in some disciplinary issues, in the language in which the service is read, and so on.

Monastic orders within the church

Due to the broad interpretation of church canons and divine dogmas, the Roman Catholic Church has about one hundred and forty monastic orders in its composition. Their history dates back to ancient times. We list the most famous orders:

Augustinians. Its history begins approximately from the 5th century with the writing of the charter. The direct formation of the order occurred much later.
Benedictines. It is considered the first officially founded monastic order. This event took place at the beginning of the VI century.
Hospitallers. which began in 1080 by the Benedictine monk Gerard. The religious charter of the order appeared only in 1099.
Dominicans. A mendicant order founded by Dominique de Guzman in 1215. The purpose of its creation is the fight against heretical teachings.
Jesuits. This direction was created in 1540 by Pope Paul III. His goal became prosaic: the fight against the growing movement of Protestantism.
capuchins. This order was founded in Italy in 1529. His original goal is still the same - the fight against the Reformation.
Carthusians. The first was built in 1084, but he himself was officially approved only in 1176.
Templars. The military monastic order is perhaps the most famous and shrouded in mysticism. Some time after its creation, it became more military than monastic. The original purpose was to protect the pilgrims and Christians from the Muslims in Jerusalem.
Teutons. Another military monastic order founded by the German crusaders in 1128.
Franciscans. The order was created in 1207-1209, but approved only in 1223.

In addition to the orders in the Catholic Church there are the so-called Uniates - those believers who have retained their traditional worship, but at the same time accepted the doctrine of Catholics, as well as the authority of the Pope. This may include:

Armenian Catholics;
Redemptorists;
Belarusian Greek Catholic Church;
Romanian Greek Catholic Church;
Russian Orthodox Catholic Church;
Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.

holy churches

Below we will consider which are the most famous saints of the Roman Catholic Church:

St. Stephen the First Martyr.
St. Charles Borromeo.
St. Faustin Kowalska.
St. Jerome.
St. Gregory the Great.
St. Bernard.
St. Augustine.

The difference between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox

Now about how the Russian Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church differ from each other in the modern version:

For the Orthodox, the unity of the Church is faith and the sacraments, while for Catholics, the infallibility and inviolability of the power of the Pope are added here.
For the Orthodox, the Ecumenical Church is each headed by a bishop. For Catholics, her communion with the Roman Catholic Church is obligatory.
For the Orthodox, the Holy Spirit comes only from the father. For Catholics, both from the Father and from the Son.
In Orthodoxy, divorce is possible. Catholics are not allowed.
In Orthodoxy there is no such thing as purgatory. This dogma was proclaimed by the Catholics.
The Orthodox recognize the holiness of the Virgin Mary, but deny her immaculate conception. Catholics have a dogma that the Virgin Mary was born in the same way as Jesus.
Orthodox have one rite that originated in Byzantium. There are many in Catholicism.

Conclusion

Despite some differences, the Roman Catholic Church is still fraternal in faith for the Orthodox. Misunderstandings in the past have divided Christians into bitter enemies, but this should not continue now.

Organization of the Catholic Church

The Catholic Church has a strictly centralized organization. At the head of the Roman Church is dad which means "father" in Greek. In early Christianity, believers called so their spiritual leaders, monks, priests, bishops. At the turn of II and III centuries. in Eastern Christianity, the title "pope" was given to the patriarch of the Church of Alexandria. In the West, this title was borne by the bishops of Carthage and Rome. In 1073 the pope Gregory VII declared that the right to bear the title "pope" belonged only to the bishop of Rome. However, at present, the word "dad" is not used in the official nomenclature. It is replaced by the expression RomanusPontifex(Roman pontiff or high priest), borrowed from ancient Roman. This name reflects the two main functions of the pope: he is the bishop of Rome and at the same time the head of the Catholic Church. According to the apostolic heritage thesis, the bishop of Rome inherited all the attributes of power that the apostle Peter had, who headed the college of the twelve apostles. Just as Peter was the head of the church, so his successors have power over the entire Catholic world and its hierarchy. This thesis found its final expression in the Vatican Cathedral (1870)the dogma of the supremacy of the pope.

The first bishops of Rome were approved by the people and the clergy, with the subsequent approval of the election of bishops of neighboring dioceses. After that, the chosen one was consecrated as a bishop. In the 5th century begins the process of eliminating the influence of secular persons on the course of the election of the Roman bishop, which becomes the prerogative of the clergy. The approval of the elected candidate by the people turned into a pure formality. However, for a long time, the supreme secular power influenced the election of the pope. In 1059 the pope Leo IX turned the election of popes into a matter of cardinals. Previously, priests and deacons of parish churches were called cardinals, and in the 11th century. so they began to call the bishops of the Roman ecclesiastical region. In subsequent years, the title of cardinal was also assigned to other church hierarchs, however, from the 13th century. it becomes higher than the title of bishop.

From the 13th century the requirements for the procedure of elective meetings were tightened. At the time of the elections, the College of Cardinals began to be isolated from the outside world. Locked (hence the name conclave- lat. "turnkey"), the cardinals were required to quickly complete the election of a new pope, otherwise they were threatened with a dietary restriction. A requirement was introduced to keep the course of the conclave in complete secrecy. Ballot papers were ordered to be burned in a special stove. If the elections did not take place, then wet straw was mixed with the ballots and the black color of the smoke informed those gathered in front of the cathedral about the negative result of the vote. In the event of an election, dry straw was mixed with the ballots. The white color of the smoke indicated that a new pope had been elected. After the election, the head of the cardinal college made sure that the elected one agreed to take the throne, and then he was given a new name according to his desire.

The pope exercises his power through a complex of institutions called papal curia. The name "curia" comes from the Latin word curia, which meant the seat of the city authorities of Rome on the Capitol. In addition to the curia, there are currently two advisory bodies under the pope: College of Cardinals And synod of bishops created after II Vatican Council in 1970

The official documents accepted by the pope are called constitutions or bullae. The second group of documents includes breve or private rulings. The most important documents are called "decrees". In 1740 the first encyclical. Some documents are sealed with a special seal called " fisherman's ring”, as the figure of Peter the Fisherman is engraved on it. The Pope enjoys the right to reward knightly orders for services to the church.

The Pope is not only a spiritual mentor, but also the head of the city-state Vatican, which arose in 1929 as a result of the Lutheran agreements with the government of Mussolini. The purpose of the ecclesiastical state is to ensure the independence of the pope and the Catholic Church from secular authorities, his unimpeded communication with the bishops and believers of the whole world. The territory of the Vatican is 44 hectares and is located in Rome. The Vatican has symbols of political sovereignty - the flag and anthem, the gendarmerie, financial authorities, communications and the media.

The current state of the Catholic Church

The modern Catholic Church in its structure and administration has a distinct legal nature. The regulation of all ecclesiastical affairs is Code of Canon Law, which contains a compilation of all the ancient ecclesiastical ordinances and the innovations that followed them.

Hierarchy in the Catholic Church

In the Catholic Church there was a strict centralization of the clergy. At the top of the hierarchical pyramid stands the pope as the source of all spiritual authority. He bears the title “Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Patriarch of the West, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province, Sovereign of the Vatican City State, Servant of the Servants of God. The pope is elected for life by a special meeting of the college of cardinals - the conclave. The election may be made unanimously and orally; by compromise, when the right to elect is transferred in writing to the participants in the conclave - seven, five or three cardinals, and the latter must come to a unanimous opinion. Elections are usually held by secret ballot based on prepared ballots. The person who receives two-thirds plus one vote is considered elected. The one elected to the throne can also renounce power. If the election is accepted by him, then from the balcony of St. Petra the new pope blesses the City and the World.

The Pope has unlimited power. He appoints the highest church hierarchs. The appointment of cardinals by the Pope shall be approved by consistory- Assembly of the College of Cardinals. The Pope also functions as sovereign of the Vatican City State. The Vatican maintains diplomatic relations with over 100 countries and is represented at the UN. General management is carried out by the Roman curia- a set of central institutions located in Rome, governing bodies of the church and the state of the Vatican. According to the Apostolic Constitution « pastorbonus», entered into force in 1989, the most important institutions are the State Secretariat, 9 congregations, 12 councils, 3 tribunals, 3 offices. The Cardinal, Secretary of State, is responsible to papal envoys, including nuncio(from lat. - "messenger") - permanent representatives of the pope to the governments of foreign states. All the priests of the country to which the nuncio is sent, except for the cardinals, are under his control, all the churches must be open to him. A new advisory body was introduced into the Roman Curia - synod of bishops to which the conferences of national episcopates delegate their representatives.

Recently, the rights of the laity in the church have been expanded and strengthened. They are involved in the activities of collective governing bodies, in the Eucharistic service, and in managing the finances of the church. Diverse cultural and educational activities are practiced in the parishes, circles and clubs are created.

Activities of the Catholic Church

There are many non-official organizations in the Catholic Church. Their activities are determined by the personality of the leader. This may be reading and studying the Bible, or it may be an activity of a mystical nature. Such organizations include "Emmanuel", "Community of Bliss", "Knights of Columbus", etc.

Since the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church has attached great importance to missionary activity. Most Catholics now live in Third World countries. The church incorporates elements of the ancestor cult that is widespread in these countries into worship and refuses to consider it as idolatry, as it was before.

Monasticism, organized into orders and congregations subordinate to the pope, occupies an important position in the Catholic Church. Orders are divided into "contemplative" and "active" and live according to the charter, in which prayer, worship are combined with physical and mental labor. The statutes of contemplative orders are more stringent, requiring monks to devote themselves to prayer, and work only to sustain life.

Any Catholic from the age of 15 can be a member of the order, if there are no canonical obstacles to this. After two years of novice vows are taken - solemn (monastic) or simple. Traditionally, vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience are given, as well as vows prescribed by the rules of the order. Solemn vows are recognized as eternal, for their removal requires the permission of the pope. Lay members of orders are called brothers, monastic priests are called fathers. Women who have taken an eternal vow are called nuns, others are called sisters. The "First Orders" are male, the "Second Orders" are female, and the "Third Orders" consist of laymen who strive to realize the ideals of this order.

Process begins at Vatican II "adjarnamento" - renewal, modernization of all aspects of church life, aimed at simplifying rituals and worship, adapting them to specific conditions.

The Vatican pays considerable attention to spreading and strengthening its positions in Russia. There are more than 2 million Catholics on the territory of the Russian Federation. Recently, new parishes are opening. There is an official body of the apostolic administration in Moscow, and Catholic educational institutions are being opened. From the beginning of 1990, the monastic orders of the Dominicans, Franciscans, and Jesuits began to show activity. Catholic nuns appeared: Carmelites, paulins, etc. The leadership of the Catholic Church in Russia is friendly towards the Russian and is ready to cooperate with it.

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Roman Catholic Church(lat. Ecclesia Catholica Romana) is an unofficial term adopted since the beginning of the 17th century to refer to that part of the Western Church that remained in communion with the Bishop of Rome after the Reformation of the 16th century. In Russian, the term is usually used as a synonym for the concept "Catholic Church", although in many countries the corresponding terms in other languages \u200b\u200bare different. In internal documents, the RCC uses for self-designation either the term "Church" (with a definite article in languages that have it), or "Catholic Church" ( Ecclesia Catholica). The RCC considers only itself the Church in the true sense of the word. The RCC itself uses this self-designation in its joint documents with other Christian institutions, many of which consider themselves also part of the "Catholic" Church.

The largest branch of Christianity, characterized by organizational centralization and largest number adherents (about a quarter of the world's population in the city).

Defines itself by four essential properties ( notae ecclesiae): unity, catholicity, defined by St. Paul (Eph 4.4-5), holiness and apostolicity.

The main provisions of the doctrine are set forth in the Apostolic, Nicene and Athanasian Creeds, as well as in the decrees and canons of the Ferrara-Florentine, Trent and Vatican I Councils. A popular generalized doctrine is found in the Catechism.

Story

The modern Roman Catholic Church regards the entire history of the Church up to the Great Schism of 1054 as its own history.

According to the doctrine of the Catholic Church, the Catholic (Universal Church) was "proclaimed in types from the beginning of the world, wonderfully prepared in the history of the people of Israel and in the Old Testament, and founded in the last times, appeared through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and will find a glorious consummation at the end of the age." Just as Eve was created from the rib of a sleeping Adam, the Church was born from the pierced heart of Christ who died on the Cross.

The doctrine of the Church, according to the conviction of its adherents, dates back to apostolic times (I century).

social doctrine

The social doctrine of the Catholic Church is the most developed in comparison with other Christian denominations and movements, which is due to the presence of extensive experience in performing secular functions in the Middle Ages, and later interactions with society and the state in a democracy. In the XVI century. German theologian Rupert Meldenius put forward the famous maxim: "in necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritas" - "in the necessary - unity, in doubt - freedom, in everything - good nature." The famous theologian, Cardinal Joseph Heffner defined social doctrine of the Catholic Church as “a set of socio-philosophical (taken, in essence, from the social nature of man) and socio-theological (taken from the Christian doctrine of Salvation) knowledge about the essence and structure of human society and about those arising from this and applicable to specific public relations norms and tasks of the system.

The social teaching of the Catholic Church was based first on Augustinism, and later on Thomism, and is based on a number of principles, among which personalism and solidarism stand out. The Catholic Church offered its own interpretation of the theory of natural law, combining religious and humanistic ideas. The primary source of the dignity and rights of the individual is God, however, having created man as a bodily and spiritual being, personal and social, He endowed him with inalienable dignity and rights. This was the result of the fact that all people have become equal, unique and involved in God, but have free will and freedom of choice. the fall affected the nature of man, but did not deprive him of his natural rights, and since his nature is unchanged until the final Salvation of mankind, even God is not in the power to take away or limit the freedom of man. According to John Paul II, “the human person is and must remain the principle, subject and goal of all social societies". The experience of the USSR clearly demonstrated that the persistent interference of the state can threaten personal freedom and initiative, so Catholic theologians emphasized the dualism of the state and society. The decisions of the Second Vatican Council and the encyclicals of John Paul II defended the need for separation of powers and the legal nature of the state, in which laws are primary, and not the will of authorized officials. At the same time, recognizing the difference and independence of the nature and purpose of the Church and the state, Catholic theologians emphasize the need for their cooperation, since the common goal of the state and society is "to serve the same". At the same time, the Catholic Church opposes the tendencies of closed states, that is, it opposes “national traditions” to universal values.

Organization and management

Hierarchically, the clergy, clearly separated from the laity, are distinguished by three degrees of priesthood:

The hierarchy of the clergy implies the presence of numerous ecclesiastical degrees and offices (see Church degrees and offices in the Roman Catholic Church), as an example:

Notes

Literature

R. Conrad Faith of the Catholic Church
John Paul II. I believe in the One, Holy, Ecumenical and Apostolic Church
J. L. McKenzie. The Roman Catholic Church
John O'Grady. Roman Catholic Church: Its Origin & Nature
Marcellino D'Ambrosio. Exploring the Catholic Church: An Introduction to Catholic Teaching and Practice
H. W. Crocker. Triumph - The Power and the Glory of the Catholic Church
Thomas E. Woods Jr. How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization
Hans Kung. The Catholic Church: A Short History (Modern Library Chronicles)
P. Hughes. A Popular History of the Catholic Church
G Daly, Transcendence and Immanence: A Study in Catholic Modernism and Integralism

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See what the "Roman Church" is in other dictionaries:

ROMAN CHURCH- see CATHOLICISM. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Pavlenkov F., 1907 ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

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Italian La Basilica di San Francesco d Assisi ... Wikipedia

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Roman Catholic Church- (Roman Catholic Church), part of Christ. church (Christianity), led by Rome. bishop (papacy). In the early Christ. Church Bishop of Rome as the successor of St. Peter had limited power over the minds of all believing Christians. However, after the separation of Christ... The World History

Church of San Francesco in Assisi- Church of San Francesco in Assisi, Basilica of St. Francis in the monastery of Sacro Convento (Italian: La Basilica di San Francesco d Assisi) main temple Franciscan order, located in the city of Assisi (Italy, administrative region of Umbria). Temple… … Catholic Encyclopedia

Roman Empire of the Germanic Nation- Territory of the Holy Roman Empire in 962 1806 The Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation (lat. Sacrum Imperium Romanum Nationis Teutonicae, German Heiliges Römisches Reich Deutscher Nation) is a state entity that has existed since 962 ... Wikipedia

church- Church (Mat.18:17; Acts.12:5; Rom.16:4,5; 1Cor.7:17; 1Cor.14:34; 1Cor.16:19) this word is currently understood : a) a worldwide religious organization or separately each of more than 200 different modern ... ... Bible. Old and New Testaments. Synodal translation. Bible encyclopedia arch. Nicephorus.

Catholicism is the largest and most influential branch of Christianity. The number of its adherents exceeds 1.2 billion people. The history of the Catholic Church began with the Great Schism, when Christianity was divided into two branches. It is read that its founder and head is Jesus Christ, while the visible leader is the Pope. He heads the Holy See in the Vatican. Today Catholicism is spread all over the world, even in Russia there are hundreds of thousands of believers. But we know little about this religion, considering it a historical opponent of Orthodoxy traditional for us. That is why there are many myths about the Catholic Church, which we will try to debunk.

The church forbids reading the Bible. The first Christian Bible was just created by the Catholic Church. The material for this book was collected by scientists in II and III centuries, then it was approved by the Supreme Catholic Councils of Hippo and Carthage. And the very first printed Bible was created by the Catholic Church, represented by the Catholic inventor Gutenberg. The first Bible with chapters and numbered verses was created by Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury. And during each Mass, the priest reads aloud excerpts from the Bible. Usually these are quotations from the main part of the text and two parts from the Gospel. In the modern Catholic mass, two parts from the common Bible and only one from the Gospel are read. Today holy book is in every home of believers, it is studied in Catholic schools. And this myth itself appeared because Bibles were often locked in churches. But they did this not to forbid people from reading the book, but to protect it from theft. Usually we are talking about old handwritten Bibles, very rare and therefore valuable. People believe that the Bible is banned because of its inclusion in the Index of Banned Books. However, in this case we are talking about Protestant versions, markedly edited or poorly translated. The most famous such edition is the King James Bible; Catholics have already abandoned its use.

Lay Catholics are not allowed to read the Bible on their own. Once such a ban really was, but it was formal. At first, there was a ban on reading the Bible in vernacular languages. The translations had to be approved by the church. The same Cyril and Methodius for their work with the Slavic language previously received permission. But this made it possible to avoid errors and heresy. There were few who could read the Bible in Latin, and many did not always know their native language. In the church, the priest told and interpreted episodes from the book, which were then retold to relatives and children. So the flock, without even reading the Bible, generally knew it. And the ban made it possible to avoid heresy due to the ignorance of ordinary people. Now, not only is there no ban, but the priests also urge you to read as often as possible and think about the texts. But in fairness it should be noted that Catholics are far from Protestants in terms of reading the Bible.

Catholics practice idolatry. There is an opinion that the fact of worshiping the Virgin Mary means nothing more than idolatry. In fact, there are three types of denominations in Catholic theology. Latria provides for the worship of one God, a departure from this norm is considered a mortal sin. Hyperdulia is the veneration of the Virgin Mary, but it is veneration, not idolatry. A special type of religion is the worship of angels and saints. This division was approved by the Second Council of Nicaea as early as 787 AD. This council was specially assembled in order to condemn those who considered it idolatry to treat icons and statuettes of saints. If a Catholic kneels in front of a statue during prayer, then he does not pray and does not worship it, but a Protestant with a Bible in his hands, kneeling, worships. Those images of saints that Catholics have simply remind of the holiness of this character.

Catholics are not true Christians. It was the Catholics who were the first Christians. A study of early Christian texts reveals that the doctrines and teachings are exactly the same as what the Catholic Church preaches today. We are talking about bishops, virgin nuns, confession, priests, baptism, the Bishop of Rome as the head of the whole religion. The sayings of the early church fathers, who were apostles, are very reminiscent of the modern doctrines of Catholicism. Most historians admit that it was the Catholic Church that was the first Christian, it is not difficult to prove this with the help of ancient texts.

The Pope is completely infallible. According to Catholics, their head can be sinless only under certain conditions. He must make his statements according to the canons of faith and morality, his decrees must concern the whole church and unite it, and he must speak not personally for himself, but on behalf of the entire Papacy. Therefore, the Pope's talk about science issues admits his mistakes. But in matters of religion, subject to the above points, he speaks on behalf of God. That is why Catholics must believe the Pope. At the end of his infallible statement is the phrase "let there be anathema."

The Catholic Church is against science and does not believe in evolution. It should be borne in mind that many major scientific discoveries appeared due to education in the Catholic world. For example, the Belgian priest Georges Lemaitre was the person who first put forward the Big Bang Theory. When she reached Einstein, he rejected it, declaring the correctness of mathematics, but at the same time disgusting physics. Ultimately, the master accepted the theory of the priest. And the Catholic Church does not reject the theory of evolution, as do many American Protestant or Evangelical churches. Since the emergence of this theory, the Catholic Church has not officially spoken out on this issue. For the first time, any public statement on this topic was made by Pope Pius XII. He said that the church does not forbid the teaching of evolution. It explores how human bodies were created, and faith says that souls were created by God. In 2004, a special theological commission made statements about the logic of the Big Bang theory and the theory of evolution. There are only discrepancies in the rates and mechanisms of development of life on the planet. Currently, Catholic schools around the world, including in the States, teach precisely the scientific approach to the emergence of life, this is an integral part of the curriculum.

With the help of indulgence, you can pay off sins with money. First you need to understand what in general is indulgence. The Catholic Church teaches believers that they receive two types of punishment for sins. The eternal, provides for hell after death, and the temporal is punishment during life or in purgatory after death. To avoid hell, a person needs to repent, then he will be forgiven. But temporary punishment will not disappear anywhere. An indulgence is such a special blessing that allows you to cancel a temporary punishment. To do this, you need to do some good deeds or read certain prayers. In the Middle Ages, cunning bishops really sold fake indulgences for money, directing funds to the needs of the church. Official Rome struggled with such abuses for a long time, it took almost three hundred years to eradicate such a business. And real indulgences existed from the very beginning, the church still issues them today. But it has nothing to do with making money.

The Catholic Church was founded by Emperor Constantine in 325. In 313, this emperor announced the tolerant attitude of the authorities towards Christianity. This was secured by the Edict of Milan, which meant the abolition of fines for this religion. And at the age of 40, Constantine himself was baptized, and then convened the First Council of Nicaea. Because of the importance of this event, it is believed that the emperor created the church. But before this meeting there were others, however, not so large-scale and famous. And the structure of the church has already been formed. At that council, Constantine was a mere observer, and the decisions were made by the bishops and representatives of the Pope. Prior to the Council of Nicaea, celibacy among priests, infant baptism was already the norm, and the structure of bishops and priests had existed for 300 years.

Catholic priests are not allowed to marry. Before debunking the myth of the existence of celibacy, it is worth understanding the very nature of Catholicism. There are two church sections under the jurisdiction of the Pope - the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Catholic. All of them follow the general canons. The differences lie in the style of worship and external rules. So, in the Eastern Church, priests are allowed to marry, but in this status he will no longer be able to become Pope. It happens that pastors convert to Catholicism from other religions already married, for example, from the Anglican Church. They keep their rank, so married priests are not uncommon in the Roman Catholic Church.

The church added several books to the Bible. In the Catholic version Old Testament 7 more books than the Protestant one. This difference gave rise to the myth that Rome added some information to the Bible. In fact, these books were considered official in Christianity even before the advent of Protestantism. And already Martin Luther removed the unnecessary parts of the Bible in his opinion. Some of them confirm those doctrines which the reformer abandoned. The Catholic Church uses the "Greek edition" used by the apostles in their sermons. But Luther chose the Jewish Masoretic canon, dating from 700-1000 AD. The Protestants rejected the Book of Judith, the two books of Maccabees, the Book of the Wisdom of Jesus, the Book of Tobit, the Book of the Prophet Baruch and the son of Sirach. But Luther preserved the Catholic New Testament in its entirety. Interestingly, the holiday of Hanukkah, often mentioned in the Maccabean books, did not make it into the Jewish or Protestant New Testament.

The papacy was invented already in the Middle Ages. The Pope was the Bishop of Rome, from the very beginning Christians considered him the head of the church. This is evidenced by ancient documents, and the Bible itself. The Gospel says that the first Bishop of the Roman Church was Peter himself, who remained in this post until his death in 64. Saint Irenaeus of Lyon became the second Pope. Then Cletus was in this post, the fourth was Clement, who created a diocese against heresy. And Papa Lin made a rule that women should cover their heads in church. It is still in effect.

The Catholic Church introduced many new dogmas. The dogmas were not invented at all, but derived according to the law of the corresponding development. The Church used to believe in some postulates, they just weren't dogmas. And new dogmas do not appear out of nowhere, but on the basis of Holy Scripture. It took time to explain and clarify them, so that the believers had clarity in their heads. At one time, the dogma of the Trinity was considered new; it was derived on the basis of Christian teaching. The Church already believed in this, but over time it fixed this postulate. In Catholicism, until the information is fully verified, dogmas will not be introduced.

The Virgin Mary in Catholicism is revered more than God. If you study Chin Mass, then everything becomes clear. The Virgin Mary is mentioned there in passing, but the name of Christ is constantly heard. Catholics love the Mother of God very much, as children love their mother, seeing in her an intercessor and comforter. The Catholic Church will never honor Mary the way Jesus honored her, the way God the Father rewarded her by making her the mother of his son, and the way the Holy Spirit chose her to conceive.

Catholics pray to the living Pope. The Pope is the visible head of the church, he is obeyed and respected. And prayers to the Pope of Rome are offered not to the living one, but to one of the dead and recognized as saints or blessed.

Catholics believe that the Mother of God was conceived similarly to Christ. Indeed, there is a dogma about the immaculate conception holy virgin Mary. However, in this case, it does not mean that the case was without a man. The Mother of God was not touched by original sin, which is why conception can be considered immaculate. She didn't have a sinful nature ordinary person, she received the same nature as she had before the fall. And the personal righteousness of the Virgin Mary is the result of her free choice. For the sake of the future sacrifice of Christ, God gave her mercy and did not touch her with original sin, so that Mary would become the abode for the Divine Infant.

Catholics have changed the Creed. At one time, the Filioque problem arose, about changing the creed. But it is rather not theological, but philological, based on different translations. Catholics do not consider the Son to be a separate source of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Trinity is a kind of flower. The Father is the root, everything grows on it. The stem is a son, he is a kind of intermediary between people and his father. The Holy Spirit is a flower that comes from both the Father and the Son, from the root through the stem. So the Filioque did not change the creed, but simply clarified it.

Catholics do not have to confess before Communion. The church does not allow a single person to take communion without confession, because he may have a mortal sin in his soul. But if this is not the case, then confession before each Communion is not required. The fact is that everyday sins that keep a connection with God can be forgiven during general confession and the same Communion. The Orthodox Church practices this in the same way.

Catholics do not fast before Communion. Catholics have a Eucharistic fast before communion, which is an hour before communion. But it is recommended to fast an hour before mass. This is done so that people can take communion more often. Once upon a time, mass was served only early in the morning, and the fast was either in the morning, or from midnight. Then the mass was allowed to be served in the evening, and such a long refusal of food lost its meaning. The fast was reduced first to three hours, and then to an hour. Yes, and food in the stomach cannot desecrate the Communion, besides, for the first time it happened at all during a hearty dinner. Fasting is a disciplinary measure that can be easily changed. The church believes that people should take communion as often as possible, this is not a reward for spirituality, but medicine.

Catholics do not give communion to small children. Here it is worth making clarifications. In the Latin Rite, Catholics do not allow children under the age of discernment to participate in the rite. The child must be able to distinguish ordinary bread from Eucharistic bread, understand the difference between good and evil, be able to confess. Someone already meets these standards at the age of 5, and someone at 16 is not ready to approach the sacrament responsibly. It is believed that before the first confession, children should spend a year or two in Sunday school. The child needs to know the basic creeds, the essence of the sacraments and the basic prayers. But in the Byzantine rite, babies receive communion from the very moment of baptism and chrismation. It is logical that Communion still takes place at a conscious age. But another practice also has the right to life: surrounded by loved ones, although children do not understand everything, they feel that this is important and good. And there's nothing wrong with that.

Catholics use only unleavened bread. This statement is true only for the Latin Rite. There, unleavened bread is a tribute to the Jewish tradition of using unleavened bread on Passover. During the Last Supper, Christ performed the same ancient Jewish rites, but with different words, giving them a new meaning. By the Jewish Passover, all leavened bread was destroyed, so the choice of unleavened bread is not accidental. And in Eastern traditions they use yeast bread, which is a symbol of the resurrection of Christ. It's beautiful, but the tradition is different. In fact, these are all details - during the war, priests served masses and liturgies with sawdust bread, while Armenians use undiluted wine. The essence of the Eucharist is not at all what kind of wine or bread is used.

Catholics sit for the entire service. This myth can be debunked if you attend a divine service at least once. The benches here are not for beauty, but they are not used for the entire service. The procession of priests meets standing, the faithful sit down while reading passages of the Old Testament. But when reading the Gospel, everyone stands. People also celebrate the Eucharistic Liturgy on their feet, kneeling at the very important points. After Communion, it is also recommended to pray on your knees. In total, it is possible to sit a maximum of a third of the time. But you can listen to the Liturgy of the Hours while sitting, but even there it is recommended to get up during prayers and hymns. The benches are there so that people can listen better. On major holidays, not everyone manages to sit down; on Easter, they even stand in the central aisle. But this does not bother anyone - they do not come here for gatherings.

Catholic services are conducted in Latin. In the Western Rites of the Catholic Church, Latin is indeed the primary language. But if necessary, it is allowed to serve in national languages. In reality, it is they who sound most often, people simply do not understand Latin anymore. At the request of the priest, only some selected main masses are celebrated in this language. Armenian Catholics use Old Armenian, Greek Catholics use Church Slavonic, Ukrainian, Russian, and so on, depending on the country. Yes, and other ceremonies are served in their native language. The church wants the service to be understandable to uneducated parishioners, so this step was taken.

During Mass, Catholics play musical instruments. This is not always the case. If there are no musicians, then the service will still take place. And there are quiet masses, where extraneous sounds, in principle, are not provided. And this has its own charm.

Catholic sacraments are invalid. Catholics and Orthodox mutually recognize all seven sacraments. The point is not that the sacraments are invalid, but that there is no Eucharistic communion, that is, the joint conduct of the liturgy by the priests.

Catholics have a different calendar. Many Catholics live by the Gregorian calendar, but there are also those who choose the Julian. And we are talking not only about Catholics of the Eastern rite in the CIS countries, but also about some believers in the Latin rite. So, in the Holy Land, it was decided to switch to the Julian calendar, so that there would be unity with the Orthodox living there. But how much of a fundamental question is this, is the truth hidden in which calendar is used?

For Catholics, Christmas is more important than Easter. None Christian church can't count like that. If there were no Good Friday and Easter, then Christmas would lose its meaning. Christmas is a beloved and expected holiday, but Easter is the real pinnacle of the Liturgical year. Preparing for it is the most important thing of the year. And the myth could have appeared due to the fact that in the West before Christmas people are seized by a real hysteria regarding gifts. This holiday is a favorite family holiday even among atheists. People no longer really remember what they are celebrating. But these are the problems of a society that has adopted religious holiday. And in Catholicism, the importance and primacy of Easter is not in doubt.

Catholics don't have posts. If in Orthodox tradition It is customary to fast on Wednesday, Friday and there are four more multi-day fasts, then Catholics with the Latin rite do not have a couple of summer fasts at all. There is a pre-Easter Great Lent and pre-Christmas Advent, which can hardly be called fasting. Rather, it is a cursed period. But until recently, fasting among Catholics was very severe, the church simply realized that such a practice is harmful both to the physical and spiritual health of people. Abstinence led to gluttony, which is generally sinful and dangerous to health. Is this what God wants? Currently, strict fasting exists for all believers aged 18-60. This is Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of Lent and Good Friday. Some Catholics, out of old memory, observe other days, but this is already a personal initiative. The church usually sets a mandatory minimum for believers - two days must be spent in strict post without meat, with prayers in the mornings and evenings, mass on Sunday, confession and communion once a year at Easter time. But Catholics of the Byzantine rite, Greek Catholics or Uniates, fast, like the Orthodox. The Church has allowed traditions to be preserved.

Gays are ordained and married in the Catholic Church. The Church forbids same-sex marriages, condemning such relationships themselves. By itself, a homosexual will not be excommunicated, but he must live in chastity. If he does not give in to his desires, then this is not a sin in itself. An open homosexual cannot be ordained as a priest, he is considered unhealthy and cannot serve in the church. Distinguish between orientation and behavior. Homosexuality can be occasional and transient, which is noted at the age of formation of sexual identity. You can go through it. The other extreme is ingrained and habitual behavior. Orientation itself requires caution in choosing the path, but it is not a barrier to faith. The church does not turn away from its parishioners, trying to help them in the fight against sin, especially teenagers who are going through this test. But the Catholic Church will not encourage sin either.

Catholics are allowed to have both Orthodox and other Christians as godparents. This is not true, only Catholics can be godparents. Other believers may be admitted to the ceremony as witnesses.

Catholics even baptize animals. This does not exist in nature. And the myth itself appeared thanks to the tradition existing in some countries to bring pets to the temple on the day of St. Francis of Assisi for blessing. The fact is that this Catholic saint was very fond of animals. At the request of this patron, the creatures are sprinkled with water, blessing. But this step is akin to sprinkling a home or vehicle.

A person must adopt the appropriate faith if he wants to marry a Catholic. This is not at all necessary. The bishop can issue a permit for a mixed marriage, and after 2-3 months of preparation for the sacrament of marriage, a wedding can be performed. When filling out the marriage protocol, it turns out if there are any obstacles to marriage. The Catholic side undertakes to preserve the faith and do everything possible so that posterity is baptized and brought up in it. The other side makes a promise that the spouse will not be hindered in his faith, and also what is known about the promise to raise children in the Catholic faith.

The Catholic Church forbids contraception. The Church prohibits the use of artificial contraceptives and reproductive technologies. The marital act is considered sacred, and nothing should violate its integrity and focus on the birth of children. However, it is allowed to plan your family by studying your body and the laws of the reproductive system. In many parishes, young people are taught this before the wedding. Such methods require discipline, but their exact observance allows you to achieve the desired result.

Catholics are not allowed to divorce. But this statement is not a myth. There is no such thing as divorce in the Catholic Church. It will not work to get married a second time, but if you live with someone else without a wedding, then this sin can lead to excommunication from Communion. It happens that spouses, for some serious reason, cannot continue their life together. It can be facts of violence, drugs, alcohol, betrayal. Then the church gives people the opportunity to live separately, while none of the parties can enter into a new marriage. A marriage may also be declared invalid, but this is not a divorce either. The church simply claims that there was no marriage as such, since its essence was initially violated. For example, one of the spouses hid the truth about his health, someone was not free to choose, forced to make it, someone had a connection on the side, an unwillingness to accept children sent by God. But this procedure is quite long and complicated. To count on such a form of “divorce”, you will have to prove that such conditions have developed.

Catholics believe that only they can be saved. The Catholic Church believes that there are grains of truth in other religions, treating them with respect. No one is denied salvation if the person fulfilled God's will within the framework of their worldview and upbringing. You just need to voluntarily accept the Lord and the fact that it is the Catholic Church that owns the fullness of the truth and the means to salvation. Those who did not know and did not understand this, do not bear any guilt. But those who knew about the depth of the Catholic Church and the truth of her faith, but from some motives left it, will not be able to be saved. The closer a denomination is in its doctrine to the Catholic Church, the more means there are for salvation. Church commemoration and burial are denied only to the most principled heretics, but not in the form of punishment, but because they themselves made their choice, refusing to cooperate with the church. However, no one claims that these people will certainly go to hell.

As a result of the Union of Brest, Catholics of the Eastern rite appeared. The Eastern Catholic rite actually has more than 20 different rites. And this is by no means only Slavic-Byzantine, there is also Armenian, Coptic. In addition, there are Eastern Catholic churches that have never entered into a schism with Rome at all. This is, for example, the Italo-Albanian Catholic Church of the Byzantine rite. A single doctrine and church administration in the Catholic Church has always been practiced, even taking into account different liturgical rites and traditions.

What the Orthodox call a church, the Catholics call it a church. The very word "church" in Polish means "church". At one time, polonism took root well in Russia. There were times when only foreigners or their descendants could profess Catholicism in our country, this niche was filled by the Poles. At present, the majority of Russian Catholics are Russians, whose foreign roots can no longer be found. They calmly use the familiar words “temple”, “cathedral”, “church”. Yes, even in Western countries Catholic churches churches are not called.

Catholics deceive believers, luring them into their faith. This myth is easy to debunk if you know how difficult it is to keep this faith. New converts have to undergo catechesis from several months to up to three years. All this time, people should study in detail the teachings of the Catholic Church, learn to seek the will of God in their lives, reflect and make decisions about their spiritual life, and take responsibility for them. And this is tiring, because it is much easier when you are directly told what exactly needs to be done. Those wishing to accept Catholicism need a strong motivation, otherwise the test may not be passed. New converts are not allowed to participate in the sacraments, but there are no restrictions on everything else. It is allowed to attend all services, participate in events, communicate with monks and priests. This makes it possible to touch the inner life of the church, to try on the future image of a parishioner. And if a person suddenly changes his mind about making such a choice, no one will stop him. If a believer becomes a Catholic, then there is no time for democracy - it is necessary to accept the entire dogma.

Catholic crosses are different from Orthodox ones. So to argue is not entirely correct. There is a Latin tradition of the image of the cross. It is depicted as four-pointed, with three nails and without a lower crossbar. In Byzantine or Orthodox, it looks different. For Catholics, it doesn’t matter at all which cross to wear: Orthodox, Celtic, Armenian, or even Franciscan in the form of the letter “T”. Some choose a medallion or amulet instead; there can be as many symbols as you like.