The Roman Catholic Church recognizes the decrees of the church council. Catholic Church. Modern spread of Catholicism

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."

Catholic Church opposes 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 dignity, so in Roman Catholic Church married priests are not uncommon.

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. And here is the Catholic New Testament Luther kept it completely. 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. Practices it in the same way Orthodox Church.

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. No Christian church can say 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 begins 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.

The content of the article

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, a religious community united by the confession of a single Christian faith and participation in the common sacraments, led by priests and the church hierarchy, headed by the Pope of Rome. The word "catholic" ("universal") indicates, firstly, the mission of this church, which is addressed to the whole human race, and, secondly, the fact that the members of the church are representatives of the whole world. The word "Roman" speaks of the unity of the church with the Bishop of Rome and his supremacy over the church, and also serves to distinguish it from other religious groups that use the concept of "Catholic" in their name.

History of occurrence.

Catholics believe that the church and the papacy were established directly by Jesus Christ and will continue until the end of time, and that the pope is the legitimate successor of St. Peter (and therefore inherits his primacy, primacy among the apostles) and vicar (deputy, vicar) of Christ on earth. They also believe that Christ gave his apostles the power to: 1) preach his gospel to all people; 2) sanctify people through the sacraments; 3) to lead and manage all those who have received the gospel and been baptized. Finally, they believe that this power is vested in the Catholic bishops (as successors of the apostles), headed by the pope, who has supreme authority. The Pope, being the teacher and defender of the divinely revealed truth of the Church, is infallible, i.e. unerring in his judgments on matters of faith and morality; Christ guaranteed this infallibility when he promised that the truth would always be with the church.

Church signs.

In accordance with traditional teaching, this church is distinguished by four characteristics, or four essential features (notae ecclesiae): 1) unity, about which St. Paul says, "one body and one Spirit", "one Lord, one faith, one baptism" (Eph 4:4-5); 2) holiness, which is seen in church teaching, worship and the holy life of believers; 3) Catholicism (defined above); 4) apostolicity, or the origin of institutions and jurisdiction from the apostles.

Teaching.

The main points of the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church are set forth in the Apostolic, Nicene-Constantinopolitan, and Athanasian Creeds; they are contained in a fuller form in the confession of faith used in the consecration of bishops and priests, as well as in the baptism of adults. In its teaching, the Catholic Church also relies on the decisions of the ecumenical councils, and above all the Councils of Trent and the Vatican, especially with regard to the primacy and infallible teaching power of the Pope of Rome.

The main points of the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church include the following. Belief in one God in three divine Persons, different from each other and equal to each other (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). The doctrine of the incarnation, suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the union in his personality of two natures, divine and human; divine motherhood Holy Mary, virgin before the birth of Jesus, at birth and after it. Belief in the authentic, real and substantial presence of the Body and Blood with the soul and divinity of Jesus Christ in the sacrament of the Eucharist. Seven sacraments established by Jesus Christ for the salvation of mankind: baptism, chrismation (confirmation), Eucharist, repentance, unction, priesthood, marriage. Faith purgatory, resurrection of the dead and eternal life. The doctrine of primacy, not only honor, but also jurisdiction, of the Bishop of Rome. Veneration of saints and their images. The authority of apostolic and ecclesiastical Tradition and Holy Scripture, which can only be interpreted and understood in the sense that the Catholic Church has held and holds.

Organizational structure.

In the Roman Catholic Church, the supreme power and jurisdiction over the clergy and laity belongs to the pope, who (since the Middle Ages) is elected by the college of cardinals at the conclave and retains his powers until the end of his life or legal abdication. According to Catholic teaching (fixed in Roman Catholic canon law), an ecumenical council cannot take place without the participation of the pope, who has the right to convene a council, preside over it, set the agenda, postpone, temporarily suspend work ecumenical council and approve his decisions. The cardinals form a collegium under the pope and are his chief advisers and assistants in the administration of the church. The pope is independent of the laws passed and the officials appointed by him or his predecessors, and usually exercises his administrative power in accordance with the Code of Canon Law through the congregations, courts and offices of the Roman Curia. In their canonical territories (commonly called dioceses or dioceses) and in relation to their subordinates, patriarchs, metropolitans, or archbishops, and bishops operate under ordinary jurisdiction (i.e., connected by law with office, as opposed to delegated jurisdiction associated with specific person). Certain abbots and prelates also have their own jurisdiction, as well as the chief hierarchs of privileged ecclesiastical orders, but the latter only in relation to their own subordinates. Finally, priests have ordinary jurisdiction within their parish and over their parishioners.

A believer becomes a member of the church by confessing Christian faith(in the case of babies, this is done for them God-parents) by being baptized and submitting to the authority of the church. Membership gives the right to participate in other church sacraments and liturgy (mass). After reaching a reasonable age, every Catholic is obliged to obey the prescriptions of the church: to participate in mass on Sundays and holidays; fasting and abstaining from meat certain days; go to confession at least once a year; take communion during the celebration of Easter; make donations for the maintenance of his parish priest; observe church laws regarding marriage.

various rites.

If the Roman Catholic Church is united in matters of faith and morals, in obedience to the pope, then in the field of liturgical forms of worship and simply disciplinary issues, diversity is allowed and more and more encouraged. In the West, the Latin Rite dominates, although the Lyons, Ambrosian, and Mozarabic rites are still preserved; among the Eastern members of the Roman Catholic Church there are representatives of all the Eastern rites now existing.

Religious orders.

Historians note an important contribution to the development of culture and Christian culture made by orders, congregations and other religious institutions. And today they play a significant role, both in the religious sphere itself, and in the field of education and social activities. .

Education.

Catholics believe that the right to education of children belongs to their parents, who can use the help of other organizations, and that true education includes religious education. For this purpose, the Catholic Church maintains schools at all levels, especially in those countries where religious subjects are not included in the public school curricula. Catholic schools are pontifical (papal), diocesan, parish or private; often teaching is entrusted to members of religious orders.

Church and State.

Pope Leo XIII reaffirmed traditional Catholic teaching when he declared of church and state that each of these powers “has definite limits within which it resides; these boundaries are determined by the nature and immediate source of each. That is why they can be regarded as definite, well-defined spheres of activity, with each authority acting within its own sphere in accordance with its own right ”(encyclical Immortale Dei, November 1, 1885). Natural law makes the state responsible only for things related to the earthly welfare of people; positive divine right makes the church responsible only for things pertaining to man's eternal destiny. Since a person is both a citizen of the state and a member of the church, it becomes necessary to regulate legal relations between both authorities.

Statistical data.

According to statisticians, in 1993 there were 1,040 million Catholics in the world (about 19% of the world's population); in Latin America - 412 million; in Europe - 260 million; in Asia - 130 million; in Africa, 128 million; in Oceania - 8 million; in the countries of the former Soviet Union - 6 million.

By 2005, the number of Catholics was 1086 million (approx. 17% of the world's population)

During the pontificate of John Paul II (1978-2005), the number of Catholics in the world increased by 250 million people. (44%).

Half of all Catholics live in the Americas (49.8%) live in South or North America. In Europe, Catholics make up one-fourth (25.8%) of the total. The largest increase in the number of Catholics occurred in Africa: in 2003 their number increased by 4.5% compared to the previous year. The largest Catholic country in the world is Brazil (149 million people), the second is the Philippines (65 million people). In Europe, the largest number of Catholics live in Italy (56 million).

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 christian church the western (Catholic) direction stood out, the center of which was Rome, and the eastern (Orthodox), 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.

The Moscow Zoo is one of the oldest zoos in Europe and the fourth largest zoo in Russia after the zoos of Yaroslavl, Rostov-on-Don and Novosibirsk. Founded in 1864. It has a stable number of visitors per year - up to 3.5 million people. Included in the top ten zoos in the world in terms of attendance.

In 1862, an exhibition of animals was held in the Moscow Manege, organized by the Committee for the Acclimatization of Animals and Plants. At the end of the exhibition, the organizers had a lot of living "exhibits" in their hands. Then the question arose of opening a zoological garden in Moscow. The main initiator of its creation was Professor of Moscow University Anatoly Petrovich Bogdanov. Several options for placing the zoo were considered: Izmailovo, Tsaritsyno, Presnensky Ponds. The choice was made in favor of Presnya. The decisive factor was the sufficient proximity to the city center, which means convenience for potential visitors. One of the ponds was filled up to create a “living museum in the open air”, and neighboring plots of land were bought from private individuals. And on January 31, 1864 (February 12, NS), the Moscow Zoological Garden was opened.

Curious fact. In 1681, near the Presnensky Ponds, the country palace of Tsar Fyodor Alekseevich was built. At the royal residence was the Amusing Court, for which in 1685 “for the cause of the chest polar bear"Lowered 13 planks of one and a half pine, and under this chest they made" the kindest wheels. Thus, the first menagerie existed on Presnya in the 17th century.

The first buildings of the Zoological Garden were designed by the architect P.S. Campioni. He also delivered to Moscow a group of animals donated by the Paris Acclimatization Garden. Many animal lovers donated money to the Zoo, gave animals. The commander of the frigate "Svetlana" I.I. Butakov brought back a collection of Australian animals from his circumnavigation. Emperor Alexander II presented an elephant.

In the late 1870s and early 1880s, the “Family Garden” operated in the Botanical Department of the Zoological Garden, arranged by the famous entrepreneur M.V. Lentovsky.

In subsequent years, additional pavilions and enclosures were built at the Zoo. At the same time, famous Moscow architects worked here:, S.K. Rodionov. At the end of the 19th century, at the corner of B. Gruzinskaya and B. Presnenskaya (now Krasnaya Presnya) streets, instead of a simple wooden arch, an elegant entrance with two towers designed by the architect appeared. The Biological Station operated, the neoclassical building of which was erected according to the project (Konyushkovskaya street, house 31, building 1).

During the events of 1905, the zoo was significantly damaged: a number of buildings were destroyed, the library burned down, and the Aquarium was destroyed.

In 1919 the Zoological Garden was nationalized. In subsequent years, its territory increased significantly, scientific laboratories and research units were created, and it itself received a new, familiar name for us - the Zoo.

In 1936, a new entrance was built in the Zoo, designed by sculptors V.A. Vatagin and D.V. Gorlov, which existed until 1964.

By the 850th anniversary of Moscow, in the 1990s, the Zoo was reconstructed (the work was carried out by MNIIP "Mosproekt 4"). There was a new entrance group, a number of new enclosures, various thematic expositions. Currently, the Moscow Zoo contains more than 1,100 species and almost 8,000 specimens. various representatives fauna.

The content of the article

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, a religious community united by the confession of a single Christian faith and participation in the common sacraments, led by priests and the church hierarchy, headed by the Pope of Rome. The word "catholic" ("universal") indicates, firstly, the mission of this church, which is addressed to the whole human race, and, secondly, the fact that the members of the church are representatives of the whole world. The word "Roman" speaks of the unity of the church with the Bishop of Rome and his supremacy over the church, and also serves to distinguish it from other religious groups that use the concept of "Catholic" in their name.

History of occurrence.

Catholics believe that the church and the papacy were established directly by Jesus Christ and will continue until the end of time, and that the pope is the legitimate successor of St. Peter (and therefore inherits his primacy, primacy among the apostles) and vicar (deputy, vicar) of Christ on earth. They also believe that Christ gave his apostles the power to: 1) preach his gospel to all people; 2) sanctify people through the sacraments; 3) to lead and manage all those who have received the gospel and been baptized. Finally, they believe that this power is vested in the Catholic bishops (as successors of the apostles), headed by the pope, who has supreme authority. The Pope, being the teacher and defender of the divinely revealed truth of the Church, is infallible, i.e. unerring in his judgments on matters of faith and morality; Christ guaranteed this infallibility when he promised that the truth would always be with the church.

Church signs.

In accordance with traditional teaching, this church is distinguished by four characteristics, or four essential features (notae ecclesiae): 1) unity, about which St. Paul says, "one body and one Spirit", "one Lord, one faith, one baptism" (Eph 4:4-5); 2) holiness, which is seen in church teaching, worship and the holy life of believers; 3) Catholicism (defined above); 4) apostolicity, or the origin of institutions and jurisdiction from the apostles.

Teaching.

The main points of the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church are set forth in the Apostolic, Nicene-Constantinopolitan, and Athanasian Creeds; they are contained in a fuller form in the confession of faith used in the consecration of bishops and priests, as well as in the baptism of adults. In its teaching, the Catholic Church also relies on the decisions of the ecumenical councils, and above all the Councils of Trent and the Vatican, especially with regard to the primacy and infallible teaching power of the Pope of Rome.

The main points of the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church include the following. Belief in one God in three divine Persons, different from each other and equal to each other (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). The doctrine of the incarnation, suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the union in his personality of two natures, divine and human; the divine motherhood of the Blessed Mary, virgin before the birth of Jesus, at birth and after it. Belief in the authentic, real and substantial presence of the Body and Blood with the soul and divinity of Jesus Christ in the sacrament of the Eucharist. Seven sacraments established by Jesus Christ for the salvation of mankind: baptism, chrismation (confirmation), Eucharist, repentance, unction, priesthood, marriage. Faith purgatory, resurrection of the dead and eternal life. The doctrine of primacy, not only honor, but also jurisdiction, of the Bishop of Rome. Veneration of saints and their images. The authority of apostolic and ecclesiastical Tradition and Holy Scripture, which can only be interpreted and understood in the sense that the Catholic Church has held and holds.

Organizational structure.

In the Roman Catholic Church, the supreme power and jurisdiction over the clergy and laity belongs to the pope, who (since the Middle Ages) is elected by the college of cardinals at the conclave and retains his powers until the end of his life or legal abdication. According to Catholic teaching (fixed in Roman Catholic canon law), an ecumenical council cannot take place without the participation of the pope, who has the right to convene a council, preside over it, determine the agenda, postpone, temporarily suspend the work of an ecumenical council and approve its decisions. The cardinals form a collegium under the pope and are his chief advisers and assistants in the administration of the church. The pope is independent of the laws passed and the officials appointed by him or his predecessors, and usually exercises his administrative power in accordance with the Code of Canon Law through the congregations, courts and offices of the Roman Curia. In their canonical territories (commonly called dioceses or dioceses) and in relation to their subordinates, patriarchs, metropolitans, or archbishops, and bishops operate under ordinary jurisdiction (i.e., connected by law with office, as opposed to delegated jurisdiction associated with specific person). Certain abbots and prelates also have their own jurisdiction, as well as the chief hierarchs of privileged ecclesiastical orders, but the latter only in relation to their own subordinates. Finally, priests have ordinary jurisdiction within their parish and over their parishioners.

A believer becomes a member of the church by confessing the Christian faith (in the case of babies, godparents do this for them), by being baptized and submitting to the authority of the church. Membership gives the right to participate in other church sacraments and liturgy (mass). After reaching a reasonable age, every Catholic is obliged to obey the prescriptions of the church: to participate in mass on Sundays and holidays; fasting and abstaining from meat food on certain days; go to confession at least once a year; take communion during the celebration of Easter; make donations for the maintenance of his parish priest; observe church laws regarding marriage.

various rites.

If the Roman Catholic Church is united in matters of faith and morals, in obedience to the pope, then in the field of liturgical forms of worship and simply disciplinary issues, diversity is allowed and more and more encouraged. In the West, the Latin Rite dominates, although the Lyons, Ambrosian, and Mozarabic rites are still preserved; among the Eastern members of the Roman Catholic Church there are representatives of all the Eastern rites now existing.

Religious orders.

Historians note the important contribution to the development of culture and Christian culture made by orders, congregations and other religious institutions. And today they play a significant role, both in the actual religious sphere, and in the field of education and social activities. .

Education.

Catholics believe that the right to education of children belongs to their parents, who can use the help of other organizations, and that true education includes religious education. For this purpose, the Catholic Church maintains schools at all levels, especially in those countries where religious subjects are not included in the public school curricula. Catholic schools are pontifical (papal), diocesan, parish or private; often teaching is entrusted to members of religious orders.

Church and State.

Pope Leo XIII reaffirmed traditional Catholic teaching when he declared of church and state that each of these powers “has definite limits within which it resides; these boundaries are determined by the nature and immediate source of each. That is why they can be regarded as definite, well-defined spheres of activity, with each authority acting within its own sphere in accordance with its own right ”(encyclical Immortale Dei, November 1, 1885). Natural law makes the state responsible only for things related to the earthly welfare of people; positive divine right makes the church responsible only for things pertaining to man's eternal destiny. Since a person is both a citizen of the state and a member of the church, it becomes necessary to regulate legal relations between both authorities.

Statistical data.

According to statisticians, in 1993 there were 1,040 million Catholics in the world (about 19% of the world's population); in Latin America - 412 million; in Europe - 260 million; in Asia - 130 million; in Africa, 128 million; in Oceania - 8 million; in the countries of the former Soviet Union - 6 million.

By 2005, the number of Catholics was 1086 million (approx. 17% of the world's population)

During the pontificate of John Paul II (1978-2005), the number of Catholics in the world increased by 250 million people. (44%).

Half of all Catholics live in the Americas (49.8%) live in South or North America. In Europe, Catholics make up one-fourth (25.8%) of the total. The largest increase in the number of Catholics occurred in Africa: in 2003 their number increased by 4.5% compared to the previous year. The largest Catholic country in the world is Brazil (149 million people), the second is the Philippines (65 million people). In Europe, the largest number of Catholics live in Italy (56 million).