Christian Essentials: Christian Denominations Catholicism
The Roman Catholic Church portrays
itself as the one legitimate heir to New Testament Christianity, and the pope
as the successor to Peter, the first bishop of Rome. While those details are
debatable, there is no question that Roman church history reaches back to
ancient times. The apostle Paul wrote his letter to the Romans about AD 55 and addressed a church body that existed prior to his first visit
there (but he made no mention of Peter, though he greeted others by name).
Despite repeated persecutions by
the government, a vibrant Christian community existed in Rome after apostolic
times. Those
Things changed drastically when the
Roman Emperor Constantine professed a conversion to Christianity in AD 312. He
began to make changes that ultimately led to the formation of the Roman
Catholic Church. He issued the Edict of Milan in
313, which granted freedom of worship throughout the empire. When doctrinal
disputes arose, Constantine presided over the first ecumenical church council
at Nicaea in AD 325, even though he held no official authority in the churches.
By the time of Constantine’s death,
Christianity was the favored, if not the official, religion of the Roman
Empire. The term Roman Catholic was defined by Emperor
Theodosius on February 27, 380, in the Theodosian
The
fall of the Roman Empire and the rise of the Catholic Church are
really two branches of the same story, as the power was transferred from one
entity to the other. From the time of Constantine (AD 312) until the fall of
the Roman Empire in 476, the emperors of Rome claimed a certain amount of
authority within the church, even though it was disputed by many church
leaders. During those formative years, there were many disputes over authority, structure, and doctrine.
The emperors sought to increase
their authority by granting privileges to various bishops, resulting in
disputes about primacy within the churches. At the same time, some of the
bishops sought to increase their authority and prestige by accusing others of
false doctrine and seeking state support of their positions. Many of those
disputes resulted in very sinful behavior, which are a disgrace to the name of Christ.
The seven Catholic sacraments:
“Sacraments are outward signs of inward grace, instituted by Christ for our
sanctification”. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that while God gives grace
to man without outward symbols (sacraments), He has also chosen to give grace
to man through visible symbols. Because God has done this, man is foolish to
not make use of this God-provided means of gaining sanctification.
In order to qualify as a sacrament,
the Roman Catholic Church states that it must meet the following three
criteria:
a )the external,
that is, a sensibly perceptible sign of sanctifying grace,
b) the conferring of sanctifying
grace,
c) the institution by God or, more
accurately, by the God-Man Jesus Christ.
Thus, sacraments are not merely a
symbol, but are believed to actually confer sanctifying grace upon the
recipient. The Roman Catholic Church believes that all of their seven
sacraments were instituted by Christ Himself. There are seven Roman Catholic
Sacraments, and they are as follows:
1) Baptism, which the Roman Catholic Church teaches
removes original sin while infusing the act with sanctifying grace.
2) Penance, in which one confesses his/her sins to a priest.
2) Penance, in which one confesses his/her sins to a priest.
3) The Eucharist, considered the reception and consumption of the actual body and blood of Christ.
4) Confirmation, a formal acceptance into the church along with special
anointing of the Holy Spirit.
5) Anointing of the sick, performed
by a priest using oil. The priest anoints the sick person´s forehead and hands
with oil. This is associated not only with bodily healing but with forgiveness
of sins. When performed on a dying person, it is called Extreme Unction (or
last rites or final anointing).
6) Holy Orders, the process by which men are ordained to clergy.
7) Matrimony, which provides special grace to a couple.
How do Catholics and the Papacy
view the office of the Pope.
In his encyclical, "The
Reunion of Christendom" (1885), Pope Leo XIII stated that the pope
holds "upon this earth the place of God Almighty."
The New York Catholic Catechism,
under: Pope, says, "The Pope takes the place of Jesus Christ on earth...by divine right the pope has
supreme and full power in faith and morals over each and every pastor and his
flock. He is the true Vicar of Christ, the head of the entire church, the
father and teacher of all Christians He is the infallible ruler, the founder of dogmas, the author
of and the judge of councils; the universal ruler of truth, the arbiter of the
world, the supreme judge of heaven and earth, the judge of all, being judged by
one, God
himself on earth.“
The Council of Trent declared: As the
Successor of St. Peter and the true and legitimate Vicar of Jesus Christ, he
therefore, presides over the Universal Church, the Father and Governor of all
the faithful, of Bishops, also and of all other prelates, be their station,
rant, or power, what they may be.
-These words appeared in the Roman Canon
Law: "To believe that our Lord God the Pope has not the power to decree
as he is decreed, is to be deemed heretical.-I?i the Gloss "Extravagantes"
o.f Pope
John XXII Cum
inter, Tit.
XIV, Cap. IV. Ad Callem Sexti Decretalium,
Paris, 1685
"All names which in the Scriptures are
applied to Christ, by
virtue of which it is established that He is over the church, all the same names are applied
to the Pope." - On
the Authority of the Councils, book 2, chapter 17
"The Pope and God are the same, so he has all power in Heaven and earth." Pope Pius V, quoted in Barclay, Chapter XXVII, p. 218, "Cities Petrus Bertanous".
"The Pope takes the place of Jesus
Christ on earth...by
divine right the Pope has supreme and full power in faith, in morals over each
and every pastor and his flock. He is the true vicar, the head
of the entire church, the father and teacher of all Christians. He is
the infallible ruler, the founder of dogmas, the author of and
the judge of councils; the universal ruler of truth, the arbiter of
the world, the supreme judge of heaven and earth, the judge of
all, being judged by no one, God
himself on earth." Quoted
in the New York Catechism.
"The Pope is not only the
representative of Jesus Christ, he is Jesus Christ himself, hidden under the veil of
flesh." Catholic
National July
1895.
Many
Catholics try to justify their claim that Peter was the first pope by affirming
that he was the greatest of the apostles. They declare that Peter was greater
because: (1) he always is mentioned first in the lists of the apostles (2) he
was the apostle who recognized Jesus as Lord in Matthew 16:16; and (3) Jesus
told him to care for His sheep. Are these arguments sufficient for
establishing the papacy or supremacy
for Peter?
No. Consider the case for any other
apostle. For example, it could be said that John was the “greatest” of the
apostles because: (1) in the Bible he is referred to as the “disciple whom
Jesus loved” (2) he rested on Jesus’
bosom just before His arrest certainly a posture that suggests a close
relationship; and (3) Jesus charged him with the responsibility of caring for
His mother. Does this mean that we also should consider John as a pope? If not,
should we consider Peter as a pope when all of the apostles had the same authority and their own privileges? Indeed, Jesus gave all of His disciples, not just Peter, authority.
Transubstantiation: The
Roman Catholic Church believes that the bread and wine of the Holy Eucharist
become the actual body and blood of Jesus. They attempt to support their system
of thought with passages such as John 6:32-58; Matthew 26:26; Luke 22:17-23;
and 1 Corinthians 11:24-25. In
A.D. 1551, the Counsel of Trent officially stated, "By
the consecration of the bread and wine there takes place a change of the
whole substance of the bread into
the substance of the body of Christ our Lord and of the whole substance of the wine into the substance of his blood.
This change the holy Catholic
Church has fittingly and properly called transubstantiation" (Session XIII, chapter IV;
cf. canon II). By sharing in the Eucharistic meal, the Church teaches that
Catholics are fulfilling John 6:53: "Truly, truly, I say to you,
unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no
life in you."
The
magisterium of Roman Catholicism is
the special teaching authority of the Church itself. According to Catholic
doctrines, this teaching authority resides only within the Pope and Catholic
bishops. This implies that only those doctrinal statements that proceed from
the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) can be true. It also means that, at times, the
teaching authority of the RCC is uniquely free from
error, a property called
“infallibility.”
Why can’t Catholic priests get
married?
This is an interesting question to answer, as the Bible does not even teach that there are to be “priests” in the New Covenant established by Christ. All believers are considered to be “priest”. The Bible addresses the celibacy of church leaders, but not celibacy of priests. In regards to celibacy of church leaders, in 1 Corinthians chapter 7, the apostle Paul teaches, “An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs — how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world — how he can please his wife — and his interests are divided”. In some instances, celibacy has a positive impact on ministry. If a church leader is free from spousal and familial responsibilities, he can better focus on ministering to others.
This is an interesting question to answer, as the Bible does not even teach that there are to be “priests” in the New Covenant established by Christ. All believers are considered to be “priest”. The Bible addresses the celibacy of church leaders, but not celibacy of priests. In regards to celibacy of church leaders, in 1 Corinthians chapter 7, the apostle Paul teaches, “An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs — how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world — how he can please his wife — and his interests are divided”. In some instances, celibacy has a positive impact on ministry. If a church leader is free from spousal and familial responsibilities, he can better focus on ministering to others.
Jesus mentions some becoming “eunuchs” for the kingdom of God (Matthew 19:12).
Celibacy is definitely allowed for church leaders, and to a certain degree, it
is encouraged. However, Scripture nowhere requires celibacy for those serving
in positions of church leadership.
In 1 Timothy
3:1-13 and Titus 1:6-9,
the Apostle Paul seems to assume that elders, bishops, overseers, and deacons
will be married. Notice the phrases “the husband of one
wife” (1 Timothy 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6),
“he must manage his own family well” (1 Timothy 3:4,12),
and “his children obey him with proper respect” (1 Timothy 3:4; Titus 1:6). While
these
Scriptures are not a requirement for church leaders to be married, they most
definitely present an allowance for church leaders to be married. It is
therefore anti-biblical for any church to require celibacy of its leaders.
Why, then, does the Roman
Catholic Church require celibacy of priests /church leaders? The celibacy of priests
has an interesting history. The first official church statements requiring
celibacy appeared at the Councils of Elvira (A.D. 306) and Carthage (A.D. 390),
although clerical celibacy, to a lesser degree, definitely predated these
councils. Ultimately, though, celibacy became the official requirement of the
Roman Catholic Church due to the practice of nepotism. Church leaders were
giving their children positions in the church, despite a lack of any
qualifications or training. Further, church leaders were giving church property
to their descendants. As a result, the Roman Catholic Church mandated celibacy
in order to keep its priests from having familial attachments which made
nepotism attractive.
Do Catholics Worship Mary?
The Catholic Church has elevated Mary to the level of mediator,
advocate, and co-redeemer of humanity, in direct contradiction of the
Scriptures. In 1854, Pope Pius IX declared Mary “immaculate,” or sinless, thus
giving her the position of mediator.Mary takes the place of Jesus in
Catholic teaching. Instead of the faithful looking to Jesus as the Author
and Finisher of
their faith, they look to Mary. In Mary they find access to God. In her the
Church is all holy and can learn obedience to God.
“The
Church’s devotion to the Blessed Virgin is intrinsic to Christian worship.” The
Church rightly honors “the Blessed Virgin with special devotion. From the most
ancient times the Blesses Virgin has been honored with the title of ‘Mother of
God,’ to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs.” “Devotion to the Blessed Virgin,” Catechism
of the Catholic Church (Vatican City: Liguori Publications, 1994): 253.
The
way to salvation is open to none otherwise than through Mary. The salvation of
all depends on their being favoured and protected by Mary. He who is
protected by Mary will be saved: he who is not will be lost. Our salvation
depends on thee. God will not save us without the intercession of Mary. Catechism
of the Catholic Church (Vatican City: Liguori Publications, 1994): 220.
Mary takes the place of God and she herself is treated like a goddess, a teaching to which the Catholic Church is not averse if we study even her modern statements on this issue.
What role did the Roman Catholic
Church have in the Crusades”
At
the Council of Clermont in 1095 Pope Urban II called upon Christians in Europe
to respond to an urgent plea for help from Byzantine Christians in the East.
Muslims were threatening to conquer this remnant of the Roman Empire for Allah.
The threat was real; most of the Middle East, including the Holy Land where
Christ had walked, had already been vanquished. Thus began the era of the
Crusades, taken from the Latin word crux or
cross. The pope sweetened the deal by offering “plenary indulgence” An
indulgence is partial if it removes part of the temporal
punishment due to sin,
or plenary if it removes all punishment. Those who would join the crusade would
receive forgiveness of all sin, avoid
purgatory and earn immediate entrance into heaven upon death.
What was the Catholic system of
salvation which led to the protestant reformation?
What is the Catholic Mass?
Catholic Mass is considered the most important and highest form of prayer. In fact, attending Mass is an obligation, under penalty of mortal sin, each Sunday and on certain other Holy Days of Obligation. The Mass is divided into two sections, the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. The Liturgy of the Word consists of two readings (one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament), the Responsorial Psalm, the Gospel reading, the homily (or sermon), and general intercessions (also called petitions).
The center of the Mass is its second part, the Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist. During this time, Catholics share in the body and blood of Jesus in the form of the bread and wine passed out to the congregation.
The Mass was unknown in the early church, the mass did not become an official doctrine until pronounced by the Lateran Council of 1215 under the direction of Pope Innocent III, and reaffirmed by the Council of Trent. The Church of Rome holds that the mass is a continuation of the sacrifice that Christ made on Calvary -- in effect a re-crucifixion of Christ over and over again in an unbloody manner. They believe that by this means Christ offers Himself again and again as a sacrifice for sin, and that this sacrifice is just as efficacious to take away sin as was the true sacrifice on Calvary.
What is Purgatory?
Answer: According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, Purgatory is “a place or condition of temporal punishment for those who, departing this life in God's grace, are not entirely free from venial faults, or have not fully paid the satisfaction due to their transgressions.” To summarize, in Catholic theology Purgatory is a place that a Christian’s soul goes to after death to be cleansed of the sins that had not been fully satisfied during life. Is this doctrine of Purgatory in agreement with the Bible?
Absolutely not!
In pagan Rome, purgatory was also held up before the minds of men. Virgil, celebrated poet of pagan Rome, describing its different tortures, puts it thus:
"Nor can the groveling mind, in the dark dungeon of the limbs confined, assert the native skies, or own its heavenly kind. Nor death itself can wholly wash their stains; but long-contacted filth, even in the soul, remains the relics of inveterate vice they wear and spots of sin obscene in every face appear. For this are various penances enjoined; and some are hung to bleach upon the wind, some plunged in water, others purged in fires, till all the dregs are drained, and all the rust expires. The few so cleansed to these abodes repair, and breathe in ample fields the soft Elysian air. Then are they happy, when by length of time the scurf is worn away of each committed crime, no speck is left of their habitual stains, but the pure ether of the soul remains."
The very idea of Purgatory and the doctrines that are often attached to it (prayer for the dead, indulgences, meritorious works on behalf of the dead, etc.) all fail to recognize that Jesus’ death was sufficient to pay the penalty for ALL of our sins.
For believers, after death is to be "away from the body and at home with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23). Notice that this does not say "away from the body, in Purgatory with the cleansing fire." No, because of the perfection, completion, and sufficiency of Jesus' sacrifice, we are immediately in the Lord's presence after death, fully cleansed, free from sin, glorified, perfected, and ultimately sanctified.
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