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Part of a series of articles on Christianity

History of Christianity Timeline of Christianity The Apostles Ecumenical councils Great Schism The Crusades Reformation Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Roman Catholic Church. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Roman Catholic Church. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recounted in the New Testament. ... image of a Latin cross. ... This article outlines the history of Christianity and provides links to relevant topics. ... Timeline of Christianity (1 AD-Present) The purpose of this chronology is to give a detailed account of Christianity from 1 AD to the present. ... The Twelve Apostles (in Koine Greek απόστολος apostolos [1], someone sent forth/sent out, an emissary) were probably Galilean Jewish men (10 names are Aramaic, 4 names are Greek) chosen from among the disciples, who were sent forth by Jesus of Nazareth to preach the Gospel to both Jews and Gentiles... In Christianity, an ecumenical council or general council is a meeting of the bishops of the whole church convened to discuss and settle matters of Church doctrine and practice. ... Great Schism redirects here. ... This article is about the medieval crusades. ... The Protestant Reformation was a movement which emerged in the 16th century as a series of attempts to reform the Catholic Church in Western Europe. ...

The Trinity God the Father The Son (Jesus Christ) The Holy Spirit For other uses, see Trinity (disambiguation). ... In many religions, the supreme God is given the title and attributions of Father. ... Christology is that part of Christian theology that studies and defines who Jesus the Christ was and is. ... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... This page is about the title. ... In various religions, most notably Trinitarian Christianity, the Holy Spirit (also called the Holy Ghost; in Hebrew רוח הקודש Ruah haqodesh) is the third Person of the Holy Trinity. ...

The Bible Old Testament New Testament Apocrypha The Gospels Ten Commandments Sermon on the Mount The Bible (From Greek βιβλια—biblia, meaning books, which in turn is derived from βυβλος—byblos meaning papyrus, from the ancient Phoenician city of Byblos which exported papyrus) is the sacred scripture of Christianity. ... Note: Judaism commonly uses the term Tanakh, but not Old Testament, because it does not recognize the concept of a New Testament. ... See New Covenant for the concept translated as New Testament in the KJV. The New Testament (Καινή Διαθήκη), sometimes called the Greek Testament or Greek Scriptures, and sometimes also New Covenant, is the name given to the part of the Christian Bible that was written by various authors c. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... For the genre of Christian-themed music, see gospel music. ... The Ten Commandments on a monument on the grounds of the Texas State Capitol This 1768 parchment (612x502 mm) by Jekuthiel Sofer emulated 1675 decalogue at the Esnoga synagogue of Amsterdam The Ten Commandments, or Decalogue, are a list of religious and moral imperatives which, according to religious tradition, were... The Sermon on the Mount by Carl Heinrich Bloch. ...

Christian theology Fall of Man · Grace Salvation · Justification Christian worship It has been suggested that Christian theological controversy be merged into this article or section. ... Essentially, original sin is the doctrine, shared in one form or another by most Christian churches, that the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden changed or damaged human nature, such that all human beings since then are innately predisposed to sin, and are powerless to overcome... Divine grace is believed by Christians to be the sovereign favor of God exercised in the bestowment of blessings upon those who do not merit them. ... For other uses, see Salvation (disambiguation). ... Justification can mean: justification (jurisprudence) justification (typesetting) justification (theology) In epistemology, justification of a belief is what renders it worth believing in terms of its probable truth. ... This article is in need of attention. ...

Christian Church Catholicism Orthodox Christianity Protestantism In Christian theology, One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church is a phrase describing the nature of the Christian community and/or Christian Church, in the various meanings it has. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Roman Catholic Church. ... Orthodox Christianity is a generalized reference to the Eastern traditions of Christianity, as opposed to the Western traditions (which descend through, or alongside of, the Roman Catholic Church) or the Eastern Rite Catholic churches. ... Protestantism is a movement within Christianity, representing the splitting away from the Roman Catholic Church during the mid-to-late Renaissance in Europe—a period known as the Protestant Reformation. ... Christian denominations Christian movements Christian ecumenism A denomination, in the Christian sense of the word, is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and/or doctrine. ... Christian movements are theological, political, or philosophical intepretations of Christianity that are not generally represented by a specific church, sect, or denomination. ... Christian ecumenism is the promotion of unity or cooperation between distinct religious groups or denominations of the Christian religion, more or less broadly defined. ...

"Catholic Church" redirects here. For other uses of the term, see Catholic Church (disambiguation).

The Roman Catholic Church, or Catholic Church, is the largest Church in the world. According to the Statistical Yearbook of the Church, the Church's worldwide recorded membership at the end of 2004 was 1,098,366,000, a year in which the United Nations Organization put the total world population at 6,388,500,000.^[1] It is led by the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, currently His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. The name Catholic Church can mean a visible organization that refers to itself as Catholic, or the invisible Christian Church, viz. ... The Church (Ecclesia) in Roman Catholic theology denotes the whole body of the faithful. ... The Pope (from Greek: pappas, father; from Latin: papa, Papa, father) is the head of the Roman Catholic Church. ... His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso (born 1935) His Holiness is the official style or manner of address in reference to the leaders of certain religious groups. ... Pope Benedict XVI (Latin: , born Joseph Alois Ratzinger on 16 April 1927) is the 265th[1] and reigning Pope, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, and sovereign of Vatican City State. ...

The Church defines itself as "the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of Peter" — i.e. the Pope — "and the bishops in communion with him."^[2] It teaches that it is the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church founded by Jesus Christ for the salvation of all people. Saint Peter, also known as Peter, Simon ben Jonah/BarJonah, Simon Peter, Cephas and Kepha—original name Simon or Simeon (Acts 15:14)—was one of the twelve original disciples or apostles of Jesus. ... The term Communion is derived from Latin communio (sharing in common). ... In Christian theology, One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church is a phrase describing the nature of the Christian community and/or Christian Church, in the various meanings it has. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... For other uses, see Salvation (disambiguation). ...

Origins

The Church traces its origins to Jesus and the Twelve Apostles, in particular Peter, the leader of the Apostles, who is traditionally regarded as the first Pope.^[3] It rose to prominence in the fourth-century Roman Empire, when Constantine I issued the Edict of Milan in 313. From 380, Christianity was the Roman state religion. Head of Constantines colossal statue at Musei Capitolini Gaius Flavius Valerius Aurelius Constantinus[1] (February 27, 272–May 22, 337), commonly known as Constantine I, Constantine the Great, or (among Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic[2] Christians) Saint Constantine, was a Roman Emperor, proclaimed Augustus by his troops on... The Edict of Milan (AD 313) declared that the Roman Empire would be neutral with regard to religious worship, officially ending all government-sanctioned persecution, especially of Christianity. ...

For a more detailed treatment of Church History, see History of the Roman Catholic Church and History of the Papacy. The History of the Roman Catholic Church or simply the Catholic Churchcovers a period of just under two thousand years, making the Church one of the oldest religious institutions in history. ... This article refers to the history of the head of the Roman Catholic Church. ...

Terminology

Saint Peter, name given by Jesus to the leader of the apostles which means rock, Πέτρος, in Greek. Within the Catholic Church, the Pope is considered to be his successor.

The term catholic is derived from the Greek adjective καθολικός, meaning universal; and Churches that use the word in their name do so with an implicit claim to be the one universal Church founded by Christ. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Saint Peter, also known as Peter, Simon ben Jonah/BarJonah, Simon Peter, Cephas and Kepha—original name Simon or Simeon (Acts 15:14)—was one of the twelve original disciples or apostles of Jesus. ... The Pope (from Greek: pappas, father; from Latin: papa, Papa, father) is the head of the Roman Catholic Church. ...

The Catholic Church typically refers to itself as the Catholic Church, among other descriptions, and has done so consistently since the second century, when the term Catholic Church was first used. When drawing up documents jointly with other Churches, it refers to itself exclusively either as the Catholic Church or - when one of those other Churches opposes its use of this designation - as the Roman Catholic Church.

Divergent usages attach a certain ambiguity to each of these terms. Some apply the term Roman Catholic Church only to the Western or Latin Church, excluding the Eastern-Rite particular Churches that are in full communion with the Pope, and are part of the same Church, under the Pope, taken as a whole. As for the term Catholic Church, Oriental Orthodox, Eastern Orthodox, Lutheran, Anglican, Old-Catholic, and other Christians claim to be, or to be part of, the Catholic Church. For detailed discussions of various understandings of the term, see Catholicism, Catholic, and One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. Latin Rite, in the singular and accompanied, in English, by the definite article (The Latin Rite), is a term by which documents of the Catholic Church designate the particular Church, distinct from the Eastern Rite Churches, that developed in western Europe and northern Africa, where Latin was the language of... The term Eastern Rites may refer to the liturgical rites used by many ancient Christian Churches of Eastern Europe and the Middle East that, while being part of the Roman Catholic Church, are distinct from the Latin Rite or Western Church. ... A Particular Church , in Roman Catholic theology and canon law, is any of the individual constituent ecclesial communities in full communion with the Church of Rome and thus make up the Catholic Communion. ... The term Communion is derived from Latin communio (sharing in common). ... The term Oriental Orthodoxy refers to the communion of Eastern Christian Churches that recognize only the first three ecumenical councils — the First Council of Nicaea, the First Council of Constantinople and the Council of Ephesus — and rejected the dogmatic definitions of the Council of Chalcedon. ... Pentecost - Pentecost is considered in Eastern Orthodoxy to be the Birth of the Church. ... The Lutheran movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity by the original definition. ... The term Anglican describes those people and churches following the religious traditions of the Church of England, especially following the Reformation. ... The Old Catholic Church is a community of Christian churches. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Roman Catholic Church. ... In Christian theology, One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church is a phrase describing the nature of the Christian community and/or Christian Church, in the various meanings it has. ...

For reasons of simplicity and clarity, the term Catholic Church is freely used within this article without suggesting acceptance of any claims thought to be implicit in that term, while Roman Catholic Church is used without endorsing the view that the Church in question is merely part of some larger Catholic Church. Both terms are treated within this article simply as alternative names for the entire Church "which is governed by the successor of Peter and by the bishops in communion with him."

Beliefs

The Crucifix, bearing the image of Jesus suffering on a cross, often serves as a symbol of the Roman Catholic Church, in contrast with some other Christian denominations, which only use a cross.

The Catholic Church considers itself to be a Christian church, and therefore shares core beliefs with the majority of other trinitarian groups generally considered to be Christian. The Nicene Creed and the Apostles' Creed, which are accepted by most major Christian denominations, can be considered a fundamental core of the Catholic Church's beliefs. However some Christian denominations have developed a different understanding of many central issues concerning Christ's role in the Church and of the salvation of believers that vary greatly from the Church's historic teachings. Roman Catholics believe that Jesus's role in the Church includes an ongoing active role in maintaining the Church free from doctrinal error, and in using the sacraments of the Church as a fount of Grace for humanity. These are issues which are fundamental for Catholicism (and Orthodoxy) but which are denied by many Protestant denominations. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2024x2432, 233 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Roman Catholic Church ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2024x2432, 233 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Roman Catholic Church ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recounted in the New Testament. ... Icon depicting the Holy Fathers of the First Council of Nicaea holding the Nicene Creed. ... The Apostles Creed (in Latin, Symbolum Apostolorum), is an early statement of Christian belief, possibly from the first or second century, but more likely post-Nicene Creed in the early 4th Century AD. The theological specifics of the creed appear to be a refutation of Gnosticism, an early heresy. ... A religious denomination, (also simply denomination) is a large, long-established subgroup within a religion that has existed for many years. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recounted in the New Testament. ...

The Catholic Church has published a detailed exposition of its beliefs in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, or CCC, is an official exposition of the teachings of the Catholic Church, first published in French in 1992 by the authority of Pope John Paul II.[1] Subsequently, in 1997, a Latin text was issued which is now the official text of reference...

The nature of God

Catholicism is monotheistic: it believes that God is one, eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing and omnipresent. God exists as distinct from and prior to his creation, that is, everything which is not God, and which depends directly on him for existence, and yet is still present intimately in his creation. Faith in God's existence is the most fundamental Catholic belief, and in the First Vatican Council the Church has taught that, while by the natural light of human reason God can be known in his works as origin and end of all created things,^[4] God has also chosen to reveal himself and his will supernaturally in the ways indicated in the Letter to the Hebrews 1:1–2. Monotheism (in Greek μόνος = single and θεός = God) is the belief in the existence of one God, or in the oneness of God. ... The First Vatican Council was summoned by Pope Pius IX by the bull Aeterni Patris of June 29, 1868. ...

Catholicism is also Trinitarian: it believes that, while God is one in nature, essence, and being, this one God exists in three divine persons, each identical with the one essence, whose only distinctions are in their relations to one another: the Father's relationship to the Son, the Son's relationship to the Father, and the relations of both to the Holy Spirit, constitute the one God as a Trinity. Trinitarianism is the Christian doctrine that God, although one being, exists in three distinct persons (hypostases) known collectively as the Holy Trinity. ...

A Catholic is baptized in the name (singular) of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit — not three gods, but One God subsisting in three Persons. The faith of the Church and of the individual Christian is based on a relationship with these three Persons of the one God.

The Catholic Church believes that God has revealed himself to humanity as Father to his only-begotten Son, who is in an eternal relationship with the Father: "No one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him."^[5]

Catholics believe that God the Son, the Divine Logos, the second of the three Persons of God, became incarnate as Jesus Christ, a human being, born of the Virgin Mary. He remained truly divine and was at the same time truly human. In what he said, and by how he lived, he taught us how to live, and revealed God as Love, the giver of unmerited favours or Graces. Look up Incarnation in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Incarnation, which literally means enfleshment, refers to the conception, and live birth of a sentient creature (generally human) who is the material manifestation of an entity or force whose original nature is immaterial. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Blessed Virgin Mary A traditional Catholic picture sometimes displayed in homes. ...

After Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, his followers, foremost among them the Apostles, spread more and more extensively their faith in Jesus Christ with a vigour that they attributed to the Holy Spirit, the third of the three Persons of God, sent upon them by Jesus Christ. Crucifixion is an ancient method of execution, where the victim was tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang there until dead. ... It has been suggested that Resurrection of the dead be merged into this article or section. ... The Twelve Apostles (in Koine Greek απόστολος apostolos [1], someone sent forth/sent out, an emissary) were probably Galilean Jewish men (10 names are Aramaic, 4 names are Greek) chosen from among the disciples, who were sent forth by Jesus of Nazareth to preach the Gospel to both Jews and Gentiles...

Humanity's separation from God

Human beings, in Catholic belief, were originally created to live in union with God. Through the disobedience of the first humans, that relationship was broken and sin and death came into the world.^[6] The Fall left humans separated from their original state of intimacy with God which carried into death through the idea of the individual human soul being immortal. But when Jesus came into the world, being both God and man, he was able through his sacrifice to reconcile humanity with God. By becoming one in Christ, through the Church, humanity was once again capable of intimacy with God but also offered a much more amazing gift: participation in the Divine Life on earth, which will reach its fullness in heaven in the Beatific Vision. The fall refers to the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden and the consequences of the expulsion, as told in the biblical book of Genesis and Surah in the Quran. ... Michelangelos painting of the original sin (the Fall) According to Christian tradition, Original sin describes the condition of sinfulness (lack of holiness) into which human beings are hereditarily born. ... In Roman Catholic theology, the beatific vision is the direct perception of God enjoyed by those who are in Heaven, imparting supreme happiness or blessedness. ...

The Church

Gutenberg bible printed in 1455. The Catholic Canon of Scipture was confirmed by several councils like the Council of Hippo in 393 and the Council of Carthage of 397.

The Church is, as scripture states, "the body of Christ,"^[7] and Catholics teach that it is one united body of believers both in heaven and on earth. There is therefore only one true, visible and physical Church, not several. And to this one Church, originally founded on Peter and the Apostles, Jesus gave a mandate to be authoritative teacher and guardian of the faith. To transmit Christ's divine revelation, the apostles were given the mandate to "preach the Gospel," which they performed both orally and in writing, and which they wanted to be preserved by leaving bishops as their successors. Thus, the Catechism states "the apostolic preaching, which is expressed in a special way in the inspired books, was to be preserved in a continuous line of succession until the end of time. This living transmission, accomplished in the Holy Spirit, is called Tradition, since it is distinct from Sacred Scripture, though closely connected to it." ^[8] The Church is also a fount of divine grace which is administered through the sacraments (see below). The Church claims infallibility in teaching the faith, based on Jesus's scriptural promises to remain with His Church always,^[9] and to maintain it in truth through the Holy Spirit.^[10][11] Furthermore, Jesus promised divine protection to the teachings and judgements of the Apostles,^[12][13] and those who succeeded them in their teaching office (i.e. the bishops). Moreover, Jesus set up the Church as the final arbitrer between all believers:^[14] "And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax-gatherer."^[15] In this, it bases its doctrines both on the written Apostolic record, (The New Testament), and upon the oral traditions passed down from the Apostles to their successors (the bishops) through the continuous witness of the Church.^{[16][17][18][19][20]} Download high resolution version (925x625, 90 KB)Picture of the Gutenberg Bible owned by the US Library of Congress Taken by me on August 12, 2002. ... Download high resolution version (925x625, 90 KB)Picture of the Gutenberg Bible owned by the US Library of Congress Taken by me on August 12, 2002. ... The Gutenberg bible owned by the U.S. Library of Congress The Gutenberg Bible (also known as the 42-line Bible, and as the Mazarin Bible) is a print of the Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible that was printed by its namesake, Johann Gutenberg, in Mainz, Germany. ... The word tradition, comes from the Latin word traditio which means to hand down or to hand over. ... ... A sacrament is a Christian rite that mediates divine grace. ...

Section 8 of the Second Vatican Council's Decree on the Church, Lumen Gentium^[21] states that "the one Church of Christ which in the Creed is professed as one, holy, catholic and apostolic" subsists "in the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of Peter and by the bishops in communion with him." (The term successor of Peter refers in Roman Catholic understanding to the Bishop of Rome, the Pope.) The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II, (Vatican two) was an Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church opened under Pope John XXIII in 1962 and closed under Pope Paul VI in 1965. ... Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, is one of the principal documents of the Second Vatican Council. ... In Christian theology, One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church is a phrase describing the nature of the Christian community and/or Christian Church, in the various meanings it has. ... Petrine theory - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The Pope (from Greek: pappas, father; from Latin: papa, Papa, father) is the head of the Roman Catholic Church. ...

The Basilica of St John Lateran, cathedral of the diocese of Rome and so of the Pope.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 85 states that authentic interpretation of the Word of God is entrusted to the living Magisterium of the Church, namely the bishops in communion with the successor of Saint Peter.^[22] Catholic theology places the authoritative interpretation of Scripture in the hands of the consistent judgment of the Church down the ages (what has always and everywhere been taught) rather than the private judgment of the individual. The Magisterium does, however, encourage its flock to read Sacred Scripture. Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The Catechism of the Catholic Church, or CCC, is an official exposition of the teachings of the Catholic Church, first published in French in 1992 by the authority of Pope John Paul II.[1] Subsequently, in 1997, a Latin text was issued which is now the official text of reference...

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, "the Church's first purpose is to be the sacrament of the inner union of men with God." Thus the Church's "structure is totally ordered to the holiness of Christ's members."^[23] The Catechism of the Catholic Church, or CCC, is an official exposition of the teachings of the Catholic Church, first published in French in 1992 by the authority of Pope John Paul II.[1] Subsequently, in 1997, a Latin text was issued which is now the official text of reference...

Salvation

The Church teaches that salvation to eternal life is God's will for all people, and that God grants it to sinners as a free gift, a grace, through the sacrifice of Christ. Man cannot, in the strict sense, merit anything from God.^[24] It is God who justifies, that is, who frees from sin by a free gift of holiness (sanctifying grace, also known as habitual or deifying grace). Man can accept the gift God gives through faith in Jesus Christ^[25] and through baptism.^[26] Man can also refuse the gift. Human cooperation is needed, in line with a new capacity to adhere to the divine will that God provides.^[27] The faith of a Christian is not without works, otherwise it would be dead.^[28] In this sense, "by works a man is justified, and not by faith alone,"^[29] and eternal life is, at one and the same time, grace and the reward given by God for good works and merits.^[30]

The Catholic life

Following baptism, a Catholic endeavours to be a true disciple of Jesus. The believer seeks forgiveness of subsequent sins, and follows the example and teaching of Jesus. Catholics believe that Jesus has provided seven sacraments (see below), which give Grace from God to the believer.

A distinct sacrament in the Catholic Church is confession, which it connects with the "ministry of reconciliation." (2 Cor 5:18).

Unless a Catholic dies in unrepented mortal sin, which is remitted in the Sacrament of Penance, it is believed that person has God's promise of inheriting eternal life. Before entering heaven, some undergo a purification, known as Purgatory. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1920x2560, 784 KB) Work by Rama File links The following pages link to this file: Confessional ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1920x2560, 784 KB) Work by Rama File links The following pages link to this file: Confessional ... Confession of sins is an integral part of the Christian faith and practice. ... According to the beliefs of Catholicism, a mortal sin, as distinct from a venial sin, must meet all of the following conditions: its subject must be ‘grave matter’; it must be committed with full knowledge, both of the sin and of the gravity of the offense; it must be committed... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The term purgatory is generally defined as the means by which the elect reach perfection before entering into the Kingdom of Heaven. The term purgatory in accordance with Catholic teaching, is a place or condition of temporal punishment for those who, departing this life in Gods grace are not...

Catholics believe that God works actively in the world. Catholics grow in grace through participation in the sacramental life of the Church, and through prayer, the work of mercy, and spiritual disciplines such as fasting and pilgrimage.

Prayer for others, even for enemies and persecutors.^[31] is a Christian duty. There are four types of prayer: adoration, thanksgiving, contrition, and supplication. Catholics may address their requests for the intercession of others not only to people still in earthly life, but also to those in heaven, in particular the Virgin Mary and the other Saints. As Mother of Jesus, the Virgin Mary is also considered to be the spiritual mother of all Catholics. Various religions treat the details of such a person differently and their viewpoints are seen below. ...

Catholic teachings stress forgiveness, doing good to others, especially the most and those most in need, and on the sanctity of life. The Catholic Church opposes activities that destroy or devalue divinely created life, including euthanasia, eugenics, abortion, and capital punishment. The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Eugenics is the self-direction of human evolution: Logo from the Second International Congress of Eugenics, 1921, depicting it as a tree which unites a variety of different fields. ... // Capital punishment, or the death penalty, is the execution of a convicted criminal by the State as punishment for crimes known as capital crimes or capital offenses. ...

See main article: Catholic social teaching.

The Catholic Church teaches that through the graces Jesus won for humanity by sacrificing himself on the cross, salvation is possible even for those outside the visible boundaries of the Church. Christians and even non-Christians, if in life they respond positively to the grace and truth that God reveals to them through the mercy of Christ may be saved. This may sometimes include awareness of an obligation to become part of the Catholic Church. In such cases, "they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it, or to remain in it."^[32] This article or section contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ...

Liturgy

Catholics believe in the doctrine of transubstantiation or Real Presence, following St. Ignatius of Antioch who said in 106 A.D. that the "Eucharist is the self-same Body of our Savior Jesus Christ."

Image File history File links Elevation_of_the_host. ... Image File history File links Elevation_of_the_host. ... Transubstantiation (from Latin transsubstantiatio) is the change of the substance of bread and wine into that of the body and blood of Christ, the change that according to the belief of the Roman Catholic Church occurs in the Eucharist. ...

Liturgical principles

As explained in greater detail in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and its shorter Compendium, the liturgy is something that "the whole Christ", Head and Body, celebrates — Christ, the one High Priest, together with his Body, the Church in heaven and on earth. Involved in the heavenly liturgy are the angels and the saints of the Old Covenant and the New, in particular Mary, the Mother of God, the Apostles, the Martyrs and "a great multitude, which no man could number, out of every nation and of all tribes and peoples and tongues" (Revelation 7:9). The Church on earth, "a royal priesthood" (1 Peter 2:9), celebrates the liturgy in union with these: the baptized offering themselves as a spiritual sacrifice, the ordained ministers celebrating at the service of all the members of the Church in accordance with the order received, and bishops and priests acting in the person of Christ.

The Catholic liturgy uses signs and symbols whose significance, based on nature or culture, has been made more precise through Old Testament events and has been fully revealed in the person and life of Christ. Some of these signs and symbols come from the world of creation (light, water, fire, bread, wine, oil), others from life in society (washing, anointing, breaking bread), others from Old Testament sacred history (the Passover rite, sacrifices, laying on of hands, consecrating persons and objects). Marcus Aurelius and members of the Imperial family offer sacrifice in gratitude for success against Germanic tribes: contemporary bas-relief, Capitoline Museum, Rome Sacrifice (from a Middle English verb meaning to make sacred, from Old French, from Latin sacrificium : sacer, sacred; sacred + facere, to make) is commonly known as the...

These signs are closely linked with words. Though in a sense the signs speak for themselves, they need to be accompanied and vivified by the spoken word. Taken together, word and action indicate what the rite signifies and effects.

The Eucharist

For detailed information on the Eucharist and the other sacraments, which are the most important element in Catholic liturgy, see: Catholic sacraments.

The Catholic Church sees the eucharistic liturgy, the celebration of the Mystery of Christ, in particular the Paschal Mystery of his death and resurrection, as the high point of its activity and the source of its life and strength. The central part of the Mass is the consecration by which the priest, through the power of Christ, brings about the transubstantiation or transformation of bread and wine into the true body and blood of Christ. The Eucharist or Communion or The Lords Supper, is the rite that Christians perform in fulfillment of Jesus instruction, recorded in the New Testament[1], to do in memory of him what he did at his Last Supper. ... According to the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 224, the sacraments are efficacious signs, perceptible to the senses, of grace,. They have been instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, and through them divine life is bestowed on us. ... Mass is the term used of the celebration of the Eucharist in the various liturgical rites of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church, the Anglo-Catholic tradition of Anglicanism, and in some Lutheran regions which are largely High Church: the main Lutheran service is still known as the... The Paschal Mystery refers to the suffering, death, Resurrection, and Glorification of Jesus Christ. ... To consecrate an inanimate object is to dedicate it in a ritual to a special purpose, usually religious. ... Transubstantiation (from Latin transsubstantiatio) is the change of the substance of bread and wine into that of the body and blood of Christ, the change that according to the belief of the Roman Catholic Church occurs in the Eucharist. ...

Liturgical music

Singing and music are associated with the liturgy. So also are sacred images, which proclaim the same message as do the words of Sacred Scripture and which help to awaken and nourish faith.

Devotional life of the Church

In addition to the sacraments, instituted by Christ, there are many sacramentals, sacred signs (rituals or objects) that derive their power from the prayer of the Church. They involve prayer accompanied by the sign of the cross or other signs. Important examples are blessings (by which praise is given to God and his gifts are prayed for), consecrations of persons, and dedications of objects to the worship of God. According to the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 224, the sacraments are efficacious signs, perceptible to the senses, of grace,. They have been instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, and through them divine life is bestowed on us. ... Sacramental as an adjective means of or pertaining to sacraments. ...

Popular devotions are not strictly part of the liturgy, but if they are judged to be authentic, the Church encourages them. They include veneration of relics of saints, visits to sacred shrines, pilgrimages, processions (including Eucharistic processions), the Stations of the Cross (also known as the Way of the Cross), Holy Hours, Eucharistic Adoration, Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, and the Rosary. A pilgrimage is a term primarily used in religion and spirituality of a long journey or search of great moral significance. ... The Stations of the Cross (or Way of the Cross; in Latin, Via Crucis or Via Dolorosa) refers to the depiction of the final hours (or Passion) of Jesus, and the Catholic devotion commemorating the Passion. ... Our Lady of Lourdes - Mary appearing at Lourdes with Rosary Beads The Rosary (from Latin rosarium, crown of roses), is an important and traditional devotion of the Roman Catholic Church consisting of a set of prayer beads and a system of set prayers. ...

In its devotion the Church makes a distinction (Catechism of the Catholic Church, s2132) between respectful veneration on one hand and adoration or worship on the other. Adoration is due to God alone - this includes the Eucharist, since Christ is truly present. Veneration of an image or relic of a saint is defined as respect paid to what is represented in the image, not the image itself.

Liturgical time

Sunday, which commemorates the resurrection of Christ and has been celebrated by Christians from the earliest times (1 Corinthians 16:2; Revelation 1:10; Ignatius of Antioch: Magn.9:1; Justin Martyr: I Apology 67:5), is the outstanding occasion for the liturgy; but no day, not even any hour, is excluded from celebrating the liturgy. The sole exception is for the Eucharistic liturgy on Good Friday and on Holy Saturday before the Easter Vigil, when it is not celebrated. Good Friday is a holy day celebrated by most Christians on the Friday before Easter or Pascha. ... Orthodox pilgrims bathing with the Holy Fire in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Holy Saturday. ... The Easter Vigil, also called the Great Vigil of Easter, is a service held in many Christian churches as the first official celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus. ...

According to the Catechism, Easter is not simply one feast among others, but the "Feast of feasts", the center of the liturgical year.

The Liturgy of the Hours consecrates to God the whole course of day and night. Lauds and Vespers (morning and evening prayer) are the principal hours. To these are added one or three intermediate prayer periods (traditionally called Terce, Sext and None), another prayer period to end the day (Compline), and a special prayer period called the Office of Readings (formerly known as Matins) at no fixed time, devoted chiefly to readings from the Scriptures and ecclesiastical writers. The Second Vatican Council suppressed an additional 'hour' called Prime. The prayers of the Liturgy of the Hours consist principally of the Psalter or Book of Psalms. Like the Mass, the Liturgy of the Hours has inspired great musical compositions. An earlier name for the Liturgy of the Hours and for the books that contained the texts was the Divine Office (a name still used as the title of one English translation), the Book of Hours, and the Breviary. Bishops, priests, deacons and members of religious institutes are obliged to pray at least some parts of the Liturgy of the Hours daily, an obligation that applied also to subdeacons. Download high resolution version (712x1185, 133 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (712x1185, 133 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... This article is about the Christian festival. ... The Liturgy of the Hours is particularly popular in monastic communities. ... Lauds is one of the two major hours in the Roman Catholic Liturgy of the Hours. ... Vespers is the evening prayer service in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox liturgies of the canonical hours. ... Terce is a fixed time of prayer of the Divine Office of the almost all the Christian liturgies. ... Sext is a fixed time of prayer of the Divine Office of the Roman Catholic Church. ... Compline or Complin is the final church service (or office) of the day in the Christian tradition of canonical hours. ... Matins is the morning prayer service in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox liturgies of the canonical hours. ... For the Anglican service of Mattins see Morning Prayer Matins is the early morning prayer service in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox liturgies of the canonical hours. ... The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II, (Vatican two) was an Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church opened under Pope John XXIII in 1962 and closed under Pope Paul VI in 1965. ... Prime is a fixed time of prayer of the traditional Divine Office, said at 6 a. ... Psalms (Tehilim תהילים, in Hebrew) is a book of the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, and of the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. ... Canonical hours are ancient divisions of time (also called offices), developed by the Christian Church, serving as increments between prayers. ... A breviary (from Latin brevis, short or concise) is a liturgical book containing the public or canonical prayers, hymns, the Psalms, readings, and notations for everyday use, especially for priests, in the Divine Office (i. ... Subdeacon is a title used in various branches of Christianity. ...

Sacred space

New Testament worship "in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24) is not linked exclusively with any particular place or places, since Christ is seen as the true temple of God, and through him Christians too and the whole Church become, under the influence of the Holy Spirit, a temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16). Nevertheless the earthly condition of the Church on earth makes it necessary to have certain places in which to celebrate the liturgy. Within these churches, chapels and oratories, Catholics put particular emphasis on the altar, the tabernacle (in which the Eucharist is kept), the seat of the bishop ('cathedra') or priest, and the baptismal font. The Tabernacle at St. ... The cathedra of the Pope in the apse of St. ...

The richness of the Mystery of Christ cannot be exhausted by any one liturgical tradition and has from the beginning found varied complementary expressions characteristic of different peoples and cultures. As catholic or universal, the Church believes it can and should hold within its unity the true riches of these peoples and cultures.

There are in the liturgy, specifically in the sacraments, elements that cannot be changed, because they are of divine institution. These the Church must guard carefully. Other elements may be changed, and the Church has the power, and sometimes the duty, to adapt them to the different cultures of peoples and times.

Personal prayer

Benedict XVI signing the encyclical Deus Caritas Est. In the face of growing secularism even among Christians, the Pope issued an urgent appeal for a life of prayer so as to grow in Christian love.

Likewise, the great variety of Catholic Spirituality enables individual Catholics to pray privately in many different ways. The fourth and last part of the Catechism thus summarized the Catholic's response to the mystery of faith: "This mystery, then, requires that the faithful believe in it, that they celebrate it, and that they live from it in a vital and personal relationship with the living and true God. This relationship is prayer." (CCC 2558) Image File history File links Popebenedettoencyclical. ... Image File history File links Popebenedettoencyclical. ... Pope Benedict XVI (Latin: ; born April 16, 1927 as Joseph Alois Ratzinger in Marktl am Inn, Bavaria, Germany) is the 265th reigning pope, the head of the Roman Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City. ... Pope Benedict signs the encyclical Deus Caritas Est. ... // Secular movements In political terms Secularism is a movement toward the separation of church and state as opposed to a union. ... Maria Magdalene in prayer. ... A cartoonish version of the heart, a frequent modern symbol of love. ... The Spiritual life for Roman Catholics. ...

Particular Churches within the single Catholic Church

Unlike "families" or "federations" of Churches formed through the grant of mutual recognition by distinct ecclesial bodies, the Catholic Church considers itself a single Church ("one Body") composed of a multitude of local or particular Churches, in each of which the one Catholic Church is embodied. The universal Church, however, is believed to be "a reality ontologically and temporally prior to every individual particular Church."^[33] A Particular Church , in Roman Catholic theology and canon law, is any of the individual constituent ecclesial communities in full communion with the Church of Rome and thus make up the Catholic Communion. ...

However, the Catholic Church attaches great importance to the particular Churches within it, whose theological significance the Second Vatican Council highlighted. Two uses of the term particular Church are distinguished. A Particular Church , in Roman Catholic theology and canon law, is any of the individual constituent ecclesial communities in full communion with the Church of Rome and thus make up the Catholic Communion. ...

Autonomous (sui iuris) particular Churches or Rites

The higher of these two levels of particular Churches is that of what the Second Vatican Council’s Decree on the Catholic Eastern Churches, calls particular Churches or rites.^[34]

There are 23 such autonomous Churches, one "Western" and 22 "Eastern", a distinction by now more historical than geographical. The term sui iuris means, literally, "of their own law", or self-governing. Although all of the particular Churches espouse the same beliefs and faith, their distinction lies in their varied expression of that faith through traditions, disciplines, and Canon law. All 23 are in communion with the Pope in Rome. A Particular Church , in Roman Catholic theology and canon law, is any of the individual constituent ecclesial communities in full communion with the Church of Rome and thus make up the Catholic Communion. ... Canon Law is the ecclesiastical law of the Roman Catholic Church. ...

The central importance for the Catholic Church of the Eucharistic liturgy explains the traditional use of the term Rite to distinguish these particular Churches. The term rite is, however, not devoid of ambiguity, since it can refer also to a liturgical rite. To take one instance, the Ukrainian particular Church uses, along with others, the Byzantine liturgical rite, but has itself been customarily referred to as "the Ukrainian Rite". Since a legal text must be careful to avoid ambiguity, the 1983 Code of Canon Law adopted, instead of the term rite (found in the 1917 Code of Canon Law), the term autonomous ritual Church (in Latin, Ecclesia ritualis sui iuris) for the reality that the Second Vatican Council called a "particular Church or Rite"; and the 1990 Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches shortened this to autonomous Church (in Latin, Ecclesia sui iuris). Since then, the term Rite, once the normal term, is rarely used to refer to these Churches, but has not fallen altogether out of use.

A single "particular Church or Rite" may use several liturgical rites: the Latin Church does. And several distinct "particular Churches or Rites" may use the same liturgical rite: no less than fourteen use the same Byzantine liturgical rite, in some cases without even a distinction of language.

The autonomy of each particular Church, Eastern or Western, shows in its distinctive liturgy, canon law, theological tradition, etc. The Latin or Western particular Church is governed by the Code of Canon Law, while the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches outlines the discipline that the Eastern autonomous particular Churches have in common.

The Annuario Pontificio, the yearly directory of the Holy See, gives the following list of Rites or autonomous particular Churches, and of countries or other political areas in which they possess an episcopal ecclesiastical jurisdiction (patriarchate, major archbishopric, archeparchy, eparchy, exarchate or ordinariate): The Annuario Pontificio or Pontifical Yearbook is the annual directory of the Holy See of the Roman Catholic Church. ...

Latin Rite or autonomous Church Latin Rite, in the singular and accompanied, in English, by the definite article (The Latin Rite), is a term by which documents of the Catholic Church designate the particular Church, distinct from the Eastern Rite Churches, that developed in western Europe and northern Africa, where Latin was the language of...

On liturgical rites used within the Latin particular Church, see Latin liturgical rites.

The Mar Thoma cross. Thomas the Apostle was said to have founded seven churches in Kerala, India.

Eastern Rites or autonomous Churches: Latin liturgical rites used within that area of the Roman Catholic Church where the Latin language once dominated (the Latin Rite or Western Catholic Church) were for many centuries no less numerous than the liturgical rites of the Eastern autonomous particular Churches. ... This photograph was taken by me in December 2004. ... This photograph was taken by me in December 2004. ... The Syrian Kuriz also known as Nasrani Menorah or the Mar Thoma Kurish The Syrian Malabar Nasrani people are an ethnic community in Kerala, South India. ... Kerala ((?); Malayalam: കേരളം — ) is a state on the tropical Malabar Coast of southwestern India. ...

• Alexandrian Tradition
  • Coptic Catholic Church (Egypt)
  • Ethiopic Catholic Church (Ethiopia, Eritrea)
• Antiochene or West-Syrian Tradition
  • Syro-Malankara Catholic Church (India)
  • Maronite Church (Lebanon, Cyprus, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Egypt, Syria, Argentina, Brazil, USA, Australia, Canada, Mexico)
  • Syrian Catholic Church (Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Palestine, Egypt, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, United States and Canada, Venezuela)
• Armenian Tradition:
  • Armenian Catholic Church (Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Turkey, Palestine, Ukraine, France, Greece, Latin America, Argentina, Romania, United States and Canada, Eastern Europe)
• Chaldean or East-Syrian Tradition:
  • Chaldean Catholic Church (Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Egypt, Syria, Turkey, United States of America)
  • Syro-Malabar Catholic Church (India, United States of America)
• Byzantine (Constantinopolitan) Tradition:
  • Albanian Byzantine Catholic Church (Albania)
  • Belarusian Greek Catholic Church (Belarus)
  • Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church (Bulgaria)
  • Byzantine Church of the Eparchy of Križevci (Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro)
  • Greek Byzantine Catholic Church (Greece, Turkey)
  • Greek-Catholic Melkite Church (Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Jerusalem, Brazil, USA, Canada, Mexico, Iraq, Egypt and Sudan, Kuwait, Australia, Venezuela, Argentina)
  • Hungarian Byzantine Catholic Church (Hungary)
  • Italo-Albanian Catholic Church (Italy)
  • Macedonian Byzantine Catholic Church (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia)
  • Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic (Romania, United States of America)
  • Russian Byzantine Catholic Church (Russia, China)
  • Ruthenian Catholic Church (United States of America, Ukraine, Czech Republic)
  • Slovak Greek Catholic Church (Slovak Republic, Canada)
  • Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (Ukraine, Poland, USA, Canada, Great Britain, Australia, Germany and Scandinavia, France, Brazil, Argentina)

The Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh, while being, strictly speaking, a constituent metropolia or province of the Ruthenian Catholic Church has been treated as if it held the rank of an autonomous metropolitan particular Church, because, when it was set up as an ecclesiastical province (1969), conditions in the Ruthenian homeland admitted no other solution. To it has been entrusted the care also of other United States Byzantine Catholics who have no hierarch of their own Church. In other countries too, such Eastern Catholics may be entrusted to an Eastern Hierarch, though more commonly to the Latin Ordinaries. This article needs to be updated. ... The Coptic Catholic Church is an Alexandrian Rite church sui juris particular Church in full communion with the Pope of Rome. ... The Ethiopic Catholic Church is a particular Church within the Roman Catholic Church and uses the Ethiopic liturgical rite. ... Antioch on the Orontes (Greek: Αντιόχεια η επί Δάφνη, Αντιόχεια ή επί Ορόντου or Αντιόχεια η Μεγάλη; Latin: Antiochia ad Orontem, also Antiochia dei Siri), the Great Antioch or Syrian Antioch was an ancient city located on the eastern side (left bank) of the Orontes River about 30 km from the sea and its port, Seleucia of Pieria (Suedia, now Samanda... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Malankara catholic church. ... Maronites (Marunoye ܡܪܘܢܝܐܶ; in Syriac, Mâruniyya مارونية in Arabic) are members of an Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. ... The Syrian Catholic Church is a Christian church in the Levant in full communion with the pope having practices and rites in common with the Jacobites. ... After the Armenian Apostolic Church, along with the rest of Oriental Orthodoxy formally broke off communion from the Chalcedonian churches, numerous Armenian bishops made attempts to restore communion with the Catholic Church. ... Chaldean can refer to an ancient people of lower Mesopotamia and their culture, or a contemporary Christian people living mostly in Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and Iran, as well as a relativley widespread diaspora concentrated in the western world. ... The Chaldean Catholic Church is an Eastern Rite sui juris (autonomous ritual church) particular church of the Catholic Church, maintaining full communion with the Pope in Rome. ... The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church is a Major Archiepiscopal Eastern Rite Church sui iuris with historical ties to the Chaldean Catholic Church in communion with the Church of Rome. ... Byzantine Empire (Greek: Βυζαντινή Αυτοκρατορία) is the term conventionally used since the 19th century to describe the Greek-speaking Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered at its capital in Constantinople. ... Constantinople[1] was the name of the modern-day city of İstanbul, Turkey over the centuries that it served as the second capital of the unified Roman Empire, and after its division into East and West, of the Eastern Roman Empire, also known as the Byzantine Empire (from the city... The Albanian Byzantine Catholic Church is an autonomous Byzantine Rite particular Church of the Roman Catholic Church, whose members lives in Albania, and is not to be confused with the Italo-Albanian Catholic Church. ... The Eparchy of Križevci is the eparchy comprising the Croatian Byzantine Catholic Church, a Catholic Church sui iuris [1] of the Byzantine Eastern Rite. ... The Greek Byzantine Catholic Church is a particular Church within the Roman Catholic Church and uses the Byzantine liturgical rite in the Greek language. ... The Sacred Coat of Arms of the Melkite Greek-Catholic Church This term comes from the Semetic words for king, (melko, or melek). ... The Italo-Albanian Catholic Church, also known as the Italo-Greek Catholic Church, is a Byzantine Rite sui juris particular Church of the Roman Catholic Church. ... The Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic (in Romanian: Biserica Română Unită cu Roma, Greco-Catolică) is an Eastern Rite or Greek-Catholic Church ranked as a Major Archiepiscopal Church, which uses the Byzantine liturgical rite in the Romanian language. ... The Russian Catholic Church is a Byzantine Rite church sui juris of the Catholic Church. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC), also known as the Ukrainian Catholic Church, is one of the successor Churches to the acceptance of Christianity by Grand Prince Vladimir the Great (Ukrainian Volodymyr) of Kiev (Kyiv), in 988. ... The Byzantine Catholic Metropolia of Pittsburgh is a Byzantine Rite autonomous jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church, originally serving members of the Ruthenian Catholic Church and their decendants in the United States. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... A hierarch is a very high-ranking bishop; see also primate (religion) and metropolitan bishop. ...

Particular or local Churches

In Catholic teaching, each diocese too is a local or particular Church, though it lacks the autonomy of the particular Churches described above: "A diocese is a section of the People of God entrusted to a bishop to be guided by him with the assistance of his clergy so that, loyal to its pastor and formed by him into one community in the Holy Spirit through the Gospel and the Eucharist, it constitutes one particular church in which the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church of Christ is truly present and active." ^[35]

The standard form of a particular or local Church is called in the Latin Rite a diocese and in the Eastern Rites an eparchy. For other forms, see below under "The episcopate". Pope Pius XI blesses Bishop Stephen Alencastre as fifth Apostolic Vicar of the Hawaiian Islands in a Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace window. ... In the Roman Empire, an eparchy was one of the political subdivisions of the Empire. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Catholicism. ...

The Holy See of Rome is seen as central, and its bishop, the Pope, is considered to be the (sole) successor of Saint Peter, the chief (or "prince") of the Apostles. City motto: Senatus Populusque Romanus – SPQR (The Senate and the People of Rome) Founded 21 April 753 BC (mythical), early 1st millennium BC (archaeological) Region Latium Area  - City Proper  1285 km² Population  - City (2004)  - Metropolitan  - Density (city proper) 2,553,873 almost 4,300,000 1. ... The Pope (from Greek: pappas, father; from Latin: papa, Papa, father) is the head of the Roman Catholic Church. ... Saint Peter, also known as Peter, Simon ben Jonah/BarJonah, Simon Peter, Cephas and Kepha—original name Simon or Simeon (Acts 15:14)—was one of the twelve original disciples or apostles of Jesus. ... The Twelve Apostles (in Koine Greek απόστολος apostolos [1], someone sent forth/sent out, an emissary) were probably Galilean Jewish men (10 names are Aramaic, 4 names are Greek) chosen from among the disciples, who were sent forth by Jesus of Nazareth to preach the Gospel to both Jews and Gentiles...

The 2006 edition of the Holy See's Annuario Pontificio reported the total number of all these particular local Churches or sees at the end of the previous year as 2,770. The Annuario Pontificio or Pontifical Yearbook is the annual directory of the Holy See of the Roman Catholic Church. ...

Theological significance

The particular Churches within the Catholic Church, whether rites or dioceses, are seen as not simply branches or sections of a larger body. Theologically, each is considered to be the embodiment in a particular place of the whole Roman Catholic Church. "It is in these and formed out of them that the one and unique Catholic Church exists." ^[36]

Relations with Christian Churches

Patriarch Athenagoras I of Constantinople(left) and Pope Paul VI in 1964

While the Catholic Church sees herself as the Church founded by Christ, she recognizes that many of the salvific elements of the Gospel are found in other Churches also. The Second Vatican Council document, Lumen Gentium, 8, referred to the sole Church of Christ as "subsisting in the Catholic Church", rather than just "being the Catholic Church", so as not to appear to contradict the statement immediately following: "Nevertheless, many elements of sanctification and truth are found outside its visible confines. Since these are gifts belonging to the Church of Christ, they are forces impelling towards Catholic unity." Pope Paul VI with the Patriarch of Constantinople - full permission of website www. ... Pope Paul VI with the Patriarch of Constantinople - full permission of website www. ... Patriarch Athenagoras I (left) met Pope Paul VI in 1964 His All Holiness Athenagoras I, by the grace of God, Archbishop of Constantinople New Rome and Ecumenical Patriarch (Greek: Πατριάρχης Αθηναγόρας, born Aristokles Spyrou) (March 25, 1886 - July 6/7, 1972) was the 268th Patriarch of Constantinople from 1948 to 1972. ... Pope Paul VI (Latin: ), born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini (September 26, 1897 – August 6, 1978), reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and as sovereign of Vatican City from 1963 to 1978. ... The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II, (Vatican two) was an Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church opened under Pope John XXIII in 1962 and closed under Pope Paul VI in 1965. ... Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, is one of the principal documents of the Second Vatican Council. ...

The Catholic Church has, since the Second Vatican Council, reached out to Christian bodies, seeking reconciliation to the greatest degree possible. Significant agreements have been achieved on Baptism, ministry and the Eucharist with Anglican theologians. With Lutheran bodies a similar agreement has been reached on the theology of justification. These landmark documents have brought closer fraternal ties with those Churches. However, other developments, such as the ordination of women and of practicing homosexuals, constitute fresh obstacles to reconciliation with Protestant communities in the West. These developments have brought yet more to the fore the Catholic Church's efforts at reconciliation with the Orthodox Churches of the East, with which the theological differences are not as great. Relations with the Eastern Orthodox Church have been strained over property issues in countries that were formerly Soviet-dominated, but continue to progress. The term Anglican (from Anglia, the Latin name for England) describes the people and churches that follow the religious traditions developed by the established Church of England. ... The Lutheran movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity by the original definition. ... Protestantism is a movement within Christianity, representing the splitting away from the Roman Catholic Church during the mid-to-late Renaissance in Europe—a period known as the Protestant Reformation. ... Separate articles treat Eastern Orthodox Christianity and Orthodox Judaism. ... Pentecost - Pentecost is considered in Eastern Orthodoxy to be the Birth of the Church. ...

The Catholic Church recognizes 21 Ecumenical or General Councils: Nicaea I (325), Constantinople I (381), Ephesus (431), Chalcedon (451), Constantinople II (553), Constantinople III (680–681), Nicaea II (787), Constantinople IV (869–870), Lateran I (1123), Lateran II (1139), Lateran III (1179), Lateran IV (1215), Lyons I (1245), Lyons II (1274), Vienne (1311–1312), Constance (1414–1418), Florence (1438–1445), Lateran V (1512–1517), Trent (1545–1563), Vatican I (1869–1870), Vatican II (1962–1965). In Christianity, an ecumenical council or general council is a meeting of the bishops of the whole church convened to discuss and settle matters of Church doctrine and practice. ... Events May 20 - First Council of Nicaea - first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church: The Nicene Creed is formulated, the date of Easter is discussed. ... Events First Council of Constantinople - second Ecumenical council of the Christian Church: The Nicene creed is affirmed and extended, Apollinarism is declared a heresy. ... Events June - Council of Ephesus: Nestorianism is rejected, the Nicene creed is declared to be complete. ... Events April 7 - The Huns sack Metz June 20 - Attila, king of the Huns is defeated at Troyes by Aëtius in the Battle of Chalons. ... Events The Ostrogoth Kingdom is conquered by the Byzantines after the Battle of Mons Lactarius. ... Events October 10 - Battle of Kerbela November 12 - The Sixth Ecumenical Council opens in Constantinople The Bulgars subjugate the country of current-day Bulgaria Pippin of Herstal becomes Mayor of the Palace Umayyad caliph Muawiyah I succeeded by Yazid I ibn Muawiyah Erwig deposes Wamba to become king of the... // Events August 9 - The Bulgars win the war with the Byzantine Empire; the latter signs a peace treaty, which is considered as the birth-date of Bulgaria Wilfrid of York is expelled from Northumbria by Ecgfrith and retires into Sussex Births Deaths January 10 - Pope Agatho Ebroin, Mayor of the... This article is about the year 787. ... Events Western Emperor Louis II allies with eastern Emperor Basil I against the Saracens. ... Events February 28 - End of the Fourth Council of Constantinople. ... Events First Council of the Lateran confirms Concordat of Worms and demands that priests remain celibate End of the reign of Emperor Toba of Japan. ... Events Alphonso I (Afonso Henriques) becomes first king of Portugal Second Council of the Lateran Births Emperor Konoe of Japan Deaths Henry the Proud, Duke of Bavaria and Saxony Categories: 1139 ... Events Third Council of the Lateran condemned Waldensians and Cathars as heretics, institutes a reformation of clerical life, and creates the first ghettos for Jews Afonso I is recognized as the true King of Portugal by Portugal the protection of the Catholic Church against the Castillian monarchy Philip II is... // Events A certified copy of the Magna Carta June 15 - King John of England forced to put his seal to the Magna Carta, outlining the rights of landowning men (nobles and knights) and restricting the kings power. ... Events Rebellion against king Sancho II of Portugal in favor of his brother Alphonso. ... Events May 7 - In France the Second Council of Lyons opens to consider the condition of the Holy Land and to agree to a union with the Byzantine church. ... Events Bolingbroke Castle passes to the House of Lancaster. ... Events June 15 : Battle near Rozgoni Battle near Thebes Siege of Rostock begins Births November 13 - King Edward III of England Deaths June 19 - Piers Gaveston, favourite of Edward II of England September 7 - King Ferdinand IV of Castile Categories: 1312 ... // Events Council of Constance begins. ... Events May 19 - Capture of Paris by John, Duke of Burgundy September - Beginning of English Siege of Rouen Mircea the Old, ruler of Wallachia dies and is succeeded by Vlad I Uzurpatorul. ... Events Pachacuti who would later create Tahuantinsuyu, or Inca Empire became the ruler of Cuzco In Italy, the siege of Brescia by the condottieri troops of Niccolò Piccinino was raised after the arrival of Scaramuccia da Forlì. January 1 - Albert II of Habsburg becomes King of Hungary March 18 - Albert... Events Discovery of Senegal and Cape Verde by Dinas Diaz Births March 1 - Sandro Botticelli, Italian painter (died 1510) March 16 - Johann Geiler von Kaisersberg, Swiss-born preacher (died 1510) Albert Brudzewski, Polish astronomer (died 1497) Nicolas Chuquet, French mathematician Deaths June 5 - Leonel Power, English composer June 11 - Henry... 1512 was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Events January 22 - Battle of Ridanieh. ... Events February 27 - Battle of Ancrum Moor - Scots victory over superior English forces December 13 - Official opening of the Council of Trent (closed 1563) Battle of Kawagoe - between two branches of Uesugi families and the late Hojo clan in Japan. ... Events February 1 - Sarsa Dengel succeeds his father Menas as Emperor of Ethiopia February 18 - The Duke of Guise is assassinated while besieging Orléans March - Peace of Amboise. ... 1869 (MDCCCLXIX) is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... 1870 (MDCCCLXX) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ...

Of these, the Orthodox Churches of Byzantine tradition accept only the first seven, the family of "non-Chalcedonian" or "pre-Chalcedonian" Churches only the first three, and the Christians of Nestorian tradition only the first two. The term Oriental Orthodoxy refers to the communion of Eastern Christian Churches that recognize only the first three ecumenical councils — the First Council of Nicaea, the First Council of Constantinople and the Council of Ephesus — and rejected the dogmatic definitions of the Council of Chalcedon. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Dialogue has shown that even where the break with one of these ancient Churches occurred as far back as the Councils of Ephesus (431) and Chalcedon (451), long before the break with Constantinople (1054), the few doctrinal differences often concern terminology, not substance. Events June - Council of Ephesus: Nestorianism is rejected, the Nicene creed is declared to be complete. ... Events April 7 - The Huns sack Metz June 20 - Attila, king of the Huns is defeated at Troyes by Aëtius in the Battle of Chalons. ... Events Cardinal Humbertus, a representative of Pope Leo IX, and Michael Cerularius, Patriarch of Constantinople, decree each others excommunication. ...

Emblematic is the "Common Christological Declaration between the Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East."^[37] The division between the two Churches in question goes back to the disputes over the legitimacy of the expression "Mother of God" (as well as "Mother of Christ") for the Virgin Mary that came to a head at the Council of Ephesus in 431. The Common Declaration recalls that the Assyrian Church of the East prays to the Virgin Mary as "the Mother of Christ our God and Saviour", and the Catholic tradition addresses the Virgin Mary as "the Mother of God" and also as "the Mother of Christ", fuller expressions by which each Church clearly acknowledges both the divinity and the humanity of Mary's son. The co-signers of the Common Declaration could thus state: "We both recognize the legitimacy and rightness of these expressions of the same faith and we both respect the preference of each Church in her liturgical life and piety." Blessed Virgin Mary A traditional Catholic picture sometimes displayed in homes. ... Events June - Council of Ephesus: Nestorianism is rejected, the Nicene creed is declared to be complete. ...

Some of the most difficult questions in relations with the ancient Eastern Churches concern not so much doctrine as practical matters such as the concrete exercise of the claim to papal primacy and how to ensure that ecclesial union would not mean mere absorption of the smaller Churches by the Latin component of the much larger Catholic Church (the most numerous single religious denomination in the world), and the stifling or abandonment of their own rich theological, liturgical and cultural heritage.

For more information about differences among Christians see Great Schism and Protestant Reformation. For more information about outreach between various denominations, see ecumenism. The term Great Schism refers to either of two splits in the history of Christianity: Most commonly, it refers to the great East-West Schism, the event that separated Eastern Orthodoxy and Western Roman Catholicism in the eleventh century (1054). ... The Protestant Reformation was a movement which emerged in the 16th century as a series of attempts to reform the Catholic Church in Western Europe. ... The word ecumenism (also oecumenism, Å“cumenism) (IPA: ) is derived from the Greek oikoumene, which means the inhabited world. In its broadest meaning ecumenism is the religious initiative towards world-wide unity. ...

The hierarchical constitution of the Church

Main article: Catholic Church hierarchy

The Church is a hierarchical organization headed by the Pope, with ordained clergy divided into the orders of bishops, priests, and deacons. In its application to the Catholic Church, the term hierarchy originally referred to the holy ordering of the entire People of God. ... For the various types of hierarchy, see hierarchy (disambiguation) A hierarchy (in Greek: Ιεραρχία, it is derived from ιερός-hieros, sacred, and άρχω-arkho, rule) is a system of ranking and organizing things or people, where each element of the system (except for the top element) is subordinate to a single other element. ... Ordination is the process in which clergy become authorized by their religious denomination and/or seminary to perform religious rituals and ceremonies. ... Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. ... Holy Orders in the modern Roman Catholic Church and in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, Assyrian, Old Catholic, and Independent Catholic Churches, includes three degrees: bishop, priest, and deacon. ... A bishop is an ordained member of the Christian clergy who, in certain Christian churches, holds a position of authority. ... Roman Catholic priests in traditional clerical clothing. ... Deacon is a role in the Christian Church which is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. ...

The Pope

Pope Benedict XVI, like his predecessors, is considered by Catholics as the Vicar of Christ and therefore leader of all Christians.

What most obviously distinguishes the Catholic Church from other Christian bodies is the link between its members and the Pope. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 882, quoting the Second Vatican Council’s document Lumen Gentium, states: "The Pope, Bishop of Rome and Peter’s successor, ‘is the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful.’"^[38] Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Pope Benedict XVI (Latin: ; born April 16, 1927 as Joseph Alois Ratzinger in Marktl am Inn, Bavaria, Germany) is the 265th reigning pope, the head of the Roman Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City. ... The Catechism of the Catholic Church, or CCC, is an official exposition of the teachings of the Catholic Church, first published in French in 1992 by the authority of Pope John Paul II.[1] Subsequently, in 1997, a Latin text was issued which is now the official text of reference... Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, is one of the principal documents of the Second Vatican Council. ...

The Pope is referred to as the Vicar of Christ and the Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church. He may sometimes also use the less formal title of "Servant of the Servants of God". Applying to him the term "absolute" would, however, give a false impression: he is not free to issue decrees at whim. Instead, his charge forces on him awareness that he, even more than other bishops, is "tied", bound, by an obligation of strictest fidelity to the teaching transmitted down the centuries in increasingly developed form within the Roman Catholic Church.

In certain limited and extraordinary circumstances, this papal primacy, which is referred to also as the Pope's Petrine authority or function, involves papal infallibility, i.e. the definitive character of the teaching on matters of faith and morals that he propounds solemnly as visible head of the Church. In any normal circumstances, exercise of this authority will involve previous consultation of all Catholic bishops (usually taking place in holy synods or an ecumenical council). In Roman Catholic theology, Papal infallibility is the dogma that the Pope is preserved from error when he solemnly promulgates, or declares, to the Church a decision on faith or morals. ... In Roman Catholicism, a dogmatic definition is an infallible statement published by a pope or an ecumenical council concerning a matter of faith or morals, the belief in which the Catholic Church requires of all Christians (but Christians who are not Catholics do not recognize the Catholic Churchs authority... A synod (also known as a council) is a council of a church, usually a Christian church, convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. ... In Christianity, an ecumenical council or general council is a meeting of the bishops of the whole church convened to discuss and settle matters of Church doctrine and practice. ...

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 891 says: "’The Roman Pontiff, head of the college of bishops, enjoys this infallibility in virtue of his office, when, as supreme pastor and teacher of all the faithful – who confirms his brethren in the faith – he proclaims by a definitive act a doctrine pertaining to faith or morals... The infallibility promised to the Church is also present in the body of bishops when, together with Peter’s successor, they exercise the supreme Magisterium,’ above all in an Ecumenical Council."^[39] Magisterium (from the Latin magister: master) is a technical ecclesiastical term in Catholicism referring to the Pope and those Bishops who are directly under his supervision. ... In Christianity, an ecumenical council or general council is a meeting of the bishops of the whole church convened to discuss and settle matters of Church doctrine and practice. ...

These are two ways, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 890 states, in which the pastors of the Church exercise the charism of infallibility with which Christ has endowed them for the purpose of guarding from deviation and decay the authentic faith of the definitive covenant that God has established in Christ with his people. In other words, they are two ways of ensuring that "the gates of Hell will not prevail" (Matthew 16:18) against the Church. A charism is a power, generally of a spiritual nature, believed to be a freely given gift by the grace of God. ...

The Pope lives in Vatican City, an independent state within the city of Rome, set up by the 1929 Lateran Pacts between the Holy See and Italy. Ambassadors are accredited not to Vatican City State but to the Holy See, which was a subject of international law even before the state was instituted. The body of officials that assist the Pope in governance of the Church as a whole is known as the Roman curia. The term "Holy See" (i.e. of Rome) is generally used only of Pope and curia, because the Code of Canon Law, which concerns governance of the Latin Church as a whole and not internal affairs of the see (diocese) of Rome itself, necessarily uses the term in this technical sense. The Roman Curia (sometimes, if inaccurately, called the Vatican) is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See, coordinating and providing the necessary organisation for the correct functioning of the Catholic Church and the achievement of its goals. ... Latin Rite, in the singular and accompanied, in English, by the definite article (The Latin Rite), is a term by which documents of the Catholic Church designate the particular Church, distinct from the Eastern Rite Churches, that developed in western Europe and northern Africa, where Latin was the language of...

The present rules governing the election of a pope are found in the apostolic constitution Universi Dominici Gregis.^[40] This deals with the powers, from the death of a pope to the announcement of his successor’s election, of the cardinals and the departments of the Roman curia; with the funeral arrangements for the dead pope; and with the place, time and manner of voting of the meeting of the cardinal electors, a meeting known as a conclave. This word is derived from Latin com- (together) and clavis (key) and refers to the locking away of the participants from outside influences, a measure that was introduced first as a means instead of forcing them to reach a decision. con·clave (knklv, kng-) n. ...

A pope has the option of resigning. (The term "abdicate" is not normally used of popes.) The two best known cases are those of Pope Celestine V in 1294 (who, though the poet Dante Alighieri pictured him condemned to hell for this action, was canonized in 1313) and Pope Gregory XII, who resigned in 1415 to help end the Great Western Schism. Saint Celestine V, né Pietro Angelerio (according to some sources Angelario or Angelieri or Angelliero or Angeleri), also known as Pietro del Morrone (1215 – May 19, 1296) was Pope in the year 1294. ... For broader historical context, see 1290s and 13th century. ... Dante in a fresco series of famous men by Andrea del Castagno, ca. ... Events Siege of Rostock ends Foundation year of the Order of the Rose Cross (Rosicrucian Order), according to the Rosicrucian Fellowship. ... Gregory XII, né Angelo Correr or Corraro (died October 18, 1417), Pope from 1406 to 1415, succeeded Pope Innocent VII (1404–06) on November 30, 1406, having been chosen at Rome by a conclave consisting of only fifteen cardinals, under the express condition that, should antipope Benedict XIII (1394–1423... Events Friedrich I Hohenzollern (b. ... The Western Schism or Papal Schism was a split within the Catholic Church in 1378. ...

The cardinalate

Cardinal Angelo Sodano (right) is the Dean of the College of Cardinals and Cardinal Secretary of State. Pictured here with Condoleezza Rice, United States Secretary of State.

Cardinals are appointed by the Pope, generally choosing bishops who head departments of the Roman Curia or important episcopal sees, Latin or Eastern, throughout the world. The cardinals make up the College of Cardinals which advises the pope, and those cardinals under the age of 80 elect a new pope during a papal vacancy. Condoleezza Rice with Angelo Sodano Vatican City February 8, 2005 During Rices trip to Europe and the Middle East, Secretary Rice is received by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano at the Vatican. ... Condoleezza Rice with Angelo Sodano Vatican City February 8, 2005 During Rices trip to Europe and the Middle East, Secretary Rice is received by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano at the Vatican. ... Cardinal Sodano with Condoleezza Rice. ... The Dean of the College of Cardinals is the president of the College of Cardinals in the Roman Catholic Church and as such is always a Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church of the episcopal order. ... The Cardinal Secretary of State presides over the Vatican Secretariat of State, which is the oldest and most important dicastery of the Roman Curia. ... Condoleezza Rice (born November 14, 1954) is the 66th and current United States Secretary of State, and the second in the administration of President George W. Bush. ... Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. ... A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official in the Roman Catholic Church, ranking just below the Pope and appointed by him as a member of the College of Cardinals during a consistory. ... Dicasteries (from Greek: δικαστ, judge/juror) are the central offices of the Roman Curia in which the stewardship of the Roman Catholic Church is entrusted. ... A see (from the Latin word sedem, meaning seat) is the throne (cathedra) of a bishop. ... The Sacred College of Cardinals is the body of all Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church. ... Sede vacante in the canon law of the Roman Catholic Church is the vacancy of the episcopal see of a particular church. ...

The cardinalate is not an integral part of the theological structure of the Catholic Church, but largely an honorific distinction that has its origins in the 1059 assignation of the right of electing the Pope exclusively to the principal clergy of Rome and the bishops of the seven "suburbicarian" sees. Because of their resulting importance, the term "cardinal" (from Latin "cardo", meaning "hinge") was applied to them. In the twelfth century the practice of appointing ecclesiastics from outside Rome as cardinals began. Each cardinal is still assigned a church in Rome as his "titular church" or is linked with one of the suburbicarian dioceses. Of these sees, the Dean of the College of Cardinals holds that of Ostia, while keeping his preceding link with one of the other six sees. Traditionally, only six cardinals held the rank of Cardinal Bishop, but when Eastern rite patriarchs are made cardinals, they too hold the rank of Cardinal Bishop, without being assigned a suburbicarian see, still less a church in Rome. The other cardinals have the rank either of Cardinal Priest or Cardinal Deacon, the former rank being normally assigned to bishops in charge of dioceses, and the latter to officials of the Curia and to priests raised to the cardinalate. The seven suburbicarian dioceses are Roman Catholic dioceses located in the suburbs that surround Rome. ... The Dean of the College of Cardinals is the president of the College of Cardinals in the Roman Catholic Church and as such is always a Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church of the episcopal order. ... Cardinal Bishops, or Cardinals of the Episcopal Order, are among the most important persons in the Roman Catholic Church. ... The term Eastern Rites may refer to the liturgical rites used by many ancient Christian Churches of Eastern Europe and the Middle East that, while being part of the Roman Catholic Church, are distinct from the Latin Rite or Western Church. ... Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. ... Cardinal Priests are the most numerous of the three orders of Cardinals in the Roman Catholic Church. ... The Cardinal Deacons are the lowest-ranked of the three orders of Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church. ...

Only cardinals whose eightieth birthday does not fall before the date of a Pope's death may enter the conclave that elects his successor. The number of cardinals not over eighty years of age has therefore been limited to 120. But additional cardinals can be chosen from among clergy over that age, an honour that has been bestowed on priests who have suffered long imprisonment under dictatorial regimes or have otherwise served the Church "with exemplary fidelity and admirable self-dedication", as Pope Benedict XVI said when naming some on February 22, 2006. In October 2003, Pope John Paul II went beyond the limit of 120 voting-age cardinals, a limit that he himself had confirmed; but at the time of his death in April 2005, the number of cardinal electors was down to 117, not all of whom were able, for health reasons, to attend the conclave that elected his successor. February 22 is the 53rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The colour associated with the robes of cardinals is a crimson red, while the red of bishops who are not cardinals (and of Apostolic Protonotaries and Honorary Prelates) is really a Roman purple. The prothonotary is the chief court clerk in certain courts of law in certain Anglo-American jurisdictions, including the American states of Pennsylvania and Delaware, the Federal Court of Canada, the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, and the Supreme Courts of the Australian states of New... A prelate is a member of the clergy who either has ordinary jurisdiction over a group of people or ranks in precedence with ordinaries. ...

The hat and tassels of cardinals' armorial bearings are red; those of bishops are green; and those of lesser prelates are purple. The hat has the same form for all these prelates and should therefore not be identified with the galero, a large hat that once distinguished cardinals. Upon the death of a cardinal diocesan bishop, his galero is raised above the sanctuary of his cathedral church. ...

The episcopate

Bishop Carlos Belo, SDB, (left) Titular Bishop of Lorium, formerly Apostolic Administrator of the diocese of Dili, East Timor, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

Bishops are the successors of the apostles in the governance of the Church. The Pope himself is a bishop and traditionally uses the title "Venerable Brother" when writing formally to another bishop. Photo of Carlos Belo File links The following pages link to this file: Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo Image:Carlosbelo. ... Photo of Carlos Belo File links The following pages link to this file: Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo Image:Carlosbelo. ... Bishop Carlos Belo (left) Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo SDB (born February 3, 1948) is a Roman Catholic bishop who received, together with José Ramos Horta, the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize, for their work towards a just and peaceful solution to the conflict in East Timor. The fifth child of Domingos... The Salesians of Don Bosco (or the Salesian Society, originally known as the Society of St. ... In the Roman Catholic Church, an apostolic administrator is a prelate appointed by the Pope to serve as an ordinary for an Apostolic Administration, which is a territorial jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church, similar in function but lower in status then a diocese, but are usually to be found... Dili, also spelled Díli, Dilli or Dilly, is the capital of East Timor. ... // Error creating thumbnail: convert: unable to open image `/mnt/upload3/wikipedia/en/f/f5/Nobel_Peace_Prize_Medal. ... The word laureate or laureated has came in English to signify eminent, or associated with glory, literary or military. ... A bishop is an ordained member of the Christian clergy who, in certain Christian churches, holds a position of authority. ...

The typical role of a bishop is to provide pastoral governance for a diocese. Bishops who fulfill this function are known as diocesan ordinaries, because they have what canon law calls ordinary (i.e. not delegated) authority for a diocese. These bishops may be known as hierarchs in the Eastern Rite churches. Other jurisdictional areas led by members of the episcopate are territorial prelatures, territorial abbacies, apostolic exarchates and ordinariates for Eastern-rite faithful, military ordinariates, personal prelatures (of which only one exists at present), apostolic vicariates, apostolic prefectures, apostolic administrations, personal apostolic administrations (only one exists), and sui iuris (i.e. autonomous) missions. Other bishops may be appointed to assist ordinaries (auxiliary and coadjutor bishops) or to carry out a function in a broader field of service to the Church, such as appointments as papal nuncios or as officials in the Roman Curia. Pope Pius XI blesses Bishop Stephen Alencastre as fifth Apostolic Vicar of the Hawaiian Islands in a Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace window. ... Pope Pius XI, depicted in this window at Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace, Honolulu, was ordinary of the universal Roman Catholic Church and local ordinary of Rome. ... A hierarch is a very high-ranking bishop; see also primate (religion) and metropolitan bishop. ... A territorial abbey is a type of jurisdiction within the Roman Catholic Church corresponding to a diocese, but headed by the abbot of a monastery that provides central ecclesiastical administratiuon for an area rather than by a bishop. ... A military ordinariate is an ecclesiastical unit responsible for the pastoral care of Christians serving in the armed forces of a nation. ... A prelate is a member of the clergy having a special canonical jurisdiction over a territory or a group of people; usually, a prelate is a bishop. ... Apostolic vicariate is a particular church of the Roman Catholic Church for non-Catholic or missionary regions and countries which do not have a diocese yet. ... An apostolic prefecture is a particular church of the Roman Catholic Church for non-Catholic or missionary regions and countries which do not have a diocese yet. ... An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial... Archbishop Jerome Hanus of the Archdiocese of Dubuque, Dubuque, Iowa. ... A Papal Nuncio (also known as an Apostolic Nuncio) is a permanent diplomatic representative (head of mission) of the Holy See to a state, having ambassadorial rank. ... The Roman Curia (sometimes, if inaccurately, called the Vatican) is the administrative apparatus of the Holy See, coordinating and providing the necessary organisation for the correct functioning of the Catholic Church and the achievement of its goals. ...

Some of the Eastern Catholic Churches are headed by a patriarch. (A few bishops in the Latin Church, such as those of Venice and Lisbon, also have the title of patriarch, but in their case the title is merely honorary.) Four Eastern Churches are headed by a major archbishop, a bishop who has practically all the powers of a patriarch, but without the title. Smaller Eastern Churches (consisting however of at least two dioceses or, to use the Eastern term, two eparchies) are headed by a metropolitan. Within the Latin Church too, dioceses are normally grouped together as ecclesiastical provinces, in which the bishop of a particular see has the title of metropolitan archbishop, with some very limited authority for the other dioceses, which are known as suffragan sees. (In some Eastern Churches, the term "metropolitan bishop" corresponds instead to "diocesan ordinary" in the Latin Church; and an Anglican usage of "suffragan" corresponds to Catholic "auxiliary bishop.") The Latin-Church title of primate for the senior bishop of a nation is now merely honorary. Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. ... Venice (Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venexia) , the city of canals, is the capital of the region of Veneto and of the province of Venice in Italy. ... District or region Lisbon Mayor   - Party Carmona Rodrigues PSD Area 84. ... In the Roman Catholic Church, a major archbishop is an Eastern Rite hierarch who has the same jurisdiction in his sui juris particular church that an Eastern rite patriarch does, but whose episcopal see is less prestigious than a patriarchal see. ... In hierarchical Christian churches, the rank of metropolitan, pertains to the bishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of an old Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital. ... An ecclesiastical province is a unit of religious government existing in certain Christian churches. ... In Christianity, an archbishop is an elevated bishop. ... Primate (from the Latin Primus, first) is a title or rank bestowed on some bishops in certain Christian churches. ...

Bishops of a country or region form an episcopal conference and meet periodically to discuss common problems. Decisions in certain fields, notably liturgy, fall within the exclusive competence of these conferences. The decisions of the conferences are binding on the individual bishops only if agreed to by at least two-thirds of the membership and confirmed by the Holy See. In the Roman Catholic Church, an Episcopal Conference, Conference of Bishops, or National Conference of Bishops is a conference consisting of all the bishops within a given territory. ...

Bishops are ordained to the episcopate by at least three other bishops, with the approval of the Holy See. Concrecration to the episcopate is considered the completion of the sacrament of holy orders; even when a bishop retires from his active service, he remains a bishop, since the ontological effect of the sacrament of holy orders is permanent. On the other hand, titles such as archbishop or patriarch imply no ontological alteration, and existing bishops who rise to those offices do not require further ordination. Ordination is the process in which clergy become authorized by their religious denomination and/or seminary to perform religious rituals and ceremonies. ... A sacrament is a Christian rite that mediates divine grace—a holy mystery. ... Holy Orders in the modern Roman Catholic Church and in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, Assyrian, Old Catholic, and Independent Catholic Churches, includes three degrees: bishop, priest, and deacon. ...

Priests and deacons

American priest Michael J. McGivney, the founder of the Knights of Columbus.

Bishops are assisted by priests and deacons. Parishes, whether territorial or person-based, within a diocese are normally in the charge of a priest, known as the parish priest or the pastor. Father Michael McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus. ... Father Michael McGivney, founder of the Knights of Columbus. ... Categories: Stub | 1852 births | 1890 deaths | Roman Catholic priests ... Knights of Columbus marching in a St. ... Roman Catholic priests in traditional clerical clothing. ... Deacon is a role in the Christian Church which is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. ... A parish is a type of administrative subdivision. ...

In the Latin Rite or particular Church, only celibate men, as a rule, are ordained as priests, while the Eastern Rites, again as a rule, also ordain married men. Among the Eastern particular Churches, the Ethiopic Catholic Church ordains only celibate clergy, while also having married priests who were ordained in the Orthodox Church, while other Eastern Catholic Churches, which do ordain married men, do not have married priests in certain countries, such as the United States of America. The Western or Latin Rite does sometimes, but very rarely, ordain married men, usually Protestant clergy who have become Catholics. All Rites of the Catholic Church maintain the ancient tradition that, after ordination, marriage is not allowed. Even a married priest whose wife dies may not then marry again. The Ethiopic Catholic Church is a particular Church within the Roman Catholic Church and uses the Ethiopic liturgical rite. ...

To explain this tradition, one theory^[41] holds that, in early practice, married men who became priests – they were often older men, "elders" – were expected to refrain permanently from sexual relations with their wives, perhaps because they, as priests representing Christ, were treated as the Church's spouse. When at a later stage it was clear that not all did refrain, the Western reaction was to ordain only celibates, while the Eastern Churches relaxed the rule, so that Eastern Orthodox Churches now require their married clergy to abstain from sexual relations only for a limited period before celebrating the Eucharist. The Church in Persia, which in the fifth century became separated from the Church described as Orthodox or Catholic, decided at the end of that century to abolish the rule of continence and allow priests to marry, but recognized that it was abrogating an ancient tradition. The Coptic and Ethiopic Churches, whose separation came slightly later, allow deacons (who are ordained when they are boys) to marry, but not priests. The theory in question, if true, helps explain why all the ancient Christian Churches of both East and West, with the one exception mentioned, exclude marriage after priestly ordination, and why all reserve the episcopate (seen as a fuller form of priesthood than the presbyterate) for the celibate.

Since the Second Vatican Council, the Latin Church admits married men of mature age to ordination as Permanent deacons, but not if they intend to advance to priestly ordination (Ordination to the order of Deacon (transitional) is part of the process through which Priests pass on their way to Priestly ordination). Ordination even to the diaconate is an impediment to a later marriage, though special dispensation can be received for remarriage under extenuating circumstances. The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II, (Vatican two) was an Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church opened under Pope John XXIII in 1962 and closed under Pope Paul VI in 1965. ...

The Catholic Church and the ancient Christian Churches see priestly ordination as a sacrament effecting an ontological change that allows a priest to stand in persona Christi (in the person of Christ), not as the deputizing of someone to perform a function or as the admission of someone to a profession such as that of medicine or law. They also consider that priestly ordination can be conferred only on males. In the face of continued questioning, Pope John Paul II felt obliged to confirm the existing teaching that the Church is not empowered to change this practice: "In order that all doubt may be removed regarding a matter of great importance, a matter which pertains to the Church's divine constitution itself, in virtue of my ministry of confirming the brethren (cf. Luke 22:32) I declare that the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church's faithful."^[42] The Catholic Church thus holds this teaching as irrevocable and as having the character of infallibility, not in virtue of the apostolic letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis itself, from which this quotation is taken and which states this only implicitly, but because the teaching "has been preserved by the constant and universal Tradition of the Church and firmly taught by the Magisterium." A sacrament is a Christian rite that mediates divine grace—a holy mystery. ... The Gospel of Luke is the third of the four canonical Gospels of the New Testament, which tell the story of Jesus life, death, and resurrection. ... Infallibility of the Church is the belief that the Holy Spirit will not allow the Church to err in its belief or teaching under certain circumstances. ... Ordinatio Sacerdotalis (Latin for On Ordination to the Priesthood) is a Roman Catholic papal encyclical or apostolic letter discussing the Roman Catholic Churchs position on the reservation of priestly ordination to men alone. ...

For the Latin Rite, the term "minor orders" was, together with the subdiaconate, abolished in 1969 by Pope Paul VI. Of the four Latin-Rite minor orders, which were stages in the passage to ordination to the diaconate and priesthood, he preserved those of lector and acolyte, applying to them the term "instituted ministries". Some groups particularly attached to the earlier form of the Roman liturgical rite (the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter and the Priestly Union of St. Jean-Marie Vianney), have been permitted to continue to administer the rites of admission to all the previous orders, as well as that of tonsure, which formerly marked entrance to the ranks of the clergy. The Eastern Churches have maintained their less numerous minor orders. The minor orders were formally a part of the clergy of the Roman Catholic Church. ... Subdeacon is a title used in various branches of Christianity. ... Pope Paul VI (Latin: ), born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini (September 26, 1897 – August 6, 1978), reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and as sovereign of Vatican City from 1963 to 1978. ... A LECTOR, in Latin is he who reads (aloud or not). ... This article is about religious acolytes. ... Pope Benedict XVI (then Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger) at an ordination of FSSP priests in Wigratzbad-Opfenbach, Germany in 1990. ...

The honorary title of Monsignor may be conferred by the Pope upon a diocesan priest (not a member of a religious institute) at the request of the priest's bishop. The title goes with any of the following three awards: Monsignor is an ecclesiastical honorific used by certain priests and bishops of the Roman Catholic Church. ...

• Chaplain of His Holiness (called Papal Chamberlain until a 1969 reform),^[43] the lowest level, distinguished by purple buttons and trim on the black cassock, with a purple sash.
• Honorary Prelate (until 1969 called Domestic Prelate), the middle level, distinguished by red buttons and trim on the black cassock, with a purple sash, and by choir dress that includes a purple cassock.
• Protonotary Apostolic, the highest level, with the same dress as that of an Honorary Prelate, except that the non-obligatory purple silk cape known as a ferraiuolo may be worn also.

An Anglican priest wearing a single-breasted cassock. ...

The laity

Sir Thomas More, lawyer and politician, is an example of piety, sanctity and secular engagement.

All baptized members of the Catholic Church are called faithful, truly equal in dignity and in the work to build the Church. All are called to share in Christ's priestly, prophetic, and royal office.^[44] While a certain percentage of the faithful perform roles related to serving the baptismal priesthood (hierarchy) and giving eschatological witness (consecrated life), the great majority of the faithful perform a specific role of exercising the three offices of Christ by "engaging in temporal affairs and directing them according to God's will...to illuminate and order all temporal things."^[45] These are the laity, whom John Paul II urged in Christifideles laici "to take an active, conscientious and responsible part in the mission of the Church," for they not only belong to the Church, but "are the Church." (Italics in the original) Download high resolution version (888x1150, 1909 KB)Thomas More, by Hans Holbein the Younger. ... Download high resolution version (888x1150, 1909 KB)Thomas More, by Hans Holbein the Younger. ... For the Elizabethan play, see Sir Thomas More (play). ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... In religious organizations, the laity comprises all lay persons collectively. ...

Equipped with the common priesthood in baptism, these ordinary Catholics --e.g., mothers, farmers, businessmen, writers, politicians -- are to take initiative in "discovering or inventing the means for permeating social, political, and economic realities with the demands of Christian doctrine and life."^[46] They exercise the priestly office by offering their works as spiritual sacrifices,^[47] the prophetic office by their word and testimony of life in the ordinary circumstances of the world,^[48] and the kingly office by self-mastery and conforming worldly institutions to the norms of justice.^[49] Baptism in early Christian art. ...

This theology of the laity, called a "characteristic mark" of Vatican II by Paul VI and John Paul II, was complemented, and in some cases influenced, by the rise of many lay ecclesial movements and structures in the 20th century: examples are Focolare, Neocatechumenal Way, Communion and Liberation, and the personal prelature of Opus Dei. Founded 1943 in Trento, northern Italy by Chiara Lubich as a religious movement, the Focolare Movement, though primarily Roman Catholic, now has strong links to the major Christian denominations and other religions and even those with no religion. ... The Neocatechumenal Way or Neocatechumenate is a ministry within the Roman Catholic Church that is dedicated to adult faith formation. ... Communion and Liberation, or CL, is a lay ecclesial movement within the Catholic Church. ... Central Message of Saint Josemaría Escrivá, Founder of Opus Dei: Joy comes from knowing we are children of God. ...

The consecrated life

Consecrated Life, referred to also as Religious Life, is a way of Catholic living within the Church that, publicly professed, is recognized by Church Law.^[50] Those who profess it are not part of the hierarchy. They commit themselves, for love of God, to observe as binding obligations what the Christian Gospel proposes as counsels (Evangelical Counsels) rather than commands.

St Benedict of Nursia (c. 480-543), who wrote the leading guide for monasticism, "evokes the Christian roots of Europe," says Benedict XVI.

Most join what are called Religious Institutes,^[51] often referred to in everyday life as religious orders or religious congregations, in which they follow a common rule under the leadership of a superior. They usually live in community, although some may for a shorter or longer time live the Religious Life as Hermits without ceasing to be a member of the Religious Institute. Image File history File links Benedikt von Nursia (* um 480 in Nursia; † 21. ... Image File history File links Benedikt von Nursia (* um 480 in Nursia; † 21. ... Saint Benedict of Nursia (c. ... Pope Benedict XVI (Latin: ; born April 16, 1927 as Joseph Alois Ratzinger in Marktl am Inn, Bavaria, Germany) is the 265th reigning pope, the head of the Roman Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City. ... A hermit (from the Greek erēmos, signifying desert, uninhabited, hence desert-dweller) is a person who lives to some greater or lesser degree in seclusion and/or isolation from society. ...

Canons 603 and 604 give official recognition also to hermits and consecrated virgins who are not members of religious institutes.

Common usage about the different forms of religious life is more imprecise in English than in the languages of many countries of Catholic rather than Protestant culture (see Catholic order). The term "monks" is commonly applied to members not only of institutes classified as "orders" (grouped in four subsets: canons regular, monks, mendicant friars, and clerics regular), but also of the institutes classified as either clerical or lay religious congregations, and even of societies of apostolic life. And since the houses of monks are indeed rightly called monasteries (abbeys if headed by an abbot), any house of any of these categories is commonly called a monastery. Similarly, all female religious are commonly called nuns; but in their case the general term for their houses is "convent", rather than the term proper to the houses of nuns in the strict sense. Catholic religious orders are organizations of laity and/orclergy in the Roman Catholic Church who live under a common rule. ...

Members of Religious Institutes for men are usually addressed as "Brother", unless they are priests, in which case the form of address is "Father". In Institutes for women most members are addressed as "Sister", and the superior generally as "Mother", "Mother Superior" or "Reverend Mother". The formal title for the superior of a community or a whole institute varies according to the category of the institute: even in English few would address a Jesuit superior as "Abbot" or an abbot as "Guardian" (the term used by Franciscans).

There is a great variety of Religious Institutes, both male and female. Some have only lay members, while among male Institutes some have both priests and lay members, and yet others only priests and men preparing for priesthood. Some date from the earliest centuries of Christianity, others spring up every year. Their apostolates, too, vary considerably, depending on the vision of the founder: some have an apostolate specifically of prayer, often called "contemplative", others have an outgoing apostolate, e.g. teaching, missionary work. The rare "double communities" known in earlier centuries, where monks and nuns prayed and worked alongside each other under the leadership of only one superior, usually an Abbess, have not survived, though a small number have been founded afresh in recent times.

The oldest existing forms of Religious Institutes are those of monks and nuns, such as the Basilians of the East and the Benedictines of the West, who live in monasteries. Around the thirteenth century Mendicant Orders arose, such as of those of the Dominicans and Franciscans. Unlike the monks and nuns of the earlier Orders, the members of the latter Orders had their houses (which they called convents, not monasteries; in English, Dominican convents for men may also be called 'priories', and Fransciscan convents 'friaries') not in the country but in the towns, which were becoming increasingly important. One of the best known of those that appeared still later is the Society of Jesus, which today is the Religious Institute with the largest number of members (known as Jesuits). A “Monk” is a person who practices asceticism, the conditioning of mind and body in favor of the spirit. ... Nun in cloister, 1930; photograph by Doris Ulmann In general, a nun is a female ascetic who chooses to voluntarily leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent. ... The Basilian Fathers, also known as The Congregation of Saint Basil, is an international order of Roman Catholic priests and students studying for the priesthood. ... The longest lasting of the western Catholic monastic orders, the Benedictine Order traces its origins to the adoption of the monastic life by St. ... The Order of Friars Minor and other Franciscan movements are disciples of Saint Francis of Assisi. ... The Society of Jesus (Societas Iesu (S.I. or S.J.) in Latin) is a Christian religious order of the Roman Catholic Church in direct service to the Pope. ...

According to canon law,^[52] religious communities normally begin as an association formed, with the consent of the Diocesan Bishop, for the purpose of becoming a Religious Institute. After time has provided proof of the rectitude, seriousness and durability of the new association, the Bishop, having consulted the Holy See, may formally set it up as a Religious Institute under his own jurisdiction. Later, when it has grown in numbers, perhaps extending also into other dioceses, and further proved its worth, then the Holy See may grant it formal approval, bringing it under the Holy See's responsibility, rather than that of the Bishops of the dioceses where it is present. For the good of such Institutes and to provide for the needs of their apostolate, the Holy See may exempt them from the governance of the local Bishops, bringing them entirely under the authority of the Holy See itself or of someone else. In some respects, for example public liturgical practice, they always remain under the local bishop's supervision.

Saint Thérèse of Lisieux at age 16, before entering the Carmelite order. Thérèse is a Doctor of the Church.

Typically, members of Religious Institutes take vows of evangelical poverty, chastity and obedience (the "Evangelical Counsels") to lead a life in imitation of Christ Jesus. For some the vow of stability in a monastery or to live according to a particular written rule is considered to include these vows. Other Institutes add further vows. Therese of Liseaux [1] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Therese of Liseaux [1] File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Origin and early history Carmelites (in Latin Ordo fratrum Beatæ Virginis Mariæ de monte Carmelo) is the name of a Roman Catholic order founded in the 12th century by a certain Berthold (d. ... In Catholicism, a Doctor of the Church is a theologian from whose teachings the whole Christian church is held to have derived great advantage and to whom eminent learning and great sanctity have been attributed by a proclamation of the Pope or of an ecumenical council. ...

Secular Institutes^[53] are another form of Consecrated Life. They differ from Religious Institutes in that their members live their lives in the ordinary conditions of the world, either alone, in their families or in fraternal groups. They include, among others, Caritas Christi, The Grail, and the Servite Secular Institute. The Servite Friars or Servants of Mary are one of the five original mendicant orders. ...

Comparable to Religious Institutes are the Societies of Apostolic Life,^[54] dedicated to pursuit of an apostolic purpose, such as educational or missionary work. They do not take religious vows, but live in common, striving for perfection through observing the "constitutions" of the society to which they belong. Among them are, for example, St. Philip Neri's Institute of the Oratory, the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, and the Priests of St. Sulpice. S. Filippo Neri Philip Romolo Neri (Filippo de Neri; called, Apostle of Rome), (July 21, 1515 - May 26, 1595), was an Italian churchman, noted for founding a society of secular priests called the Congregation of the Oratory. He was was born at Florence, the youngest child of Francesco Neri, a... The Oratory of Saint Philip Neri is a congregation of Roman Catholic priests and lay-brothers who live together in community bound together by no formal vows but only with the bond of charity. ... The Society of Saint-Sulpice is a Catholic religious society of diocesan priests, released by their bishops to live in community for the purpose of the education of priests. ...

As mentioned earlier, individuals unattached to any such institutes can be granted official recognition as hermits or consecrated virgins. Although widows appear to have been given special attention in the early Church, present canonical legislation does not mention them as a category calling for similar recognition.

Catholic Church in society

Worldwide distribution

For the Roman Catholic Church regionally and by country see Roman Catholicism by country, Category:Roman Catholic Church by country, and Category:Roman Catholic Church by region

Map showing Roman Catholic Church membership as a percentage of each country's population.

The number of Catholics in the world continues to increase, particularly in Africa and Asia, although the religion has lost much of its political influence in the "First World" (e.g. Europe, USA). The increase between 1978 and 2000 was 288 million. Protestant evangelicals have succeeded in making inroads into parts of Latin America, but remain a small percentage of the population. In most industrialized countries, church attendance has decreased since the 19th century, though it remains higher than that of other "mainline" Churches. Catholic countries are countries noted as traditionally having a heavy predominance of adherents of the Catholic Church in their populations. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1254x628, 50 KB) Summary See also the not-croped version. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1254x628, 50 KB) Summary See also the not-croped version. ... Africa is the worlds second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... Evangelicalism, in a strictly lexical, but rarely used sense, refers to all things that are implied in belief that Jesus is the savior. ...

According to Canon law, members are those who have been baptized in, or have been received into, the Catholic Church on making a profession of faith. They remain members, even if unfaithful to their obligations or even if excommunicated, unless they formally renounce membership by, for instance, joining another religion or denomination. However, in countries where a question on religion is included in the census, the number given in the Statistical Yearbook of the Church (see above) is that of the census returns; thus, for instance, in the case of New Zealand, where 27.5% of the population classified themselves in the 2001 census as being of no religion, the number of canonical Catholics is doubtless higher than the number appearing in the Statistical Yearbook of the Church. Canon Law is the ecclesiastical law of the Roman Catholic Church. ...

Perspectives on the Catholic Church

Pope John Paul II blessing faithful.

Over the centuries, the Catholic Church has encountered criticisms for numerous reasons. (Some particular controversies are discussed in separate articles. See, for instance, on the charge of anti-Semitism, Relations between Catholicism and Judaism.) Pope John Paul II acknowledged publicly that certain members (including leadership) of the Catholic Church have sometimes been involved in questionable activities, and asked God to forgive the sins of its members, both in action and omission. See also: Criticism of the Catholic Church. Image File history File links John_Paul. ... Image File history File links John_Paul. ... Official papal image of John Paul II. His Holiness Pope John Paul II, né Karol Józef Wojtyła (born May 18, 1920 in Wadowice, Poland), is the current Pope — the Bishop of Rome and head of the Roman Catholic Church. ... This article on relations between Catholicism and Judaism deals with the current relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and Judaism, focusing on changes over the last fifty years, and especially during the pontificate of Pope John Paul II. // The Second Vatican Council Throughout history accusations of anti-Semitism have resounded... Pope John Paul II (Latin: ), born Karol Józef WojtyÅ‚a [1], sometimes referred to as John Paul The Great, (May 18, 1920 – April 2, 2005) reigned as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church for almost 27 years, from October 16, 1978 until his death, making his the second-longest... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Roman Catholic Church. ...

And at the same time, it has been seen by many people of different religions as a great force for good, as an "expert in humanity" and even as a model of management being seen by them as the oldest and biggest existing institution in the world. John Paul II was hailed upon his death as an outstanding world leader esteemed as having helped the world progress towards moral regeneration. Official papal image of John Paul II. His Holiness Pope John Paul II, né Karol Józef Wojtyła (born May 18, 1920 in Wadowice, Poland), is the current Pope — the Bishop of Rome and head of the Roman Catholic Church. ...

The number of criticisms and persecutions it has received through the centuries and his reading of sacred scripture inspired John Paul II to suggest that the term sign of contradiction is a "distinctive definition of Christ and of his Church." Sign of contradiction refers to the idea that certain persons or entities who are thought to manifest holiness are, at the same time, or consequently, subject to extreme opposition. ...

The Church's role in civilization

Church doctrine and science

Enlightenment philosophers perceived the Church's doctrines as superstitious and hindering the progress of civilization. In a famous example, many criticized it for 1633 trial of Galileo Galilei, in which the Church condemned the heliocentric system of Nicolaus Copernicus, in favour of a geocentric system, favoured also by famous astronomers even later than Copernicus and Galileo, such as Tycho Brahe. Pope John Paul II publicly apologized for the Church's actions in that trial on 31 October 1992. An abstract of the acts of the process against Galileo is available at the Vatican Secret Archives, which reproduces part of it on its website. The Age of Enlightenment refers to the 18th century in European philosophy, and is often thought of as part of a larger period which includes the Age of Reason. ... Portrait of Galileo Galilei by Giusto Sustermans. ... Nicolaus Copernicus (February 19, 1473 – May 24, 1543) was an astronomer who provided the first modern formulation of a heliocentric (sun-centered) theory of the solar system in his epochal book, De revolutionibus orbium coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres). ... Tycho Brahe , born Tyge Ottesen Brahe (December 14, 1546 – October 24, 1601), was a Danish (Scanian) nobleman astronomer as well as an astrologer and alchemist. ... Pope John Paul II (Latin: ), born Karol Józef Wojtyła [1], sometimes referred to as John Paul The Great, (May 18, 1920 – April 2, 2005) reigned as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church for almost 27 years, from October 16, 1978 until his death, making his the second-longest... October 31 is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 61 days remaining. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... The Vatican Secret Archives (Archivio Segreto Vaticano), located in Vatican City, contain the central repository of all the acts that have been promulgated by the Roman Catholic Churchs Papal See, as well as diplomatic materials and correspondence of the Papal See and other documents that have accumulated over the...

A map of medieval universities shows the universities established by the Catholic Church in Europe. Attacked in the 18th century as an enemy of progress, the Church is now seen by many modern historians as a major contributor to modern science, economics, and international law.

Recently, the Church is criticized for its opposition to scientific research in fields such as embryonic stem cell research, which the Church teaches would cause the utilitarian destruction of a human being, or simply put, an act of murder. The Church argues that advances in medicine can come without the destruction of human embryos; for example, in the use of adult or umbilical stem cells in place of embryonic stem cells. Download high resolution version (1087x971, 369 KB) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Download high resolution version (1087x971, 369 KB) This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... The first European medieval universities were established in Italy and France in the late 12th and early 13th Century for the study of arts, law, medicine, and theology. ... Mouse embryonic stem cells. ...

Historians of science including non-Catholics such as J.L. Heilbron,^[55] Alistair Cameron Crombie, David Lindberg,^[56] Edward Grant,^[57] [[Thomas Goldstein],]^[58] and Ted Davis have been revising the common notion — the product of black legends say some — that the Church has had a negative influence in the development of civilization. They argue that not only did the monks save and cultivate the remnants of ancient civilization during the barbarian invasions, but the Church promoted learning and science through its sponsorship of many universities which grew rapidly in Europe in the 11th and 12th centuries, under its leadership. The Church's priest-scientists many of whom were Jesuits were the leading lights in astronomy, geomagnetism, meteorology, seismology, and solar physics, becoming the "fathers" of these sciences. John L. Heilbron is an American historian of science and academia. ... Alistair Cameron Crombie (4 November 1915 – 9 February 1996) was an Australian historian of science who began his career as a zoologist. ... Edward (Ted) Grant (born July 9, 1913) is a Trotskyist politician. ... The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... A university is an institution of higher education and of research, which grants academic degrees. ... Radio telescopes are among many different tools used by astronomers Astronomy (Greek: αστρονομία = άστρον + νόμος, astronomia = astron + nomos, literally, law of the stars) is the science of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the Earths atmosphere, such as stars, planets, comets, auroras, galaxies, and the cosmic background radiation. ... The cause of Earths magnetic field (the surface magnetic field) is not known for certain, but is possibly explained by dynamo theory. ... Satellite image of Hurricane Hugo with a polar low visible at the top of the image. ... Seismology (from the Greek seismos = earthquake and logos = word) is the scientific study of earthquakes and the movement of waves through the Earth. ... The Sun is the star at the centre of our Solar system. ...

John Cardinal Newman used to say in the nineteenth century that those who attack the Church can only point to the Galileo case, which to many historians does not prove the Church's opposition to science since many of the churchmen at that time were encouraged by the Church to continue their research.^[59]

Church and art

Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, according to some authors, is an illustration of Christian joy.

While some critics accuse members of the Catholic Church of destroying the art of some of the colonized natives, several historians credit the Catholic Church for the brilliance and magnificence of Western art. They refer to the Church's fight against iconoclasm, a movement against visual representations of the divine, its insistence on building structures befitting worship, Augustine's repeated reference to Wisdom 11:21 (God "ordered all things by measure, number and weight") which led to the geometric constructions of Gothic architecture, the scholastics' coherent intellectual systems called the Summa Theologica which influenced the intellectually consistent writings of Dante, and lastly, the patronage of the Rennaisance popes for the great works of Catholic artists such as Michaelangelo, Rafael, Borromini and Leonardo da Vinci. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (560x864, 45 KB) MONA LISA 1509 Subject: The Mona Lisa Source: [1] File links The following pages link to this file: Painting Mona Lisa Talk:Mona Lisa Wikipedia:Selected anniversaries/August Wikipedia:Selected anniversaries/August 22 Talk:August 22 Wikipedia:Selected... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (560x864, 45 KB) MONA LISA 1509 Subject: The Mona Lisa Source: [1] File links The following pages link to this file: Painting Mona Lisa Talk:Mona Lisa Wikipedia:Selected anniversaries/August Wikipedia:Selected anniversaries/August 22 Talk:August 22 Wikipedia:Selected... Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519) was an Italian Renaissance polymath: an architect, anatomist, sculptor, engineer, inventor, geometer, musician, futurist and painter. ... Mona Lisa, or La Gioconda (La Joconde), is a 16th century oil painting on poplar wood by Leonardo da Vinci and is one of the most famous paintings in Western art history. ... Venus de Milo exhibited in the Louvre museum, France. ... Illustration of the Beeldenstorm during the Dutch reformation Iconoclasm is the destruction of religious icons and other symbols or monuments, usually for religious or political motives. ... Augustine may refer to: Saints: Augustine of Hippo, (354-430) theologian, author of The City of God, Confessions Augustine of Canterbury, (d. ... Scholastic redirects here. ... The Summa Theologica (also widely known as the Summa Theologiae) is the most famous work of St. ... Dante redirects here. ... Michelangelo (full name Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni) (March 6, 1475 - February 18, 1564) was a Renaissance sculptor, architect, painter, and poet. ... Raphael (also spelled as Rafael or Rephael, and in Hebrew: רפאל - רשות לפיתוח אמצעי לחימה ) is the Israeli authority for development of weapons and military technology. ... Francesco Borromini (Bissone near Lugano, Switzerland, September 25, 1599 – August 3, 1667 in Rome) was a Baroque architect, and active in Rome alongside the more prolific papal architect, Gian Lorenzo Bernini. ... Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci (April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519) was an Italian Renaissance polymath: an architect, anatomist, sculptor, engineer, inventor, geometer, musician, futurist and painter. ...

Church and economic development

Catholic Church thinker, Francisco de Vitoria, a disciple of Thomas Aquinas who studied the issue regarding the human rights of colonized natives, is recognized by the United Nations as a father of international law, and now by historians of economics and democracy as a leading light for the West's democracy and rapid economic development.^[60] Francisco de Vitoria (1492-1546) was a Renaissance theologian, founder of the tradition in philosophy known as the School of Salamanca, noted especially for his contributions to the theory of Just War. ... Saint Thomas Aquinas [Thomas of Aquin, or Aquino] (c. ...

Joseph Schumpeter, a great economist of the twentieth century, in his History of Economic Analysis (1954), referred to the scholastics thus: "[I]t is they," he wrote, "who come nearer than does any other group to having been the ‘founders’ of scientific economics." Other economists and historians have also said something similar: Raymond de Roover, Marjorie Grice-Hutchinson, and Alejandro Chafuen. Historian Paul Legutko of Stanford University said: The Catholic Church is "at the center of the development of the values, ideas, science, laws, and institutions which constitute what we call Western civilization." Benedict XVI says that the Catholic religion is the religion according to reason (the Logos, Word) and the Enlightenment itself — with its emphasis on brotherhood, freedom and equality — is an exclusive product of the Christian West who see the fundamental concepts of the Enlightenment as being of Christian origin. Joseph Schumpeter Joseph Alois Schumpeter (February 8, 1883 – January 8, 1950) was an Austrian economist (though not an Austrian economist in the sense of being a member of the Austrian School of economics) and a giant in the history of economic thought. ... The Greek word λόγος or logos is a word with various meanings. ...

Controversial Catholic teachings

Through the centuries there have been many criticisms, some becoming outright heresies, that the Church had to respond to. Lately criticisms tend to focus on a few issues, many of which deal with sex and gender themes, which are put forward specially by some progressive theologians. To these criticisms and controversies over traditional Church doctrine, the basic response of Benedict XVI, a renowned theologian, can be found in some statements before his election to the papacy: the Church is ecclesia sua, his Church (God's), and not the laboratory of theologians.^[61] Heresy, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is a theological or religious opinion or doctrine maintained in opposition, or held to be contrary, to the ‘catholic’ or orthodox doctrine of the Christian Church, or, by extension, to that of any church, creed, or religious system, considered as orthodox. ...

Ordination reserved to men

The Church is convinced it is not free to change this practice, which is traced back to Jesus' choice of apostles, and to the practice of the apostles and their successors, and has declared the matter closed for discussion, the latest declaration being John Paul II's Ordinatio Sacerdotalis 1994.

Coronation of the Blessed Virgin. Criticized for reserving the priesthood to men, the Church states that "The greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven are not the ministers but the saints."

In recent times, this teaching has been criticised not only for excluding women from ordination but also from the decision-making process which has significant consequences for their lives. This is regarded as an unjust discrimination particularly in an era when previously male occupations are now open to women. The Church responds by referring to the Virgin Mary, the greatest of all saints, stating that "The greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven are not the ministers but the saints." Inter Insigniores, Declaration on the Admission of Women to the Ministerial Priesthood (15 October 1976) Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2024x2707, 541 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Roman Catholic Church ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2024x2707, 541 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Roman Catholic Church ...

Mandatory clerical celibacy

The Catholic Church requires celibacy for Latin-Rite priests (with some minor exceptions) and all bishops. Voluntary celibacy has always been common in the Church and was generally the preferred state for priests and bishops. It is claimed that celibacy became mandatory for priests only in the eleventh century; others say, for instance: "(I)t may fairly be said that by the time of St. Leo the Great the law of celibacy was generally recognized in the West,"[8] that the eleventh-century regulations on this matter, as on simony, should clearly not be interpreted as meaning that either non-celibacy or simony were previously permitted,[9], and that the rule of clerical celibacy in fact dates back to the origin of the Church.[10] John Paul II in Pastores Dabo Vobis stated that "unchanging" essence of ordination "configures the priest to Jesus Christ the Head and Spouse of the Church." Thus, he says, "The Church, as the Spouse of Jesus Christ, wishes to be loved by the priest in the total and exclusive manner in which Jesus Christ her Head and Spouse loved her." Celibacy refers either to being unmarried or to sexual abstinence. ...

This teaching continues to be debated for a variety of reasons. First, many believe celibacy was not required of the apostles, though others think the apostles did leave their wives (cf. Luke 18:28-30). Second, this requirement excludes a great number of otherwise qualified men from the priesthood, qualifications which according to the defenders of celibacy should be determined not by merely human hermeneutics by the hermeneutics of the divine will. Third, some say that thus resisting the natural sexual impulse is unrealistic and harmful for a healthy life, a criticism which is countered by the faith in the power of grace and of man, made in the image of God who is Love. Sexual scandals among priests, a small percentage of the total, the defenders say, are a breach of the Church's teaching, not a result of it. Fourth, mandatory celibacy distances priests from this experience of life, compromising, some declare, their moral authority in the pastoral sphere, although its defenders argue that the Church's moral authority is rather enhanced by a life of total self-giving in imitation of Christ, a practical application of Vatican II teaching that "man cannot fully find himself except through a sincere gift of himself." (Gaudium et spes 26) Fifth, this discipline may provide, it is said, a place "to hide" for those who might not otherwise marry, such as homosexuals and pedophiles. Recent rulings though from the Vatican show that new significant steps are taken to eliminate candidates for the priesthood with sexual deviancies or who are homosexual.

Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger in Salt of the Earth also explained that this practice is based on Jesus' preaching on the eunuchs or celibates "for the sake of the kingdom of heaven" which links with God's decision in the Old Testament to confer the priesthood to a specific tribe, that of Levi, and who unlike the other tribes did not receive from God any land --an essential need for one's posterity as a wife and children are-- but had "God himself as its inheritance." (Num 1:48-53) Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (b. ... A eunuch is a castrated human male. ...

Reforms of the Second Vatican Council

The Catholic Church undertook one of the most comprehensive reforms in its history during the Second Vatican Council (1961-1965) and the decade which followed. For changes in the liturgy, see Mass of Paul VI. The Church stressed more than before what it saw as positive rather than what it saw as negative in other Christian communities, other religions, and the aspirations of human beings in general. It encouraged the up-to-date renewal of religious life. And it empowered episcopal conferences to enact adaptations in disciplines such as abstinence from meat on Fridays. The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, or Vatican II, (Vatican two) was an Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church opened under Pope John XXIII in 1962 and closed under Pope Paul VI in 1965. ... This article is about the post-Vatican-II changes to the Mass; for an explanation of the current structure of the Mass, see Mass (liturgy). ...

Some Catholics, who have become known as traditionalist Catholics rejected these changes as an abandonment of practices and teachings that they saw as part of the Church's irreformable Tradition - though Pope Pius XII declared that to "the Teaching Authority of the Church ... has been entrusted by Christ Our Lord the whole deposit of faith - Sacred Scripture and divine Tradition - to be preserved, guarded and interpreted" (Humani Generis, 18, emphases added) - or because they felt that the liturgical changes in particular entailed the loss of a sense of awe and reverence. A Tridentine Mass being celebrated in Bohermeen, Ireland in the 1950s. ... Pope Pius XII (Latin: ), born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli (March 2, 1876 – October 9, 1958), reigned as the 260th Pope, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, and sovereign of Vatican City State from March 2, 1939 until his death. ...

For more on these, see Traditional Catholic. Traditional Catholic is a broad term used to describe many groups of Roman Catholics who follow more traditional aspects of the Catholic Faith. ...

Catholic teachings on human sexuality

Some criticize the Church's teaching on sexual and reproductive matters.^[62] The Church requires members to eschew homosexual practices,^[63] artificial contraception,^[64] and pre-marital sex.^[65] The procurement or assistance in abortion can carry the penalty of excommunication,^[66] as a specific offence. Sexual activity in humans is an instinctive form of physical intimacy. ... For other uses, see Reproduction (disambiguation) Reproduction is the biological process by which new individual organisms are produced. ... The word homosexuality has acquired multiple meanings over time. ... Birth control is a regimen of one or more actions, devices, or medications followed in order to deliberately prevent or reduce the likelihood of a woman giving birth or becoming pregnant. ... This article is primarily about religious attitudes to sexual morality. ...

AIDS education in Uganda. Although doubted by some, the Church's teaching on abstinence has been seen as a contribution to Uganda's success against AIDS.

Some criticize the Church's teaching on fidelity, sexual abstinence and its opposition to promoting the use of condoms as a strategy to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS (or teen pregnancy or STD) as counterproductive. On the other hand, some argue that the Church's insistence on abstinence as practiced in Uganda shows that so far it has been one of the most successful strategies against AIDS.^[67] Download high resolution version (1816x1178, 174 KB)HIV/AIDS education at a school in Uganda. ... Download high resolution version (1816x1178, 174 KB)HIV/AIDS education at a school in Uganda. ... For the financial services company, see Fidelity Investments. ... Sexual abstinence is the practice of voluntarily refraining from some or all aspects of sexual activity. ... A condom sealed in typical packaging A condom is a device, usually made of latex or more recently polyurethane, that is used during sexual intercourse to reduce the risk of pregnancy and/or some sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) such as gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV. Condoms are sometimes used for non... Human immunodeficiency virus (commonly known as HIV, and formerly known as HTLV-III and lymphadenopathy-associated virus) is a retrovirus that primarily infects vital components of the human immune system such as CD4+ T cells, macrophages and dendritic cells. ... The Red Ribbon is a symbol for solidarity with HIV-positive people and those living with AIDS. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS or Aids) is a collection of symptoms and infections in humans resulting from the specific damage to the immune system caused by infection with... Sexually-transmitted infections (STIs), also known as sexually-transmitted diseases (STDs), are diseases that are commonly transmitted between partners through some form of sexual activity, most commonly vaginal intercourse, oral sex, or anal sex. ...

Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragán, President of the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Assistance to Health Care Workers, has stated that Pope Benedict XVI asked his department to study the issue as part of a broad look at several questions of bioethics.^[68] However, the president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, Cardinal López Trujillo, in an interview reported by Catholic News Agency on May 4, 2006, said that the Church "maintains unmodified the teaching on condoms", and added that the Pope had "not ordered any studies about modifying the prohibition on condom use."^[69] The Pontifical Council for the Family is part of the Curia of the Roman Catholic Church. ... His Eminence Alfonso Cardinal López Trujillo (born 8 November 1935) is a Cardinal Bishop of the Roman Catholic Church and president of the Pontifical Council for the Family. ... May 4 is the 124th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (125th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Catholic teaching on Scripture

Some have misrepresented a teaching document entitled "The Gift of Scripture", which the Catholic bishops of England and Wales, and of Scotland issued in 2005. For instance, they have said the bishops "assert that (the) Biblical creation story is just a myth" (though the word "myth" appears nowhere in the document) and that "they advise that Christians should not expect 'total accuracy' from the Bible", a distortion of the statement: "We should not expect total accuracy from the Bible in other, secular matters", where the word "other" stands in contrast to "the truth which God wished to be set down in the sacred writings for the sake of our salvation", a quotation from the document Dei Verbum of the Second Vatican Council.

The text of the document is available here] for downloading.

Controversial Church history

The Inquisition

During periods of the Medieval era, the Church responded to claims of heresy through the Office of the Inquisition. During this time in history, before the separation of Church and State, an accusation of heresy could be construed as treason against lawful civil rule, and therefore punishable by death. Some were condemned by false accusation so that their lands, titles and goods would be forfeited to local rulers. In many cases, the Inquisition saved lives by providing a trial rather than summary execution. Heresy, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is a theological or religious opinion or doctrine maintained in opposition, or held to be contrary, to the Catholic or Orthodox doctrine of the Christian Church, or, by extension, to that of any church, creed, or religious system, considered as orthodox. ... Representation of an Auto de fe, (1475). ...

While Pope John Paul II apologized for certain historic excesses in May 1995, many historians, even non-Catholics, have seen that there have been some exaggerations on the negative roles played by the Church in the Inquisition. In fact, over the several centuries of operation the number of excutions due to this kind of "treason" was significantly less than the same practices carried out in Protestant England and parts of Germany, according to preliminary findings of a team of scholars reviewing the meticulously kept trial records. These scholars point out that the Inquisition began as a way of protecting Europe from the covert penetration by the Turks who led some violent attacks against Christian coastal towns. These historians say that it is difficult, if not unhistorical, to judge by present day standards the threats, issues and resources which the leaders of that time were faced with. [Inquisition by Edward Peters, University of California Press, 1989] Pope John Paul II (Latin: ), born Karol Józef Wojtyła [1], sometimes referred to as John Paul The Great, (May 18, 1920 – April 2, 2005) reigned as Pope of the Roman Catholic Church for almost 27 years, from October 16, 1978 until his death, making his the second-longest...

Social justice, care-giving, and the hospital system

Historian of hospitals, Guenter Risse, says that the Church spearheaded the development of a hospital system geared towards the marginalized.

While it is criticized in many places, the Catholic Church also has contributed much to society through its Social Doctrine which has guided leaders to promote social justice and by setting up the hospital system in Medieval Europe, a system which was different from the merely reciprocal hospitality of the Greeks and family-based obligations of the Romans. These hospitals begun to cater to "particular social groups marginalized by poverty, sickness, and age," according to historian of hospitals, Guenter Risse.^[70] The Catholic Church as opus proprium, says Benedict XVI in Deus Caritas Est, has conducted throughout the centuries from its very beginning and continues to conduct many charitable services—hospitals, schools, poverty alleviation programs, among others. The Catholic Church remains the largest humanitarian organization in the world and is a leading voice for the poor. Download high resolution version (484x689, 168 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (484x689, 168 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... A physician visiting the sick in a hospital. ... Pope Benedict signs the encyclical Deus Caritas Est. ...

Sexual Abuse scandals

In 2002, a major scandal errupted in the U.S. Catholic Church when a wealth of allegations of priests sexually abusing children surfaced. Adding to the furor were revelations that the Church was aware of some of the abusive priests, and simply shuffled them from congregation to congregation instead of taking action. The scandal led to the resignation of Cardinal Bernard Law from the Boston archdiocese. It also led to the perception of 64% of the public that Catholic priests "frequently abused children," while the data shows that only 1.5-1.8% of Catholic priests are accused of child sexual abuse, a lower percentage compared to the incidence in other religions. [11]

See also

• Other articles on the Catholic Church
• Roman Catholic Church by country
• History of the Roman Catholic Church
• Catholicism
• Christianity
• Christian apologetics
• Primacy of the Roman Pontiff
• Catholic church hierarchy
• Lists of Roman Catholics
• Traditionalist Catholic
• Anti-Catholicism
• Criticism of the Catholic Church
• Roman Catholic sex abuse cases
• Catholicism and Freemasonry
• Forgiveness
• Roman Catholic calendar of saints
• List of Roman Catholic converts

The History of the Roman Catholic Church or simply the Catholic Churchcovers a period of just under two thousand years, making the Church one of the oldest religious institutions in history. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Roman Catholic Church. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recounted in the New Testament. ... Christian Apologetics is the field of study concerned with the systematic defense (apologetics) of Christianity. ... The primacy of the Roman pontiff is the monarchical authority of the bishop of Rome, from the Holy See, over the several Churches that compose the Catholic Church in the Latin and Eastern Rites. ... In its application to the Catholic Church, the term hierarchy originally referred to the holy ordering of the entire People of God. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with List of Christians. ... A Tridentine Mass being celebrated in Bohermeen, Ireland in the 1950s. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Roman Catholic Church. ... In the late 20th century, and early 21st, the Roman Catholic Church was confronted with a series of allegations of sexual abuse of children by Catholic priests (who are all male) and by members of the various religious orders (both male and female). ... This article incorporates text from the public domain Catholic Encyclopedia The Catholic Church has often been seen to be in conflict with Freemasonry, a fraternity it sees as tending to anticlericalism. ... Rembrandt - The Return of the Prodigal Son Forgiveness is the action or process of ceasing to feel resentment or anger against another person for an offence or mistake, or ceasing to demand punishment or restitution. ... // January January 1: Mary, Mother of God - Solemnity January 2: Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen - Memorial January 3: Saint Guinevere and The Feast of the Holy Name - Optional Memorial January 4: Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton - Memorial January 5: Saint Telesphorus and Saint John Neumann - Memorial January 6: Blessed... This page lists historic individuals who at some point in their lives, sometimes on their deathbeds, formally adopted the Roman Catholic faith without having been born into it. ...

Footnotes

1. ^ Statistical Yearbook of the Church 2004 (ISBN 88-209-7817-2)
2. ^ Lumen Gentium, 8[1]
3. ^ Matthew 16:18: "And I say to you: That you are Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."
4. ^ Romans 1:20
5. ^ Matthew 11:27
6. ^ Romans 5:12
7. ^ Romans 12:4-5
8. ^ CCC 77-78
9. ^ Matthew 28:20
10. ^ John 14:16-17
11. ^ John 14:26
12. ^ Matthew 18:18
13. ^ Luke 10:16
14. ^ Matthew 18:17
15. ^ 1 Timothy 3:15
16. ^ 1 Corinthians 11:2
17. ^ 2 Thess 2:15
18. ^ 1 Thess 2:13
19. ^ 2 Thess 3:6
20. ^ 2 Timothy 2:2
21. ^ http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html
22. ^ Catechism of the Catholic Church, 85
23. ^ Catechism of the Catholic Church, 773, 775
24. ^ Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2007
25. ^ Romans 3:22
26. ^ Romans 6:3-4
27. ^ Response of the Catholic Church to the Joint Declaration of the Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation on the Doctrine of Justification, 2–3[2]
28. ^ James 2:26
29. ^ James 2:24
30. ^ Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1987–2016
31. ^ Matthew 5:44
32. ^ Second Vatican Council: Dogmatic Constitution Lumen gentium, 14
33. ^ Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on some aspects of the Church understood as communion, 28 May 1992, 9[3]
34. ^ Orientalium Ecclesiarum, 2[4]
35. ^ Second Vatican Council, Decree on the Pastoral Office of Bishops in the Church Christus Dominus, 11[5]
36. ^ Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Decree on the Church Lumen Gentium, 23[6]
37. ^ http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/documents/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_11111994_assyrian-church_en.html (note the less common but by no means unique use in an inter-Church document of "Catholic Church" rather than "Roman Catholic Church"), signed by "His Holiness John Paul II, Bishop of Rome and Pope of the Catholic Church, and His Holiness Mar Dinkha IV, Catholicos-Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East," on November 11, 1994
38. ^ http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p123a9p4.htm#I
39. ^ http://www.vatican.va/archive/catechism/p123a9p4.htm#I
40. ^ http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_jp-ii_apc_22021996_universi-dominici-gregis_en.html
41. ^ http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cclergy/documents/rc_con_cclergy_doc_01011993_chisto_en.html
42. ^ John Paul II, Ordinatio Sacerdotalis[7]
43. ^ http://www.fiu.edu/~mirandas/instruction69.htm
44. ^ CCC 871-2
45. ^ CCC 898
46. ^ CCC 899
47. ^ CCC 901
48. ^ CCC 905
49. ^ CCC 908-9
50. ^ canons 573–746 of the Code of Canon Law
51. ^ canons 573–602, 605–709
52. ^ canon 579
53. ^ canons 710–730
54. ^ canons 731–746
55. ^ http://www.lrb.co.uk/contribhome.php?get=heil01
56. ^ http://www.press.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/hfs.cgi/00/15758.ctl
57. ^ http://www.indiana.edu/~alldrp/members/grant.html
58. ^ http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0306806371
59. ^ http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/history/world/wh0101.html
60. ^ http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/politics/pg0010.html
61. ^ See John Allen, Rise of Benedict XVI; and Two Say Why: Why I am still a Christian (1971), co-written with Hans Urs Von Balthasar.
62. ^ http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt3sect2chpt2art6.htm
63. ^ CCC 2357
64. ^ CCC 2370
65. ^ CCC 2353
66. ^ CCC 2272
67. ^ http://www.aidsmap.com/en/news/ed007047-0e93-4964-9fba-aa887d42817e.asp
68. ^ http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12615605/site/newsweek/
69. ^ http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=6641
70. ^ http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0195055233

Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, is one of the principal documents of the Second Vatican Council. ... The Catechism of the Catholic Church, or CCC, is an official exposition of the teachings of the Catholic Church, first published in French in 1992 by the authority of Pope John Paul II.[1] Subsequently, in 1997, a Latin text was issued which is now the official text of reference... The Catechism of the Catholic Church, or CCC, is an official exposition of the teachings of the Catholic Church, first published in French in 1992 by the authority of Pope John Paul II.[1] Subsequently, in 1997, a Latin text was issued which is now the official text of reference... The Catechism of the Catholic Church, or CCC, is an official exposition of the teachings of the Catholic Church, first published in French in 1992 by the authority of Pope John Paul II.[1] Subsequently, in 1997, a Latin text was issued which is now the official text of reference... The Catechism of the Catholic Church, or CCC, is an official exposition of the teachings of the Catholic Church, first published in French in 1992 by the authority of Pope John Paul II.[1] Subsequently, in 1997, a Latin text was issued which is now the official text of reference... Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, is one of the principal documents of the Second Vatican Council. ... May 28 is the 148th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (149th in leap years). ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... Orientalium Ecclesiarum is the Decree on the Catholic Churches of the Eastern Rite from the Second Vatican Council. ... Christus Dominus is the Second Vatican Councils Decree on the Pastoral Office of Bishops. ... Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, is one of the principal documents of the Second Vatican Council. ... November 11 is the 315th day of the year (316th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 50 days remaining. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... Ordinatio Sacerdotalis (Latin for On Ordination to the Priesthood) is a Roman Catholic papal encyclical or apostolic letter discussing the Roman Catholic Churchs position on the reservation of priestly ordination to men alone. ...

References and Readings

• Annuario Pontificio, 2006 edition (ISBN 88-209-7806-7)
• Vatican: the Holy See
• Catechism of the Catholic Church
• The Catholic Encyclopedia Resource concerning Catholic history and doctrine as well as related matters of philosophy.
• Statistics on the Global Catholic population
• Catholic Answers One of the largest lay-run apostolates of Catholic apologetics and evangelization
• Mary Foundation Free CDs summarizing basic Roman Cathoic teaching on the Mass, Mary, etc.
• American Catholic Catholic Church Questions - FAQs about Catholicism
• H. W. Crocker III. (November 13, 2001). Triumph: The Power and the Glory of the Catholic Church: A 2,000-Year History. Prima Lifestyles
• Thomas Woods, Jr. (May 2, 2005). How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization. Regnery Publications.
• Warren Carrol. History of Christendom.
• Philip Hughes. A History of the Church: The World in Which the Church Was Founded. Sheed & Ward

The Annuario Pontificio or Pontifical Yearbook is the annual directory of the Holy See of the Roman Catholic Church. ...

External links

• CATHworld Search engine and directory for finding more information and sites about the Catholic Church.
• Mass Times A directory of Mass times, parish locations, directions and phone numbers for traveling Catholics
• Global Catholic Statistics: 1905 and Today by Albert J. Fritsch, SJ, PhD
• Catholic Hierarchy Information on Catholic bishops and dioceses
• Best Catholic Links Highly-regarded screened Catholic link directory
• The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church Information on the Cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church
• Catholic Culture Catholic search engine