Catholicism Case - the History of the Catholic Church

Catholicism

Catholicism is a beautiful religion that dates back hundreds of years ago and is filled with rituals and traditions. In fact, Catholicism is the oldest Christian church in the world. Over the years there have been several branches of the Catholic Church going back to the original times of the Romans. There have been many changes to rules and rituals, but the core values remain. As the oldest church, Catholicism has had an important role in the history of the world and mostly the western civilizations.

The History of the Catholic Church

The "Our Catholic Faith" (2003) website explains how the Catholic Church began in Rome when Peter (one of the 12 apostles) fled from Jerusalem and was founded by Jesus Christ, God in flesh. Some would debate whether or not Peter was in Rome and several have examined the written word (sacred scriptures) to decipher the truth. The year A.D. marks the death of Jesus Christ and the beginning of the Christian and Catholic movements. After the death of Jesus Christ his 12 apostles began spreading the gospel. Several hundred years later in 380 A.D. Catholicism was officially adopted as the one true religion of the Roman Empire.

The Division of the Church

The beginning the ninth century marks the beginning of the first schisms within the Catholic Church. The “Our Catholic Faith” (2003) website shows how there were eastern and western schisms challenging the faith that quickly healed. However, in 1517 a former Roman Catholic priest named Martin Luther formed the Lutheran division which marked the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. Then in 1521 Anabaptism, adult baptism, was adopted into the faith as believers believed that the choice to become Catholic could be done once a person was old enough to know and make a mature decision. Several other schisms formed in the Catholic Church thereafter with The Church of England by John Henry VIII in 1534, The Presbyterian by John Knox in 1560, The Baptist by John Smyth in 1608, The Quakers by John George Fox in 1671, The Methodist by John and Charles Wesley in 1744, and the list continues. However, with all of these divisions amongst the church, Catholicism is remains to be a strong wide-spread religion around the world.

Catholic Hierarchy

There is a hierarchy in the Catholic Church of government to maintain order within the church. The three tier hierarchy includes the pope, the bishops, and the priests. Each of these positions holds an important role within the church. The "Bible" (2012) website states that the church is made of one Pope, 2496 Bishops, and 219,583 Priests. The Pope is appointed as the head of the world church, the bishops are appointed as the head of the mother churches, and the priests are the head of the local churches.

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