This article will discuss what Catholicism is and who Catholics are. This direction is considered one of the branches of Christianity, formed due to a large split in this religion, which occurred in 1054.
Who are Catholics? Catholicism is in many ways similar to Orthodoxy, but there are also differences. The Catholic religion differs from other currents in Christianity by the peculiarities of dogma, religious rites. Catholicism supplemented the “Creed” with new dogmas.
Spread
Catholicism is widespread in the Western European (France, Spain, Belgium, Portugal, Italy) and Eastern European (Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, partly Latvia and Lithuania) countries, as well as in the states of South America, where the vast majority of the population professes it. Catholics also exist in Asia and Africa, but the influence of the Catholic religion is not significant here. Catholics in Russia in comparison with the Orthodox are a minority. There are about 700 thousand of them. Catholics of Ukraine are more numerous. There are about 5 million people.
Title
The word "Catholicism" is of Greek origin and in translation means universality or universality. In the modern sense, this term refers to the western branch of Christianity, which adheres to apostolic traditions. Apparently, the church was understood as something universal and universal. Ignatius of Antioch spoke about this in 115. The term "Catholicism" was officially introduced at the first Council of Constantinople (381 year). The Christian church was recognized as one, holy, catholic and apostolic.
The origin of Catholicism
The term “church” began to appear in written sources (letters from Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp of Smyrns) from the second century. This word was synonymous with the municipality. At the turn of the second and third centuries, Irenaeus of Lyons applied the word “church” to Christianity as a whole. For individual (regional, local) Christian communities, it was used with the appropriate adjective (for example, the Church of Alexandria).
In the second century, Christian society was divided into laity and clergy. In turn, the latter were divided into bishops, priests and deacons. It remains unclear how management was carried out in the communities - collectively or individually. Some experts believe that power was at first democratic, but eventually became monarchical. The clergy was governed by a Spiritual Council led by a bishop. This theory is confirmed by the letters of Ignatius of Antioch, in which he mentions the bishops as leaders of Christian municipalities in Syria and Asia Minor. Over time, the Spiritual Council became just an advisory body. But the real power in a particular province was possessed only by the bishop.
In the second century, the desire to preserve apostolic traditions contributed to the emergence of
church hierarchy and structure. The church was supposed to protect the faith, dogmas and canons of scripture. All this, as well as the influence of the syncretism of the Hellenistic religion, led to the formation of Catholicism in its ancient form.
The final formation of Catholicism
After the division of Christianity in 1054 into the western and eastern branches, they became known as Catholic and Orthodox. After the Reformation of the sixteenth century, the word "Roman" began to be added to the term "Catholic" more and more in everyday life. From the point of view of religious studies, the concept of "Catholicism" embraces many Christian communities that adhere to the same doctrine as the Catholic Church and are subject to the authority of the Pope. There are also Uniate and East Catholic churches. As a rule, they came out of the power of the Patriarch of Constantinople and became subordinate to the Pope, however, they retained their dogmas and rites. Examples are Greek Catholics, the Byzantine Catholic Church and others.
Key tenets and postulates
To understand who the Catholics are, one needs to pay attention to the basic tenets of their creed. The main dogma of Catholicism, which distinguishes it from other areas of Christianity, is the thesis that the Pope is infallible. However, there are many cases when the popes in the struggle for power and influence entered into dishonest alliances with large feudal lords and kings, were obsessed with profit and constantly increased their wealth, and also intervened in politics.
The next postulate of Catholicism is the dogma of purgatory, approved in 1439 at the Florence Cathedral. This teaching is based on the fact that the human soul after death goes to purgatory, which is an intermediate level between hell and paradise. There she can be cleansed from sins through various trials. Relatives and friends of the deceased can help his soul cope with trials through prayers and offerings. It follows that the fate of man in the afterlife depends not only on the righteousness of his life, but also on the financial well-being of his loved ones.
An important postulate of Catholicism is the thesis of the exclusive status of the clergy. According to him, without resorting to the services of the clergy, a person cannot earn God's mercy on his own. The priest of Catholics has serious advantages and privileges in comparison with an ordinary flock. According to the Catholic religion, only the clergy have the right to read the Bible - this is its exclusive right. Other believers are prohibited. Only editions written in Latin are considered canonical.
Catholic dogma necessitates the systematic confession of believers before the clergy. Everyone is obliged to have their own confessor and constantly report to him about their own thoughts and actions. Without systematic confession, soul salvation is impossible. This condition allows the Catholic clergy to penetrate deeply into the personal life of their flock and control every step of the person. Constant confession allows the church to have a serious impact on society, and especially on women.
Catholic Sacraments
The main task of the Catholic Church (the community of believers in general) is to preach Christ in the world. Sacraments are considered visible signs of God's invisible grace. In essence, these are actions established by Jesus Christ that must be performed for the good and salvation of the soul. There are seven sacraments in Catholicism:
- Epiphany;
- anointing (confirmation);
- Eucharist, or Communion (the first communion with Catholics is taken at the age of 7-10 years);
- the sacrament of repentance and reconciliation (confession);
- bare blessing;
- sacrament of the priesthood (ordination);
- the sacrament of marriage.
According to some experts and researchers, the roots of the sacraments of Christianity go back to the pagan mysteries. However, this point of view is actively criticized by theologians. According to the latter, in the first centuries AD e. pagans were borrowed from Christianity some rites.
How do Catholics differ from Orthodox Christians
What is common in Catholicism and Orthodoxy is that in both of these branches of Christianity, the church is a mediator between man and God. Both churches agree that the Bible is the basic document and doctrine of Christianity. However, there are many differences and disagreements between Orthodoxy and Catholicism.
Both directions agree that there is one God in three incarnations: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (trinity). But the origin of the latter is interpreted differently (Filioque problem). The Orthodox profess the “Symbol of Faith”, which proclaims the coming of the Holy Spirit only “from the Father”. Catholics add “and the Son” to the text, which changes the dogmatic meaning. Greek Catholics and other Eastern Catholic denominations preserved the Orthodox version of the “Creed”.
Both Catholics and Orthodox understand that there is a difference between the Creator and creation. However, according to Catholic canons, the world has a material character. He was created by God from nothing. In the material world there is nothing divine. While Orthodoxy suggests that the divine creation is the embodiment of God himself, it comes from God, and therefore he is invisibly present in his creations. Orthodoxy believes that it is possible to touch God through contemplation, that is, to approach the divine through consciousness. Catholicism does not accept this.
Another difference between Catholics and Orthodox is that the former consider it possible to introduce new dogmas. There is also a doctrine of the "good deeds and merits" of Catholic saints and the church. On its basis, the Pope can forgive sins of his flock and is the vicar of God on Earth. In matters of religion, he is considered infallible. This dogma was adopted in 1870.
Differences in rites. How Catholics Are Baptized
There are differences in rituals, the design of churches, etc. Even the Orthodox prayer procedure is not performed exactly as Catholics pray. Although at first glance it seems that the difference is in some little things. To feel the spiritual difference, it is enough to compare two icons, Catholic and Orthodox. The first is more like a beautiful picture. In Orthodoxy, the icons are more sacred. Many are interested in the question of how to be baptized Catholics and Orthodox. In the first case, they are baptized with two fingers, and in Orthodoxy - three. In many Eastern Catholic rites, the thumb, forefinger, and middle finger are put together. How are Catholics baptized yet? A less common way is to use an open hand, the fingers of which are tightly pressed, and the large one is slightly bent to the inside. This symbolizes the openness of the soul to the Lord.
The fate of man
The Catholic Church teaches that people are burdened with original sin (with the exception of the Virgin Mary), that is, in every person from birth there is a seed of Satan. Therefore, people need the grace of salvation that can be obtained by living by faith and doing good deeds. The knowledge of the existence of God is, despite human sinfulness, accessible to the human mind. This means that people are responsible for their actions. Everyone is loved by God, but in the end he awaits the Last Judgment. Particularly righteous and pious people are reckoned among the Saints (canonized). The church keeps a list of them. The process of canonization is preceded by beatification (being blissful). Orthodoxy also has a cult of Saints, but most Protestant currents reject it.
Indulgences
In Catholicism, indulgence is the complete or partial release of a person from punishment for his sins, as well as from the corresponding atoning action imposed on him by a priest. Initially, the basis for obtaining indulgence was the commission of some good deed (for example, a pilgrimage to holy places). Then he became a donation of a certain amount in favor of the church. In the Renaissance, serious and widespread abuses were observed, which consisted in the distribution of indulgences for money. As a result, this triggered the start of protests and the reform movement. In 1567, Pope Pius V imposed a ban on the issuance of indulgences for money and material resources in general.
Celibacy in catholicism
Another serious difference between the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church is that all the clergy of the latter give a vow of celibacy (celibacy). Catholic clergy have no right to marry and generally have sexual intercourse. All attempts to marry after receiving deacon’s dignity are considered invalid. This rule was announced during the time of Pope Gregory the Great (590-604), and was finally approved only in the 11th century.
The eastern churches rejected the Catholic version of celibacy at Trull Cathedral. In Catholicism, the vow of celibacy applies to all clergy. Initially, small church officials had the right to marry. Married men could have been dedicated to them. However, Pope Paul VI abolished them, replacing the posts of reader and acolyte, which ceased to be associated with the status of a cleric. He also introduced the institute of life-long deacons (not going to advance further in the church career and become priests). Among them may be married men.
As an exception, married men who converted to Catholicism from various branches of Protestantism, where they had the ranks of pastors, clergy, etc., can be ordained to the priesthood. However, the Catholic Church does not recognize their priesthood.
Now the obligation of celibacy for all Catholic clergy is the subject of heated debate. In many European countries and the USA, some Catholics believe that the mandatory vow of celibacy should be abolished for non-religious clergy. However, Pope John Paul II did not support such a reform.
Celibacy in Orthodoxy
In Orthodoxy, clergy can be married if the marriage was concluded before ordination in the priestly or deaconial dignity. However, only monks of the small schema, widowed priests, or celibates can become bishops. In the Orthodox Church, the bishop must be a monk. Only archimandrites can be ordained to this rank. Just celibates and representatives of a married white clergy (non-religious) cannot become bishops. Sometimes, as an exception, bishop ordination is possible for representatives of these categories. However, before this, they must accept the small monastic schema and receive the rank of archimandrite.
Inquisition
When asked who the Catholics of the medieval period are, you can get an idea by familiarizing yourself with the activities of such a church body as the Inquisition. It was a judicial institution of the Catholic Church, which was intended to combat heresy and heretics. In the XII century, Catholicism was faced with the growth of various opposition movements in Europe. One of the main was Albigenship (Qatar). The popes entrusted the bishops with the duty of fighting them. They had to identify the heretics, judge them and transfer them to the secular authorities in order to carry out the sentence. The highest punishment was burning at the stake. But bishopric activity was not very effective. Therefore, Pope Gregory IX created a special church body, the Inquisition, to investigate the crimes of heretics. Initially directed against the Cathars, it soon turned against all heretical movements, as well as witches, sorcerers, blasphemers, Gentiles, and so on.
Inquisition Tribunal
Inquisitors were recruited from members of various
monastic orders, primarily from the Dominicans. The Inquisition was directly subordinate to the Pope. Initially, the tribunal was headed by two judges, and since the 14th century - one, but with it were legal consultants who determined the degree of “hereticity”. In addition, the number of court employees included a notary public (certified the testimony), witnesses, a doctor (controlled the state of the defendant during the executions), a prosecutor and an executioner. The inquisitors were given part of the confiscated property of heretics, so there is no need to speak about the honesty and justice of their court, since it was beneficial for them to convict a person guilty of heresy.
Inquisition Procedure
Inquisition investigation was of two types: general and individual. At the first, a large part of the population of any locality was interviewed. In the second, a certain person was called through a cure. In those cases when the called person did not appear, he was excommunicated. The man took an oath to sincerely tell everything that he knows about heretics and heresy. The investigation and proceedings were kept in the deepest secrecy. It is known that the Inquisitors widely used torture that was authorized by Pope Innocent IV. Sometimes their cruelty was condemned even by secular authorities.
The defendants were never told witness names. Often they were excommunicated, murderers, thieves, oath-criminals - people whose testimonies were not taken into account even by the secular courts of that time. The defendant was deprived of the right to have a lawyer. The only possible form of defense was an appeal to the Holy See, although it was formally forbidden by Bull 1231. People who were once convicted by the Inquisition could be brought to justice again at any time. Even death did not save from the investigation. If the deceased was already found guilty, then his ashes were taken out of the grave and burned.
Penal system
The list of punishments for heretics was established by bulls 1213, 1231, as well as by decrees of the Third Lateran Council. If a person confessed to heresy and repented already during the process, he was sentenced to life imprisonment. The tribunal had the right to shorten the term. However, such sentences were rare. At the same time, prisoners were kept in extremely tight cells, often shackled in shackles, fed on water and bread. During the late Middle Ages, this sentence was commuted to hard labor in galleys. Persistent heretics were sentenced to be burned at the stake. If a person appeared before the beginning of the trial over him, then various church punishments were imposed on him: excommunication, pilgrimage to holy places, donations to the church, interdict, various types of penances.
Catholic fasting
Fasting with Catholics is to abstain from excesses, both physical and spiritual. In Catholicism, the following fasting periods and days exist:
- Great fast at the Catholics. It lasts 40 days before Easter.
- Advent Four Sundays before Christmas, believers should reflect on his coming coming and be spiritually focused.
- All Fridays.
- Dates of some great Christian holidays.
- Quatuor anni tempora. Translated as "four seasons." These are special days of repentance and fasting. The believer must fast every Wednesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
- Fasting before communion. The believer should abstain from food one hour before communion.
The requirements for fasting in Catholicism and Orthodoxy are mostly similar.