Meaning of the Catholic Religion: History

The history of Catholicism goes back to the dawn of time, from the Middle Ages to modern times. The Catholic Religion is today more than ever the most widespread religion in the world. It has more than 2.2 billion converts. 😇 All acclaiming the word of God in Jesus Christ! We have long thought that the Catholic religion was the only religion existing in the history of Christianity. But in view of certain beliefs that do not join the same as the Catholic religion, separations have been made and some people today say they are not Catholic but rather Christian: Protestant or Orthodox.

Until now, we have been able to study the different laws between these religions but without really understanding the facts. This is why it is high time to know all the secrets of the Catholic Religion and everything that composes it!

1) Meaning of the Words Catholic

A. The Universal Catholic Church "Katholikos "

The word Catholic literally means " Universal " as for all the Catholic churches that can be cited '' Universal Church ''. Originally, this religion applied to all Christians because we are all part of the same family and the universal church member of the body of Christ. The word Catholic in Latin is said Catholicus , and in Greek Katholikos with an identical meaning meaning: general, in the whole or according to the whole. The use of the word Catholic in English has, for its part, several meanings. Its meanings are: to encompass, to include a wide variety of things, the Roman Catholic faith or even relating to the historical practice of the Western church.

B. Catholic in the World

The Catholic Church is made up of over 2.2 billion baptized people in the world, more than half of whom are 37% Protestant and 12% Orthodox. The majority of churches are called Catholic and all venerate the same doctrines that have been born since the writing of the Old Testament and the New Testament. It is possible that a church transmits the Catholic Rites in a different and unique way, but they will always remain in accordance with the scriptures and what the Lord Jesus Christ has transmitted to us! The term '' Catholic '' was first used to describe the Christian Church at the very beginning of the 2nd century to emphasize its universal scope. The term was incorporated in the name of the largest Christian communion located in Rome.

C. Christian Religions: the Best Known

Some Protestant churches use the term Catholic Church to refer to all believers in Jesus Christ throughout the world and ages. This does not take away the fact that there are some differences in what attracts worship and the image borne by our God. On the other hand, the Eastern Orthodox, Anglicans, Lutherans and some Methodists, declare that their churches are Catholic, in the sense that they are in continuity with the original universal church founded by the apostles. The Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches all believe that their churches are the only original and universal churches. According to their doctrine, Catholicity is considered one of the four marks of the church, the others being unity, holiness and apostolicity. This according to the Nicene Creed in 381: " I believe in the one holy catholic and apostolic church. " It is crucial to remember, however, that when early Christians used the term Catholic, they were not referring to any particular church, denomination, rite, or communion. They were simply referring to all true believers who worshiped the Lord God Jesus Christ.

2) Difference between Catholic and Christian

A. Origin of the Christian Term

The first known use of the term Christian is in the New Testament of the Bible . The term was first used to refer to people who were known or perceived to be followers of Jesus. Similarly, in the other two New Testaments, it refers to the public identity of those who follow Jesus. Now, when the term "Christian" is used to refer to a follower of Jesus Christ, that person can either be in the Protestant or Orthodox family. Most followers who come from other Christian religions would identify as Christians, while those who follow the Catholic faith would identify as Catholics and not Christians.

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B. Catholic Biblical Teaching

The Teachings of the Catholic Church come from two sources: the Holy Scriptures of the Bible and Holy Tradition. Catholicism, like Christianity, considers the Holy Bible to be a collection of canonical books in two parts: theOld and New Testaments . These books are characterized by having been written by human authors under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and therefore the inherent word of God. The Catholic Church teaches the doctrines of Jesus Christ as they are transmitted in the New Testament of the Bible. The latter transmits the teachings, psalms and stories of the Jewish prophets. The Catholic religion preserves a tradition coming from religious monks that goes back to the early Middle Ages and even later. Catholicity is based on the entire Bible, and more particularly, all the detailed teachings of Jesus given in the New Testament. And it is also for this reason that the biblical story of Christ is so long! You can see it on this sublime religious painting. 📖

C. Beliefs of Catholics and Christians

While Catholicism preaches and believes that the Roman Catholic Church is the supreme authority, Christianity encompasses all churches. Catholics also follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, but do so through the church which they see as the path to Jesus. They believe in the special authority of the Pope that other Christians do not believe in and are free to accept or reject individual teachings and interpretations of the Bible. That said, the primary goal of Catholics and Christians is always to seek forgiveness of our Sins through the Christian Faith in Jesus Christ . This is to create the manifestation of the Kingdom of God on earth and the fulfillment of Heaven and the afterlife. 🙌

D. Difference between Catholic and Protestant

BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION

Most non-Catholic Christians would actually be Protestants. The differences between Catholics and Protestant Christians are due to their interpretation of scriptures , rules, and laws. The fundamental difference is how they believe we are to be accepted by God, welcomed into heaven, and how to avoid hell. Another core Christian belief is that they believe that Jesus died for our sins, and as such, we only need to believe in God in order to enter heaven and be accepted by Him (Romans 4:6). Catholics on the other hand, believe that what you do in life is just as important as believing in God and Jesus. Our actions in life determine whether we are worthy of entering heaven. Faith in God and Jesus alone is not enough.

POPE OF CHRISTIANITY '' FRANCIS''

Another very important point that differentiates a Christian and a Catholic is the representation of the Pope . Catholics believe that the Pope is the representative of God here below, as the leader of the Catholic Church . The Pope has authority over the interpretations of the Holy Scriptures. The rules that the Pope instills are the law and must be respected, as if they were the word of God. Conversely, Protestants are in total disagreement with Catholics and categorically refuse to give sovereignty to the Pope.

THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST

Protestant Christians believe that once you believe and have faith in Jesus Christ, you are born again. You do not need to be baptized to be a Christian. Through the scriptures given to you, you will receive Christ and then be baptized. Catholics on the other hand, believe that one is born again on the day of Baptism . Baptism for Catholics is therefore the representation of dying with Christ and being resurrected with him.

Baptism is therefore a memorable moment for Catholic Christians. Each baptism is celebrated, and the parents of the child reserve this day to organize a big party. You then find baptism table decorations and guests offering gifts to the child and celebrating with the parents this sacred day.

E. Difference between Buddhism and Christianity

If you are interested in knowing the history of Buddha and the beginning of the practice of Buddhism, we would like to share this article with you: Buddhism in the country of Japan talking about the Buddhist religion. You will then be able to compare the Christian religion to that of Buddhism in order to know what differentiates them. The site presenting this article is called: au-coeur-du-japon.com .

3) History of Roman Catholicism

A. The Emergence of Catholic Christianity

In an unfinished form, all of ancient history and the teachings of Catholicism are written in the New Testament. The Acts of the Apostles begins with a description of Jesus' disciples in Jerusalem . But by the end of its narrative, the Christian community has developed some criteria for determining the difference between authentic apostolic teaching and behavior. Later epistles of the New Testament recommend its readers to keep what has been entrusted to them (1 Timothy 6:20) and to fight for the Christian faith that has been handed down to the saints (Jude 3). This Catholic Teaching speaks of the Christian community that seeks to transmit that the body of Christ is the fullness of him who fills all things in all. It is obvious that these Catholic characteristics were proclaimed in response to opposition that contradicts this doctrine.

B. The Catholic Church in the Middle Ages

During the thousand years of the Middle Ages , from the fall of Rome to the Renaissance, the transmission of the sacred word of God matured and established itself as the preeminent authority over the church. Religious life took new forms, and faithful followers of Jesus Christ expanded the geographical boundaries of the Christian faith. Evangelical missions were most often led by monks, who also preserved the traditions of classical education. After 1000, cathedral schools replaced monasteries as cultural centers, and new forms of learning emerged. Cathedral schools were in turn supplanted by universities, which promoted Catholic education by Arab scholars inspired by the work of Aristotle. Scholastic education , the highly formalized philosophical and theological systems developed by medieval masters, dominated Roman Catholic thought until the twentieth century. They contributed to the formation of the European intellectual tradition. 👨‍🎓

C. Beginning of the Doctrine of the Church

EVOLUTION OF CHRISTIANITY

By the tenth century, the religious and cultural community known as ' Christendom ' had come into being and was poised to enter a prolonged period of growth and expansion. Significant advances had been made long before this period, however. Beginning in the last years of the Roman Empire, the central institutions of medieval Catholic Christianity gradually evolved, laying the foundations for the great advances of the later Middle Ages.

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY

One of the most significant developments of the late antique and early medieval period for Roman Catholicism and all forms of Christianity was the emergence of Christian theology . In the 2nd and 3rd centuries, Christian apologists attempted to explain their Christian faith to their pagan contemporaries in the philosophical vocabulary of the time. It was not until the 4th and 5th centuries , however, that fundamental Christian doctrines were established. TheFirst Council of Nicaea and all subsequent Councils formulated the doctrines concerning the nature of the divinity and person of Christ.

D. Fathers of the Latin Church: Catholic

The most prominent and influential theologian and father of the Latin Church was Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430). His teachings on the sacraments, salvation, and the Trinity remained the starting point for discussion for Christian thinkers throughout the Middle Ages and beyond. His monumental City of God provided a Christian philosophy of history and a new way of understanding human society and its relationship with God. Augustine's works were a model of style, Latin, scholarly, and elegant. As were the sermons of Saint Ambrose (339-397) presenting his excommunication of "Theodosius" in 390 that set important precedents. Another Church Father, Saint Jerome (c. 347-419/420), who produced a Latin translation of the Bible, the Vulgate, that would serve as the standard text for centuries to come. Later ecclesiastics, including Caesarius of Arles (c. 470–542) and Isidore of Seville (c. 560–636), produced a formidable body of Christian commentaries and other studies that built on the foundations of the Church Fathers .

E. The Schism 1054 between the East and the West

By the end of the 8th century, the church had become an entirely Western entity, breaking its alliance with the emperors of Constantinople and establishing a new alliance with the Carolingian dynasty (founded in 751). In the early Middle Ages , tensions between Rome and Constantinople increased, eventually leading to the Great Schism of 1054. The Western and Eastern Churches were further divided in the early 8th century. The division of these two churches was due to the imperial agenda of iconoclasm: the banning of the veneration of images of Christ and the saints, the increased taxation of Rome by Constantinople, and the inability of the Byzantine emperor to protect the papacy and its territories from the depravities of the Lombard invasion. Although no agreement could be reached, the initiative paved the way for a revolution in papal diplomacy and in the institutional orientation of the church in Rome. Although the formal break between the two churches did not occur until three centuries later, differences over the insertion of the Filioque clause into the creed aggravated tensions between East and West .

4) Lots of religious articles for all Christians: Catholics, Protestants or Orthodox

Now you know the origin of the word Catholic, its meaning and why there are religions that differ from it.