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The theology of the Roman Catholic Church largely resembles that of Catholic Christianity. Roman Catholics believe in the authority of Scripture and Sacred Tradition, as interpreted by Magisterium.
Teaches that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ, keeping of Ten commandments and receiving sacraments.
The denomination also has a number of distinctive teachings which differentiate it from other Christian churches (although some of these beliefs are also held in other churches). Most notably, Roman Catholics believe in existance of Purgatory, Sacrament of Penance (Catholic Church), Pope as the "Vicar of Chirst on Earth", papal infallibility, Immaculate Conception of Mary and many others.
Church belief is encapsulated in the Nicene Creed and detailed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Formal Catholic worship is ordered by means of the liturgy, which is regulated by church authority. The celebration of the Eucharist, one of seven church sacraments, is considered the center of Catholic worship. However there are numerous additional forms of personal prayer and devotion including the Rosary, Stations of the Cross, and Eucharistic adoration. The church community consists of the ordained priesthood or deaconate, those like monks and nuns living a consecrated life under rule, and the laity.
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Apostolic Succession is the belief that the Pope and Catholic bishops are the spiritual successors of the original twelve apostles, through the historically unbroken chain of consecration (see: Holy Orders). The Pope is the spiritual head and leader of the Roman Catholic Church who makes use of the Roman Curia to assist him in governing. He is elected by the College of Cardinals who may choose from any male member of the church but who must be ordained a bishop before taking office. Since the 15th century, a current cardinal has always been elected.Thavis, John (2005). Election of new pope follows detailed procedure. Catholic News Service. Retrieved on 2008-02-11. Historically, the New Testament contains warnings against teachings considered to be only masquerading as Christianity,2 Corinthians 11:13-15; 2 Peter 2:1-17; 2 John 7-11; Jude 4-13 and shows how reference was made to the leaders of the church to decide what was true doctrine.Acts 15:1-2 The Catholic Church believes it is the continuation of those who remained faithful to the apostolic leadership and rejected false teachings.Paragraph number 84-90 (1994). Catechism of the Catholic Church. Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Retrieved on 2008-02-11.Papal infallibility is the belief that when a pope speaks as head of the Church defining a doctrine concerning faith and morals to be held by the whole Church he does so without error because of the promises made by Jesus in his act of consecration of Peter as the foundation of his church.How infallible is the Pope?. BBC News (2006-09-16). Retrieved on 2008-02-13.
The Holy Family
Catholic belief holds that the church exists both on earth and in heaven simultaneously and thus, the Virgin Mary and the saints are alive and part of the living church. Prayers and devotions to Mary and the saints are common practices in Catholic life. These devotions are not worship, since only God is worshiped. The church teaches that the saints "do not cease to intercede with the Father for us... So by their fraternal concern is our weakness greatly helped."Paragraph number 956 (1994). Catechism of the Catholic Church. Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Retrieved on 2008-02-08.
Catholics venerate Mary with many loving titles such as "Blessed Virgin," "Mother of God," "Help of Christians," "Mother of the Faithful." She is given special honor and devotion above all other saints but this honor and devotion differs essentially from the adoration given to God.Paragraph number 971 (1994). Catechism of the Catholic Church. Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Retrieved on 2008-02-08. Catholics do not worship Mary but honor her as mother of Christ, mother of the church and as a spiritual mother to each believer of Christ.Catechism of the Catholic Church. Libreria Editrice Vaticana (2003-11-04). Retrieved on 2008-03-04. She is called the greatest of the saints, the first disciple, and Queen of Heaven. Catholic belief encourages following her example of holiness. Prayers and devotions asking for her intercession, such as the rosary, the Hail Mary and the Memorare are common Catholic practice. The Church devotes several liturgical feasts to Mary. Although there are others, the major feasts of Mary celebrated on the liturgical calendar are: The Immaculate Conception, Mary, Mother of God, The Visitation, The Assumption, The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary; and in the America\'s the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Pilgrimages to Marian shrines like Lourdes, France and Fátima, Portugal are also a common form of devotion and prayer asking for her intercession.
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Pope Benedict XVI celebrates the Eucharist at the canonization of Frei Galvão in São Paulo, Brazil on 11 May 2007
Sunday is a Holy Day of Obligation for Catholics that requires them to attend Mass. At Mass, Catholics believe that they respond to Jesus\' command to "do this in remembrance of me."Luke 22:19Paragraph number 1341 (1994). Catechism of the Catholic Church. Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Retrieved on 2008-02-24. In 1570 at the Council of Trent, Pope Pius V codified a standard book for the celebration of Mass for the Roman Rite. McBride, Alfred (2006), "Eucharist A Short History", Catholic Update (no. October), <http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac1006.asp>. Retrieved on 14 February 2008 Waterworth, J (translation) (1564-02-07), "[http://history.hanover.edu/texts/trent/ct22.html The Twenty-Second Session The canons and decrees of the sacred and oecumenical Cou ncil of Trent]", Hanover Historical Texts Project (London), <http://history.hanover.edu/texts/trent/ct22.html>. Retrieved on 14 February 2008 Everything in this decree pertained to the priest celebrant and his action at the altar. The participation of the people was devotional rather than liturgical. The Mass text was in Latin as this was the universal language of the church. This was called the Tridentine Mass and endured universally up to Vatican II and the vernacular Mass known as the Novus Ordo Missae.
Catholic mass is separated into two parts. The first part is called Liturgy of the Word; readings from the Old and New Testament are read prior to the Gospel reading and priest\'s homily. The second part is called Liturgy of the Eucharist where the actual sacrament of the Eucharist is celebrated. Catholics regard the Eucharist as the source and summit of the Christian life, and believe that the bread and wine brought to the altar are changed through the power of the Holy Spirit into the true Body and the true Blood of Christ. This is called transubstantiation. The Holy Mass is a re-presentation of Christ\'s sacrifice on Calvary.
There are seven sacraments of the church, of which the most important is the Eucharist. According to the Catechism, these sacraments were instituted by Christ and entrusted to the church.Paragraph number 1131 (1994). Catechism of the Catholic Church. Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Retrieved on 2008-02-08. They are vehicles through which God\'s grace flows into the person who receives them with the proper disposition. In order to obtain the proper disposition, individuals are encouraged to attend classes before being permitted by pastors to receive certain sacraments.Anne Marie Mongoven. The Prophetic Spirit of Catechesis: How We Share the Fire in Our Hearts, p.68. ISBN 0809139227. Participation in the sacraments, offered to them through the church, is how Catholics obtain forgiveness of sins and formally ask for the Holy Spirit. These sacraments are: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, Holy Matrimony
Beginning with Advent, the time of preparation for both the celebration of Jesus\' birth and his second coming at the end of time, the liturgical year follows events in the life of Jesus. Christmas follows Advent beginning on December 25, Christmas Eve, and ends on the feast of the baptism of Jesus on January 13. Lent is the 40 day period of purification and penance that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Maundy Thursday. The Holy Thursday evening Mass of the Lord\'s Supper, marks the beginning of the Easter Triduum which then ends on Good Friday. These days recall Jesus\' last supper with his disciples, his passion, death on the cross, his burial, and his resurrection on Easter Sunday. The season of Easter follows the Triduum and climaxes on Pentecost, recalling the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus\' disciples in the upper room. The rest of the liturgical year is called Ordinary Time.
Section 8 of the Second Vatican Council\'s Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium stated that "the one Church of Christ which in the Nicene 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 to the Bishop of Rome, the Pope; see Petrine theory).
Protestants have rejected the pope\'s statement that Jesus established ‘only one church’ (Catholic Church.)MSNBC
They also rejected the remark by the pope that only the Catholic Church could be called church[1]. The pope said that Protestant denominations are not even churches “in the proper sense.”Vatican says Protestants not churches in ‘proper sense’
Protestants argued that pope is wrong, and that they were churches as well[2].
Although the Catholic Church establishes, believes and teaches that it is the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church,Paragraph number 750 (1994). Catechism of the Catholic Church. Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Retrieved on 2008-02-08. it also believes that the Holy Spirit can work through and make use of other churches to bring people to salvation. In its Constitution, the church acknowledges that the Holy Spirit is active in the Christian churches and communities separated from itself and is called by the Holy Spirit to work for unity amongst all Christians.Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Chapter 2 paragraph 15. Libreria Editrice Vaticana (1964).
According to Catholic belief, immediately after death, a person undergoes judgment in which the soul\'s eternal destiny is specified. Some are eternally united with God in Heaven, often envisioned as a paradise of eternal joy. Conversely, others are destined for Hell, a state of eternal separation from God often envisioned as a fiery place of punishment."Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, \'eternal fire\'" (IV Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1035).
In addition to accepting the states of heaven and hell, Roman Catholicism envisages a third state before being admitted to heaven. According to Roman Catholic doctrine, some souls are not sufficiently free from sin and its consequences to enter the state of heaven immediately, nor are they so sinful as to be destined for hell either.Cf. CCC 1030-1032 Such souls, ultimately destined to be united with God in heaven, must first endure purgatory - a state of purification.CCC 1030-1032 In purgatory, souls "achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven."CCC 1054
Roman Catholics make a distinction between two types of sin.CCC 1854 Mortal sin is a "grave violation of God\'s law" that "turns man away from God",CCC 1855 and if it is not redeemed by repentance and God\'s forgiveness, it causes exclusion from Christ\'s kingdom and the eternal death of hell.CCC 1861
In contrast, venial sin (meaning "forgivable" sin) "does not set us in direct opposition to the will and friendship of God"CCC 1863 and, although still "constituting a moral disorder",CCC 1875 does not deprive the sinner of friendship with God, and consequently the eternal happiness of heaven.CCC 1863
According to Roman Catholicism, pardon of sins and purification can occur during life - for example, in the Sacrament of BaptismCCC 1263 and the Sacrament of Penance.CCC 1468 However, if this purification is not achieved in life, venial sins can still be purified after death.CCC 1030 The specific name given to this purification of sin after death is "purgatory".CCC 1031
Catacomb inscriptions include prayers for the dead.Cabrol and Leclercq, Monumenta Ecclesiæ Liturgica. Volume I: Reliquiæ Liturgicæ Vetustissimæ (Paris, 1900-2) pp. ci-cvi, cxxxix.
The Roman Catholic Church teaches that the fate of those in purgatory can be affected by the actions of the living.CCC 1032
In the same context there is mention of the practice of indulgences. An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven.CCC 1471 Indulgences may be obtained for oneself, or on behalf of Christians who have died.CCC 1479
Prayers for the dead and indulgences have been envisioned as decreasing the "duration" of time the dead would spend in purgatory. Traditionally, most indulgences were measured in term of days, "quarantines" (i.e. 40-day periods as for Lent), or years, meaning that they were equivalent to that length of canonical penance on the part of a living Christian.Indulgences in the Catholic Church | Catholic-Pages.com When the imposition of such canonical penances of a determinate duration fell into desuetude these expressions were sometimes popularly misinterpreted as reduction of that much time of a soul\'s stay in purgatory.Indulgences in the Catholic Church | Catholic-Pages.com (The concept of time, like that of space, is of doubtful applicability to souls in purgatory.) In Pope Paul VI\'s revision of the rules concerning indulgences, these expressions were dropped, and replaced by the expression "partial indulgence", indicating that the person who gained such an indulgence for a pious action is granted, "in addition to the remission of temporal punishment acquired by the action itself, an equal remission of punishment through the intervention of the Church"Pope Paul VI, Apostolic Constitution on Indulgences, norm 5
Historically, the practice of granting indulgences, and the widespreadSection "Abuses" in Catholic Encyclopedia: Purgatory associated abuses, which led to them being seen as increasingly bound up with money, with criticisms being directed against the "sale" of indulgences, were a source of controversy that was the immediate occasion of the Protestant Reformation in Germany and Switzerland.Catholic Encyclopedia: Reformation
Roman Catholic deacon wearing a dalmatic
Men become bishops, priests or deacons through the sacrament of Holy Orders. Candidates to the priesthood must have college degree in addition to another four to five years of seminary formation. This formation includes not only academic classes but also human, spiritual and pastoral education. The Catholic Church only ordains men, as the Twelve Apostles were all male.Paragraph number 1577 (1994). Catechism of the Catholic Church. Libreria Editrice Vaticana. Retrieved on 2008-02-08. The Church teaches that women have a different yet equally important role in church ministry, prayer and life.Benedict XVI, Pope [2007]. Jesus of Nazareth. Doubleday, 180-181. ISBN 978-0-385-52341-7. “The difference between the discipleship of the Twelve and the discipleship of the women is obvious; the tasks assigned to each group are quite different. Yet Luke makes clear—and the other Gospels also show this in all sorts of ways—that "many" women belonged to the more intimate community of believers and that their faith—filled following of Jesus was an essential element of that community, as would be vividly illustrated at the foot of the Cross and the Resurrection.”
The Bishops possess the fullness of Christian priesthood; priests and deacons participate in the ministry of the bishop. As a body (the College of Bishops) are considered to be the successors of the Apostles.Canon 42. 1983 Code of Canon Law. Vatican.Canon 375. 1983 Code of Canon Law. Vatican. The pope, cardinals, patriarchs, primates, archbishops and metropolitans are all bishops and members of the Catholic Church episcopate or College of Bishops. Only bishops are allowed to perform the sacraments of holy orders and confirmation.
Each bishop heads a diocese, which is divided into parishes. A parish is usually staffed by at least one priest. Beyond their pastoral activity, a priest may perform other functions, including study, research, teaching or office work. They may also be rectors or chaplains. Other titles or functions held by priests include those of Archimandrite, Canon Secular or Regular, Chancellor, Chorbishop, Confessor, Dean of a Cathedral Chapter, Hieromonk, Prebendary, Precentor, etc. Permanent deacons preach and teach. They may also baptize, lead the faithful in prayer, witness marriages, and conduct wake and funeral services.Committee on the Diaconate. Frequently Asked Questions About Deacons. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Candidates for the diaconate go through a diaconate formation program and must meet minimum standards set by the bishops\' conference in their home country. Upon completion of their formation program and acceptance by their local bishop, candidates receive the sacrament of Holy Orders.
While deacons may be married, only celibate men are ordained as priests in the Latin Rite.Canon 1037. 1983 Code of Canon Law. Vatican.Canon 1031. 1983 Code of Canon Law. Vatican. Protestant clergy who have converted to the Catholic Church are sometimes excepted from this rule. The Eastern Rites ordain both celibate and married men.Married, reordained clergy find exception in Catholic church. Washington Theological Union (2003). Retrieved on 2008-02-28. All rites of the Catholic Church maintain the ancient tradition that, after ordination, marriage is not allowed.Chisholm, Hugh (1910). Encyclopedia Brittanica. University of Virginia. Retrieved on 2008-02-28. A married priest whose wife dies may not remarry. Men with "transitory" homosexual leanings may be ordained deacons following three years of prayer and chastity, but men with "deeply rooted homosexual tendencies" who are sexually active cannot be ordained.Pope Benedict XVI. "Instruction Concerning the Criteria for the Discernment of Vocations with regard to Persons with Homosexual Tendencies in view of their Admission to the Seminary and to Holy Orders", Vatican, 29 January 2008.
The Catholic Church\'s discipline of mandatory celibacy for Latin-Rite priests (while allowing very limited individual exceptions) is criticized for differing from Christian traditions issuing from the Protestant Reformation, which apply no limitations, and even from the practice of the ancient Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, which, while requiring celibacy for bishops and priestmonks and excluding marriage by priests after ordination, do allow married men to be ordained to the priesthood (Diaconate). Some also claim that mandatory priestly celibacy appeared only in the Middle Ages.
Some have argued that abolishing the rule of celibacy and opening the priesthood to women would update the Church\'s image as more relevant to modern society, and would help solve the problem of an insufficiency of candidates for priesthood in Western countries.
Many contend that maintaining the tradition in the modern age is unrealistic. In July 2006, Bishop Emmanuel Milingo created the organization Married Priests Now!."Archbishop launches married priests movement", World Peace Herald, July 14, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-11-16. Responding to Milingo\'s November 2006 consecration of bishops, the Vatican stated "The value of the choice of priestly celibacy... has been reaffirmed.""Vatican stands by celibacy ruling", BBC News, November 16, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-11-16.
In the wake of the clergy sexual abuse scandals, some critics have charged that priestly celibacy was a contributing factor.
A theological spectrum exists within Roman Catholicism. Traditionalist Catholics hold to certain traditional positions that have been rejected by the mainstream in the last half-century.
By contrast, "liberal Catholics" typically question some of the church\'s teachings on a variety of issues, eg. artificial contraception, clerical celibacy, sexual morality, and abortion.
Today, the official Church\'s position remains a focus of controversy and is fairly non-specific, stating only that faith and scientific findings regarding human evolution are not in conflict, specificallyAdam, Eve, and Evolution. Retrieved on 2008-04-03.:
Concerning human evolution, the Church has a more definite teaching. It allows for the possibility that man’s body developed from previous biological forms, under God’s guidance, but it insists on the special creation of his soul.
This view falls into the spectrum of viewpoints that are grouped under the concept of theistic evolution (which is itself opposed by several other significant points-of-view; see Creation-evolution controversy for further discussion).
The practice of "speaking in tongues" is not expressly prohibited by the Catholic ChurchGift of Tongues. Retrieved on 2008-04-03..
The Roman Catholic Church considers baptism, even for infants, so important that "parents are obliged to see that their infants are baptised within the first few weeks" and, "if the infant is in danger of death, it is to be baptised without any delay."Code of Canon Law, canon 867 It declares: "The practice of infant Baptism is an immemorial tradition of the Church. There is explicit testimony to this practice from the second century on, and it is quite possible that, from the beginning of the apostolic preaching, when whole \'households\' received baptism, infants may also have been baptized."Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1252
| Sacraments, Rites, and Liturgies of the Catholic Church | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sacraments | Baptism · Reconciliation · Eucharist · Confirmation · Matrimony · Holy Orders · Anointing of the Sick |  |
| Rites and Liturgies | Mass · Low Mass · Missa Cantata · Papal Mass · Concelebration · Carthusian Rite · Ambrosian Rite · Tridentine Mass · Norbertine Rite · Asperges · Pardon · Charismatic Healing · Exorcism · Funeral · Requiem · Mozarabic Rite · Sarum Rite · Holy Qurbana · Roman Rite · East Syrian Rite · Antiochene Rite · Anglican Use | |
| Defunct Rites and Liturgies | Benedictine Rite · Carmelite Rite · Cistercian Rite · Durham Rite · French Organ Mass · Pre-Tridentine Mass · High Mass · Tenebrae · African Rite · Aquileian Rite · Celtic Rite · Gallican Rite · Missa Sicca · Missa Nautica · Missa Venatoria | |
| Christianity topics | ||
|---|---|---|
| Jesus Christ | Virgin birth · Death and resurrection |  |
| Foundations | Christian Church · Gospel · Kingdom of God · New Covenant · Timeline · Twelve Apostles | |
| Bible | Books · Canon: Old Testament, New Testament, and Apocrypha | |
| Theology | Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) · History · Apologetics | |
| History and Traditions | Early Christianity · Ecumenical council · Creeds · Missions · East-West Schism · Crusades · Reformation · Restorationism | |
| Miscellaneous topics | Worship · Art · Criticism · Denominations · Ecumenism · Liturgy (Liturgical year) · Movements · Music · Prayer · Symbolism | |
| Other religions | Buddhism · Islam · Judaism · Paganism | |
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