Jesus was crucified by the Romans in the year 33 AD. Catholics believe Jesus to be a descendant of David, a Jewish king from a long time ago. History How it was started Ĭatholicism was started as a result of Jesus of Nazareth, a Jewish man whom Christians believe is the Son of God, a Christian belief known as the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). These groups have a very different understanding of the term "Catholic". However, the Anglicans and Lutherans generally believe that all Christians are part of the "catholic" church. Different members of the Eastern Orthodox churches have different opinions. Not all Eastern Orthodox believe that the Catholic Church has apostolic succession. However, the Catholic Church does not believe that the Anglicans or Lutherans have it.Įastern Orthodox have similar beliefs about Anglicans and Lutherans. For example, the Catholic Church believes that the Eastern Orthodox have apostolic succession. Also, not all communities believe that the other communities have apostolic succession either. Not all communities believe that other communities use the term "catholic" properly. ("Ordain" or consecrate" is a word for the ceremony that makes a bishop or new religious leader.) Communities that believe they lost their "Apostolic Succession", but asked a different community to "ordain" new leaders for them.Old Catholic, Anglican, and some Lutheran and other groups.Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox.Catholic Church, which is also called the Roman Catholic Church.The groups that use the term "Catholic" to talk about themselves are the: This appointing of leaders is called " Apostolic Succession". They believe Jesus of Nazareth (whom Christians believe is the Son of God) appointed the first bishops, who appointed future bishops, who eventually appointed each community's current bishops. Often these groups have special beliefs about their leaders, called bishops. Many different denominations (groups) of Christians call themselves "catholic". "Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude of the people also be even as, wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church." Groups who call themselves "Catholic" In this letter, Ignatius encouraged the Christian Community to be loyal to their leader, the Bishop. In the year 107, Ignatius wrote a letter addressed to the Christian community in the ancient city of Smyrna. Ignatius lived in the ancient city of Antioch. The oldest document that uses the name "Catholic Church" is a letter written by a man named Ignatius. It is the world's second largest religious denomination after Sunnism. Protestants use guidelines from the 16th-century Protestant Reformation to understand the Bible. Protestants, however, often use each member's own understanding of the Bible to determine beliefs. Catholic and Orthodox churches use church leaders, called bishops, to determine beliefs. The word Catholicism is often used to tell the difference between the beliefs of Catholic Christians and the beliefs of others called Protestant Christians. Sometimes the word also refers to beliefs of other Christian churches, including the Eastern Orthodox Churches, who have many beliefs similar to the Catholic Church, but do not believe the Bishop of Rome is their leader. The Catholic Church is based in the Vatican City, a small independent country in the city of Rome, Italy. Many people use the word Catholicism to talk about religious beliefs of the Catholic Church, whose leader is called the " Bishop of Rome" and often called the " Pope". It also refers to the ways that members of the Catholic religion live and practice their religion. The word also refers to Catholic religious beliefs about ethics (things that are right and wrong).
The word "Catholicism" refers to many things, including its religious beliefs (called theologies and " doctrines"), and its form of religious worship (called liturgies). 5.3 What is different from mainstream ProtestantsĬharacteristics.5.2 What is different from Eastern Orthodox Christians.5.1 The same aspects of Catholic and other Christians.3 Groups who call themselves "Catholic".