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The blaze left only half of the foundation standing, [8] and none of the wooden portals survived. After Wittenberg was incorporated into the Prussian Province of Saxony , King Frederick William IV , in , ordered commemorative bronze doors to be mounted onto the jambs where the original wooden ones had been located. On 10 November , years after Martin Luther's birth, the new doors were commemorated at a formal ceremony. Above the doors is a tympanum crucifixion painting that portrays Luther on the left with his German Bible translation , and Philipp Melanchthon on the right, with the Augsburg Confession , the main confession of faith in the Lutheran Church which was formed by Luther and Melanchthon.

On the occasion of the fourth centenary of Luther's birth in , an extensive restoration of All Saints' in a Neo-Gothic style was begun under the supervision of the Prussian architect Friedrich Adler by his disciple Paul Ferdinand Groth On 31 October , years after Luther posted his 95 Theses on the doors of the church, All Saints' was re-inaugurated. A Lutheran Castle Church parish was established in It later evolved to a centre of the East German peace movement swords to ploughshares , when Friedrich Schorlemmer served here as a preacher from onwards.

In , years after the birth of Luther, 12 new stained glass windows were installed in All Saints'. A new glazed brick roof was added in Today, All Saints' Church serves not only as a place of worship, but it also houses the town's historical archives, is home to the Riemer-Museum, and a youth hostel. The church was festively reopened on 2 October in the presence of President Joachim Gauck and Queen Margarethe II of Denmark , who dedicated an altar frontal designed by herself.

The steeple of All Saints' Church. The inscription Ein' feste Burg ist unser Gott runs just below its base. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Church in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Archived from the original on Wittenberg City and University ". Archived from the original PDF on Johanne Chrysostomo edition. Luther Monument , Washington D.

Luther Monument , Worms. The Catholic Church teaches that, immediately after death, the soul of each person will receive a particular judgement from God, based on their sins and their relationship to Christ. This final judgement , according to the church's teaching, will bring an end to human history and mark the beginning of both a new and better heaven and earth ruled by God in righteousness. Depending on the judgement rendered following death, it is believed that a soul may enter one of three states of afterlife:.

While the Catholic Church teaches that it alone possesses the full means of salvation, [] it also acknowledges that the Holy Spirit can make use of Christian communities separated from itself to "impel towards Catholic unity" [] and "tend and lead toward the Catholic Church", [] and thus bring people to salvation, because these separated communities contain some elements of proper doctrine, albeit admixed with errors. It teaches that anyone who is saved is saved through the Catholic Church but that people can be saved outside of the ordinary means known as baptism of desire , and by pre-baptismal martyrdom, known as baptism of blood , as well as when conditions of invincible ignorance are present, although invincible ignorance in itself is not a means of salvation.

A saint also historically known as a hallow is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness or likeness or closeness to God, while canonization is the act by which a Christian church declares that a person who has died was a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the "canon", or list, of recognized saints. Pious legends of their deaths were considered affirmations of the truth of their faith in Christ. By the fourth century, however, " confessors "—people who had confessed their faith not by dying but by word and life—began to be venerated publicly.

In the Catholic Church, both in Latin and Eastern Catholic churches, the act of canonization is reserved to the Apostolic See and occurs at the conclusion of a long process requiring extensive proof that the candidate for canonization lived and died in such an exemplary and holy way that he is worthy to be recognized as a saint.

The Church's official recognition of sanctity implies that the person is now in Heaven and that he may be publicly invoked and mentioned officially in the liturgy of the Church, including in the Litany of the Saints. Canonization allows universal veneration of the saint in the liturgy of the Roman Rite ; for permission to venerate merely locally, only beatification is needed.

Devotions are "external practices of piety" which are not part of the official liturgy of the Catholic Church but are part of the popular spiritual practices of Catholics. Other devotional practices include the Stations of the Cross , the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Holy Face of Jesus , [] the various scapulars , novenas to various saints, [] pilgrimages [] and devotions to the Blessed Sacrament , [] and the veneration of saintly images such as the santos. Catholic Mariology deals with the doctrines and teachings concerning the life of the Mary, mother of Jesus , as well as the veneration of Mary by the faithful.

Mary is held in special regard, declared the Mother of God Greek: Both of these doctrines were defined as infallible dogma, by Pope Pius IX in and Pope Pius XII in respectively, [] but only after consulting with the Catholic bishops throughout the world to ascertain that this is a Catholic belief. Devotions to Mary are part of Catholic piety but are distinct from the worship of God.

Several liturgical Marian feasts are celebrated throughout the Church Year and she is honoured with many titles such as Queen of Heaven. Pope Paul VI called her Mother of the Church because, by giving birth to Christ, she is considered to be the spiritual mother to each member of the Body of Christ. The Catholic Church teaches that it was entrusted with seven sacraments that were instituted by Christ. The number and nature of the sacraments were defined by several ecumenical councils , most recently the Council of Trent.

Sacraments are visible rituals that Catholics see as signs of God's presence and effective channels of God's grace to all those who receive them with the proper disposition ex opere operato. These groups broadly reflect the stages of people's natural and spiritual lives which each sacrament is intended to serve. The liturgies of the sacraments are central to the church's mission. According to the Catechism:. In the liturgy of the New Covenant every liturgical action, especially the celebration of the Eucharist and the sacraments, is an encounter between Christ and the Church.

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The liturgical assembly derives its unity from the "communion of the Holy Spirit" who gathers the children of God into the one Body of Christ. This assembly transcends racial, cultural, social — indeed, all human affinities. According to church doctrine, the sacraments of the church require the proper form, matter, and intent to be validly celebrated. Catholics, even if they were in danger of death and unable to approach a Catholic minister, may not ask for the sacraments of the Eucharist, penance or anointing of the sick from someone, such as a Protestant minister, who is not known to be validly ordained in line with Catholic teaching on ordination.

In relation to the churches of Eastern Christianity not in communion with the Holy See, the Catholic Church is less restrictive, declaring that "a certain communion in sacris , and so in the Eucharist, given suitable circumstances and the approval of Church authority, is not merely possible but is encouraged. As viewed by the Catholic Church, Baptism is the first of three sacraments of initiation as a Christian.

The Catholic Church sees the sacrament of confirmation as required to complete the grace given in baptism. For Catholics, the Eucharist is the sacrament which completes Christian initiation. It is described as "the source and summit of the Christian life". The Eucharistic celebration, also called the Mass or Divine liturgy , includes prayers and scriptural readings, as well as an offering of bread and wine, which are brought to the altar and consecrated by the priest to become the body and the blood of Jesus Christ, a change called transubstantiation.

The sacrament re-presents makes present the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, [] and perpetuates it. Christ's death and resurrection gives grace through the sacrament that unites the faithful with Christ and one another, remits venial sin, and aids against committing moral sin though mortal sin itself is forgiven through the sacrament of penance. The two sacraments of healing are the Sacrament of Penance and Anointing of the Sick. The Sacrament of Penance also called Reconciliation, Forgiveness, Confession, and Conversion [] exists for the conversion of those who, after baptism, separate themselves from Christ by sin.

While chrism is used only for the three sacraments that cannot be repeated, a different oil is used by a priest or bishop to bless a Catholic who, because of illness or old age, has begun to be in danger of death.

The sacrament is also referred to as Unction , and in the past as Extreme Unction , and it is one of the three sacraments that constitute the last rites , together with Penance and Viaticum Eucharist. According to the Catechism, there are two sacraments of communion directed towards the salvation of others: Men receive the holy orders to feed the Church by the word and grace. Spouses marry so that their love may be fortified to fulfill duties of their state". The sacrament of Holy Orders consecrates and deputes some Christians to serve the whole body as members of three degrees or orders: In the Latin Church, the priesthood is generally restricted to celibate men, and the episcopate is always restricted to celibate men.

But after becoming a Catholic priest, a man may not marry see Clerical celibacy unless he is formally laicised. All clergy, whether deacons, priests or bishops, may preach, teach, baptise, witness marriages and conduct funeral liturgies. The Catholic Church teaches that marriage is a social and spiritual bond between a man and a woman, ordered towards the good of the spouses and procreation of children; according to Catholic teachings on sexual morality , it is the only appropriate context for sexual activity.

A Catholic marriage, or any marriage between baptised individuals of any Christian denomination, is viewed as a sacrament.

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A sacramental marriage, once consummated, cannot be dissolved except by death. The church does not recognise divorce as ending a valid marriage and allows state-recognised divorce only as a means of protecting the property and well being of the spouses and any children. However, consideration of particular cases by the competent ecclesiastical tribunal can lead to declaration of the invalidity of a marriage, a declaration usually referred to as an annulment.

Among the 24 autonomous sui iuris churches, numerous liturgical and other traditions exist, called rites, which reflect historical and cultural diversity rather than differences in belief. The liturgy of the sacrament of the Eucharist , called the Mass in the West and Divine Liturgy or other names in the East, is the principal liturgy of the Catholic Church. Eastern Catholic Churches have their own rites. The liturgies of the Eucharist and the other sacraments vary from rite to rite based on differing theological emphasis.

The Roman Rite is the most common rite of worship used by the Catholic Church. Its use is found worldwide, originating in Rome and spreading throughout Europe, influencing and eventually supplanting local rites. An outline of its major liturgical elements can be found in the side bar. In , Pope Benedict XVI affirmed the continued use of the Roman Missal as an Extraordinary form of the Roman Rite "a Forma extraordinaria " , speaking of it also as an usus antiquior older use , and issued new permissive norms for its employment. The edition of the Roman Missal, published a few months before the Second Vatican Council opened, was the last that presented the Mass as standardised in by Pope Pius V at the request of the Council of Trent and that is therefore known as the Tridentine Mass.

Each successive edition was the ordinary form of the Roman Rite Mass until superseded by a later edition. When the edition was superseded by that of Paul VI, promulgated in , its continued use at first required permission from bishops; [] but Pope Benedict XVI 's motu proprio Summorum Pontificum allowed free use of it for Mass celebrated without a congregation and authorised parish priests to permit, under certain conditions, its use even at public Masses.

Except for the scriptural readings, which Pope Benedict allowed to be proclaimed in the vernacular language, it is celebrated exclusively in liturgical Latin. Since , clergy in the small personal ordinariates set up for groups of former Anglicans under the terms of the document Anglicanorum Coetibus [] are permitted to use a variation of the Roman Rite called "Divine Worship" or, less formally, "Ordinariate Use", [] which incorporates elements of the Anglican liturgy and traditions. In the Archdiocese of Milan , with around five million Catholics the largest in Europe, [] Mass is celebrated according to the Ambrosian Rite.

Other Latin Church rites include the Mozarabic [] and those of some religious institutes. The Eastern Catholic Churches share common patrimony and liturgical rites as their counterparts, including Eastern Orthodox and other Eastern Christian churches who are no longer in communion with the Holy See.

The Eastern Catholic Churches are groups of faithful who have either never been out of communion with the Holy See or who have restored communion with it at the cost of breaking communion with their associates of the same tradition. Eastern Catholic Churches have the autonomy to set the particulars of their liturgical forms and worship, within certain limits to protect the "accurate observance" of their liturgical tradition.

Catholic social teaching , reflecting the concern Jesus showed for the impoverished, places a heavy emphasis on the corporal works of mercy and the spiritual works of mercy , namely the support and concern for the sick, the poor and the afflicted. Catholic teaching regarding sexuality calls for a practice of chastity , with a focus on maintaining the spiritual and bodily integrity of the human person. Marriage is considered the only appropriate context for sexual activity.

The church has also addressed stewardship of the natural environment, and its relationship to other social and theological teachings. In the document Laudato si' , dated 24 May , Pope Francis critiques consumerism and irresponsible development , and laments environmental degradation and global warming. The Catholic Church is the largest non-government provider of education and medical services in the world.

The church has always been involved in education, since the founding of the first universities of Europe. It runs and sponsors thousands of primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities throughout the world [] [] and operates the world's largest non-governmental school system. Religious institutes for women have played a particularly prominent role in the provision of health and education services, [] as with orders such as the Sisters of Mercy , Little Sisters of the Poor , the Missionaries of Charity , the Sisters of St.

The church is also actively engaged in international aid and development through organisations such as Catholic Relief Services , Caritas International , Aid to the Church in Need , refugee advocacy groups such as the Jesuit Refugee Service and community aid groups such as the Saint Vincent de Paul Society. The Catholic Church calls all members to practise chastity according to their state in life. Chastity includes temperance , self-mastery , personal and cultural growth, and divine grace. It requires refraining from lust , masturbation , fornication , pornography , prostitution and, especially, rape.

Chastity for those who are not married requires living in continence , abstaining from sexual activity; those who are married are called to conjugal chastity. In the church's teaching, sexual activity is reserved to married couples, whether in a sacramental marriage among Christians, or in a natural marriage where one or both spouses are unbaptised. Even in romantic relationships, particularly engagement to marriage , partners are called to practise continence, in order to test mutual respect and fidelity.

The couple must foster trust and honesty as well as spiritual and physical intimacy. Sexual activity must always be open to the possibility of life; [] the church calls this the procreative significance. It must likewise always bring a couple together in love; the church calls this the unitive significance. Contraception and certain other sexual practices are not permitted, although natural family planning methods are permitted to provide healthy spacing between births, or to postpone children for a just reason.

Canon law makes no provision for divorce between baptised individuals, as a valid, consummated sacramental marriage is considered to be a lifelong bond. A declaration of nullity, commonly called an annulment, is a judgement on the part of an ecclesiastical tribunal determining that a marriage was invalidly attempted. An innocent spouse who lives in continence following divorce, or couples who live in continence following a civil divorce for a grave cause, do not sin. Worldwide, diocesan tribunals completed over cases for nullity of marriage in The growth in annulments has been substantial; in the United States, 27, marriages were annulled in , compared to in Italy , Portugal , Brazil , Spain , Ireland , Chile and Malta , while the Philippines and the Vatican City have no procedure for divorce.

The Philippines does, however, allow divorce for Muslims. The church teaches that sexual intercourse should only take place between a married man and woman, and should be without the use of birth control or contraception. In his encyclical Humanae vitae [] , Pope Paul VI firmly rejected all contraception, thus contradicting dissenters in the church that saw the birth control pill as an ethically justifiable method of contraception, though he permitted the regulation of births by means of natural family planning.

This teaching was continued especially by John Paul II in his encyclical Evangelium Vitae , where he clarified the church's position on contraception, abortion and euthanasia by condemning them as part of a "culture of death" and calling instead for a " culture of life ". Many Western Catholics have voiced significant disagreement with the church's teaching on contraception.

Similarly, the Catholic Church opposes in vitro fertilisation IVF , saying that the artificial process replaces the love between a husband and wife. The Catholic Church also teaches that "homosexual acts" are "contrary to the natural law", "acts of grave depravity" and "under no circumstances can they be approved", but that persons experiencing homosexual tendencies must be accorded respect and dignity.

The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. This inclination, which is objectively disordered, constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection.

This part of the Catechism was quoted by Pope Francis in a press interview in which he remarked, when asked about an individual:. I think that when you encounter a person like this [the individual he was asked about], you must make a distinction between the fact of a person being gay from the fact of being a lobby, because lobbies, all are not good.

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If a person is gay and seeks the Lord and has good will, well who am I to judge them? This remark and others made in the same interview were seen as a change in the tone, but not in the substance of the teaching of the church, [] which includes opposition to same-sex marriage. Women and men religious engage in a variety of occupations, from contemplative prayer, to teaching, to providing health care, to working as missionaries.

Religious sisters and nuns have been extensively involved in developing and running the church's worldwide health and education service networks. Efforts in support of the ordination of women to the priesthood led to several rulings by the Roman Curia or Popes against the proposal, as in Declaration on the Question of the Admission of Women to the Ministerial Priesthood , Mulieris Dignitatem and Ordinatio Sacerdotalis According to the latest ruling, found in Ordinatio Sacerdotalis , Pope John Paul II affirmed that the Catholic Church "does not consider herself authorized to admit women to priestly ordination".

From the s, the issue of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy and other church members has become the subject of civil litigation, criminal prosecution, media coverage and public debate in countries around the world. The Catholic Church has been criticised for its handling of abuse complaints when it became known that some bishops had shielded accused priests, transferring them to other pastoral assignments where some continued to commit sexual offences. In response to the scandal, formal procedures have been established to help prevent abuse, encourage the reporting of any abuse that occurs and to handle such reports promptly, although groups representing victims have disputed their effectiveness.

George Pell a prelate of the Catholic Church is a convicted sex offender [] []. The Christian religion is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ , who lived and preached in the 1st century AD in the province of Judea of the Roman Empire. Catholic doctrine teaches that the contemporary Catholic Church is the continuation of this early Christian community established by Jesus. Emperor Constantine legalised the practice of Christianity in , and it became the state religion in Germanic invaders of Roman territory in the 5th and 6th centuries, many of whom had previously adopted Arian Christianity , eventually adopted Catholicism to ally themselves with the papacy and the monasteries.

In the 7th and 8th centuries, expanding Muslim conquests following the advent of Islam led to an Arab domination of the Mediterranean that severed political connections between that area and northern Europe, and weakened cultural connections between Rome and the Byzantine Empire. Conflicts involving authority in the church, particularly the authority of the Bishop of Rome finally culminated in the East—West Schism in the 11th century, splitting the church into the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.

Earlier splits within the church occurred after the Council of Ephesus and the Council of Chalcedon However, a few Eastern Churches remained in communion with Rome, and portions of some others established communion in the 15th century and later, forming what are called the Eastern Catholic Churches. Early monasteries throughout Europe helped preserve Greek and Roman classical civilisation. The church eventually became the dominant influence in Western civilisation into the modern age. Many Renaissance figures were sponsored by the church.

The 16th century, however, began to see challenges to the church, in particular to its religious authority, by figures in the Protestant Reformation , as well as in the 17th century by secular intellectuals in the Enlightenment. Concurrently, Spanish and Portuguese explorers and missionaries spread the church's influence through Africa, Asia, and the New World. In , the First Vatican Council declared the dogma of papal infallibility and the Kingdom of Italy annexed the city of Rome, the last portion of the Papal States to be incorporated into the new nation. In the 20th century, anti-clerical governments around the world, including Mexico and Spain, persecuted or executed thousands of clerics and laypersons.

In the Second World War, the church condemned Nazism, and protected hundreds of thousands of Jews from the Holocaust ; its efforts, however, have been criticised as inadequate. After the war, freedom of religion was severely restricted in the Communist countries newly aligned with the Soviet Union , several of which had large Catholic populations. In the s, the Second Vatican Council led to reforms of the church's liturgy and practices, described as "opening the windows" by defenders, but criticised by traditionalist Catholics.

In the face of increased criticism from both within and without, the church has upheld or reaffirmed at various times controversial doctrinal positions regarding sexuality and gender, including limiting clergy to males, and moral exhortations against abortion , contraception , sexual activity outside of marriage, remarriage following divorce without annulment , and against same-sex marriage.

The New Testament , in particular the Gospels , records Jesus' activities and teaching, his appointment of the twelve Apostles and his Great Commission of the Apostles, instructing them to continue his work. In the account of the Confession of Peter found in the Gospel of Matthew , Christ designates Peter as the "rock" upon which Christ's church will be built. Ehrman [] question whether there was a formal link between Peter and the modern papacy. Brown also says that it is anachronistic to speak of Peter in terms of local bishop of Rome, but that Christians of that period would have looked on Peter as having "roles that would contribute in an essential way to the development of the role of the papacy in the subsequent church".

These roles, Brown says, "contributed enormously to seeing the bishop of Rome, the bishop of the city where Peter died, and where Paul witnessed to the truth of Christ, as the successor of Peter in care for the church universal". Conditions in the Roman Empire facilitated the spread of new ideas. The empire's network of roads and waterways facilitated travel, and the Pax Romana made travelling safe.

The empire encouraged the spread of a common culture with Greek roots, which allowed ideas to be more easily expressed and understood.



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Unlike most religions in the Roman Empire, however, Christianity required its adherents to renounce all other gods, a practice adopted from Judaism see Idolatry. The Christians' refusal to join pagan celebrations meant they were unable to participate in much of public life, which caused non-Christians—including government authorities—to fear that the Christians were angering the gods and thereby threatening the peace and prosperity of the Empire. The resulting persecutions were a defining feature of Christian self-understanding until Christianity was legalised in the 4th century. In the Edict of Thessalonica made Nicene Christianity the state church of the Roman Empire , a position that within the diminishing territory of the Byzantine Empire would persist until the empire itself ended in the fall of Constantinople in , while elsewhere the church was independent of the empire, as became particularly clear with the East—West Schism.

During the period of the Seven Ecumenical Councils , five primary sees emerged, an arrangement formalised in the mid-6th century by Emperor Justinian I as the pentarchy of Rome, Constantinople , Antioch , Jerusalem and Alexandria. Most of the Germanic tribes who in the following centuries invaded the Roman Empire had adopted Christianity in its Arian form, which the Catholic Church declared heretical. Western Christianity , particularly through its monasteries , was a major factor in preserving classical civilisation , with its art see Illuminated manuscript and literacy.

During this period, monastic Ireland became a centre of learning and early Irish missionaries such as St Columbanus and St Columba spread Christianity and established monasteries across continental Europe. The Catholic Church was the dominant influence on Western civilisation from Late Antiquity to the dawn of the modern age. The massive Islamic invasions of the mid-7th century began a long struggle between Christianity and Islam throughout the Mediterranean Basin. The Byzantine Empire soon lost the lands of the eastern patriarchates of Jerusalem , Alexandria and Antioch and was reduced to that of Constantinople , the empire's capital.

As a result of Islamic domination of the Mediterranean , the Frankish state, centred away from that sea, was able to evolve as the dominant power that shaped the Western Europe of the Middle Ages. Two or three decades later, in , the Byzantine Empire lost to the Lombards the city of Ravenna from which it governed the small fragments of Italy, including Rome, that acknowledged its sovereignty. The fall of Ravenna meant that confirmation by a no longer existent exarch was not asked for during the election in of Pope Stephen II and that the papacy was forced to look elsewhere for a civil power to protect it.

He then gifted the lands of the former exarchate to the pope, thus initiating the Papal States. Rome and the Byzantine East would delve into further conflict during the Photian schism of the s, when Photius criticised the Latin west of adding of the filioque clause after being excommunicated by Nicholas I. Though the schism was reconciled, unresolved issues would lead to further division. In the 11th century, the efforts of Hildebrand of Sovana led to the creation of the College of Cardinals to elect new popes, starting with Pope Alexander II in the papal election of The basic election system of the College of Cardinals which Gregory VII helped establish has continued to function into the 21st century.

Pope Gregory VII further initiated the Gregorian Reforms regarding the independence of the clergy from secular authority. This led to the Investiture Controversy between the church and the Holy Roman Emperors , over which had the authority to appoint bishops and popes. The Fourth Crusade and the sacking of Constantinople by renegade crusaders proved the final breach. The studia conventualia and studia generalia of the mendicant orders played a large role in the transformation of Church sponsored cathedral schools and palace schools, such as that of Charlemagne at Aachen , into the prominent universities of Europe.

Aquinas' Summa Theologica was an intellectual milestone in its synthesis of the legacy of Ancient Greek philosophers such as Plato and Aristotle with the content of Christian revelation. A growing sense of church-state conflicts marked the 14th century. To escape instability in Rome, Clement V in became the first of seven popes to reside in the fortified city of Avignon in southern France [] during a period known as the Avignon Papacy.

The Avignon Papacy ended in when the pope returned to Rome, [] but was followed in by the year-long Western schism with claimants to the papacy in Rome, Avignon and after Pisa. In , the Council of Florence convened, which featured a strong dialogue focussed on understanding the theological differences between the East and West, with the hope of reuniting the Catholic and Orthodox churches. The Age of Discovery beginning in the 15th century saw the expansion of Western Europe's political and cultural influence worldwide. Because of the prominent role the strongly Catholic nations of Spain and Portugal played in Western Colonialism, Catholicism was spread to the Americas, Asia and Oceania by explorers, conquistadors, and missionaries, as well as by the transformation of societies through the socio-political mechanisms of colonial rule.

Pope Alexander VI had awarded colonial rights over most of the newly discovered lands to Spain and Portugal [] and the ensuing patronato system allowed state authorities, not the Vatican, to control all clerical appointments in the new colonies. These challenges developed into the European movement called the Protestant Reformation , which gave birth to a variety of Christian denominations known today collectively as Protestantism. When the pope denied Henry's petition for a declaration of nullity of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon , he had the Acts of Supremacy passed, making him head of the Church of England , which would in time lead to the development of Anglicanism.

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The first nine-year war ended in with the Peace of Augsburg but continued tensions produced a far graver conflict—the Thirty Years' War —which broke out in A series of popes sided with and became financial supporters of the Catholic League. The Council of Trent — became the driving force behind the Counter-Reformation in response to the Protestant movement. Doctrinally, it reaffirmed central Catholic teachings such as transubstantiation and the requirement for love and hope as well as faith to attain salvation.

From the 17th century onward, the Enlightenment questioned the power and influence of the Catholic Church over Western society. One target of their criticism was the revocation of the Edict of Nantes by King Louis XIV of France , which ended a century-long policy of religious toleration of Protestant Huguenots. The French Revolution of brought about a shifting of powers from the church to the state, destruction of churches, and the establishment of a Cult of Reason.

Napoleon later re-established the Catholic Church in France through the Concordat of In , Pope Pius IX , with the support of the overwhelming majority of Catholic bishops, whom he had consulted from to , proclaimed the Immaculate Conception as a Dogma in the Catholic Church.

The Italian unification of the s incorporated the Papal States, including Rome itself from , into the Kingdom of Italy , thus ending the papacy's millennial temporal power. Pope Pius IX rejected the Italian Law of Guarantees , which granted him special privileges, and to avoid placing himself in visible subjection to the Italian authorities remained a " prisoner in the Vatican ".

A number of anti-clerical governments emerged in the 20th century. After violations of the Reichskonkordat between the church and Nazi Germany , Pope Pius XI issued the encyclical Mit brennender Sorge , which publicly condemned the Nazis' persecution of the church and their ideology of neo-paganism and racial superiority. During the post-war period, Communist governments in Eastern Europe severely restricted religious freedoms.

The church was an important player in the fall of Communism in Europe, particularly in the Polish People's Republic. In , the Communist victory in the Chinese Civil War led to the expulsion of all foreign missionaries. These appointments were initially rejected by Rome, before many of them were accepted. When Chinese churches eventually reopened, they remained under the control of the Patriotic Church.

Many Catholic pastors and priests continued to be sent to prison for refusing to renounce allegiance to Rome. The Second Vatican Council — introduced the most significant changes to Catholic practices since the Council of Trent , four centuries before. The council, however, generated significant controversy in implementing its reforms: Several teachings of the Catholic Church came under increased scrutiny both concurrent with and following the council; among those teachings was the church's teaching regarding the immorality of contraception.

The recent introduction of hormonal contraception including "the pill" , which were believed by some to be morally different than previous methods, prompted John XXIII to form a committee to advise him of the moral and theological issues with the new method. Paul did not agree with the arguments presented, and eventually issued Humanae vitae , saying that it upheld the constant teaching of the church against contraception.

It expressly included hormonal methods as prohibited. His year pontificate was one of the longest in history. John Paul sought to evangelise an increasingly secular world. He instituted World Youth Day as a "worldwide encounter with the pope" for young people; it is now held every two to three years. He also emphasised the dignity of work and natural rights of labourers to have fair wages and safe conditions in Laborem exercens. From the late 20th century, the Catholic Church has been criticised for its doctrines on sexuality , its refusal to ordain women , and its handling of sexual abuse cases.

He was known for upholding traditional Christian values against secularisation , [] and for liberalising use of the Tridentine Mass as found in the Roman Missal of Pope Francis has been noted for his humility , emphasis on God's mercy, concern for the poor and the environment , as well as his commitment to interfaith dialogue. He is credited with having a less formal approach to the papacy than his predecessors. Pope Francis is recognised for his efforts "to further close the nearly 1,year estrangement with the Orthodox Churches ".

This was reported as the first such high-level meeting between the two churches since the Great Schism of In , the Third Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops addressed the church's ministry towards families and marriages and to Catholics in "irregular" relationships, such as those who divorced and remarried outside of the church without a declaration of nullity. In during a visit in Egypt , Pope Francis reestablished mutual recognition of baptism with the Coptic Orthodox Church.

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A map of Catholicism by population percentage for absolute figures, see below. More than 50 million. More than 20 million. More than 10 million. More than 5 million. More than 1 million. Catholic Church by country. List of Christian denominations by number of members. Catholic theology and Catholic Bible. Saint , Canonization , Veneration , and Catholic devotions. Mary, mother of Jesus.

Virgo by Josef Moroder-Lusenberg. Key Marian feast days. Sacraments of the Catholic Church. Confirmation in the Catholic Church. Eucharist in the Catholic Church. Anointing of the Sick in the Catholic Church. Holy orders in the Catholic Church. Marriage in the Catholic Church. Catholic teachings on sexual morality. Roman Rite and Latin liturgical rites.



Chalice with purificator , paten and pall , crucifix , and lit candle. Criticism of the Catholic Church. Emblem of the Holy See. Divini redemptoris Mit brennender Sorge Non abbiamo bisogno Quadragesimo anno. Mater et magistra Pacem in terris. Dignitatis humanae Gaudium et spes.

Octogesima adveniens Populorum progressio. Pope John Paul II. Laborem exercens Sollicitudo rei socialis Centesimus annus Evangelium vitae. Evangelii Gaudium Laudato si'. Catholic Church and health care and Catholic education. Catholic theology of sexuality , Catholic theology of the body , and Marriage in the Catholic Church. Divorce law by country. Homosexuality and the Catholic Church. Catholic Church sexual abuse cases. History of the Catholic Church. History of early Christianity and Historiography of early Christianity.

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Early centers of Christianity , Pentarchy , and List of Christian heresies. Catholic Church and the Age of Discovery. Protestant Reformation and Counter-Reformation. Sasanian conquest of Jerusalem. European wars of religion. Miguel Obando y Bravo. Religious violence in Nigeria. Catholic Church in the 20th century. This audio file was created from a revision of the article " Catholic Church " dated 23 October , and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article.

The Baltimore Catechism , an official catechism authorised by the Catholic bishops of the United States, states: The next most recent resignation occurred in , as part of the Council of Constance 's resolution of the Avignon Papacy. While sacramental marriages are insoluble, non-sacramental marriages may be dissolved under certain situations, such as a desire to marry a Catholic, under Pauline or Petrine privilege.

Both uses adapted Anglican liturgical traditions for use within the Catholic Church. Regarding Peter as the first Bishop of Rome, "It is not, however, difficult to show that the fact of his [Peter's] bishopric is so well attested as to be historically certain. In considering this point, it will be well to begin with the third century, when references to it become frequent, and work backwards from this point. In the middle of the third century St. Cyprian expressly terms the Roman See the Chair of St. Peter, saying that Cornelius has succeeded to "the place of Fabian which is the place of Peter" Ep Firmilian of Caesarea notices that Stephen claimed to decide the controversy regarding rebaptism on the ground that he held the succession from Peter Cyprian, Ep.

He does not deny the claim: Thus in the Roman episcopate of Peter was admitted by those best able to know the truth, not merely at Rome but in the churches of Africa and of Asia Minor. In the first quarter of the century about Tertullian De Pud. Had the Roman Church been merely founded by Peter and not reckoned him as its first bishop, there could have been no ground for such a contention. Tertullian, like Firmilian, had every motive to deny the claim.

Moreover, he had himself resided at Rome, and would have been well aware if the idea of a Roman episcopate of Peter had been, as is contended by its opponents, a novelty dating from the first years of the third century, supplanting the older tradition according to which Peter and Paul were co-founders, and Linus first bishop. About the same period, Hippolytus for Lightfoot is surely right in holding him to be the author of the first part of the "Liberian Catalogue" — "Clement of Rome", 1: Levey, Rossen and Franklin. Retrieved 1 February Sala Stampa della Santa Sede. Retrieved 13 June IVP Academic, , Archived from the original on 10 July Retrieved 17 March A Concise History of the Catholic Church.

Archived from the original on 13 August It is possible, according to Catholic doctrine, to affirm correctly that the Church of Christ is present and operative in the churches and ecclesial Communities not yet fully in communion with the Catholic Church, on account of the elements of sanctification and truth that are present in them. Therefore, there exists a single Church of Christ, which subsists in the Catholic Church, governed by the Successor of Peter and by the Bishops in communion with him. The Churches which, while not existing in perfect Koinonia with the Catholic Church, remain united to her by means of the closest bonds, that is, by apostolic succession and a valid Eucharist, are true particular Churches.

Therefore, the Church of Christ is present and operative also in these Churches, even though they lack full communion with the Catholic Church, since they do not accept the Catholic doctrine of the Primacy, which, according to the will of God, the Bishop of Rome objectively has and exercises over the entire Church. The rich variety of … theological and spiritual heritages proper to the local churches 'unified in a common effort shows all the more resplendently the catholicity of the undivided Church'. In a review of an article from the Encyclopedia of Religion, Gunton writes: Retrieved 25 March The Geopolitics of Catholic Church".

Retrieved 17 August Oxford University Press, June At the Reformation the term 'Catholic' was claimed as its exclusive right by the body remaining under the Roman obedience, in opposition to the 'Protestant' or 'Reformed' National Churches. These, however, also retained the term, giving it, for the most part, a wider and more ideal or absolute sense, as the attribute of no single community, but only of the whole communion of the saved and saintly in all churches and ages.

In England, it was claimed that the Church, even as Reformed, was the national branch of the 'Catholic Church' in its proper historical sense. The full text of the OED definition of "catholic" can be consulted here. Online version available Browseinside. In the latter case, those in communion with the Bishop of Rome retained the adjective "Catholic", while the churches that broke with the Papacy were called Protestant. Archived from the original on 27 August Retrieved 2 July Retrieved 24 October Retrieved 4 May The pope's signature appears in the Latin version. The episcopal college and its head, the Pope — ".

Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition. The episcopal college and its head, the Pope". Catechism of the Catholic Church. Retrieved 14 April Cardinal Bergoglio Elected Pope Francis". Retrieved 14 March A History of the Development of Doctrine, Volume 4: Reformation of Church and Dogma — University of Chicago Press. Archived from the original on 22 July Retrieved 11 August Travel and Living Abroad , 27 February Archived from the original on 2 April Retrieved 12 February Joseph Foundation newsletter , Vol.

The Institute on Religion and Public Life. Retrieved 24 March The Code of Canon Law still teaches that the Church has a coercive authority over the baptized, with the authority to direct and to punish, by temporal as well as spiritual penalties, for culpable apostasy or heresy. New Commentary on the Code of Canon Law. Archived from the original on 16 February Retrieved 6 August Book I General Norms 1—6 ".

Retrieved 3 April Retrieved 30 April In a review of an article from the Encyclopedia of Religion, Gunton writes" Archived from the original on 1 September Catholic Education Resource Center. Retrieved 20 June Division of Religion and Philosophy, University of Cumbria. Accessed 26 March Juridical Status and Power of Governance".