The Roman Catholic Church (lat. Ecclesia Catholica) is an informal term adopted since the beginning of the 17th century to refer to that part of the Western Church that remained in communion with the Bishop of Rome after the Reformation of the 16th century. In Russian, the term is usually used as a synonym for "Catholic Church", although in many countries the corresponding terms in other languages \u200b\u200bare different. In internal documents, the RCC uses for self-designation either the term "Church" (with a definite article in languages that have it), or "Catholic Church" (Ecclesia Catholica). The RCC considers only itself the Church in the true sense of the word. The RCC itself uses this self-designation in its joint documents with other Christian institutions, many of which consider themselves also part of the "Catholic" Church.
The Eastern Catholic Churches use the term in a narrower sense, referring to the institution of the Latin Rite Catholic Church (including, along with the Roman, Ambrosian, Braga, Lyon and Mozarabic).
Since 1929, the center has been a city-state headed by the Pope. Consists of the Latin Church (Latin Rite) and 22 Eastern Catholic Autonomous Churches (lat. Ecclesia ritualis sui iuris or Ecclesia sui iuris), recognizing the supreme authority of the Bishop of Rome.
The largest branch of Christianity, characterized by organizational centralization and the largest number of adherents (about a quarter of the world's population in 2004).
It defines itself with four essential properties (notae ecclesiae): unity, catholicity, defined by St. Paul (Eph 4.4-5), holiness and apostolicity.
The main provisions of the doctrine are set forth in the Apostolic, Nicene and Athanasian Creeds, as well as in the decrees and canons of the Ferrara-Florentine, Trent and Vatican Councils. A popular generalized doctrine is found in the Catechism.
History
The modern Roman Catholic Church regards the entire history of the Church up to the Great Schism of 1054 as its own history.
According to the doctrine of the Catholic Church, the Catholic (Universal Church) was "prototypically proclaimed already from the beginning of the world, miraculously prepared in the history of the people of Israel and the Old Testament, finally, in these last times it was founded, appeared through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and will be completed in glory at the end of time ". Just as Eve was created from the rib of a sleeping Adam, the Church was born from the pierced heart of Christ who died on the Cross.
The doctrine of the Church, according to the conviction of its adherents, dates back to apostolic times (I century). The dogma was formed by the definitions of the Ecumenical and local councils. In the III-VI centuries, the Church opposed the spread of heresies (Gnosticism, Nestorianism, Arianism, Monophysitism, etc.).
In the VI century, the oldest of the West was created - the Benedictines, whose activities are associated with the name of St. Benedict of Nursia. The statutes of the Benedictine order served as the basis for the statutes of later monastic orders and congregations, such as the Camaldules or the Cistercians.
In the middle of the 8th century, the Papal State was created (one of the reasons was a forged document - the Gift of Constantine). In the face of the threat of an attack by the Lombards, Pope Stephen II, not hoping for help from Byzantium, turned to the Frankish king for help, who in 756 handed over the Exarchate of Ravenna he had captured to the Pope. Later attacks by the Normans, Saracens and Hungarians created chaos in Western Europe, which prevented the consolidation of the secular power of the papacy: the kings and lords secularized church property and began to claim their own appointment of bishops. Having crowned Otto I as Holy Roman Emperor in 962, Pope John XII sought to find a reliable patron; however, his calculations were not justified.
The learned monk Herbert of Aurillac, who took the name of Sylvester II, became the first French pope. A popular uprising in 1001 forced him to flee from Rome to Ravenna.
In the 11th century, the papacy fought for the right to investiture; the success of the struggle was largely due to the fact that it was carried out under the popular slogan among the church lower classes (See Pataria) to eradicate simony. The reforms were initiated in 1049 by Leo IX and continued by his successors, among whom stood out Gregory VII, under whom the secular power of the papacy reached its zenith. In 1059, Nicholas II, taking advantage of the infancy of Henry IV, established the Sacred College of Cardinals, which now has the right to elect a new Pope. In 1074-1075, the emperor was deprived of the right of episcopal investiture, which, in conditions when many bishoprics were large feudal estates, undermined the integrity of the Empire and the power of the emperor. The confrontation between the papacy and Henry IV entered a decisive phase in January 1076, when a meeting of bishops organized by the emperor in Worms declared Gregory VII deposed. On February 22, 1076, Gregory VII excommunicated Henry IV from the Church, which forced him into an act known as the Canossa walk.
In 1054 there was a split with the Eastern Church. In 1123, the first council after the schism was held without the participation of the Eastern patriarchates - the First Lateran Council (IX Ecumenical) and since then councils have been held regularly. After the attack of the Seljuk Turks, the Byzantine emperor turned to Rome for help, and the Church was forced to expand its influence by force, creating an outpost in the form of the Kingdom of Jerusalem centered in the holy city. During the first crusades, spiritual and knightly orders began to appear, designed to help pilgrims and protect holy places.
At the beginning of the 13th century, Pope Innocent III organized the 4th crusade. The crusaders inspired by the Venetians captured and plundered in 1202 the Western Christian city of Zara (modern Zadar), and in 1204 - Constantinople, where the Latin Empire was established by the papacy (1204-1261). The forced imposition of Latinism in the East made the schism of 1054 final and irreversible.
In the XIII century, a large number of new monastic orders were founded in the Roman Catholic Church, called mendicants - Franciscans, Dominicans, Augustinians, and others. The Dominican order played a large role in the struggle of the Catholic Church with the Cathars and Albigensians.
A serious conflict arose between Boniface VIII and Philip IV the Handsome because of the desire to expand the tax base at the expense of the clergy. Boniface VIII issued a number of bulls (the first in February 1296 - Clericis laicos) in opposition to such legalizations of the king, in particular one of the most famous bulls in the history of the papacy - Unam Sanctam (November 18, 1302), stating that all the fullness of both spiritual and and secular power on earth is under the jurisdiction of the Popes. In response, Guillaume de Nogaret declared Boniface a "criminal heretic" and took him prisoner in September 1303. With Clement V began the period known as the Avignon captivity of the popes, which lasted until 1377.
In 1311-1312, the Council of Vienne was held, which was attended by Philip IV and secular lords. The main task of the Council was to seize the property of the Knights Templar, which was liquidated by the bull of Clement V Vox in excelso; the subsequent bull Ad providam transferred the assets of the Templars to the Order of Malta.
After the death of Gregory XI in 1378, the so-called Great Western Schism followed, when three pretenders at once declared themselves true popes. Convened by Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund I in 1414, the Council of Constance (XVI Ecumenical Council) resolved the crisis by electing Martin V as Gregory XII's successor. The Council also in July 1415 sentenced the Czech preacher Jan Hus to be burned alive, and on May 30, 1416, Jerome of Prague on charges of heresy.
In 1438, a Council convened by Eugene IV took place in Ferrara and in Florence, the result of which was the so-called Union of Florence, which announced the reunification of the Western and Eastern Churches, which was soon rejected in the East.
In 1517 Luther's preaching began a powerful anti-clerical movement known as the Reformation. During the ensuing Counter-Reformation, the Jesuit order was established in 1540; On December 13, 1545, the Council of Trent (XIX Ecumenical) was convened, which lasted intermittently for 18 years. The council clarified and outlined the foundations of the doctrine of salvation, the sacraments, and the biblical canon; Latin was standardized.
After the expeditions of Columbus, Magellan and Vasco da Gama, Gregory XV founded in 1622 in the Roman Curia a Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith.
During the French Revolution, the Catholic Church in the country was subjected to repression. In 1790, the "Civil Constitution of the Clergy" was adopted, which secured absolute control over the Church for the state. Some priests and bishops took an oath of allegiance, others refused. In Paris in September 1792, more than 300 members of the clergy were executed and many priests had to emigrate. A year later, bloody secularization began, almost all monasteries were closed and ruined. In the Notre Dame Cathedral, the cult of the goddess of Reason began to be planted, at the end, Maximilian Robespierre proclaimed the cult of a Supreme Being as the state religion. In 1795, freedom of religion in France was restored, but three years later, the French revolutionary troops of General Berthier occupied Rome, and from 1801 the Napoleonic government began to appoint bishops.
social doctrine
The social doctrine of the Catholic Church is the most developed in comparison with other Christian denominations and movements, which is due to the presence of extensive experience in performing secular functions in the Middle Ages, and later interactions with society and the state in a democracy. In the XVI century. German theologian Rupert Meldenius put forward the famous maxim: "in necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritas" - "in necessary - unity, in doubt - freedom, in everything - good nature." The famous theologian, Joseph Heffner defined the social teaching of the Catholic Church as “a set of socio-philosophical (taken, in essence, from the social nature of man) and socio-theological (taken from the Christian doctrine of Salvation) knowledge about the essence and structure of human society and about the resulting and applicable to specific social relations norms and tasks of the system.
The social teaching of the Catholic Church was based first on Augustinism, and later on Thomism, and is based on a number of principles, among which stand out personalism and solidarism. The Catholic Church offered its own interpretation of the theory of natural law, combining religious and humanistic ideas. The primary source of the dignity and rights of the individual is God, however, having created man as a bodily and spiritual being, personal and social, He endowed him with inalienable dignity and rights. This was the result of the fact that all people have become equal, unique and involved in God, but have free will and freedom of choice. the fall affected the nature of man, but did not deprive him of his natural rights, and since his nature is unchanged until the final Salvation of mankind, even God is not in the power to take away or limit the freedom of man. According to John Paul II, "the human person is and must remain the principle, subject and goal of all social societies." The experience of the USSR clearly demonstrated that the persistent interference of the state can threaten personal freedom and initiative, so Catholic theologians emphasized the dualism of the state and society. The decisions of the Second Vatican Council and the encyclicals of John Paul II defended the need for separation of powers and the legal nature of the state, in which laws are primary, and not the will of authorized officials. At the same time, recognizing the difference and independence of the nature and purpose of the Church and the state, Catholic theologians emphasize the need for their cooperation, since the common goal of the state and society is "to serve the same". At the same time, the Catholic Church opposes the tendencies of closed states, that is, it opposes “national traditions” to universal values.
Organization and management
Hierarchically, the clergy, clearly separated from the laity, are distinguished by three degrees of priesthood:
* bishop;
* Priest.
* deacon.
The hierarchy of the clergy implies the presence of numerous ecclesiastical degrees and offices (see Church degrees and offices in the Roman Catholic Church), as an example:
* cardinal;
* archbishop;
* primate;
* Metropolitan;
* prelate;
* ;
There are also positions of Ordinary, Vicar and Coadjutor - the last two positions include the function of a deputy or assistant, such as a bishop. Members of monastic orders are sometimes called regular (from Latin "regula" - rule) clergy, but the majority appointed by the bishop is diocesan or secular. Territorial units can be:
* diocese (eparchy);
* archdiocese (archdiocese);
* apostolic administration;
* apostolic prefecture;
* apostolic exarchate;
* apostolic vicariate;
* territorial prelature;
* territorial;
Each territorial unit is made up of parishes, which may sometimes be grouped into deaneries. The union of dioceses and archdioceses is called a metropolis, the center of which always coincides with the center of the archdiocese.
There are also military ordinariates serving military units. Particular Churches in the world, as well as various missions, have the status of "sui iuris". In 2004, missions in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, the Cayman Islands and the Turks and Caicos, St. Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, as well as Tokelau and Funafuti in Tuvalu had this status. . Unlike autocephalous Orthodox churches, all foreign Catholic churches, including sui iuris, are under the authority of the Vatican.
Collegiality in the management of the Church (extra Ecclesiam nulla salus) is rooted in apostolic times. The Pope exercises administrative power in accordance with the "Code of Canon Law" and may consult with the World Synod of Bishops. Diocesial clerics (archbishops, bishops, etc.) operate within the ordinary jurisdiction, that is, legally bound to the office. A number of prelates and abbots also have this right, and priests - within the limits of their parish and in relation to their parishioners.
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH (Roman Catholic Church), a church organization representing one of the main areas of Christianity - Roman Catholicism. Often it is called the Catholic Church, which is not entirely accurate, since the name catholic (= Catholic, that is, universal, catholic) is also used by the Orthodox Church to designate it.
The timing of the founding of the Roman Catholic Church is complex. The appearance of the Christian church in Rome is often attributed to 50 AD. e., however, at that time the Christian world was united and its division into the western and eastern branches had not yet occurred. The date of the split is most often called 1054, but it is sometimes believed that in fact it took place as early as the 8th century, and maybe even earlier.
The Roman Catholic Church, like the Orthodox Church, recognizes the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, but allows one innovation in it, inserting in the 8th member about the Holy Spirit between the words “from the Father” and the “proceeding” word “and the Son” (lat. .filioque). Thus, Catholicism teaches that the Holy Spirit can proceed not only from God the Father, but also from God the Son. This insert, which became one of the main reasons for the final split between Catholicism and Orthodoxy, was first made at the local council of the Spanish church in Toledo in 589, and then gradually adopted by other Western churches, although even Pope Leo III (795-816) strongly refused recognize her. In addition to the Nicene-Constantinopolitan symbol, the Roman Catholic Church highly appreciates the Athanasian symbol, and uses the Apostolic symbol at baptism.
There were other dogmatic differences between Catholicism and Orthodoxy, also associated with the innovations introduced by Rome. Thus, in 1349, the bull Unigenitus introduced the doctrine of the overdue merits of saints and the possibility of the pope and the clergy to freely dispose of this treasury of good deeds to facilitate the justification of believers. In 1439, the Council of Florence adopted the dogma of purgatory - an intermediate link between hell and paradise, where the souls of sinners who have not committed particularly grave (mortal) sins are cleansed. In 1854, the Pope proclaimed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In 1870, the First Vatican Council adopted the dogma of the unlimited power of the pope and of his infallibility when he speaks from the pulpit on matters of faith and morality. In 1950, the pope proclaimed the dogma of the bodily ascension to heaven of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The Roman Catholic Church, like the Orthodox Church, recognizes all 7 Christian sacraments, however, some innovations have been introduced into their celebration and interpretation. In contrast to the ancient practice of baptism through triple immersion in water, Catholics began to baptize by sprinkling and pouring. Confirmation (confirmation) among Catholics can only be performed by a bishop, and this sacrament is not performed immediately after baptism, but upon reaching 7-12 years. In the sacrament of communion, instead of the leavened bread used in the ancient church, unleavened bread (wafers) is used. In addition, before Vatican II, only the clergy could receive communion under two kinds (both bread and wine), while the laity communed only with bread (Vatican II allowed the possibility of partaking of the laity with wine). The formulas of the three listed sacraments themselves have also been replaced in the Roman Catholic Church. The sacrament of repentance among Catholics contains, along with contrition and confession, a penance imposed by a priest. The consecration of the oil is interpreted by Catholics and Orthodox in different ways. For the former, it is not seen as a sacrament designed to give bodily and spiritual healing, but as a sacrament performed over a dying person and preparing him for a peaceful death. The sacrament of marriage is also understood differently. For Catholics, marriage itself is considered a sacrament, not a wedding.
Catholics, like the vast majority of other Christians, recognize as sacred the books of the Old and New Testaments. However, the Old Testament is accepted by them in a slightly different volume than by the Orthodox and Protestants. If the Protestants completely reject the books of the Old Testament found in the Septuagint (a translation of biblical texts from Hebrew into Greek made in the 3rd-2nd centuries BC) or the Vulgate (translated into Latin at the end of the 4th - beginning of the 5th centuries AD), bible texts), but absent in the modern Jewish, so-called Masoretic, Bible, and the Orthodox, although they include them in the Holy Scriptures, but consider them non-canonical, the Catholics fully accept them, including them in the canon.
Catholics and Orthodox, unlike Protestants, recognize, along with Holy Scripture, Holy Tradition (decrees of Ecumenical and local councils, teachings of the Church Fathers), but their content differs markedly. If the Orthodox consider the resolutions of only the first 7 Ecumenical Councils valid (the last of them was held in 787), then for Catholics the resolutions of the 21 Ecumenical Council have authority (the last - Vatican II - was held in 1962 - 65).
In addition to the recognition of Holy Tradition and all the sacraments, the Roman Catholic Church has many other common features with Orthodoxy. Catholics, like the Orthodox, believe that the salvation of people can be achieved only through the mediation of the clergy. Both the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church quite clearly separate the priests from the laity. In particular, they have different rules of conduct (more strict for the clergy). However, the requirements for Catholic priests are even more stringent than the requirements for Orthodox priests. All Catholic priests must observe celibacy (with the Orthodox, only the monastic clergy must observe it), in the Roman Catholic Church it is forbidden to leave the clergy, etc. Catholics, like the Orthodox, revere the Mother of God, angels, saints. In both confessions, the cult of relics and sacred relics is widespread, and monasticism is practiced.
Demanding strict unity on the main dogmatic provisions, the Roman Catholic Church, in certain cases, allows its followers to adhere to different rituals. In this regard, all its adherents are divided into Catholics of the Latin rite (98.4% of the total number of supporters of the Catholic Church) and Catholics of the Eastern rites.
At the head of the Roman Catholic Church is the Pope, regarded as the successor of St. Peter and the vicar of God on earth. The pope has the right of church legislation, the right to manage all church affairs, the highest judicial authority, etc. The pope's assistants in church administration are cardinals, appointed by him mainly from the highest hierarchs of the Roman Catholic Church. The cardinals form the curia, which considers all the affairs of the church and has the right to choose a new pope by a majority of 2/3 of the votes from their midst after the death of the pope. Roman congregations are in charge of church administration and spiritual affairs. Church administration is characterized by a very high degree of centralization. In every country in which there is a significant number of Catholics, there are several (sometimes several dozen) dioceses headed by archbishops and bishops.
Catholicism is the largest denomination in the world. In 1996 there were 981 million Catholics. They made up 50% of all Christians and 17% of the world's population. The largest group of Catholics is in America - 484 million (62% of the total population of this part of the world). 269 million Catholics live in Europe (37% of the total population), in Africa - 125 million (17%), in Asia - 94 million (3%), in Australia and Oceania - 8 million (29%).
Catholics form the majority in all countries of Latin America (without the West Indies) with the exception of Uruguay: Brazil (105 million - 70%), Mexico (78 million - 87.5%), Colombia (30 million - 93%), Argentina (28 million - 85%), Peru (20 million - 89%), Venezuela (17 million - 88%), Ecuador (10 million - 93%), Chile (8 million - 58%), Guatemala (6.5 million - 71%), Bolivia (6 million - 78%, although many Bolivians actually adhere to syncretic Christian-pagan beliefs), Honduras (4 million - 86%), Paraguay (4 million - 92 %), El Salvador (4 million - 75%), Nicaragua (3 million - 79%), Costa Rica (3 million - 80%), Panama (2 million - 72%), as well as in French Guiana . In Uruguay, supporters of Catholicism do not constitute an absolute, but only a relative majority (1.5 million - 48% of the total population). In the West Indies, Catholics predominate in the three largest countries with more than 1 million inhabitants: the Dominican Republic (6.5 million - 91%), Haiti (5 million - 72%), Puerto Rico (2.5 million .- 67%). In Cuba, they form the relative majority of the population (4 million - 41%). In addition, Catholics make up the absolute majority of the population in a number of small West Indian countries: Martinique, Guadeloupe, the Netherlands Antilles, Belize, Saint Lucia, Grenada, Dominica, Aruba. In North America, the position of Catholicism is also impressive. There are about 65 million Catholics in the USA (25% of the population), in Canada - 12 million (45%). In the French colony - the islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, almost the entire population professes Catholicism.
Catholics are numerically predominant in many countries of Southern, Western and Eastern Europe: Italy (45 million - 78% of the total population), France (38 million - 68%), Poland (36 million - 94%), Spain (31 million). - 78%), Portugal (10 million - 94%), Belgium (9 million - 87%), Hungary (6.5 million - 62%), Czech Republic (6 million - 62%), Austria (6 million - 83%), Croatia (3 million - 72%), Slovakia (3 million - 64%), Ireland (3 million - 92%), Lithuania (3 million - 80%), Slovenia (2 million - 81%), as well as in Malta, in Luxembourg and in all European dwarf states: Andorra, Monaco, Liechtenstein, San Marino and, of course, in the Vatican. The majority of the population professes Catholicism in the British colony of Gibraltar. Supporters of the Roman Catholic Church form the largest confessional groups in the Netherlands (5 million - 36%) and Switzerland (3 million - 47%). Over a third of the population are Catholics in Germany (28 million - 36%). There are also large groups of followers of Catholicism in Ukraine (8 million - 15%), in the United Kingdom
After the destruction of Jerusalem in 78 AD. The Jerusalem Church temporarily ceased to exist, and the Roman community and the authority of its bishop began to come to the fore. Based on the central position of Rome as the capital of the empire and on the origin of the see from the supreme apostles, the Roman bishops already from the 3rd century. begin to speak out about their dominant position in the Church, in which the bishops of the eastern provinces did not agree with them.
In general, the Apostolic canons and the canons of the ancient councils do not allow either the autocracy of the pre-eminent bishop, or, even more so, absolutism in the Church. The highest authority for resolving religious and canonical issues belongs to the Council of Bishops - Local or, if circumstances so require, Ecumenical.
Nevertheless, the political circumstances developed in such a way that the influence of the Roman bishop continued to grow. This was facilitated by the invasion of the barbarians in the con. 4th century and migration of the peoples of Europe. Waves of barbarians moved through the ancient Roman provinces, washing away all traces of Christianity. Among the newly formed states, Rome acts as the bearer of the apostolic faith and tradition. The rise of the authority of the Roman bishop was also facilitated by religious unrest in the Byzantine Empire from the 4th to the 8th centuries, when the Roman bishops acted as defenders of Orthodoxy. Thus, gradually, the conviction began to grow among the Roman bishops that they were called to lead the life of the entire Christian world. A new impetus to strengthen the despotic claims of the Roman bishops in the IV century. the decree of the emperor Gratian appeared, recognizing in the person of the pope (“pope” - father, this title was worn by the Roman and Alexandrian bishops) “the judge of all bishops.” Already in the 5th century Pope Innocent declared that “nothing can be decided without intercourse with the Roman see, and, especially in matters of faith, all bishops must turn to the Apostle. Peter", that is, to the Bishop of Rome. In the 7th century Pope Agathon demanded that all the decrees of the Roman Church be accepted by the whole Church, as rules approved by the words of St. Peter. In the 8th century Pope Stephen wrote: “I am Peter the Apostle, by the will of Divine mercy, called Christ, the Son of the living God, appointed by His authority to be the enlightener of the whole world.”
In the fifth century, at the Ecumenical Councils themselves, the popes dare to proclaim their supreme ecclesiastical authority. Of course, they do not declare here personally, but through their legates. Legate Philip at the Third Ecumenical Council says:
“No one doubts, and all ages know that the holy and blessed Peter, the head of the Apostles, the pillar of faith, the foundation of the Catholic Church, received the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven from our Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of the human race, and that the power to bind and untie sins has been transferred to him. To this day and forever, he lives in his successors and exercises the power of a judge.
We see the same at the IV Ecumenical Council. The papal legate Paskhazin said: "We have in our hands the command of the most holy and apostolic husband of the pope of the city of Rome, who (Rome) is the head of all the churches." And on another occasion, the same Paskhazin calls the Apostle Peter "the rock and the affirmation of the Catholic Church and the foundation of the right faith"
These increasing pretensions of the popes were at first not taken seriously by the Eastern bishops and did not divide the Church. All were bound by the unity of faith, the sacraments, and the consciousness of belonging to the one Apostolic Church. But, unfortunately for the Christian world, this unity was broken by the Roman bishops in the 11th and subsequent centuries by distortions and innovations in the field of dogmatic (dogmatic) and canonical (church laws). The alienation of the Roman Church began to deepen by their introduction of new dogmas, first about the procession of the Holy Spirit “and from the Son,” with the inclusion of these words in the Creed, then about the immaculate conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, about purgatory, about “super-due merits”, about the pope , as the "viceroy" of Christ, the head of the entire Church and secular states, about the infallibility of the Roman bishop in matters of faith. In a word, the very doctrine of the nature of the Church began to be distorted. As a justification for the doctrine of the primacy of the Roman bishop, Catholic theologians refer to the words of the Savior spoken by St. Peter: "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church" (Mt 16:18). The Holy Fathers of the Church have always understood these words in the sense that the Church is based on faith in Christ, which St. Peter, not on his personality. The apostles did not see in ap. Peter his head, and at the Apostolic Council in Jerusalem in 51, the Apostle presided. Jacob. As for the succession of power, dating back to St. Peter, it is known that he ordained bishops in many cities, not only in Rome, but also in Alexandria, Antioch, etc.
Increasing claims to the primacy of the Roman bishop and the introduction of the doctrine of the procession of the Holy Spirit “and from the Son” led to the falling away of the Roman (Catholic) Church from the Church of Christ. The official date of falling away is 1054, when Cardinal Humbert placed St. Sophia in Constantinople, a papal message that cursed all those who disagreed with the Roman Church.
In the religious life of Europe in the XI century. marked by the victory of the papacy over secular power. Rome becomes the ruler of the world. The desire for secular power and participation in the political struggle was not the work of individual popes, but flowed from the entire papal system. Pope Pius IX declared it obligatory for a believing Catholic to recognize the temporal power of the Bishop of Rome. At the behest of the pope, entire nations, taking up the sword and the cross, go to fight against anyone whom the pope calls his enemy. In the XIII century. the pope not only distributes royal crowns, resolves the disputes of princes, but with one word initiates or stops wars, appoints or deposes kings and emperors, resolves their subjects from the oath, etc.
In their struggle for power, the popes did not let up, but used every opportunity to remind them of their "primacy" and "infallibility." So, Pope Boniface VIII in 1302 writes in his bull: “We also announce that St. the apostolic throne and the Roman pontiff have supremacy over the whole world, and that this Roman pontiff is the successor of St. Peter, prince of the apostles, vicar of Christ on earth, head of the entire Church and father and teacher of all Christians. Similar words can be found in the decrees of the Vatican Council in 1870. In the Code of Canon Law, published in 1917 by Pope Benedict XV, it is said: the whole Church." Starting from the 11th century, the Orthodox Church was forced to rebuff the ambitious harassment of the Roman bishops, protecting the principle of canonical independence of local churches, established by the apostles.
In the struggle for secular power over the world, the bishop of Rome comes into conflict with Christian teaching, for the sword does not suit the “viceroy” of the meek Jesus and deeply distorts the essence of episcopal ministry. Many representatives of the Church and individual peoples began to realize this. From the 14th century the religious and moral decline of the papacy began. His power is becoming more and more secular, with its intrigues, pomp and greed for earthly riches. The majority of the population began to groan under the oppressive yoke of the representatives of the papal court. One German historian says: “The clergy treats the study of theology with contempt, neglects the Gospel and the writings of Sts. fathers; it is silent about faith, piety and other virtues; it does not speak of the merits of the Savior and His miracles. And such people are entrusted with the highest positions in the Church, calling them shepherds of souls!”
The results soon showed. In the beginning. 16th century Protestantism was born in Germany - a protest against the abuses of the Roman bishop and, in particular, the criminal Inquisition and the sale of indulgences (absolution for monetary bribes). Over the centuries, Protestantism broke up into many sects.
The number of Catholics in the world is 975,937,000 (this is 17.4% of the world's population). The Church has 2,696 dioceses and vicariates: 1,005 in America, 708 in Europe, 462 in Asia, 444 in Africa, and 77 in Australia and Oceania. The Roman Catholic Church has 4,257 bishops, 404,461 priests, 59,872 non-clergy monks, and 848,455 nuns. The church takes care of 105,017 institutions, including hospitals, orphanages, nursing homes, etc. Of these, 38.942 are in America, 33.136 in Europe, 18.776 in Asia, 12.712 in Africa and 1.451 in Australia and Oceania. The Roman Catholic Church is engaged not only in charity, but also in educational activities. Thus, according to statistics, it contains 83.345 primary schools, 53.790 kindergartens, 32.904 secondary schools and 3.719 institutes and universities (2007).
Catholicism is the largest and most influential branch of Christianity. The number of its adherents exceeds 1.2 billion people. The history of the Catholic Church began with the Great Schism, when Christianity was divided into two branches. It is read that its founder and head is Jesus Christ, while the visible leader is the Pope. He heads the Holy See in the Vatican. Today Catholicism is spread all over the world, even in Russia there are hundreds of thousands of believers. But we know little about this religion, considering it a historical opponent of Orthodoxy traditional for us. That is why there are many myths about the Catholic Church, which we will try to debunk.
The church forbids reading the Bible. The first Christian Bible was just created by the Catholic Church. The material for this book was collected by scientists in the 2nd and 3rd centuries, then it was approved by the Supreme Catholic Councils of Hippo and Carthage. And the very first printed Bible was created by the Catholic Church, represented by the Catholic inventor Gutenberg. The first Bible with chapters and numbered verses was created by Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury. And during each Mass, the priest reads aloud excerpts from the Bible. Usually these are quotations from the main part of the text and two parts from the Gospel. In the modern Catholic mass, two parts from the common Bible and only one from the Gospel are read. Today, the holy book is in every home of believers; it is studied in Catholic schools. And this myth itself appeared because Bibles were often locked in churches. But they did this not to forbid people from reading the book, but to protect it from theft. Usually we are talking about old handwritten Bibles, very rare and therefore valuable. People believe that the Bible is banned because of its inclusion in the Index of Banned Books. However, in this case we are talking about Protestant versions, markedly edited or poorly translated. The most famous such edition is the King James Bible; Catholics have already abandoned its use.
Lay Catholics are not allowed to read the Bible on their own. Once such a ban really was, but it was formal. At first, there was a ban on reading the Bible in vernacular languages. The translations had to be approved by the church. The same Cyril and Methodius for their work with the Slavic language previously received permission. But this made it possible to avoid errors and heresy. There were few who could read the Bible in Latin, and many did not always know their native language. In the church, the priest told and interpreted episodes from the book, which were then retold to relatives and children. So the flock, without even reading the Bible, generally knew it. And the ban made it possible to avoid heresy due to the ignorance of ordinary people. Now, not only is there no ban, but the priests also urge you to read as often as possible and think about the texts. But in fairness it should be noted that Catholics are far from Protestants in terms of reading the Bible.
Catholics practice idolatry. There is an opinion that the fact of worshiping the Virgin Mary means nothing more than idolatry. In fact, there are three types of denominations in Catholic theology. Latria provides for the worship of one God, a departure from this norm is considered a mortal sin. Hyperdulia is the veneration of the Virgin Mary, but it is veneration, not idolatry. A special type of religion is the worship of angels and saints. This division was approved by the Second Council of Nicaea as early as 787 AD. This council was specially assembled in order to condemn those who considered it idolatry to treat icons and statuettes of saints. If a Catholic kneels in front of a statue during prayer, then he does not pray and does not worship it, but a Protestant with a Bible in his hands, kneeling, worships. Those images of saints that Catholics have simply remind of the holiness of this character.
Catholics are not true Christians. It was the Catholics who were the first Christians. A study of early Christian texts reveals that the doctrines and teachings are exactly the same as what the Catholic Church preaches today. We are talking about bishops, virgin nuns, confession, priests, baptism, the Bishop of Rome as the head of the whole religion. The sayings of the early church fathers, who were apostles, are very reminiscent of the modern doctrines of Catholicism. Most historians admit that it was the Catholic Church that was the first Christian, it is not difficult to prove this with the help of ancient texts.
The Pope is completely infallible. According to Catholics, their head can be sinless only under certain conditions. He must make his statements according to the canons of faith and morality, his decrees must concern the whole church and unite it, and he must speak not personally for himself, but on behalf of the entire Papacy. Therefore, the Pope's talk about science issues admits his mistakes. But in matters of religion, subject to the above points, he speaks on behalf of God. That is why Catholics must believe the Pope. At the end of his infallible statement is the phrase "let there be anathema."
The Catholic Church is against science and does not believe in evolution. It should be borne in mind that many major scientific discoveries appeared due to education in the Catholic world. For example, the Belgian priest Georges Lemaitre was the person who first put forward the Big Bang Theory. When she reached Einstein, he rejected it, declaring the correctness of mathematics, but at the same time disgusting physics. Ultimately, the master accepted the theory of the priest. And the Catholic Church does not reject the theory of evolution, as do many American Protestant or Evangelical churches. Since the emergence of this theory, the Catholic Church has not officially spoken out on this issue. For the first time, any public statement on this topic was made by Pope Pius XII. He said that the church does not forbid the teaching of evolution. It explores how human bodies were created, and faith says that souls were created by God. In 2004, a special theological commission made statements about the logic of the Big Bang theory and the theory of evolution. There are only discrepancies in the rates and mechanisms of development of life on the planet. Currently, Catholic schools around the world, including in the States, teach precisely the scientific approach to the emergence of life, this is an integral part of the curriculum.
With the help of indulgence, you can pay off sins with money. First you need to understand what in general is indulgence. The Catholic Church teaches believers that they receive two types of punishment for sins. The eternal, provides for hell after death, and the temporal is punishment during life or in purgatory after death. To avoid hell, a person needs to repent, then he will be forgiven. But temporary punishment will not disappear anywhere. An indulgence is such a special blessing that allows you to cancel a temporary punishment. To do this, you need to do some good deeds or read certain prayers. In the Middle Ages, cunning bishops really sold fake indulgences for money, directing funds to the needs of the church. Official Rome struggled with such abuses for a long time, it took almost three hundred years to eradicate such a business. And real indulgences existed from the very beginning, the church still issues them today. But it has nothing to do with making money.
The Catholic Church was founded by Emperor Constantine in 325. In 313, this emperor announced the tolerant attitude of the authorities towards Christianity. This was secured by the Edict of Milan, which meant the abolition of fines for this religion. And at the age of 40, Constantine himself was baptized, and then convened the First Council of Nicaea. Because of the importance of this event, it is believed that the emperor created the church. But before this meeting there were others, however, not so large-scale and famous. And the structure of the church has already been formed. At that council, Constantine was a mere observer, and the decisions were made by the bishops and representatives of the Pope. Prior to the Council of Nicaea, celibacy among priests, infant baptism was already the norm, and the structure of bishops and priests had existed for 300 years.
Catholic priests are not allowed to marry. Before debunking the myth of the existence of celibacy, it is worth understanding the very nature of Catholicism. There are two church sections under the jurisdiction of the Pope - the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Catholic. All of them follow the general canons. The differences lie in the style of worship and external rules. So, in the Eastern Church, priests are allowed to marry, but in this status he will no longer be able to become Pope. It happens that pastors convert to Catholicism from other religions already married, for example, from the Anglican Church. They keep their rank, so married priests are not uncommon in the Roman Catholic Church.
The church added several books to the Bible. The Catholic version of the Old Testament has 7 more books than the Protestant one. This difference gave rise to the myth that Rome added some information to the Bible. In fact, these books were considered official in Christianity even before the advent of Protestantism. And already Martin Luther removed the unnecessary parts of the Bible in his opinion. Some of them confirm those doctrines which the reformer abandoned. The Catholic Church uses the "Greek edition" used by the apostles in their sermons. But Luther chose the Jewish Masoretic canon, dating from 700-1000 AD. The Protestants rejected the Book of Judith, the two books of Maccabees, the Book of the Wisdom of Jesus, the Book of Tobit, the Book of the Prophet Baruch and the son of Sirach. But Luther preserved the Catholic New Testament in its entirety. Interestingly, the holiday of Hanukkah, often mentioned in the Maccabean books, did not make it into the Jewish or Protestant New Testament.
The papacy was invented already in the Middle Ages. The Pope was the Bishop of Rome, from the very beginning Christians considered him the head of the church. This is evidenced by ancient documents, and the Bible itself. The Gospel says that the first Bishop of the Roman Church was Peter himself, who remained in this post until his death in 64. Saint Irenaeus of Lyon became the second Pope. Then Cletus was in this post, the fourth was Clement, who created a diocese against heresy. And Papa Lin made a rule that women should cover their heads in church. It is still in effect.
The Catholic Church introduced many new dogmas. The dogmas were not invented at all, but derived according to the law of the corresponding development. The Church used to believe in some postulates, they just weren't dogmas. And new dogmas do not appear out of nowhere, but on the basis of Holy Scripture. It took time to explain and clarify them, so that the believers had clarity in their heads. At one time, the dogma of the Trinity was considered new; it was derived on the basis of Christian teaching. The Church already believed in this, but over time it fixed this postulate. In Catholicism, until the information is fully verified, dogmas will not be introduced.
The Virgin Mary in Catholicism is revered more than God. If you study Chin Mass, then everything becomes clear. The Virgin Mary is mentioned there in passing, but the name of Christ is constantly heard. Catholics love the Mother of God very much, as children love their mother, seeing in her an intercessor and comforter. The Catholic Church will never honor Mary the way Jesus honored her, the way God the Father rewarded her by making her the mother of his son, and the way the Holy Spirit chose her to conceive.
Catholics pray to the living Pope. The Pope is the visible head of the church, he is obeyed and respected. And prayers to the Pope of Rome are offered not to the living one, but to one of the dead and recognized as saints or blessed.
Catholics believe that the Mother of God was conceived similarly to Christ. Indeed, there is a dogma about the immaculate conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. However, in this case, it does not mean that the case was without a man. The Mother of God was not touched by original sin, which is why conception can be considered immaculate. She did not have the sinful nature of an ordinary person, she received the same nature that she had before the fall. And the personal righteousness of the Virgin Mary is the result of her free choice. For the sake of the future sacrifice of Christ, God gave her mercy and did not touch her with original sin, so that Mary would become the abode for the Divine Infant.
Catholics have changed the Creed. At one time, the Filioque problem arose, about changing the creed. But it is rather not theological, but philological, based on different translations. Catholics do not consider the Son to be a separate source of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Trinity is a kind of flower. The Father is the root, everything grows on it. The stem is a son, he is a kind of intermediary between people and his father. The Holy Spirit is a flower that comes from both the Father and the Son, from the root through the stem. So the Filioque did not change the creed, but simply clarified it.
Catholics do not have to confess before Communion. The church does not allow a single person to take communion without confession, because he may have a mortal sin in his soul. But if this is not the case, then confession before each Communion is not required. The fact is that everyday sins that maintain a connection with God can be forgiven during the general confession and the same Communion. The Orthodox Church practices this in the same way.
Catholics do not fast before Communion. Catholics have a Eucharistic fast before communion, which is an hour before communion. But it is recommended to fast an hour before mass. This is done so that people can take communion more often. Once upon a time, mass was served only early in the morning, and the fast was either in the morning, or from midnight. Then the mass was allowed to be served in the evening, and such a long refusal of food lost its meaning. The fast was reduced first to three hours, and then to an hour. Yes, and food in the stomach cannot desecrate the Communion, besides, for the first time it happened at all during a hearty dinner. Fasting is a disciplinary measure that can be easily changed. The church believes that people should take communion as often as possible, this is not a reward for spirituality, but medicine.
Catholics do not give communion to small children. Here it is worth making clarifications. In the Latin Rite, Catholics do not allow children under the age of discernment to participate in the rite. The child must be able to distinguish ordinary bread from Eucharistic bread, understand the difference between good and evil, be able to confess. Someone already meets these standards at the age of 5, and someone at 16 is not ready to approach the sacrament responsibly. It is believed that before the first confession, children should spend a year or two in Sunday school. The child needs to know the basic creeds, the essence of the sacraments and the basic prayers. But in the Byzantine rite, babies receive communion from the very moment of baptism and chrismation. It is logical that Communion still takes place at a conscious age. But another practice also has the right to life: surrounded by loved ones, although children do not understand everything, they feel that this is important and good. And there's nothing wrong with that.
Catholics use only unleavened bread. This statement is true only for the Latin Rite. There, unleavened bread is a tribute to the Jewish tradition of using unleavened bread on Passover. During the Last Supper, Christ performed the same ancient Jewish rites, but with different words, giving them a new meaning. By the Jewish Passover, all leavened bread was destroyed, so the choice of unleavened bread is not accidental. And in Eastern traditions they use yeast bread, which is a symbol of the resurrection of Christ. It's beautiful, but the tradition is different. In fact, these are all details - during the war, priests served masses and liturgies with sawdust bread, while Armenians use undiluted wine. The essence of the Eucharist is not at all what kind of wine or bread is used.
Catholics sit for the entire service. This myth can be debunked if you attend a divine service at least once. The benches here are not for beauty, but they are not used for the entire service. The procession of priests meets standing, the faithful sit down while reading passages of the Old Testament. But when reading the Gospel, everyone stands. People also celebrate the Eucharistic Liturgy on their feet, kneeling at the most important moments. After Communion, it is also recommended to pray on your knees. In total, it is possible to sit a maximum of a third of the time. But you can listen to the Liturgy of the Hours while sitting, but even there it is recommended to get up during prayers and hymns. The benches are there so that people can listen better. On major holidays, not everyone manages to sit down; on Easter, they even stand in the central aisle. But this does not bother anyone - they do not come here for gatherings.
Catholic services are conducted in Latin. In the Western Rites of the Catholic Church, Latin is indeed the primary language. But if necessary, it is allowed to serve in national languages. In reality, it is they who sound most often, people simply do not understand Latin anymore. At the request of the priest, only some selected main masses are celebrated in this language. Armenian Catholics use Old Armenian, Greek Catholics use Church Slavonic, Ukrainian, Russian, and so on, depending on the country. Yes, and other ceremonies are served in their native language. The church wants the service to be understandable to uneducated parishioners, so this step was taken.
During Mass, Catholics play musical instruments. This is not always the case. If there are no musicians, then the service will still take place. And there are quiet masses, where extraneous sounds, in principle, are not provided. And this has its own charm.
Catholic sacraments are invalid. Catholics and Orthodox mutually recognize all seven sacraments. The point is not that the sacraments are invalid, but that there is no Eucharistic communion, that is, the joint conduct of the liturgy by the priests.
Catholics have a different calendar. Many Catholics live by the Gregorian calendar, but there are also those who choose the Julian. And we are talking not only about Catholics of the Eastern rite in the CIS countries, but also about some believers in the Latin rite. So, in the Holy Land, it was decided to switch to the Julian calendar, so that there would be unity with the Orthodox living there. But how much of a fundamental question is this, is the truth hidden in which calendar is used?
For Catholics, Christmas is more important than Easter. No Christian church can say that. If there were no Good Friday and Easter, then Christmas would lose its meaning. Christmas is a beloved and expected holiday, but Easter is the real pinnacle of the Liturgical year. Preparing for it is the most important thing of the year. And the myth could have appeared due to the fact that in the West before Christmas people are seized by a real hysteria regarding gifts. This holiday is a favorite family holiday even among atheists. People no longer really remember what they are celebrating. But these are the problems of a society that has adopted the church holiday. And in Catholicism, the importance and primacy of Easter is not in doubt.
Catholics don't have posts. If in the Orthodox tradition it is customary to fast on Wednesday, Friday and there are four more multi-day fasts, then Catholics with the Latin rite do not have a couple of summer fasts at all. There is a pre-Easter Great Lent and a pre-Christmas Advent, which can hardly be called a fast. Rather, it is a cursed period. But until recently, fasting among Catholics was very severe, the church simply realized that such a practice is harmful both to the physical and spiritual health of people. Abstinence led to gluttony, which is generally sinful and dangerous to health. Is this what God wants? Currently, strict fasting exists for all believers aged 18-60. This is Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of Lent and Good Friday. Some Catholics, out of old memory, observe other days, but this is already a personal initiative. The Church usually sets a mandatory minimum for believers - two days must be spent in strict fasting without meat, with prayers in the mornings and evenings, mass on Sunday, confession and communion once a year at Easter time. But Catholics of the Byzantine rite, Greek Catholics or Uniates, fast, like the Orthodox. The Church has allowed traditions to be preserved.
Gays are ordained and married in the Catholic Church. The Church forbids same-sex marriages, condemning such relationships themselves. By itself, a homosexual will not be excommunicated, but he must live in chastity. If he does not give in to his desires, then this is not a sin in itself. An open homosexual cannot be ordained as a priest, he is considered unhealthy and cannot serve in the church. Distinguish between orientation and behavior. Homosexuality can be occasional and transient, which is noted at the age of formation of sexual identity. You can go through it. The other extreme is ingrained and habitual behavior. Orientation itself requires caution in choosing the path, but it is not a barrier to faith. The church does not turn away from its parishioners, trying to help them in the fight against sin, especially teenagers who are going through this test. But the Catholic Church will not encourage sin either.
Catholics are allowed to have both Orthodox and other Christians as godparents. This is not true, only Catholics can be godparents. Other believers may be admitted to the ceremony as witnesses.
Catholics even baptize animals. This does not exist in nature. And the myth itself appeared thanks to the tradition existing in some countries to bring pets to the temple on the day of St. Francis of Assisi for blessing. The fact is that this Catholic saint was very fond of animals. At the request of this patron, the creatures are sprinkled with water, blessing. But this step is akin to sprinkling a home or vehicle.
A person must adopt the appropriate faith if he wants to marry a Catholic. This is not at all necessary. The bishop can issue a permit for a mixed marriage, and after 2-3 months of preparation for the sacrament of marriage, a wedding can be performed. When filling out the marriage protocol, it turns out if there are any obstacles to marriage. The Catholic side undertakes to preserve the faith and do everything possible so that posterity is baptized and brought up in it. The other side makes a promise that the spouse will not be hindered in his faith, and also what is known about the promise to raise children in the Catholic faith.
The Catholic Church forbids contraception. The Church prohibits the use of artificial contraceptives and reproductive technologies. The marital act is considered sacred, and nothing should violate its integrity and focus on the birth of children. However, it is allowed to plan your family by studying your body and the laws of the reproductive system. In many parishes, young people are taught this before the wedding. Such methods require discipline, but their exact observance allows you to achieve the desired result.
Catholics are not allowed to divorce. But this statement is not a myth. There is no such thing as divorce in the Catholic Church. It will not work to get married a second time, but if you live with someone else without a wedding, then this sin can lead to excommunication from Communion. It happens that spouses, for some serious reason, cannot continue their life together. It can be facts of violence, drugs, alcohol, betrayal. Then the church gives people the opportunity to live separately, while none of the parties can enter into a new marriage. A marriage may also be declared invalid, but this is not a divorce either. The church simply claims that there was no marriage as such, since its essence was initially violated. For example, one of the spouses hid the truth about his health, someone was not free to choose, forced to make it, someone had a connection on the side, an unwillingness to accept children sent by God. But this procedure is quite long and complicated. To count on such a form of “divorce”, you will have to prove that such conditions have developed.
Catholics believe that only they can be saved. The Catholic Church believes that there are grains of truth in other religions, treating them with respect. No one is denied salvation if a person fulfilled God's will within the framework of his worldview and upbringing. You just need to voluntarily accept the Lord and the fact that it is the Catholic Church that owns the fullness of the truth and the means to salvation. Those who did not know and did not understand this, do not bear any guilt. But those who knew about the depth of the Catholic Church and the truth of her faith, but from some motives left it, will not be able to be saved. The closer a denomination is in its doctrine to the Catholic Church, the more means there are for salvation. Church commemoration and burial are denied only to the most principled heretics, but not in the form of punishment, but because they themselves made their choice, refusing to cooperate with the church. However, no one claims that these people will certainly go to hell.
As a result of the Union of Brest, Catholics of the Eastern rite appeared. The Eastern Catholic rite actually has more than 20 different rites. And this is by no means only Slavic-Byzantine, there is also Armenian, Coptic. In addition, there are Eastern Catholic churches that have never entered into a schism with Rome at all. This is, for example, the Italo-Albanian Catholic Church of the Byzantine rite. A single doctrine and church administration in the Catholic Church has always been practiced, even taking into account different liturgical rites and traditions.
What the Orthodox call a church, the Catholics call it a church. The very word "church" in Polish means "church". At one time, polonism took root well in Russia. There were times when only foreigners or their descendants could profess Catholicism in our country, this niche was filled by the Poles. At present, the majority of Russian Catholics are Russians, whose foreign roots can no longer be found. They calmly use the familiar words “temple”, “cathedral”, “church”. And in Western countries, Catholic churches are not called churches.
Catholics deceive believers, luring them into their faith. This myth is easy to debunk if you know how difficult it is to keep this faith. New converts have to undergo catechesis from several months to up to three years. All this time, people should study in detail the teachings of the Catholic Church, learn to seek the will of God in their lives, reflect and make decisions about their spiritual life, and take responsibility for them. And this is tiring, because it is much easier when you are directly told what exactly needs to be done. Those wishing to accept Catholicism need a strong motivation, otherwise the test may not be passed. New converts are not allowed to participate in the sacraments, but there are no restrictions on everything else. It is allowed to attend all services, participate in events, communicate with monks and priests. This makes it possible to touch the inner life of the church, to try on the future image of a parishioner. And if a person suddenly changes his mind about making such a choice, no one will stop him. If a believer becomes a Catholic, then there is no time for democracy - it is necessary to accept the entire dogma.
Catholic crosses are different from Orthodox ones. So to argue is not entirely correct. There is a Latin tradition of the image of the cross. It is depicted as four-pointed, with three nails and without a lower crossbar. In Byzantine or Orthodox, it looks different. For Catholics, it doesn’t matter at all which cross to wear: Orthodox, Celtic, Armenian, or even Franciscan in the form of the letter “T”. Some choose a medallion or amulet instead; there can be as many symbols as you like.
The Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the largest Catholic church in Russia. It rises in Moscow, on Malaya Gruzinskaya Street and adorns it with its pointed neo-Gothic towers. The building was erected in 1911 by the Polish community in Moscow.
In prayer and good deeds
The Roman Catholic Cathedral has not held services since 1938. And only in 1999, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, who arrived from the Vatican, consecrated it and gave his blessing. Now services are held in the cathedral according to the Roman Catholic rite, not only in Russian and Polish, but also in English, Spanish, French, Vietnamese, Korean and Latin. In addition, divine services and holy masses are held according to the Armenian rite.
A lot of attention is directed to charitable events, including music concerts to raise funds. On the territory of the cathedral there is a library, the editorial office of the church magazine, a church shop and offices of charitable organizations. The temple organizes youth meetings to attract the younger generation to the Roman Catholic Church. In the cathedral, those who wish are taught Gregorian chant and improvisational playing the organ.
Organ music
Not only Catholic believers visit the Roman Catholic Cathedral. Many people are attracted to classical organ music. The organ in this cathedral is the largest in Russia, it includes 5563 pipes. Just imagine this amount. This is a huge musical organism, coming to life from contact with a person.
Handel, Mozart, other great composers and, of course, Bach, the unique master of organ music, play at the concerts. In addition to amazing sensations, there is surprise at the mastery of the composer. What kind of computer in his head should be in order to harmonize almost six thousand different voices into one amazing melody that speaks so clearly to the listeners? The sound fills the whole cathedral, carries up, fills the person. The elastic wave of sound becomes tangible, it can be felt by the skin. Incredible, amazing feeling.
Tears welled up in the eyes of many listeners. Others listen with their eyes closed, others hold their breath, afraid to move. After the last chord, there is complete silence for a while. People do not believe that the music has died down and will not resume. After all, the concert lasts more than an hour, and according to the perception of the listener, it seems that only a few minutes have passed ...
One can speak of organ concertos only in superlatives, they evoke sensations of unprecedented strength. This example clearly shows that the interpenetration of cultures and religions can enrich the worldview of all peoples without exception, make their spiritual life a little richer.
