Jemuel Curameng

Pastor Ever Perez

Bible 12, 6A
23 October 2016
World Religions Project: History and Structure of Catholicism
Catholicism refers to the worldwide religion that claims to stem directly from Jesus
Christ. Its name, Catholicism, is derived from the Greek word katholikos, meaning universal,
and therefore is viewed as the universal Church of Christ. The belief behind this nomenclature
traces back to the disciples of Jesus, who had received the charge to carry out the message of His
ministry to every corner of the earth. This mission was reflected in the dispersion of bishops
throughout the world, each of which would establish a Catholic church in their respective fields.
Historically, the Catholic Church is recorded to have come about during the first century
at Pentecost, and that the Roman Catholic Church had been established circa AD 50. According
to writings of early Christians, by the time Paul had visited Rome in AD 63, the church was
already well-established, indicating that previous apostles had gone to Rome and planted the
seeds of Christianity. This establishment of the church had been facilitated by the innovations of
the Roman Empire, such as the implementation of roads and water ways, which greatly increased
the efficiency of travel. Political institutions such as the Pax Romana (Roman peace) made interregional travel less dangerous, the use of common language (Latin) allowed the communication
of ideas to be more easily expressed and understood.
The Catholic Church traces its foundation back to Jesus Christ Himself, claiming to
descend directly from Him through the Apostle Peter. Peter, according to the Gospel of Matthew,
was established by Jesus as the rock upon which He would build his church. From this
statement, the Catholic leaders inferred that he was the first pope, and all popes following him
were direct descendants. The point at which Christianity split from Judaism occurred when
apostles such as Paul began to preach and spread the message of Christ to the Gentiles, a general
classification of non-Jews. Because the Jews considered themselves Gods chosen people, they
rejected the work of these apostles, and distinguished their religion as independent from
Christianity.
Early Christianity consisted of loosely organized churches, each of which had their own
interpretation of the Christian message. The heads of the Church consisted of Elders and
Apostles, who established certain beliefs and guidelines for these churches to follow. However,
there was no organized hierarchy of popes, bishops, and priests that characterizes the church
today. During this time, the early Christian Church gradually grew away from Judaism and
Jewish practices, comprising mainly of Gentiles. The apostles, became more accepting of those
who the Jews described as unclean, and converted many of them to Christianity. This trend is
indicative of the Apostle Pauls influence over the early church, and his teachings conflicted with
Jewish tradition, as he taught that strict adherence to the specific details of the Jewish law was
not necessarily applicable to the newly converted Gentiles. The controversy over obedience to
the Jewish law eventually led to the split between Christian and Jewish churches, with the
Roman Empire officially recognizing the Christianity as a religion in AD 98.

Early Christianity faced severe opposition from the Roman Empire, which, at the time,
celebrated a pagan state religion. However, a personal revelation by Constantine led to the
legalization of Christianity; in fact, it was established as the official religion of the Roman
Empire until its demise. During this time, the Catholic Church encountered many controversies
concerning the identity of Christ and other such matters. Many of these were addressed in 325 at
the Council of Nicea, where Church leaders convened to form the fundamental beliefs of the
church. One of these decisions ultimately led up to a schism, and the religion of Arianism was
born. Here, Constantine focused his attention on uniting the Empire under one religion, and the
organization of the Christian church began to emulate that of the Roman Empire.
The history of the Catholic Church is characterized by periods of persecution and peace.
From its conception in the first century, the Catholic Church underwent oppression by the
Roman Empire for their beliefs. The public was suspicious of the early Church, misinterpreted
Christian ideals such as Communion for cannibalism, because it implied the consumption of
human flesh and blood. This animosity was further increased after the Great Fire of 64, which
Emperor Nero, in order to take the blame off himself, accused the early Christians of doing so,
inciting an era of martyrdom that lasted for almost 200 years. Christians would be imprisoned,
tried, and executed in the most gruesome ways at the time-crucifixion, being burned alive, etc.
During this time, many believers were put to death, but the Christian faith grew even stronger.
People were inspired and influenced by the courage these believers showed as they were put to
death, and many of them joined the ranks of the church. Many of these martyrs became sainted,
and were used as examples for new believers to follow. This period of persecution was one of the
bloodiest and most violent periods of tyranny ever, but it also helped spread the religion of the
Church throughout the Roman Empire.
The end of the Roman persecution of the early Church was closely associated with
Emperor Constantine. In AD 312, he confronted Emperor Maxentius, a battle which determined
who had control over the Western Roman Empire. According to Eusebius of Caesarea, when
Constantine looked up at the sun before the battle, he saw a cross of light, on which were
inscribed the words in this sign, conquer! Afterwards, he instructed his troops to place on their
shields the image of a cross, and they emerged from the battle victorious. Constantine attributed
his successes to Jesus Christ, of whom the cross was symbolic. The next year, he issued the Edict
of Milan, which established religious toleration throughout the empire, and he himself took upon
the role as the patron of the Christian faith. He provided financial support for the church, and
returned much of the property which had been confiscated during the reign of Diocletian.
However, Constantines partiality towards the Christian faith conflicted with the pagan culture of
the Roman Empire, and compromise is evident within the religion. For example, on 7 March
321, Constantine established Sunday as the official day of rest, as it was significant to both the
Christians and Romans. This change was also affected by his animosity towards the Jewish
culture, and is demonstrated in through the replacement of the biblical Passover with the pagan
holiday of Easter, which Constantine described as an unworthy thing that in the celebration of
this most holy feast we should follow the practice of the Jews (Eusebius, Life of Constantine).
These changes brought about through the merging of religious practices are what differentiated a
true Christian from a Catholic believer. In many ways, religious toleration of the Christian faith
brought about many positive changes for the early church, but in uniting church and state, the
influence of pagan culture brought about corruption within the church, which ultimately led up to
the following events within Catholic history.

The fall of the Western Roman Empire saw the rise of new cultures and religions of the
barbaric invaders. It also saw the downfall of the Roman way of life, which had moved to the
eastern half of the Empire. Along with this way of life went the prominent members of Roman
society, and the only figure of authority that remained was the bishop of Rome and the Church.
They saw the opportunity to spread their message throughout the barbaric tribes, and they took it
upon themselves to educate them as well. Missionaries ventured further out into Northern
Europe, spreading Catholicism among the other tribes. The Church sought to convert these tribes
from their heathen ways into the light of Jesus Christ and Catholicism. This new influence the
Church had over the world at the time facilitated the transition from a pagan system to a papal
one.
The power of the bishop of Rome increased dramatically, because without the political
leaders to consult, he became the next authority, even taking the place of the emperor. The
emperor of the east would often go to him to mediate his disputes with bishop of Constantinople,
further increasing his influence. The spread of the influence of the Roman bishop would
eventually lead into the political and religious power that would be closely associated with the
pope.
The decline and fall of the Western Roman Empire also led to the Great East-West
Schism that would occur between the East and West Catholic churches in 1054. The disunion of
the people in the west was shown as Germanic and Slavic culture became more dominant, and
the use of Latin and Greek diminished over time. This assimilation of cultures, in correlation to
the increasing influence of the church in the west, saw the merging of pagan and Christian
religious practices, which can be attributed to the early signs of conflict within the church.
One of these early conflicts within the church was disputed over Arianism, a belief that
had resulted as part of a schism that had occurred during the Council of Nicea in 325. The
conflicting idea behind these two religions was that concerning the identity of Christ. The pope
and his Church understood that Christ was both the Son and God, while the Eastern Catholics
believed the Son to be a created being, inferior to God Himself. These two religions often
competed with one another for influence over the barbaric invaders of the Roman Empire.
Another religion that often clashed with the Catholic Church was Islam, an emerging
religion that was spread through conquests throughout North Africa and into India. This new
religion created many problems for the Church, believing that they were chosen to be successors
on the earth. This instigated the military invasions that spread throughout the region, and even
began to enter the territory of the Roman Catholic Church. Some of these territories included the
patriarchates of Jerusalem, Antioch, and Alexandria in 632, which left only the bishops of Rome
and Constantinople. The two remaining patriarchs and their churches differed even more in their
beliefs and systems, leading up to the split between the Eastern and Western Churches of the
Roman Empire.
The Great East-West Schism itself was initiated through several controversies throughout
the Church, as well as disputes over the authority between the East and the West. One such
disagreement occurred between the five patriarchs of the Church. Of these patriarchs, the bishop
of Rome (pope) was deemed to have higher honors than the other four, as he claimed to be a
direct descendant of Peter, whom they believed to be the first pope. The controversy, though, was
whether the pope had jurisdiction over the other four bishops. The previous discussion of
Arianism and the identity of Christ was implemented into the filioque clause, an addition to the

Nicene Creed. This modification was seen in violation by the Roman Church, and was a major
source of conflict between the Eastern and Western Churches. These events culminated in the
double excommunication of Pope Leo IX (Patriarch of Rome) and Michael Cerularius (Patriarch
of Constantinople), after Michael Cerularius closed down all the Latin churches in
Constantinople, in response to the Popes enforcement of Latin customs within the Eastern
Churches.
The Schism between the two churches was made permanent by the Crusades,
transforming the conflict into a public affair that involved the common people. The Latin
Crusaders captured Antioch and Jerusalem, and replaced their patriarchs with Latin counterparts.
There was little resistance to this change in Jerusalem, but in Antioch, the local Greek population
was unwilling to submit to the Latin Patriarch the Crusaders had established. The Crusaders, in
1204, sacked Constantinople, finalizing the split between the Eastern Church and the West. This
Schism led to the development of two independent religions, Roman Catholicism and Eastern
Orthodoxy, each of which claims to be the One Holy Catholic and the Apostolic Church.
In the following years, the Roman Catholic Church underwent another Schism-however,
this conflict was characterized by disputes over the supremacy of the popes. Initially, the pope
had resided in Avignon until 1377, when the papal residence returned to Rome, where Urban VI
was elected pope out of demands by the Roman population to elect one of their own to the
papacy. Pope Urban VI was showed great acrimony towards the cardinals, who had become very
powerful during the time that the papacy was in Avignon. This oppression drove a group of
Cardinals to establish one of their own in Avignon as Pope Clement VII, who claimed that the
election of Urban VI was invalid because of social pressures. The two popes caused chaos within
the Church, and the public was divided between each papacy. They denounced each other and
fostered political antagonisms, and caused much confusion among the people. Various proposals
to end the schism were made, most of which entailed a mutual resignation or decision by a
general council. Both lines of popes refused to accept these proposals, and a group of cardinals
from both sides decided to elect a third pope, Alexander V, who was soon succeeded by John
VVIII. The election of the third pope did not resolve any differences; instead it caused even more
discord within the Catholic community. Finally, in 1414 the Council of Constance secured the
resignations of John XXIII and Gregory XII, and it excommunicated Benedict XIII, who had
refused to submit. The Council then elected Martin V to the papacy, thus ending the Schism. This
demonstration of the failure of papal leadership encouraged the development of a conciliar
theory, which established that a general council was the highest governing authority in the
church, even than that of the pope.
The events of the Western Schism segued directly into Protestant Reformation, and this
ties in directly with Martin Luthers revelation at the time. Luthers disagreement with the
Church resulted from internally conflicting feelings over the concept of sin. He concluded that
salvation came about through faith alone, and the Pope himself had no God-given authority.
Luther then inferred that the popes were not infallible and that they should not be given such
authority. The spectacle that was the Western Schism only proved his point, and the fact that
there were at one time three people claiming to be the true pope, leading the observer to question
the legitimacy of the office. This event lessened prestige of the papacy and helped create support
for the Protestant Reformation.

The Renaissance, as it is known today, was most clearly defined as an age of enlightment
and rebirth. During this period, a spirit of self-discovery and idealism swept across Europe,
affecting the culture. The Church was not an exception to this, and people were led to question
the foundations of their very beliefs. The spread of knowledge also impacted the church, and
people were driven to translate the literary works, such as the Bible, into their native languages.
These factors developed into a movement that would later become known as the Protestant
Reformation, and identified as the point which marked the collapse of Catholic Europe, and
established the ideas and beliefs that would define the modern era. As discussed earlier, Martin
Luther, among others, led the people to challenge papal authority and question the validity of the
Catholic Church. In order to expose the papacy for the lies which they had taught and promoted,
these Reformers worked to get the Bible out to the public, in a language that they could
understand, so they could see for themselves the truthfulness of what they were taught. This
incited the people to revolt against the papacy, and new religions such as Lutheranism and
Calvinism were established throughout Europe.
In response to the Protestant Reformation, the Catholic Church started a CounterReformation, a movement which involved the revival of traditional practices and upholding of
Catholic doctrine. The church funded the seminars for proper training of the priests, and it placed
greater emphasis on the missionary aspect of the religion. It was at this time that the Roman
Catechism was written, and it was this, along with the reaffirmation of Catholic beliefs, that was
discussed at the Council of Trent. Several religious orders also arose at this time, most notably
the Jesuit Order, founded by Ignatius Loyola. The rise of these religious orders, as well as the
redefinition of Catholic ideals, transitioned into the Roman Inquisition, in which the Catholic
Church would execute those who refused to comply with their beliefs. Use of the stake was not
uncommon, and several Reformers, such as John Huss and John Wycliffe were executed for their
teachings and refusals to recant. This scenario of persecution is reminiscent to that of the early
Church, in which the believers were tortured and killed for the beliefs by a prominent religious
or social power. However, just like the persecution of the early church led more believers into the
Christian faith, the persecution of Reformers provoked the minds of the people. They observed
the character of these Reformers, and like the early martyrs, saw them as examples to follow,
casting their lot in with the Reformation movement.
The Catholic Church is the most widespread religion in the world, with over 1 billion
members around the world. It is the largest form of Christianity, and it has over five major
branches of the religion. The hierarchy of the Catholic church is led by the bishop of Rome, or
the pope, who is considered the head of the worldwide Catholic Church. Next in command is the
Secretariat of State, which provides an organizational support system for the pope and
administrates papal diplomacy around the world. The College of Cardinals consists of appointed
officials who work as advisors to the pope and head several administrative offices within the
church. The Roman Curia, the central government that assists the pope in the administrative
functions of the Catholic Church. This curia, or court, consists of various officials and offices
which assist the religious governance of the Church. Following the cardinal is the archbishop, a
bishop who oversees the major districts, or archdiocese around him. Each of these archdioceses
are composed of several, smaller dioceses, each of which have their own bishop assigned to it,
and who is responsible for the worship services in the church. Just below the bishop are priests,
who are ordained ministers that can administer most of the sacraments of the church, such as
baptism, marriage, and the Eucharist. The lowest rank of the clergy is that of deacon, and is most

commonly a student preparing for the priesthood, and who assists the priest in performing some
of the sacraments of the worship service.
The executive administration of the Catholic Church is located within Vatican City, a
small independent territory within the city of Rome that is separate from the political authorities
of other countries. The autonomy of the Catholic Church is preserved through within the Vatican,
also known as the Holy See, where the pope and his administration lead out in religious and
political affairs concerning the church. In essence, the Catholic Church is in and of itself a
religious country, with its own government and population to administrate.
The Catholic Church does not tolerate the idea of homosexuality, and they see it as direct
violation of divine and natural law. Catholics believe only in heterosexual marriage, as indicated
in the Bible, and they see homosexuality as a sinful lifestyle that is contrary to Gods law.
However, the Catholic Church does not promote active violence against these people-rather, they
see them as sinners in need of guidance and direction, and help show them the way to Gods plan
for them. The Catholic Church believes that these kinds of people are trapped by their own sinful
desires, and it is the Churchs duty to free them of this sin and bring them to Christ.
The ordination of female priests is surrounded by controversy. According to the
traditional beliefs of the church and their interpretations, the establishment of an all-male
priesthood is evident. One of the main ideas behind this belief is that the priesthood is essentially
the priesthood of Jesus Christ, and therefore, must consist completely of men (this is following
the example that Jesus had twelve male apostles). Another discerning factor in this conflict is that
women, in general, are not spiritually, mentally, and physically qualified to perform the duties of
the priest. Rather, the Catholic Church believes that women and men have different, yet
complementary roles in the church.
The Catholic Church is one of the wealthiest organizations in the world, the Vatican alone
having a net worth of over ten billion dollars. The accumulation of wealth over two thousand
years has made the Church perhaps the richest institution one earth. In addition to these funds,
the Catholic Church makes much of its money from donations by members of the church. Unlike
other Christian denominations, though, the Catholic Church does not believe in tithe, and instead
encourages people to give what they can give to the church. The Catholic Church also makes
much of its money from various Catholic institutions, such as universities and museums, as well
as through the investment in real estate.
The overall demographic of the Catholic Church represents over one-seventh of the
worlds population, with most of the members concentrated around the Latin America-Caribbean
and European areas. The United States makes up about eight percent of the Catholic Church
worldwide, and twenty-eight percent of the Pennsylvania population is of the Catholic faith.

This project on Catholicism helped me learn about the history of a religion that was not
my own, and showed me how the Catholic church developed over the centuries. One aspect of
this religion that stood out to me was how much it changed over time, and how it was influenced
by the events that surrounded its time. Another interesting aspect of Catholicism were the various
conflicts and schisms the church underwent, with various factions that disagreed on one or more
beliefs of the church branching off into new religions. One thing that I didnt like about this

project was how much information I had to condense and filter through in order to write this
paper, just because there was so much to go through. In conclusion, Catholicism is a religion that
has had a major influence on history, and it has played a major role in the development of our
own religion.

Works Cited
-Marie Dooley, Director of Religious Education
-Roman Catechism
- http://www.patheos.com/Library/Roman-Catholicism