Transcript The Roman Catholic Church

325 A.D. ~ Council of Nicea
 325 and 451 CE
a number of church councils
were convened by the
emperor of Constantinople
 Questions of the nature of
God & the nature of Jesus
 Nicene Creed produced at
Council of Nicea and Council
of Constantinople (381) Jesus’ relationship with the
Father & Holy Spirit
 Apostles Creed
1054 A.D. The Great Schism
 Division into East and West
 Differences in language,
culture, music, art, architecture,
government, and ritual became
increasingly distinct
 For example:
WEST: Roman Church; Latin
speaking;
EAST: Eastern Church,
Byzantine Empire; Greek speak
1095 A.D. The First Crusade
 Pope Urban II
 Warring Christian Kings stopped
fighting each other and united to lead
a great army to conquer the Holy Land
 First crusade: drove Turks away from
the Holy Land but eventually the Turks
regained control again
 5 waves between A.D. 1100-1250
(some met with success, most failed)
 Idea thought to be noble
 Killing to defend the Gospel of Peace?
1204 A.D.
Constantinople is
Destroyed
 Middle Ages: tensions between the eastern and western
grew (more differences)
 For example:
use of leavened bread for Eucharist (E), unleavened (W)
Addition made to the Nicene Creed by the West final straw!
Filioque Clause
 Western Bishops added the line “the Holy Spirit…who
proceeded from the Father and the Son”
 No consultation with E who found this statement heretical
 Destruction of Constantinople by Western Christian
Crusaders sealed the split between E/W
 Emperors in the west made attempts to reconcile, eastern
Church authorities rejected the attempt
Pope Francis and Patriarch Bartholomew
Nov 30, 2014
Signed Joint
Declaration on
desire for unity
Patriarch
Athenagoras and
Pope Paul VI
1965 “erase from
memory”
excommunication
of 1054
Pope Francis Bows, Asks For Blessing From Ecumenical Patriarch
Bartholomew In Extraordinary Display Of Christian Unity
1517 A.D.
The Protestant
Reformation
 German monk Martin Luther
- called for simpler faith free from outward signs and
established rituals in the Roman Catholic faith
 Believed authority of Roman Catholic Church should rely solely
on the Bible (sola scriptura) and not on Church tradition/
leaders.
“Justification by faith alone”: The word means more than
works. In other words, your actions don’t matter; you’re saved
by the word alone!!
Questions to reflect on:
Does this make sense to you?
Does this mean that all the people who were Christian before the
Bible was written were doomed?
What do you think are some of issues with these teachings
according to the Universal Church known as the Catholic Church?
1517 A.D.
The Protestant
Reformation
 Luther’s followers established the Lutheran Church and the
Protestant Reformation came about; that is the reform of the
Western Church “protesting” against its practices
 The 95 Theses were written in Wittenberg, Germany
protesting all the things that Luther objected about the Roman
Catholic Church and its practices.
1534 A.D. Act of Supremacy in
England (King Henry VIII)
 King Henry VIII
- famous and controversial
- hearty appetites; fickle passions; demand for a
male heir led him to marry six different women
 Conflict:
- King Henry VIII had personal issues with Church
- ‘ways of living’
- struggle against Pope Clement VII who refused to
grant annulment
- Henry countered by declaring himself head of the
Catholic Church in England.
 Act of Supremacy
- must not violate or considered a ‘traitor to the
throne’
- Catholic Church in England declared its
independence from papal authority and became a
national Church known as the Church of England
1545 A.D. Council of Trent
(Roman Catholicism)
 Bishops throughout the world to identify
the true teachings of the faith
 Council took place at Trent over 20 yrs
three sessions; 1545-47, 1551-52,
1562-63
 Focus on theology and Church
discipline
 Restated some key teachings
i.e. duty of pope, and bishops instituted by Jesus Christ,
the sacraments, devotion to Mary and the saints, and the
religious life as valid expression of Gospel ideals
1870 A.D. First Vatican Council
(Roman Catholicism)
 When? 8 December, 1869, - 20 October, 1870.
 Pope Pius IX and nearly 800 church leaders
representing every continent attended
 Purpose - confirmation of the Syllabus of Errors
(1864); condemning ideas of rationalism,
liberalism, and materialism.
 Infallibility
- Pope speaks ex cathedra on faith or morals
- supreme apostolic authority, which no
Catholic may question or reject.
 Remember teaching taught to us by Tradition with a
capital “T” can never be changed!! Tradition with a
small “t” can be modified, re-interpreted, etc.
 Example: tradition- The rosary as a form of prayer
and meditation vs. Tradition- Teaching and practice
of the Eucharist
1962 A.D. Second Vatican Council
(Roman Catholicism)
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Purpose: not to fight against an error but rather update the Church
Pope John XXIII: goal to bring about renewal in our understanding of
our faith
Never before has Church changed so much and so quickly
Significant changes:
- liturgy and the sacraments (role of the laity; moving “ordinary”
people to leadership and ministry)
- Sensus Fidelium: role of the faithful is not simply blind obedience; responsibility to
determine what is best for church based on experience and talent
some of the greatest changes Vatican II introduced brought us back
to the core ideas and ideals of the apostles and early Church.
Don’t forget this:
All our core teachings, Traditions and traditions, have been
taught to us by Christ Himself!! They are revealed to us
through both the Word (Bible) and oral tradition that began with
Christ and spread through the gift of the Holy Spirit that was
entrusted upon Jesus’ apostles after His death and
resurrection.
Growth of the Three Main
Branches of CHRISTANITY
JESUS CHRIST
1ST Century
ROMAN CATHOLIC
EASTERN ORTHODOX
PROTESTANT
Ethiopian
Anglican
Russian
Methodist
Greek
Lutheran
Armenian
Baptist
World Distribution of the Three
main Christian Denominations
Percentage of Christian
Denominations in the World, 2001
Roman Catholic
2%
11%
Eastern Orthodox
3%
Lutheran
4%
4%
Baptist
4%
60%
12%
Anglican/Chruch of
England
Presbyterian &
Reformed
Methodist
All Others
The Roman Catholic Church
(St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome)
The Roman Catholic Church
More people belong to the Roman Catholic Church today than to all of the other Churches
put together.
Catholic beliefs:
a)
Mass is the central act of worship - eat consecrated bread and wine which
IS the body and blood of Jesus to remind us of the death of Jesus;
- Jesus told His disciples to eat of His body and drink of His blood
- not something our first Pope Peter invented
- Christ is the cornerstone of His church and has instituted all our Traditions
- After his death, Apostles practiced this in remembrance of what he
commanded them to do; early Christians practiced this and today, we practice
this.
b)
c)
d)
e)
The saints and the Virgin Mary play an important part in worship
Heaven and purgatory exist; and
Pope has supreme authority in the Church; ‘Roman’ because it accepts the
leadership of the Pope in Rome (as St. Peter’s successor); Jesus instituted.
The Church practices the 7 sacraments
The Four Marks of the Church:
The Church is one, Holy, catholic. (Note: catholic means Universal), and
Apostolic
“Christian faith cannot accept "revelations" that claim to surpass or correct the
Revelation of which Christ is the fulfillment” (Catechism of the Catholic Church- 67)
The Orthodox Church
(Russia former U.S.S.R.)
The Orthodox Church
 The Orthodox (right-thinking) Church was formed in 1054 AD.
 The Great Schism: division of East and West. (west - Pope, east –
Patriarch)
 150 million Orthodox Christians in Eastern Europe, Russia, and
Greece.
 Orthodox Christians take their beliefs from two places:
1) The Bible; and 2) the traditions of the Church – same as early
Christianity.
 They believe in the Seven Sacraments as well, but they call them
‘Mysteries’.
 Orthodox Churches are beautiful buildings -- inside the church is
dominated by the iconostasis which stands in front of the altar. Many
religious paintings and icons throughout the church.
 Believe Holy Spirit comes upon the bread & wine, which become the
Body & Blood of Christ. The bread is dipped in wine & placed at the
back of the throat by the priest on a long spoon.
The Anglican Church
(St. Paul’s Cathedral, London Ontario)
The Anglican Church
 Commonly known as the Church of England
 Two different kinds: the High Church and the Low Church.
- High Church is more Roman Catholic than Protestant
- In fact, Anglican Churches uphold and proclaim the Catholic and
Apostolic faith.
 The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament as the revealed
Word of God
 The Nicene Creed as the sufficient statement of the Christian Faith;
 The two Sacraments - Baptism and the Eucharist
 The Bible is an integral part of the Anglican Church, there are three
Bible readings in most Anglican services taken from the Old Testament,
the Epistles, and the Gospels.
The Methodist Church
(United Methodist Church ~ St. Petersburg, Florida)
The Methodist Church

The Methodist Church is Nonconformist – as are the Baptist Church, the United
Reformed Church, the Quakers, the Pentecostal Church and the Salvation Army
Church.

Means that these Churches do not agree totally with the beliefs with the Church
of England (Anglican) and prefer to remain independent even though they are all
similar to one another.

Emerged in the early 18th Century, when a group of students lead by John and
Charles Wesley began to meet and study the Bible.

Two brothers - priests in the Church of England.
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The Church is controlled by an Annual Conference made up of ministers and lay
people.

Each year the Conference chooses a president.

Churches are smaller and simpler and do not have an altar, and the preaching
of the Bible is done from a Pulpit.
The Lutheran Church
(Lutheran Church of Finland ~ Helsinki, Finland)
The Lutheran Church

Teaches love of the Triune God:
1) the Father, creator of all that exists;
2) Jesus Christ, the Son, who became human to suffer and die for the sins of all human
beings and to rise to life again in the ultimate victory over death and Satan;
3) and the Holy Spirit, who creates faith through God's Word and Sacraments. The three
persons of the Trinity are coequal and coeternal, one God.

Bible-based teachings of Martin Luther who “protested” and inspired the reformation of the
Christian Church in the 16th century. The teachings of Luther and the reformers can be
summarized in three short phrases: Grace alone, Faith alone, Scripture alone.

Grace alone – God’s love, even though we are sinful, saves.

Faith alone - Those who hear this Good News and believe it have the eternal life
- God creates faith in Christ and gives people forgiveness through Him

Scripture alone - The Bible is God's inerrant and infallible Word, in which He reveals His
Law and His Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ. It is the sole rule and norm for Christian
doctrine

Two sacraments are celebrated in the Lutheran faith; baptism and communion
Communion - only a presence of Christ’s body and blood
Message of God’s forgiving love, Bible as sole guide to religious truth rather than Church
doctrine


The Baptist Church
(First Baptist Church ~ Brockport, New York)
The Baptist Church
 Although Baptist churches have been continually fractured and
divided over the centuries, there are a number of broad
characteristics which are common to most if not all.
 These include:
- adult baptism through full immersion
- evangelism
- pietism
- sectarianism
* intense volunteering and the independence of local churches.
 Becoming a Christian should be a mature and informed decision
 Baptism calls for the total immersion of adults in water, in the
way that John the Baptist baptized Jesus
 Communion -- Christ is present in spirit only
 Baptists celebrate using Bible preaching and hymn singing,
usually celebrating in the morning and evening
The Umbrella of Christianity
CHRIST
Sacraments
(Not all
practice all 7)
Many forms
of prayer
Founders
Symbols
Church Art
History and
Liturgical
Music
Icons/
Significant Voices
Statues
(Both men and
Celebrations/
women)
Rituals and
Practices
Celebrations of the Three Main Branches of
Christianity
(Research to find out who celebrates what?)
Festivals
Roman Catholic
Church
Advent
Yes
Christmas
Yes
Epiphany
Yes
Ash
Wednesday
Yes
Holy Week
Yes
Easter
Yes
Ascension
Yes
Pentecost
Yes
Orthodox
Church
Protestant
Church
Sacraments of the Three Main Branches
of Christianity
(Research to find out who practices what)
Sacraments
Roman Catholic
Church
Baptism
Yes
Reconciliation
Yes
Communion
Yes
Confirmation
Yes
Marriage
Yes
Holy Orders
Yes
Anointing of
the Sick
Yes
Orthodox
Church
Protestant
Church
Text Resources
 The Many Paths of Christianity
 The Christian Faith and its Symbols
 World Religions
 Aspects of Christianity
 Educating for Life
 Exploring the Religions of Our World
 Understanding Catholic Christianity
 Exploring World Religions