The Real History Of
The Evil Roman Catholic Church | Educational
Documentary.
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest
Christian church, with more than 1.27 billion members.[3] As one of the oldest religious institutions in the world, it has played a prominent role in the history of
Western civilisation.[4] Headed by the
Bishop of Rome, known as the
Pope,[5] its doctrines are summarised in the
Nicene Creed. The Catholic Church is notable within
Western Christianity for its sacred tradition and seven sacraments.
The Catholic Church teaches that it is the one true church founded by
Jesus Christ,[6][note 2][9] that its bishops are the successors of Christ's apostles, and that the Pope is the successor to
Saint Peter.[10] The Catholic Church maintains that the doctrine on faith and morals that it declares as definitive is infallible.[11][note 3] The
Latin Church, the
Eastern Catholic Churches and institutes such as the
Jesuits, mendicant orders and enclosed monastic orders, reflect a variety of theological emphases in the
Church.[12][13]
Of the seven sacraments,[14] the principal one is the
Eucharist, celebrated liturgically in the
Mass. The church teaches that through consecration by a priest the sacrificial bread and wine become the body and blood of
Christ.[15] The Catholic Church practises closed communion, with only baptised members in a state of grace ordinarily permitted to receive the Eucharist.[16]
Mary is venerated in the
Catholic Church as
Queen of Heaven and honoured in numerous
Marian devotions.[17] The Catholic Church has defined four
Marian dogmas: the
Immaculate Conception (the dogma that Mary was conceived without original sin); her status, as the mother of
Jesus, of being the
Mother of God (Theotokos);[18] her perpetual virginity; and her bodily assumption into
Heaven at the end of her earthly life.
Catholic spiritual teaching includes spreading the
Gospel while
Catholic social teaching emphasises support for the sick, the poor and the afflicted through the corporal works of mercy. The Catholic Church is the largest non-government provider of education and medical services in the world.
From the late
20th century, the Catholic Church has been criticised for its doctrines on sexuality, its refusal to ordain women and its handling of sexual abuse cases.
- published: 22 Jun 2016
- views: 34