The Development of the Roman Catholic Church Essay

When the Roman Empire collapsed, the Catholic Church was the only powerful authority not complete disrupted by the attack by barbarians. In fact, the work of great Popes is what helped their power increase even more. The newly christened barbarians, done by the Pope Gregory the Great, inaugurated a new age in Jesus Christ called Christendom. All culture in Christendom conformed to that of the Church’s, and, with its headquarters in Rome, the powerful “papal monarchs”, as they were called, controlled the machine that was the Catholic Church.

St. Peter not only set his foot within the heart of Rome, but he was granted the right to step his foot anywhere he pleased when spreading the word, it is our land because we devote ourselves—and like He has appointed St. Peter, he has appointed us to continue the work of the disciple: “…so also they have regarded the others who after him have been elected to the pontificate, and so has it been continued even till now, and will continue till the end of the world” (par. 3)

At the end of the fifteen century, the Church was in serious need of reformation. The need was due to war, intrigue, bribery, and licentiousness, these popes sought to restore and even to outdo the glorious ancient Rome. As results, while most people still believed in the supreme authority of the Roman, many founded it difficult to reconcile their faith in the papacy

Most italians belong to a catholic church. The roman catholic church was formed when Roman Emperor Constantine declared a transition to Christianity. Now the early roman christians were just like their brothers following in the footsteps as jesus christ. He issued the Edict of Milan in 313, which granted freedom of worship throughout the Roman empire. The term Roman Catholic was defined by Emperor Theodosius on February 27, 380. With the fall of the Roman Empire began the rise of the Catholic Church. Which basically meant that the power was transferred from one entity to the other. From this time on, the church and state were fully intertwined as the Holy Roman Empire, with the pope exercising authority over kings and emperors.

As time constantly presses forward and the earth continues to revolve, the world will never stop progressing and adapting to better suit the needs of mankind. The evolution of religion has greatly enhanced the quality of life for humanity by providing individuals with a strong belief system that is now the foundation of many peoples’ core values. One universal religion that has undergone extensive amounts of reform is Christianity. In particular, the Catholic church is well-known for the development of their famous ecumenical council meetings that help determine the future of the church. Numerous Councils have been conducted throughout the course of history, but none more significant than the most recent, the Second Vatican Council or Vatican II. The Catholic church was operating as if it was still the medieval period and desperately needed to be modernized. Consequently, the following will reveal the Second Vatican Council and the ramifications of the agenda, history and theology evolution, significant texts, and new developments.

Christ created different ministries within His Church to benefit the Church and the ministers have sacred powers and served the people in an orderly way, so that all may obtain salvation. This council declares that Jesus set forth his Apostles and established His Church and willed the Bishops, who were the successors of the Apostles, to shepherd his people until the end of the world. He put Peter in charge and established a foundation of unity for the succession of the apostles and the succession of Peter as the representative of Christ. Jesus called the disciples and put Peter in charge and before he was crucified he sent them to Israel and to the rest of the

Roman Catholicism has long been seen as one of the most unwelcoming religions to date. With its strict guidelines and little to no forgiveness, the church is sometimes feared by other religious groups around the globe. Though lately, there seems to be promise being brought to the Catholic religion. The election of the 266th pope, Pope Francis, has ushered in extensive change for both Catholicism and the way it is perceived by non-Catholics. These reforms of the current pope, although many are controversial, drive the public to believe the church is becoming more open-minded and less austere in its manner.

But the impetus which enabled herto join battle with her enemies was generated long before the Lutheran assault, and can in no way be considered a result of the upheaval caused by that event. A general view of the history of the Church makes it clear that the sixteenth-century Catholic reform is not essentially different from other reforms, which have applied an irresistible law and thus serve as mile-stones on the road of time. The work of Cluny in the eleventh century, the achievements of St. Norbert, St. Bernard and others in the twelfth, the heroic undertakings of St. Francis and St. Dominic in the thirteenth -- all these monumental and unending labours are of the same spirit and the same significance as those accomplished by the Popes and the Fathers of Trent, and by the religious founders of that period. Here

We observe that all the time Christ was with the Twelve, Peter was a leader among them. Occasionally, Christ would select certain ones for special responsibilities; for example: Peter, James and John to witness the raising of Jarius’ daughter, the transfiguration, and the agony in the garden (G. Stokes). Now, why were these particular men selected on these occasions to be the recipients of special privileges and the bearers of the attendant responsibilities? Certainly not because they possessed greater authority than the other apostles, but because here

In the 16th century, the Church linked “membership” in the Catholic Church with the people’s salvation. The church used the threat of excommunication as a tool to keep followers in line and to punish those who dared to defy the Church’s rules of conduct. The Church taught that only the Catholic Church alone was instrumental to God and the only link to salvation on Earth. The

Upon the conclusion of this paper the reader will be able to make a distinction between the concept of visible and invisible church. Also the reader will be able to identify how they are both related and that, when perceived spiritually, cannot be explained antithetically. The church as a whole, whether visible or invisible, is a part of God’s ultimate purpose.

Catholic church authorities underestimated the extent of the Reformation at first, considering it just another dissension or schism. Soon, however, they saw the movement spreading from one country to another

Roman Catholicism, one of Germany’s two major religions, originated there due to the eighth-century missionary work of Saint Boniface. In the next centuries, Roman Catholicism spread eastward. In 1517, however, Martin Luther challenged the Catholic authority. In the process, Luther changed the course of European and world history and established the second major faith in German

Certainly, this course has revealed the establishment, stability, and evolution of the Catholic Church until present day, also shows a growth very consistent with human population growth. Although, many Christian argue amounst themselves about the legitimate sect, which creates further division separate from other religions, so in many ways people are fighting on many avenues. Instead of creating unity and acceptance of Christ, the Catholic Church grew, wealth, and followers, but the disconnection has become a problem. Surely, the Catholic Church was involved in the social changes from this century, and became very progressive with the Vatican II counsel, by analyzing those issues of modern day people. For example, social issues like womens rights, racism, and dealing with those in need, were some of the many issues associated with this meeting. However, even to this day, we are spilt on so many issues, and these issues still exist today “The Church, Popes John Paul and Benedict believe,” is based on “truth” and teaching this “absolute” is imperative as it never changes (Stewart 315).

On the eve of Vatican II, the Church struggled with the maximalist interpretation of the two dogmas; at the same time, Vatican II took up the concerns of the minority bishops as a bridge in order to discuss further the compatibility of the dogma of infallibility with a communion ecclesiology. “The work of Vatican II has remained a building site,” whose attempts “to end Vatican centralization by means of its teachings on collegiality.” The challenges that Vatican II needs to deal with are two major concerns: “to rebel against centralization, and to bring the church out of its ghetto into the modern world.” Lumen Gentium offers very little attention to the two concerns, and the appearance of the phrase “hierarchical communion” “weakens the idea of communion without actually saying anything new.” After Vatican II, Pottmeyer observes, “The fear of a shared governance by bishops” had remained. For example, in 1965, Pope Paul VI “established the synod of bishops and published the norms for its operation.” This form of “permanent participation of the bishops in the leadership of the church” also made many of the council fathers disappointed. Fifty years after Vatican II, the leadership struggle remains by unsuccessfully overcoming and reconciling with tradition and former dogmas. According to the biblical and patristic concept, the development of a primacy in communion is “to move beyond centralization to a restoration of the communion of churches within the unity of the