Catholicism
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Catholicism is the practice and dogma of the Roman Catholic Church.
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[edit] Terminology
The Catholic Church regards herself as the “true” Christianity, from which other denominations have split, following various heresies. Among Christian religions, Catholicism is often distinguished from Protestantism.
Note that the term “Protestant” may be taken to mean “the non-Catholic Christian faith in the current context”. There is no single Protestant faith, and many of them are not, in fact “protesting” anything. In the context of the continental Europe in the 16th century, “Protestants” are understood to be Lutherans or Calvinists, depending on the region. In the context of England, they are understood to be Anglicans. In America, the term may be used for Baptists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians or Methodists. Eastern Orthodoxy and Coptic Christianity are usually termed “Protestant”.
Note also that the word catholic as a common adjective means “universal”. When spelled with a capital letter, Catholic refers only to the Roman Catholic Church. This distinction is important since many Protestant denominations may use the phrase “the catholic church” to refer to themselves.
[edit] Articles of Faith
[edit] The Creed
The faith of the Catholic Church is expressed by the “Nicene Creed”[1], developed by the Council of Nicea in 325 AD to address the heresies of the day. The Creed is recited at Catholic Masses, and it forms the outline of the Catechism. In summary, the Creed declares:
- Belief in God, the Father, the Creator.
- Belief in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, born of a virgin, who died in payment of the sins of mankind, and was resurrected.
- Belief in the Holy Spirit, who speaks the word of God to prophets, and imparts understanding to mankind.
- Belief in the “one holy catholic and apostolic church”.
- Belief in everlasting life.
[edit] Transubstantiation
One particular matter of faith peculiar to Catholicism is the transubstantiation of bread and wine (the host) into the body and blood of Christ during the celebration of Communion. While most Christians understand the scripture “This is my body”(Lk 22:19) metaphorically, the Catholic Church has tenaciously insisted on a literal interpretation. Moreover, it is believed that there is no simultaneous existence of the host with the body and blood; the bread and wine have ceased to exist.[2]
Following the transubstantiation, the body and blood continue to have the appearance of bread and wine (now called the accidents). One suspects that a chemical analysis would confirm that no transubstantiation had taken place. This may be considered a test of faith for the participants in the mass, to realize the literal flesh and blood of Christ.[3] The reliance on faith makes this an unfalsifiable claim, from a scientific point of view.
[edit] Other beliefs
Other beliefs not explicit in the Creed are part of Catholic faith. These include:
- belief in the Bible as the canon of scripture. Catholics tend to prefer non-KJV versions, which contain books considered apocryphal to the King James editors. While practicing Catholics who insist on Biblical Literalism do exist, official Catholic doctrine does not hold to a purely literal interpretation of the Scriptures. In particular, the book of Revelation and the Creation stories of Genesis are widely believed to be allegorical.
- belief in the the Living Magisterium, the authority of official pronouncements from the priesthood, in addition to the scripture.[4] This belief is rejected by most Protestant faiths.
- belief in intercessory prayer for mercy upon the souls of the dead. This belief, and its attendant practices were specifically challenged by Martin Luther in his 95 theses.[5]
- veneration of saints, especially Mary, the mother of Christ. This practice is rejected by Calvinists and Presbyterians.
- belief in eternal Heaven and Hell, as well as Purgatory and (though not official canon) various levels of Limbo.
- belief in the Trinity of God.
It should be noted that much of traditional Catholic faith consists of personal beliefs which are not considered articles of faith. For example, while the Shroud of Turin is believed by the Church to be genuine, this is not an article of faith, and one can be a believing Catholic while disbelieving in the Shroud of Turin.
[edit] Miracles
The extra-Biblical traditions of the Catholic Church are replete with stories of miracles. While miracles are technically performed only by God, typically a saint is credited for the intercession that brings about the miracle. Every canonized saint must have miracles attributed to them.
Miracles are notoriously difficult to study scientifically, since their mere occurrence is usually demonstrated by anecdote and second-hand account. Even in the face of great numbers of witnesses, it is difficult to rule out wishful thinking, pious fraud and mass hysteria.
Some types of miracles claimed:
- Apparitions: appearances of a dead saint (particularly St. Mary)
- Animation: weeping or bleeding statues; liquefying blood of a saint[6], etc.
- Revelations from God, such as the commands given to St. Joan of Arc.
- Miraculous healing, such as attributed to the water at Lourdes, or the intercession of Mother Teresa.
- Miraculous conversions of persecutors.
- Improbable military victories.
[edit] Papal Infallibility
According to Catholic dogma, the Pope is the final authority on questions of faith, a doctrine called infallibility. This becomes a tricky doctrine to use, since throughout history, questions of faith have often become objects of science. Usually then, papal infallibility has been used to justify matters apparently forever beyond the reach of science: the nature of God, the nature of salvation, etc. [7]
Contrary to popular belief, not every statement from the Holy See is considered infallible. The Pope may make political statements as head of the Vatican State, and learned conclusions based on the vast collections of literature and research done at the Vatican. For example, the determination that the Shroud of Turin is genuine is considered a matter of human discovery, not faith, and any statements from the Pope concerning this result are not considered infallible.
Strictly speaking, only statements that the Pope makes ex cathedra ("from the throne") are considered infallible. Only twice has a Pope spoken ex cathedra, once on the infallibility of Popes, and once on the immaculate conception, according to which Mary is assumed to have been conceived without original sin. Some Catholics may consider the Pope infallible when speaking about matters of faith, but this is not a part of Catholic dogma.
[edit] Practice
[edit] Sacraments
Central to the practice of Catholicism is the receipt of the Sacraments. Catholicism recognizes seven sacraments: Baptism, Penance(a.k.a. Confession, Reconciliation), Communion(a.k.a. Eucharist), Confirmation, Matrimony(Marriage), Holy Orders, and Anointing of the Sick(a.k.a. Extreme Unction).
Whereas most Protestant religions regard sacraments as signs or ceremonial celebrations of having received God’s grace, Catholic dogma insists that grace is imparted through the Sacrament itself.[8] This difference is representative of a major disagreement between Catholics and Protestants: the question of whether a person is justified by their faith or by their actions.[9]
Contrary to common belief, Matrimony does not require official ministration from the Church[10]; it is unique among the Sacraments in this respect. This implies (with some additional considerations) that a man and woman married by the civil power are not only married in the eyes of the Church, but have in fact received the Sacrament.
[edit] Church Organization
The priesthood of the church is organized hierarchically. The individual parishes are administered by priests, and many churches in an area may be administered by bishops and archbishops. Among the bishops, some may be appointed to be cardinals by the Pope. The Pope, elected by the cardinals, is the absolute authority on matters of faith, and on the administration of the Church and her priesthood.
A small sovereign state called the Vatican City is under the political control of the Church, and serves as the seat of government for the church hierarchy. As a nation, it is a rare example of an elective (rather than hereditary) monarchy.
The laity may also participate in the administration of the church. Ministers, deacons, and other personnel may be appointed to carry out administrative functions of the Church. In addition, there are a number of lay organizations facilitating the works of the Church, such as the Knights of Columbus, Opus Dei, etc.
[edit] Morality
The modern Church is generally opposed to war and military aggression, although she was historically a major participant in such actions.
The Church’s views on morality tend toward the conservative: Abortion and euthanasia are opposed as contrary to the respect for man’s divine origin.
The view of the relation between civil marriage and the Sacrament of Matrimony interests the Church in working to maintain the civil law in accord with the supposed purposes of the Sacrament. Thus, Catholic political views tend to include the so-called “family values”: restriction of divorce, opposition to homosexual marriage, and discouragement of pre-marital and extramarital relations. Birth control and masturbation are also proscribed as being contrary to the purpose of the sacrament, although the use of fertility-enhancing drugs is not. Note that homosexuality, as an “innate tendency”, is not considered sinful in itself.[11]
Notoriously, the personal moral systems of American Catholics are often found to be in opposition to the official church teachings. These Catholics have recently been dubbed with the pejorative moniker “cafeteria Catholics”.
[edit] Church and State
One current issue is the treatment of Catholic American politicians who, in the discharge of their offices must enforce the civil law, even when it opposes Catholic moral codes. Presidential candidate John Kerry, and California governor Gray Davis, both Catholics, were heavily criticized for supporting the right to abortion as a political stance. In both cases, members of the priesthood suggested that they be denied participation in the Sacraments for their failure to follow the moral code of their supposed faith.[12] [13]
The meddling in politics by religious entities is troubling to some, however it could be argued that their right to expression guarantees this freedom. Regarding the Church’s relation to civil government, the Catholic Encyclopedia argues that
- In all purely temporal subject-matter, so long as it remains such, the jurisdiction of the State over its own subjects stands not only supreme, but, [...] alone.[14]
However, the state is also obliged to serve the Church in spiritual matters:
- The State is [...] under obligation to promote the spiritual interests of the Church; for the State is bound to promote whatever by reaction naturally works for the moral development of its citizens and consequently for the internal peace of the community, and in the present condition of human nature that development is necessarily dependent upon the spiritual influence of the Church.[ibid].
[edit] Anti-Catholics
Opposition to the Catholic Church has a long and violent history, particularly in Europe where rival Christian sects competed for the loyalty of the masses. While today, religious tolerance is considered a virtue, this animosity lingers on in the form of various anti-Catholic sentiments. Often in global conspiracy theories, the Catholic Church is considered a major player. This sentiment was openly evident as recently as the presidential campaign of John F. Kennedy, later the first Catholic American President.
One myth giving fuel to the fear of Catholics in high places is the myth that Catholics are imperial subjects of the Pope, dividing their national loyalties. This facet of anti-Catholicism is expressed in the Jack Chick tract Are Roman Catholics Christians?. It may be debated whether the Pope, in fact, has dictatorial power over lay people, especially in areas not related to faith and spirituality. In some of the more paranoid anti-Catholic rhetoric, the Catholic Church is identified with the “Whore of Babylon”(Rv 17), satanic cults, the New World Order, etc. [15]
[edit] The Galileo Affair
The contentions of the Catholic Church with scientist Galileo Galilei in the 17th century are considered one of the more remarkable conflicts between faith and science in history. Galileo is admired in his own right as a scientific genius, but also as a martyr for the cause of scientific method against the stranglehold of mysticism and religion.
At particular issue was Galileo’s advocacy of the Copernican system, including the claim that the Earth was a planet, revolving about the Sun. In proof of this claim, he observed the phases of Venus, and the rotation of the Sun. For his defense of this view, he was accused of heresy, forced to recant his position, and was placed under house arrest for the remainder of his life.
Throughout the centuries, the legend of Galileo’s conflicts has assumed a mythological status, in which telling and re-telling has undoubtedly obscured some subtleties of the affair. (His supposed defiant statement “Eppur si muovo!” is almost certainly a myth). Whether correct or debatable, the corresponding apologies by the Catholic Church are less appreciated.[16]
- The Church is not, and was not anti-science. Indeed, in the 17th century, the Catholic Church was one of the only organizations doing science.
- Galileo was eventually proved incorrect in many of his assertions. For example, the rotation of the Earth causing the tides; the oscillation of a pendulum being invariant with its displacement; etc.. These (ultimately incorrect) assertions were supported by the same erroneous reasoning that led him to occasionally correct conclusions, such as that the Earth revolves around the Sun.
- While the evidence supported his conclusions, it was insufficient to prove them. Without better evidence of his ideas, Galileo published his conclusions to the public, in the vernacular language, bypassing the peer review of the day. Similar behavior today is associated with junk science. Copernicus, on the other hand, wrote for a more learned audience, and identified his work as a hypothesis. While ridiculed, Copernicus was not officially sanctioned, although his De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium was placed on the Church's Index Librorum Prohibitorum 7 decades after its publication.
- Galileo intentionally caused the trouble that he found himself in, seeking rather to embarrass the establishment than to enlighten it.
- The Church never asserted infallibility in adherence to the geocentric cosmology.
