roman Catholic Church

Catholicism claims to have over _ _ followers around the world

With the United States having at least _ million Catholics as of 2024

1.3 billion

53 million

The influence of the Catholic church is felt around the _

Not only in religious matters but also in _ and _

In many mission fields of the world, the missionary will have to contend with the presence and power of the _ _ _

World

Politics and economics

Roman Catholic Church

Theologically the Roman Catholic Church holds many _ that are considered _

Including the trinitarium nature of God

The deity of Jesus Christ

His virgin birth

sinless life

Crucifixion

And Resurrection

However, heirs in the Catholic doctor are present in almost every major area of _

In addition, Rome claims to be the only _ _

Doctrines, orthodox

Theology

True church

The beginning and development of the Roman Catholic church

Although the church claims to have started in Rome with _, who according to the church was the first _

There is no historical record of Peter ever having been in Rome

There is also no historical record of Peter ever being _ of the Church of Rome

Peter, Pope

Bishop

A. The political environment of the early church

• The Roman empire

  • Powerful and _

  • You were free to worship any God you please as long as you bow the knee to _ (pontiffs Maximus)

  • Caesar was considered not to be a mere man but a _

  • Thus the absolute king of religion and government

Polytheistic

Caesar

god

Has a monotheistic religion _ was declared illegal

• Christians _ to accept Caesar as a god

• _ was imprisoned at Rome, preach there and was executed

• Christians eventually hid in the _ for safety for almost _ years

Refused

Paul

Catacombs, 300

B. The state of the early Christian Church

Two words but describe these churches

• _ And _

They had but two _

• _ and _

They had but 2 _ NOT sacraments

• _ and _

The basic beliefs and practices of the early church

• _ was for believers only. Faith in Christ must _ baptism

• The Lord's supper was _, it was not a sacrament. It did not convey any _ Merit but was rather a remembrance.

• The church has one _ Jesus Christ

Autonomous, Independent

Offices

Pastor, Deacon

Ordinances

Baptism, the Lord's supper

Baptisim , preced

Commemorative, saving

Head

C. The origin of the Roman Catholic Church

1. The first three centuries saw extreme persecution of _. However, in spite of the attacks Christianity _.

• God's word was becoming settled and widely used despite the _ edict of 303ad which called for burning of all copies of the word of God.

• However, false doctrines also proliferated

Christians, flourished

Nicodemian

False doctrine #1

• _ 185 ad-254ad

• Doctrine of baptismal regeneration

• Purgatory

• Demons and Satan would eventually be restored (saved)

• Allegorizing _ (method of biblical interpretation)

False doctrine#2

• _ 354ad-430 ad

• Some consider him to be the man who laid much of the _ basis for Roman Catholicism

• Claimed that sacraments are the actual means of _

• First to teach the _ of Mary

• Believed in purgatory

• Believed in baptismal regeneration

• Believed in infant baptism (taught that unbaptized babies are lost)

Origen

hermeneutic

Augustine

Doctrinal

Grace

sinlessness

False doctrine#3

• _ 347 ad-420ad

• Asceticism- celibacy considered spiritually superior to marriage. First to the man that church leaders be _

• Taught veneration of holy relics and bones of dead Christians

• Invocation of (Dead) saints (asking them to pray for us)

• Taught that Mary was the second _ as Christ was the second Adam. Therefore, laid the bases for the belief that Mary was instrumental in helping to redeem the human race

• Taught the perpetual _ of Mary

• Use blessed water to sprinkle (holy water)

Jerome

Unmarried

Eve

virginity

2. The emperor Constantine became the catalyst in removing Christ as the head of the church and replacing him with a _ ordained by men, which would later become known as the _

   - Constantine 280 ad-337 ad (rained 306 ad-337ad)

   • Believing that the god of Christianity had favored him in battle, he _ Christianity in the edict of _ in 313 and actually made Christianity the state religion of the Roman empire. He now had effectively became not only emperor of Rome, but the leader of the" church".

   • Constantine continued many pagan practices including veneration of the _. It is questionable that he was ever a born-again believer. He was a consummate politician and recognized the benefit of uniting the religious life of the empire with the civil Life.

   - Constantine structured the empire with administrators, governors and vicars.

   • Appointed both political and religious underlings

   • This became the general pattern for the administrative structure of the Roman Church

priesthood

Papacy

Decriminalized

Milan

sun

3. Since Constantine had assumed the position of head of the church in Rome, his leaving for _ left a vacuum of leadership in the city. Various bishops of the Roman Church soon sought to fill this vacuum.

4. Actually, what could legitimately be called the the quote first Pope quote would be _, known as Leo the Great. He was the bishop of Rome from 440-461ad at the council of Chalcedon, 451ad,

   • Leo declared that the bishop of Rome was the successor of the apostle_, (the greatest of the apostles/ the captain of the apostles and the vicar of Christ) he would have been the first to have the authority and power to assume preeminence over all other churches

5. Therefore, we see the beginnings of The Roman Catholic church was an _ of political and religious struggles and not an unbroken line of succession from Christ through Peter to the popes as claimed by the church

6. The actual beginnings of what we would call the Roman Catholic Church (with centralization and papal authority) could be no earlier than the _ century ad

Byzantium

Leo I

Peter

evolution

5th

D. The development of the Roman Catholic church. Just as the beginning of the Catholic church, was evolutionary, over at least four centuries, and must be remembered that the Roman Catholic Church of today is a product of _ years of development. The doctrines and practices of romanism have been added, amended and established by processes that have been at least as much political as religious.

E. The following dates for the beginning of various Catholic doctrine and dogma are given to demonstrate the fact of _ and _ in the teaching of romanism.

1,500

Development

change

iii. The structure of the Roman Catholic Church

A. The Pope

• The pope is the bishop of the Church of Rome and considered to be the direct _ of Peter. He takes the title _ (earthly representative) of Christ. He in fact has absolute rule and when he speaks ex cahedra (literally from the chair) according to Roman Catholic doctrine, a pope speaking ex cathedra on issues of Faith or morals is _. Vatican City is the home of the Pope.

B. The Cardinals

• Known as the _ of the church, they are appointed by the pope himself. They are called Cardinals because they are cardinal or higher in authority than other bishops. Generally, they are bishops within the body of bishops who head departments of important Episcopal sees and as a group they advise the pope and are the group which elects a Pope's successor in case of his death or resignation.

C. The archbishops

• An archbishop presides over several _

successor

vicar

infallible

princes

dioceses

D. Diocesan Bishops

• A bishop is responsible for teaching, governing, and sanctifying the faithful in his _. He shares these duties with the priests and _ who serve under him.

E. Priests

• A priest administers the _ and is responsible for directly serving the people of his local _.

F. Deacons

• These are men in the traditional stage, being _ studying for priesthood. After being a deacon for a year, they’re ordained a priest by the _. Normally, they assist the priest (ex.with mass)

G. Laity

diocese

deacons

sacraments

parish

seminarians

bishop

IV The teachings of the Roman Catholic Church

The basis of faith for the _

Faith

|

Bible

Baptist

Basis of faith for the _

Faith

[ | ]

Church dogma. Bible + apocrypha. Pope

Catholics

The seven _ of romanism.

The Roman Catholic Church recognizes seven _ (religious rite that is held to be a means of divine _)

sacraments

sacraments

grace

1. Sacrament of _

• Priest performs the rite on _

• It produces _ (infant Christian)

• This is _ for salvation

• Frees one from original _ and _

• Unites one to Christ and the _

Vatican 2 emphasis:

• Baptisim to receive greater _

• Convert to receive _ beforehand

• Illustrates commitment to _

• Emphasizes _ of all members in Christ

Baptisim

Infants

Necessary

Sin and guilt

Church

emphasis

instruction

Christ

unity

2. Sacrament of _

• Bishop lays hands on person whereby they receive _ _ _

• Nessasary sequence after _

• Part of the sacrament of _

• Persons receives the Holy spirit, bringing on _ and dedication

Vatican 2:

• Endeavour to unite baptisim and confirmation as one act of _

• Separating the two sacraments suggets there are degrees of _ in the church

Confirmation

The holy Spirit

Baptism

initiation

Maturity

initiation

membership

3. Sacrament _

• Aka: Lord's supper, breaking bread, Holy Communion, holy Mass, holy sacrifice

• Priest celebrates _

• Upon pronouncing this is my body bread and wine turned to body and blood of Christ-_

• Mass is _ Sacrifice of Christ

• Same as Calvary except mass is not bloody

• Christ offers _ for sin

• Participant receives forgiveness from _ sins

• Eating bread is literally eating the flesh of Christ

Vatican 2:

• Frequent participation encouraged to increase union with Christ

• Ceremony now involves _ people

• Shorter simpler ceremony; more use of the _

Eucharist

Mass

Transubstination

ongoing

atonement

venial

lay

Scripture

4. The sacrament of _

• Aka: penance, forgiveness, reconciliation, conversion

• 3 steps:

• 1. _ for sin

• 2. Oral confession to _

• 3. _ of sins by priest

• Having confessed all known sins to priest and stated intention not to sin in the _

• The adherent receives absolution from sins by priest

Vatican 2:

• New view of sin: distorted personal relationship and motives

• Allows for general _ and absolution

• General confession performed in _ of singing, Scripture, prayer, sermon, self-examination, confession, absolution

Confession

Sorrow

priest

Absolution

future

confession

service

5. The sacrament of _

• Ordination to office: bishop, priest, Deacon

• As a successor to the _, bishops ordains _

• Confers on recipient power to sanctify others

• Priest receives power to offer body and blood of Christ to remit _

• Priest mediates between God and men as _ mediated between God and men

Vatican 2:

• Greater involvement of lay people in _

• Lay people to develop/use _ in church

• Reduced distinction between priest and _

• Priest considered brother among _

Holy orders

apostles

priests

sins

Christ

ministry

gifts

people

brothers

6. Sacrament of _

• Vows are exchanged in presence of a _

• Sign of _ of Christ and the church

• _ because marriage of Christ and the church is indissoluble

Vatican 2:

• Marriage is not just for _

• Greater emphasis on _ in marriage

• _ permitted at weddings with baptized non-catholics

Marriage

priest

union

Indissoluble

procreaton

love

Mass

7. The sacrament of _

• Bishop concentrates _

• Person near death anointed by _

• Removes _ and obstacles left by sin which prevent the soul from entering Glory

• Prepares people for death by making them like the risen _

• Prepares soul for

Vatican II:

• Broadened usage: changed from extreme unction to anointing the sick

• Used to strengthen/ heal body and soul

• _ person shares and readings and prayers if able

Anointing the sick

oil

priest

infirmity

Christ

eternity

Sick

• Rome declares that the _ is the mediator of the sacraments and that the church is, in one sense, as _ through which the seven sacraments are mediated

• The function of the sacraments in Rome system is that the benefits of Christ's suffering and death be communicated by the church through the _

• They are the means by which God's _ is given to the church members

• The whole liturgical life of the Roman Catholic church revolves around the _ sacrifice and the sacraments

• The Roman catechism (teaching) is clear in stating that Grace and salvation are communicated to those who participate in the sacraments AND that the sacraments are necessary for _

church

sacrament

sacraments

grace

Eucharist

salvation

B. Catholic teaching on Mary

Romanism teaches five major heresies concerning Mary

Four have been proclaimed officially and the fifth is being taught

• 1. Mary is a mother of God

• 2. The immaculate conception of Mary, that she was born without sin.

• Pope Pius IV proclaimed in 1854, the most blessed Virgin Mary was from the first moment of her conception by a singular Grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin

• 3. The ever virgin

• Rome also teaches the perpetual virginity of mary- the church teaches that the brothers and sisters of Jesus mentioned are not children of Mary, the mother of Jesus, but of another Mary, a disciple of Christ

• They teach that Jesus as Mary's only son but that her motherhood extends to all men whom indeed he came to save

• 4. The bodily assumption

• Rome teaches that Mary was taken up bodily into heaven without seeing death

• 5. Mary is the co-redemptrix

• The church is teaching concerning Mary and salvation

• Mary participates in redemption with Jesus Christ

• Grace is granted by Jesus only through the intercession of Mary

A

C. Catholics and prayers to the dead saints

• Rome teaches that Catholic should pray to the saints

• The witnesses who have preceded us into the kingdom, especially those whom the church recognizes as saints share in the living tradition of prayer by the example of their lives, the transmission of their writings, and the prayer today

• They contemplate God, praise Him and constantly care for those whom they have left on Earth

• When they entered into the joy of their Master, they were put in charge of many things

• Their intercession is their most exalted service to God's plan. We can and should ask them to intercede for us and for the whole world

B

D. Catholic teaching on the mass

• The church teaches that the mass is a repetitive sacrifice

• Each time the mass is celebrated, the body and blood of Christ is offered up anew

• When a person partakes of the wafer, he is actually partaking of the flesh of Jesus Christ

E. Trans-substanation

• Connected to the celebration of the mass is the doctrine of transubstantiation

• This is a teaching that the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Jesus Christ

C

F. Mortal and venial sins

• Catholics distinguish between two types of sin. The two types are mortal and venial

• Mortal sin destroys the sanctifying grace of God within the individual and necessitates forgiveness through a sacrament of reconciliation

• It causes exclusion from heaven and results in the internal death of hell

• Catholics classify sinortal when it meets the following conditions: the sin is serious or grave (murder adultery stealing bearing, false witness etc) and is committed with full knowledge and complete consent

• The three steps of a mortal sin are 1- it's a grave matter, 2- committed with full knowledge 3- has complete consent

• A venial sin is a sin that either is not serious or grave, or does not involve full knowledge or complete consent

• Unlike mortal sins, venial sin does not destroy the saving Grace of God in the individual

• Venial sin does not deprive the center of sanctifying Grace, friendship with God, charity, and consequently eternal happiness

D

G. Aricular confession

• The Catholic Church teaches that unless a believers hindered, the only way to receive the forgiveness of sins is by confessing them to a priest

• They teach that confession is the clear avowal of all sins committed after baptism, made to a priest who has the power to absolve those sins

• The priest imposes upon the penitent center acts of penance to make reparation for his sins

• These acts of penance may include saying specified amounts of hail Mary's and our fathers, self-denial, or performing good works

• The priests role in this sacrament is as a representative of Christ

E

H. The praying of the rosary

• The church teaches the necessity of praying the rosary (prayer beads) And in some cases teaches up to 15 promises for those who do

F

I. Purgatory

• Catholicism teaches that purgatory is a place of temporal punishment for those who, departing this life in God's grace, are not entirely free from vinyl sins, or have not fully paid the satisfaction due to their transgressions

• Basically, Catholic theology teaches purgatory as a place that a Christian soul goes after death to be cleansed to the sins that had not been fully satisfied during life

J. Images

• Roman Catholicism uses images of Mary and the saints for the purpose of venerating the person's represented

• Roman Catholicism omits the commandment thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image as one of the ten commandments

G

K. Indulgences

• And indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven

• Catholicism teaches that an indulgence is received by good works and, or penances and can be applied to the sins of the living and the dead

• The Catholic church condemns under anathema (damns) those who say that indulgences are useless or who maintain that the church does not have the power to confer them

L. The magisterium

• The magisterium of the Catholic church is the Church's authority or office to give authentic interpretation of the word of God, whether it is in written form or in the form of tradition

• This authority resides in the pope and the Bishops

• The magisterium is the infallible interpreter of scripture and the authoritative teacher

H