Catholicism

:This article considers Catholicism in the broadest ecclesiastical sense. See Catholicism (disambiguation) for alternative meanings

Brief organizational history of the Church

The early Catholic Church came to be organized under the three patriarchs of Rome, Alexandria and Antioch, to which later were added the patriarch of Constantinople and of Jerusalem. The Bishop of Rome was at that time recognized as first among them, and doctrinal or procedural disputes were sometimes referred to Rome. When the Imperial capital moved to Constantinople, Rome's influence was often challenged. While Rome claimed special authority and descent from St. Peter2 and Saint Paul, who, all agreed, were martyred and buried in Rome, Constantinople had become the residence of the Emperor, and the churches at Antioch, and Alexandria were all older than Rome. Antioch furthermore was considered to have been the see of St. Peter before he went to Rome.

Related Topics:
Patriarchs - Rome - Alexandria - Antioch - Constantinople - Jerusalem - Bishop of Rome - St. Peter - ² - Saint Paul - Emperor

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The AD 431 Council of Ephesus, the Third Ecumenical Council, was chiefly concerned with Nestorianism. Nestorianism emphasized the distinction between the humanity and divinity of Jesus and taught that the Virgin Mary gave birth not to God but only to the man, Jesus Christ. This Council rejected Nestorianism and affirmed that humanity and divinity were inseparable in the one person Jesus Christ, and that his mother, the Virgin Mary, is thus Theotokos, God-bearer, Mother of God. The first great rupture in the Church followed this Council). Those who refused to accept the Council's ruling were largely Persian and are represented today by the Assyrian Church of the East and related Churches..

Related Topics:
431 - Council of Ephesus - Ecumenical Council - Theotokos - Persian - Assyrian Church of the East

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The next major break was after the Council of Chalcedon (AD 451). This Council repudiated Eutychian Monophysitism which states that the divine nature completely subsumed the human nature in Christ. This Council declared that Christ, though one person, exhibited two natures "without confusion, without change, without division, without separation" and thus is both fully God and fully human. The Alexandrian Church rejected the terms adopted by this Council. These Christians are now often referred to as Ancient Oriental Churches or the Oriental Orthodox Communion.

Related Topics:
Council of Chalcedon - 451 - Eutychian Monophysitism - Oriental Orthodox Communion

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The next major rift within Christianity was in the 11th century. Doctrinal disputes, as well as conflicts between methods of Church government, and the evolution of separate rites and practices, precipitated a split in AD 1054 that divided the Church, this time between a "West" and an "East". England, France, the Holy Roman Empire, Scandinavia, and much of the rest of Western Europe were in the Western camp, and Greece, Russia and many of other Slavic lands, Anatolia, and the Christians in Syria and Egypt who accepted the Council of Chalcedon made up the Eastern camp. This division is called the Great Schism. The most recent major division in the Church occurred in the 16th century with the Protestant Reformation, after which many parts of the Western Church rejected the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church and became known as "Protestant".

Related Topics:
11th century - 1054 - England - France - Holy Roman Empire - Scandinavia - Europe - Greece - Russia - Anatolia - Syria - Egypt - Great Schism - 16th century - Protestant Reformation - Protestant

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

All of the preceding groups, excluding some Protestants, consider themselves to be fully and completely Catholic. All of them claim to be either part of the Catholic Church or the only Catholic Church.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~