query: when was the first pope of the catholic church?

title: History of the Catholic Church

text: Council of Trent four centuries before. According to Catholic tradition, the Catholic Church was founded by Jesus Christ. The New Testament records Jesus' activities and teaching, his appointment of the twelve Apostles, and his instructions to them to continue his work. The Catholic Church teaches that the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles, in an event known as Pentecost, signaled the beginning of the public ministry of the Church. Catholics hold that Saint Peter was Rome's first bishop and the consecrator of Linus as its next bishop, thus starting the unbroken line which includes the current pontiff, Pope

title: History of the Catholic Church

text: History of the Catholic Church According to tradition, the history of the Catholic Church begins with Jesus Christ and his teachings (c. 4 BC – c. AD 30) and the Catholic Church is a continuation of the early Christian community established by Jesus. The Church considers its bishops to be the successors to Jesus's apostles and the Church's leader, the Bishop of Rome (also known as the Pope) to be the sole successor to Saint Peter, who ministered in Rome in the first century AD, after his appointment by Jesus as head of the church. By the end of the

title: Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria

text: Primate in the West to be given the title of "Pope" in the beginning of the 5th century. The Pope of Rome is considered by the Roman Catholic Church as the "Supreme Pontiff", holding the office of the Roman See (being one of the successors of Saint Peter). On the other hand, both the Oriental Orthodox and Byzantine Orthodox Churches respond by saying that their respective heads are equal with Rome and also note that Rome has deviated too much already from their original understanding. The Roman Catholic Church considers that the Pope of Rome ranks higher than the four

title: History of the Catholic Church

text: Francis. That is, the Catholic Church maintains the apostolic succession of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope - the successor to Saint Peter. In the account of the Confession of Peter found in the Gospel of Matthew, Christ designates Peter as the "rock" upon which Christ's church will be built. While some scholars do state Peter was the first Bishop of Rome, others say that the institution of the papacy is not dependent on the idea that Peter was Bishop of Rome or even on his ever having been in Rome. Many scholars hold that a church structure of plural

title: Criticism of the Catholic Church

text: to refer to the Pope, and belief that he can make infallible pronouncements have been subject to criticism by other Christian denominations. In Catholic theology, papal infallibility is the dogma that the Pope is preserved from error when he solemnly promulgated, or declared, to the Church solely on faith or morals. This doctrine has a long history, but was not defined dogmatically until the First Vatican Council of 1870. In Catholic theology, papal infallibility was one of the channels of the Infallibility of the Church. The Church teaches that the Papal infallibility on limited theological matters does not signify that

title: History of the Catholic Church

text: worship of "Reason" but it never gained popularity. In this period, all monasteries were destroyed, 30,000 priests were exiled and hundreds more were killed. When Pope Pius VI sided against the revolution in the First Coalition, Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Italy. The 82-year-old pope was taken as a prisoner to France in February 1799 and soon died. To win popular support for his rule, Napoleon re-established the Catholic Church in France through the Concordat of 1801. The church lands were never returned, however the priests and other religious were given salaries by the government, which maintained church properties through tax revenues.

title: Criticism of the Catholic Church

text: the Pope was a man specially exempt from liability to sin. Critics say that this statement is self-contradictory. Adherents of the Church believe that only the Church can interpret the scriptures in the Bible; the pope may be the final arbiter if there are differences. But according to the church's interpretation of 2 Peter, anyone can interpret the word of God (by His guidance). The Old Catholic Churches, organized in the Union of Ultrajectine Independent Catholic Churches, resisted Papal infallibility along with the First Vatican Council's dogma of Papal primacy of universal jurisdiction. Mandatory priestly celibacy first appeared for the

title: History of the Catholic Church

text: The Western (Latin) branch of Christianity has since become known as the Catholic Church, while the Eastern (Greek) branch became known as the Orthodox Church. The Second Council of Lyon (1274) and the Council of Florence (1439) both failed to heal the schism. Some Eastern churches have since reunited with the Catholic Church, and others claim never to have been out of communion with the pope. Officially, the two churches remain in schism, although excommunications were mutually lifted in 1965. The 11th century saw the Investiture Controversy between Emperor and Pope over the right to make church appointments, the first

title: History of the Catholic Church

text: the Orthodox Eastern Catholic Churches, involving the return of expropriated properties of the Eastern Catholic Churches, which the Orthodox Church took over after World War II at the request of Joseph Stalin. With the election of Pope Francis in 2013, following the resignation of Benedict, Francis is the current and first Jesuit pope, the first pope from the Americas, and the first from the Southern Hemisphere. Since his election to the papacy, he has displayed a simpler and less formal approach to the office, choosing to reside in the Vatican guesthouse rather than the papal residence. He has signalled numerous

title: Criticism of the Catholic Church

text: Eastern Catholic branches of the Catholic Church. The Church maintains that it "has a duty to evangelize; it is also its inalienable right". In 1998, Pope John Paul II apologized for past actions by Nazi 'Protestant Christians' that caused suffering to the Jewish people, calling them "our elder brothers" in the faith. Critics reply that Pope Benedict XVI was a member of Hitler Youth, a paramilitary organization of the German Nazi Party, although membership was required by law for all 14-year-old German boys after December 1939. There was also controversy over Pope Benedict allowing a wider use of the Tridentine

title: Old Catholic Church of the Netherlands

text: religious worship. After reestablishment of the episcopal hierarchy in the Netherlands in 1853 by Pope Pius IX, the breakaway Church of Utrecht adopted the name "Old Catholic Church" to distinguish itself from the newly created Roman hierarchy by its seniority in the Netherlands. In 1870 the First Vatican Council was convened, and the bishops of the Church of Utrecht were not invited because they were not seen as being in communion with the Holy See. At the First Vatican Council, papal primacy in jurisdiction and the Catholic dogma of papal infallibility were defined, to the objection of the Old Catholic

title: Catholic Church in Kazakhstan

text: in Karaganda. Pope John Paul II became the first Pope to visit Kazakhstan in the country's history in 2001. In 2003, John Paul II elevated Astana to an archdiocese and Almaty to a diocese. In 2006, Catholic priests were ordained for the first time ever in the country. In 2008, the Church in the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan affirmed its Asiatic identity when its episcopal conference was formally accepted into the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences. Catholic Church in Kazakhstan The Catholic Church in Kazakhstan is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the pope

title: Criticism of the Catholic Church

text: Pope; see Petrine theory.). The Catholic Church likewise teaches that the "true Church of Jesus Christ ... is the One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic and Roman Church", and that "the Mystical Body of Christ and the Roman Catholic Church are one and the same thing". It is also Catholic teaching that the one Church of Christ is present and operative also in those Churches that are not in full communion with the Catholic Church but that have preserved apostolic succession and a valid Eucharist and are therefore true particular Churches; and that the members of the ecclesial communities that lack apostolic

title: History of the Catholic Church

text: of Pope Benedict XVI in 2005, the Church has so far seen largely a continuation of the policies of his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, with some notable exceptions: Benedict decentralized beatifications and reverted the decision of his predecessor regarding papal elections. In 2007, he set a Church record by approving the beatification of 498 Spanish Martyrs. His first encyclical "Deus caritas est" discussed love and sex in continued opposition to several other views on sexuality. Catholic attempts to improve ecumenical relations with the Eastern Orthodox Church have been complicated by disputes over both doctrine and the recent history of

title: Old Catholic Church of the Netherlands

text: mandate, four more bishops for the independent Ultrajectine church, which would become known as "Old Catholic" after 1853. Petrus Johannes Meindaerts, after his consecration by Varlet without a papal mandate in 1739, consecrated bishops to the suppressed dioceses of Deventer, Haarlem, and The apostolic vicariate was reduced to a mission "sui iuris" by Pope Benedict XIII in 1727. Most Dutch Catholics nevertheless continued to follow the pope, first under missionary administrative structures and, from 1853, under the reestablished episcopal hierarchy in the Netherlands, when Catholics were permitted to worship publicly after two and a half centuries of secret and private

title: Sign of the times (Catholic Church)

text: Sign of the times (Catholic Church) Sign of the times is a phrase strongly associated with the Catholic Church in the era of the Second Vatican Council of the 1960s. It was taken to mean that the church should listen to, and learn from, the world around it. In other words, it should learn to read the 'sign(s) of the times'. This phrase, though it comes from the Gospel of Matthew was used in a somewhat novel way by Pope John XXIII when he convoked the council, in the statement "Humanae Salutis". It came to signify a new understanding that

title: Criticism of the Catholic Church

text: infections are at epidemic proportions. The Church maintains that countries like Kenya where behavioral changes like abstinence are endorsed instead of condom use, are experiencing greater progress towards controlling the disease than those countries just promoting condoms. The Catholic Church maintains its opposition towards artificial means of birth control. Some Catholic Church members and non-members criticize this belief as contributing to overpopulation and poverty. Pope Paul VI reaffirmed the Church's position in his 1968 encyclical "Humanae vitae" (Human Life). In this encyclical, the Pope acknowledges the realities of modern life as well as the questions and challenges these raise. Furthermore,

title: The Catholic Church and the Holocaust

text: this book is "an invaluable contribution to understanding the Catholic Church and the Holocaust." Phayer's main thesis, says Krieg, is that Pius XII privately helped Jews only to the extent that his efforts did not jeopardize two priorities in his foreign policy: The Catholic Church and the Holocaust The Catholic Church and the Holocaust (1930–1965) is a book written by American historian Michael Phayer on the topic of Pope Pius XII and the Holocaust. It was published in 2000. Harvard professor Stanley Hoffmann considered it "a comprehensive and deeply disturbing volume" which "describes in detail Pope Pius XII's preference for

title: Women in the Catholic Church

text: Churches. The Catholic Church regards abortion as a 'moral evil'. Abortion was condemned by the Church as early as the first century, again in the fourteenth century and again in 1995 with Pope John Paul II's encyclical "Evangelium Vitae (Gospel of Life)". This encyclical condemned the "culture of death" which the pope often used to describe the societal embrace of contraception, abortion, euthanasia, suicide, capital punishment, and genocide. Women constitute the great majority of members of the consecrated life within the church. Catholic women have played diverse roles, with religious institutes providing a formal space for their participation and convents

title: Catechism of the Catholic Church

text: Catechism of the Catholic Church The Catechism of the Catholic Church (; commonly called the Catechism or the CCC) is a catechism promulgated for the Catholic Church by Pope John Paul II in 1992. It sums up, in book form, the beliefs of the Catholic faithful. A catechism ( /ˈkætəˌkizəm/; from Greek: κατηχέω, "to teach orally") is a summary or exposition of doctrine and serves as a learning introduction to the Sacraments traditionally used in catechesis, or Christian religious teaching of children and adult converts. The decision to publish a catechism was taken at the Second Extraordinary General Assembly of

title: History of the Catholic Church in Germany

text: the 1870s. The Catholic Church, an outspoken opponent of Liberalism, had opposed German unification under predominantly Protestant Prussian leadership, and the Prussian minister-president and German Chancellor Bismarck accused the Church of promoting nationalism among the Catholic Polish minority. Therefore, he regarded the Church as a threat to the newly founded empire, especially after establishment of a Catholic political party which became a strong opposition in parliament. The Liberals, particularly in light of new Catholic dogmas promulgated under Pope Pius IX at the First Vatican Council (1869-70), had always considered the Catholic Church as an enemy of progress. Laws enacted in

title: Catechism of the Catholic Church

text: Church teaching on the status of other religions, contraception and euthanasia, whether due to simple error or poor translations. Catechism of the Catholic Church The Catechism of the Catholic Church (; commonly called the Catechism or the CCC) is a catechism promulgated for the Catholic Church by Pope John Paul II in 1992. It sums up, in book form, the beliefs of the Catholic faithful. A catechism ( /ˈkætəˌkizəm/; from Greek: κατηχέω, "to teach orally") is a summary or exposition of doctrine and serves as a learning introduction to the Sacraments traditionally used in catechesis, or Christian religious teaching of

title: Catholic Church in the Bahamas

text: Catholic Church in the Bahamas The Catholic Church in the Bahamas is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. Columbus landed on one of the islands of the Bahamas in 1492, where the first Mass was celebrated in the New World. The Catholic Church became organized in the Bahamas in the mid-19th century, and in the second part of the century US influence became even more important, so that in 1885 the islands — considered as part of the US diocese of Charleston since 1866 — were formally included in the Archdiocese

title: Catholic Church in the Isle of Man

text: McMahon OP, but like all the 1.2 billion Catholics on the planet, the Catholic churches on the Isle of Man pray, in communion with each other, and all religious, deacons, priests, and bishops, and with the successor of St. Peter, Pope Francis, who leads the Church established by Jesus Christ, in which alone the fullness of the truth subsists. Catholic Church in the Isle of Man The Catholic Church in the Isle of Man is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. Although not part of the United Kingdom, for geopolitical reasons

title: Lists of leaders of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

text: Lists of leaders of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church This is a list of Leaders of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (formerly Ruthenia Catholic Church or Uniate Church). Note, due to historical circumstances (i.e. Russian occupation) first hierarchs of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church carried titles without mentioning of Kyiv. Although sometimes being referred to as primates out of all hierarchs only Mykhailo Levitsky officially carried the title of primate which was granted by the Austrian Emperor as the Primate of Galicia and Lodomeria, but not approved by the Pope of Rome. Following the Union of Brest, in the 16th

title: History of the Catholic Church in the United States

text: History of the Catholic Church in the United States The Catholic Church in the United States began in the colonial era, but most of the Spanish and French influences had faded by 1800. The Catholic Church grew through immigration, especially from Europe (Germany and Ireland at first, and in 1890-1914 from Italy, Poland and Eastern Europe.) In the nineteenth century the Church set up an elaborate infrastructure, based on diocese run by bishops appointed by the pope. Each diocese set up a network of parishes, schools, colleges, hospitals, orphanages and other charitable institutions. Many priests arrived from France and Ireland,

title: Legal history of the Catholic Church

text: world's 1.2 billion Catholics of what the Code itself calls the Latin Church. It has 7 books and 1,752 canons. Distinct from the canonical tradition of the Latin Church is the tradition of the Eastern Catholic Churches. The earliest Oriental canon law collections were called nomocanons, which were collections of both canon and civil law. In the early twentieth century, when Eastern Churches began to come back to full communion with the Holy See, Pope Benedict XV created the Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Church in order to preserve the rights and traditions of the Eastern Catholic Churches. Since the

title: Collegiality in the Catholic Church

text: collegiality in the Catholic Church." Collegiality in the Catholic Church In the Roman Catholic Church, collegiality refers to "the Pope governing the Church in collaboration with the bishops of the local Churches, respecting their proper autonomy." In the early church the popes exercised moral authority rather than administrative power, and that authority was relatively limited; regional churches elected their own bishops, resolved disputes in local synods, and only felt the need to appeal to the Pope under special circumstances. During the eleventh and twelfth centuries, the papacy amassed considerable power, as monastic reformers saw it as a way to counter

title: The Catholic Church and the Holocaust

text: The Catholic Church and the Holocaust The Catholic Church and the Holocaust (1930–1965) is a book written by American historian Michael Phayer on the topic of Pope Pius XII and the Holocaust. It was published in 2000. Harvard professor Stanley Hoffmann considered it "a comprehensive and deeply disturbing volume" which "describes in detail Pope Pius XII's preference for quiet diplomacy with Hitler and his regime, his anxiety about the Catholic Church's fate, his solicitude for Germany's Catholics, and his conviction that communism posed a greater threat than did Nazism". According to Robert A. Krieg, from the University of Notre Dame,

title: Hierarchy of the Catholic Church

text: Second Vatican Council's document "Lumen gentium", states: "The "pope", Bishop of Rome and Peter's successor, 'is the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful.'" Communion with the bishop of Rome has become such a significant identifier of Catholic identity that at times the Catholic Church has been known in its entirety as "Roman Catholic," though this is inaccurate in Catholic theology (ecclesiology). Three other of the pope's offices stem directly from his office as bishop of the Church of Rome. As the Latin Church owes its

title: Eucharist in the Catholic Church

text: practice of Eucharistic adoration, and exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. In the opening prayer of the Perpetual chapel in St. Peter Basilica Pope John Paul II prayed for a perpetual adoration chapel in every parish in the world. Pope Benedict XVI instituted perpetual adoration for the laity in each of the five districts of the Diocese of Rome. Eucharist in the Catholic Church The Eucharist in the Catholic Church is celebrated as "the source and summit" of the Christian life. The Eucharist is consecrated daily (except on Good Friday, when consecration takes place on Maundy Thursday, but is distributed during

title: Hierarchy of the Catholic Church

text: identity and development to its origins in the liturgical, juridical, and theological patrimony of Rome, the bishop of Rome is de facto the patriarch of the Latin Church. According to Pope Benedict XVI, there has been much 'confusion' between the pope's primacy as patriarch of the western church and his primacy as first patriarch among equals, that this "failure to distinguish" between the roles and responsibilities of these two distinct positions leads in time to the "extreme centralization of the Catholic Church" and the schism between East and West. As the first local Church of Italy, the bishop of Rome

title: History of the Catholic Church

text: dramatic changes in policy as well—for example removing conservatives from high Vatican positions, calling on bishops to lead a simpler life, and taking a more pastoral attitude towards homosexuality. History of the Catholic Church According to tradition, the history of the Catholic Church begins with Jesus Christ and his teachings (c. 4 BC – c. AD 30) and the Catholic Church is a continuation of the early Christian community established by Jesus. The Church considers its bishops to be the successors to Jesus's apostles and the Church's leader, the Bishop of Rome (also known as the Pope) to be the

title: Catholic Church in the Bahamas

text: 2004, the diocese contains 30 parishes, 15 active diocesan priests, 14 religious priests, and 48,000 Catholics. It also has 28 Women Religious, 14 Religious Brothers, and 13 permanent deacons. Catholics make up 19% of population. "This article incorporates text from the entry "The Bahama Islands" in the public-domain "Catholic Encyclopedia" of 1907." Catholic Church in the Bahamas The Catholic Church in the Bahamas is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. Columbus landed on one of the islands of the Bahamas in 1492, where the first Mass was celebrated in the New

title: History of the Catholic Church in Japan

text: Some officially returned to the Catholic Church, while others remained apart from the Catholic Church and have stayed as Hanare Kirishitan, retaining their own traditional beliefs and their descendants asserting that they keep their ancestors' religion. However, it became difficult for them to keep their community and rituals, so they have converted to Buddhism or Shinto eventually. When Pope John Paul II visited Nagasaki in 1981, he baptized some young people from Kakure Kirishitan families – a rare occurrence. History of the Catholic Church in Japan Christian missionaries arrived with Francis Xavier and the Jesuits in the 1540s and briefly

title: History of the Catholic Church

text: theologian Leonardo Boff was twice ordered to cease publishing and teaching. While Pope John Paul II was criticized for his severity in dealing with proponents of the movement, he maintained that the Church, in its efforts to champion the poor, should not do so by resorting to violence or partisan politics. The movement is still alive in Latin America today, though the Church now faces the challenge of Pentecostal revival in much of the region. The sexual revolution of the 1960s brought challenging issues for the Church. Pope Paul VI's 1968 encyclical "Humanae Vitae" reaffirmed the Catholic Church's traditional view

title: History of the Catholic Church since 1962

text: History of the Catholic Church since 1962 Post Vatican II history of the Catholic Church includes the recent history of the Catholic Church since the Second Vatican Council. In the aftermath of World War II, religious existence came under fire from communist governments in Eastern Europe and China. Although some priests have since been exposed as collaborators, both the Church's official resistance and the leadership of Pope John Paul II are credited with helping to bring about the downfall of communist governments across Europe in 1991. The Church policies after World War II under Pope Pius XII focused on material

title: Mother of the Church

text: Mother of the Church In Roman Catholic Mariology, Mother of the Church (in Latin Mater Ecclesiae) is a title, officially given to Mary during the Second Vatican Council by Pope Paul VI. The title was first used in the 4th century by Saint Ambrose of Milan, as rediscovered by Hugo Rahner. The title "Mother of the Church" was used by Pope Benedict XIV in 1748 and then by Pope Leo XIII in 1885. The title was also used by Pope John Paul II and is also found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Pope John Paul II stated that

title: Hierarchy of the Catholic Church

text: by a major archbishop. The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church uses the title "Catholicos" for their major archbishop. With few exceptions, the authority of a major archbishop in his "sui iuris" Church is equivalent to that of a patriarch in his Church. This less prestigious office was established in 1963 for those Eastern Catholic Churches which have developed in size and stability to allow full self-governance if historical, ecumenical, or political conditions do not allow their elevation to a patriarchate. At present, there are four major archbishops: Cardinals are princes of the Church appointed by the Pope. He generally chooses bishops who

title: 20th-century history of the Catholic Church in the United States

text: marked a profound transformation of the Catholic Church in the United States. Religion became a divisive issue during the presidential campaign of 1960. Senator John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts was vying to become the nation's first Catholic president, Using his base of support among urban Catholics. A key factor that was hurting Kennedy in his campaign was the widespread prejudice against his Roman Catholic religion; some Protestants believed that, if he were elected President, Kennedy would have to take orders from the Pope in Rome. When offered the opportunity to speak before a convention of Baptist ministers, decided to try

title: Dogma in the Catholic Church

text: Creed is a part of Sunday liturgy. Because many Protestant Churches have retained the older versions of the Creed, ecumenical working groups are meeting to discuss the Creed as the basis for better understandings of dogma. Dogma in the Catholic Church In the Catholic Church, a dogma is a definitive article of faith "(de fide)" that has been solemnly promulgated by the college of bishops at an ecumenical council or by the pope when speaking in a statement "ex cathedra", in which the magisterium of the Church presents a particular doctrine as necessary for the belief of all Catholic faithful.

title: Dogma in the Catholic Church

text: Dogma in the Catholic Church In the Catholic Church, a dogma is a definitive article of faith "(de fide)" that has been solemnly promulgated by the college of bishops at an ecumenical council or by the pope when speaking in a statement "ex cathedra", in which the magisterium of the Church presents a particular doctrine as necessary for the belief of all Catholic faithful. For example, Christian dogma states that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the basic truth from which salvation and life is derived for Christians. Dogmas regulate the language, the truth of the resurrection is to be

title: Catholic Church

text: States. In 1854, Pope Pius IX, with the support of the overwhelming majority of Catholic bishops, whom he had consulted from 1851 to 1853, proclaimed the Immaculate Conception as a Dogma in the Catholic Church. In 1870, the First Vatican Council affirmed the doctrine of papal infallibility when exercised in specifically defined pronouncements. Controversy over this and other issues resulted in a breakaway movement called the Old Catholic Church. The Italian unification of the 1860s incorporated the Papal States, including Rome itself from 1870, into the Kingdom of Italy, thus ending the papacy's millennial temporal power. Pope Pius IX rejected

title: Catholic Church in the 20th century

text: 25 January 1983. It includes numerous reforms and alterations in Church law and Church discipline for the Latin Church. It replaced the 1917 version issued by Benedict XV. The Catholic Church initiated a comprehensive process of reform under Pope John XXIII. Intended as a continuation of the First Vatican Council, the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965), developed into an engine of modernisation, making pronouncements on religious freedom, the nature of the Church and the mission of the laity. The role of the bishops of the Church was brought into renewed prominence, especially when seen collectively, as a college that has succeeded

title: Hierarchy of the Catholic Church

text: of doctrine, the priests of sacred worship and the ministers of governance" and "represent the Church." In the year 2012, there were 5,133 Catholic bishops; at the end of 2014, there were 5,237 Catholic bishops. The Pope himself is a bishop (the bishop of Rome) and traditionally uses the title "Venerable Brother" when writing formally to another bishop. The typical role of a bishop is to provide pastoral governance for a diocese. Bishops who fulfill this function are known as diocesan ordinaries, because they have what canon law calls ordinary (i.e. not delegated) authority for a diocese. These bishops may

title: Hierarchy of the Catholic Church

text: of the whole Church (cf. "Catechism of the Catholic Church", 886). As each local particular Church is an embodiment of the whole Catholic Church, not just an administrative subdivision of something larger, the bishop who is its head is not a delegate of the Pope. Instead, he has of himself primary teaching, governance and sanctifying responsibility for the see for which he has been ordained bishop. Within each diocese, even if the Eucharist is celebrated by another bishop, the necessary communion with the Bishop of the diocese is signified by the mention of his name. In Eastern eparchies the name

title: Catholic Church in the United Kingdom

text: Catholic Church in the United Kingdom The Catholic Church in the United Kingdom is part of the worldwide Catholic Church in communion with the Pope. While there is no ecclesiastical jurisdiction corresponding to the political union, this article refers to the Catholic Church's geographical representation in the United Kingdom as well as Northern Ireland, ever since the establishment of the U.K.'s predecessor Kingdom of Great Britain by the Union of the Crowns in 1707. For the Catholic Church in the British Isles before 1707, including during the Protestant Reformation, see: Starting with Pope Pius V's Papal Bull "Regnans in Excelsis"

title: Catholic Church in Guam

text: Catholic Church in Guam The Catholic Church in the United States unincorporated territory of Guam is part of the worldwide Catholic Church under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome and locally administered by the Archdiocese of Agaña. Catholicism on the island was a product of centuries of Spanish colonial control as the island was part of the Spanish East Indies until 1898, when the United States acquired it after the Spanish–American War. On October 14, 1965, the vicariate apostolic was raised to a diocese. The first supreme pontiff to visit the island was Pope John Paul II in

title: History of the Catholic Church

text: monasteries and churches. Before the council, in 1854 Pope Pius IX with the support of the overwhelming majority of Catholic Bishops, whom he had consulted between 1851–1853, proclaimed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. Eight years earlier, in 1846, the Pope had granted the unanimous wish of the bishops from the United States, and declared the Immaculata the patron of the USA. During First Vatican Council, some 108 council fathers requested to add the words "Immaculate Virgin" to the Hail Mary. Some fathers requested, the dogma of the Immaculate Conception to be included in the Creed of the Church, which

title: Collegiality in the Catholic Church

text: Collegiality in the Catholic Church In the Roman Catholic Church, collegiality refers to "the Pope governing the Church in collaboration with the bishops of the local Churches, respecting their proper autonomy." In the early church the popes exercised moral authority rather than administrative power, and that authority was relatively limited; regional churches elected their own bishops, resolved disputes in local synods, and only felt the need to appeal to the Pope under special circumstances. During the eleventh and twelfth centuries, the papacy amassed considerable power, as monastic reformers saw it as a way to counter corrupt bishops while bishops saw

title: Criticism of the Catholic Church

text: Spanish clergy at the Synod of Elvira in 306-306. This was reinforced by the pope in the Directa Decretal in 385, which stated that it was derived from the Apostles. Mandatory celibacy was written into law for the entire clergy as a result of the Second Lateran Council in 1139. The Catholic Church's requirement of a vow of celibacy from Latin Church priests (while allowing very limited individual exceptions) is criticized for differing from Protestant changes issuing from the Protestant Reformation, which apply no limitations, and even from the practice of the ancient Eastern Orthodox Church and Eastern Catholic Churches.

title: First Martyrs of the Church of Rome

text: the feast is directly after the Solemnity of SS Peter and Paul, who are the principal patron saints of Rome. The subsequent martyrs are associated with this patronage. The feast day was formerly occupied with a Commemoration of St. Paul, and fell in the Octave of SS Peter and Paul. First Martyrs of the Church of Rome The First Martyrs of the Church of Rome were Christians martyred in the city of Rome during Nero's persecution in 64. The event is recorded by both Tacitus and Pope Clement I, among others. They are celebrated in the Roman Catholic Church as

title: History of the Catholic Church

text: sided with and became financial supporters of the Catholic League. This ended under Pope Clement VIII, who hesitantly accepted King Henry IV's 1598 Edict of Nantes, which granted civil and religious toleration to Protestants. The English Reformation was ostensibly based on Henry VIII's desire for annulment of his marriage with Catherine of Aragon, and was initially more of a political, and later a theological dispute. The Acts of Supremacy made the English monarch head of the English church thereby establishing the Church of England. Then, beginning in 1536, some 825 monasteries throughout England, Wales and Ireland were dissolved and Catholic

title: Bishop in the Catholic Church

text: The Catholic Church has always taught that bishops are descended from a continuous line of bishops since the days of the apostles, which is known as apostolic succession. Since 1896, when Pope Leo XIII issued the bull "Apostolicae curae", the Catholic Church has not recognised Anglican orders as valid, because of changes in the ordination rites that took place in the 16th century as well as divergence in the understanding of the theology of episcopacy and Eucharist. However, this view has since been complicated because Old Catholic bishops, whose orders are fully recognised as valid by Rome, have acted as

text: Rome. Some sources suggest that it was Pope Marcellinus (died 304 AD), while other sources suggest that this did not happen until the 6th century, with Pope John I (523–526 AD) the first to assume this title. Bestowing the title on Rome's pontiff did not strip it from Alexandria's, and the Roman Catholic Church recognizes this. From the 6th century, the imperial chancery of Constantinople normally reserved this designation for the Bishop of Rome.[47] From the early 6th century, it began to be confined in the West to the Bishop of Rome, a practice that was firmly in place by

title: History of the Catholic Church in Brazil

text: impact on all of Latin America and on the Catholic Church, since it was explicitly atheist and Marxist in orientation and provided a model for other Latin American leftist revolutionaries to emulate. Pope John XXIII's call for a Second Vatican Council, bringing together Catholic clerics and instituting significant changes in the Catholic Church to increase the role of the laity, foster a less hierarchical church, and instill the need for social justice set off activity in Latin America as a whole and Brazil in particular. The Latin American Catholic Church became far more socially active. Increasing involvement in the education

text: with growing Irish domination of the Church. The Vatican grew alarmed in the 1890s, and the Pope issued an encyclical denouncing Americanism in theory. In "Longinqua oceani" (1895; “Wide Expanse of the Ocean”), Pope Leo XIII warned the American hierarchy not to export their unique system of separation of church and state. In 1898 he lamented an America where church and state are "dissevered and divorced," and wrote of his preference for a closer relationship between the Catholic Church and the State. Finally, in his pastoral letter "Testem benevolentiae" (1899; “Witness to Our Benevolence”) to Cardinal James Gibbons, Pope Leo

title: Sign of the times (Catholic Church)

text: the Church needed to attend more closely to the world if it was to remain faithful to its calling, and marked a significant shift in theological method. The phrase has continued to be used in papal encyclicals by every pope since then. Sign of the times (Catholic Church) Sign of the times is a phrase strongly associated with the Catholic Church in the era of the Second Vatican Council of the 1960s. It was taken to mean that the church should listen to, and learn from, the world around it. In other words, it should learn to read the 'sign(s)

title: Common Christological Declaration Between the Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East

text: Common Christological Declaration Between the Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East The Common Christological Declaration between the Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East was signed on November 11, 1994, by Pope John Paul II and Patriarch Dinkha IV. In this document the Assyrian and Catholic churches confessed the same doctrine concerning Christology (the divinity and humanity of Christ): The Word of God, second Person of the Holy Trinity, became incarnate by the power of the Holy Spirit in assuming from the holy Virgin Mary a body animated by a rational soul, with which he

title: Catholic Church in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

text: Catholic Church in the Democratic Republic of the Congo The Catholic Church in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. Of a population of 70,916,439, there are about 35 million Catholics in the country, representing about half of the total population There are six archdioceses and 41 dioceses. The largest of these is the Archdiocese of Kinshasa; the Vicar General of Kinshasa, Auxiliary Bishop Daniel Nlandu Mayi, is an ordinary member of the Pontifical Academy For Life. The impact of the Catholic Church in the

title: Saint Michael in the Catholic Church

text: Saint Michael in the Catholic Church Saint Michael the Archangel is referenced in the Old Testament and has been part of Christian teachings since the earliest times. In Catholic writings and traditions he acts as the defender of the Church, and chief opponent of Satan; and assists souls at the hour of death. A widely used "Prayer to Saint Michael" was brought into official use by Pope Leo XIII in 1886 and was recommended by Pope John Paul II in 1994. The feast day of the archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael is September 29. The Catechism of the Catholic Church

title: Catholic Church in France

text: Catholic Church in France The Catholic Church in France is part of the worldwide Catholic Church in communion with the Pope in Rome. Established in the 2nd century in unbroken communion with the bishop of Rome, it is sometimes called the "eldest daughter of the church". The first written records of Christians in France date from the 2nd century when Irenaeus detailed the deaths of ninety-year-old bishop Saint Pothinus of Lugdunum (Lyon) and other martyrs of the 177 AD persecution in Lyon. In 496 Remigius baptized King Clovis I, who therefore converted from paganism to Catholicism. In 800, Pope Leo

title: Old Catholic Church of the Netherlands

text: X's confirmation "was providential" in respect to the future schism. Forced into hiding as a result of the Protestant Reformation, the diocesan structures of the Catholic Church of the Netherlands were dissolved. The Holland Mission started when Pope Clement VIII erected the Apostolic Vicariate of Batavia in 1592. Eventually, the church obtained a comfortable enough status with the local authorities so as to allow it to practice Catholicism as long as this did not take place in public or semi-public buildings and areas. However, conflicts arose between Jesuit missionaries sent from Rome and the local clergy. This was augmented by

title: Palatinus in the Catholic Church

text: position brought them into constant relation with the pope, and who resided in the papal palace, and by the highest prelates of the pope's personal suite. For long the "cardinales palatini" were: the cardinal prodatary, the Cardinal Secretary of State, the Cardinal Secretary of Briefs and the Cardinal secretary of Memorials. Pope Pius X (1903–1914) abolished the two last-mentioned positions, and Pope Paul VI abolished the Apostolic Dataria in 1967. The "praelati palatini" were: Palatinus in the Catholic Church Palatinus (plural: Palatini), Latin for "palatial", entered into designations for various ecclesiastical offices in the Catholic Church, primarily, of certain high

title: Catholic Church in Vanuatu

text: mostly Catholic Tannese settlers wrote to the French government asking that the islands be claimed by France. The islands first native named bishop, Michel Visi, was named at April 12, 1997 and served till his death in 2007. An ambassador to the Holy See, Michel Rittie was chosen for the first time in 2003. Vanuatu sent a delegation of young people for the first time to World Youth Day 2008 when it was held in Sydney, Australia. Catholic Church in Vanuatu The Catholic Church in Vanuatu is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope

title: History of the Catholic Church

text: teachers, known collectively as the Church Fathers. From the year 100 onward, proto-orthodox teachers like Ignatius of Antioch and Irenaeus defined Catholic teaching in stark opposition to other things, such as Gnosticism. In the first few centuries of its existence, the Church formed its teachings and traditions into a systematic whole under the influence of theological apologists such as Pope Clement I, Justin Martyr and Augustine of Hippo. Unlike most religions in the Roman Empire, Christianity required its adherents to renounce all other gods, a practice adopted from Judaism. Christians' refusal to join pagan celebrations meant they were unable to

title: Catholic Church in the Gambia

text: Catholic Church in the Gambia The Catholic Church in the Gambia is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. Gambia is a predominantly Muslim country (approximately 94% of the population). The Diocese of Banjul covers the whole of the country. Relations between the Muslim and Christian communities in Gambia are generally very good. The Catholic Church operates various missions including schools which children of Muslim parents attend. Of the minority Christian population, there are around 30,000 Catholics, which represents around 2% of the population. The history of the Catholic Church in the

title: Dioceses of the Syriac Catholic Church

text: of Newark covers the United States and Canada, while the patriarchal exarchate of Jerusalem covers Israel, Palestine and Jordan. The Syriac Catholic Church presently has eleven bishops: Basile Georges Casmoussa, 72, who had been the Archbishop of the Archeparchy of Mosul, was transferred to a position in the Syriac Catholic Patriarchal Curia. The Synod of Bishops of the Patriarchal Syriac Catholic Church elected the Protosyncellus (Vicar General) of the Archeparchy of Mosul, Father Boutros Moshe, 67, to be the new Archbishop. Pope Benedict XVI, consented to his canonical election on Tuesday, March 1, 2011, sealing the appointment, with ordination and

title: First Martyrs of the Church of Rome

text: First Martyrs of the Church of Rome The First Martyrs of the Church of Rome were Christians martyred in the city of Rome during Nero's persecution in 64. The event is recorded by both Tacitus and Pope Clement I, among others. They are celebrated in the Roman Catholic Church as an optional memorial on 30 June. Rome had a large Jewish population. The couple, Priscilla and Aquila, were tent makers from Pontus, whom Paul met in Corinth. They had lived in Rome until the emperor Claudius ordered all the Jews to leave the city. Suetonius mentions this as due to

title: Catholic Church in Guyana

text: The Church of England and the Church of Scotland had sole legal rights in Guyana until 1899, when the Catholic Church among others was given equal status. Most Catholics are Portuguese. The Georgetown Diocese was established in 1956. Its first native bishop was ordained in 1971. Catholic Church in Guyana The Catholic Church in Guyana is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. Bishops in Guyana are members of Antilles Episcopal Conference. Like most other nations that form the AEC, the Apostolic delegate to the bishops' conference is also the Apostolic nuncio

title: Catholic Church in the Philippines

text: Catholic Church in the Philippines The Catholic Church in the Philippines (; ) is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual direction of the Pope. The Philippines is one of the two nations in Asia having a substantial portion of the population professing the Catholic faith, aside from East Timor, and the third largest in the world after Brazil and Mexico. The episcopal conference responsible in governing the faith is the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines. Christianity was introduced in the Philippine islands by Spanish missionaries and colonists, who arrived in waves beginning in the early 16th

title: Catholic Church in the Isle of Man

text: Catholic Church in the Isle of Man The Catholic Church in the Isle of Man is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. Although not part of the United Kingdom, for geopolitical reasons the Isle of Man is part of the Archdiocese of Liverpool. There are Catholic churches in all of the main towns, the largest being St. Mary of the Isle in Douglas. A large percentage of the Catholics on the Isle of Man are Irish or of Irish descent. Following the English Reformation the allegiance of the Manx church to

title: Catholic Church in the Dominican Republic

text: the Vatican. Under Rafael Trujillo's government, the power of the Catholic Church was limited. Although the Church remained apolitical during much of the Trujillo era, a 1960 pastoral letter of protest against mass arrests of government opponents seriously strained the relationship with the government. Catholic Church in the Dominican Republic The Catholic Church in Dominican Republic is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. The Catholic Church is the world's largest Christian Church, and its largest religious grouping. There are an estimated 7.6 million baptised Catholics in the Dominican Republic, (78% of

title: Rectory, Catholic Church of the Assumption

text: Rectory, Catholic Church of the Assumption Rectory, Catholic Church of the Assumption is a historic rectory at 563 Ocean Avenue in Ferndale, California which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. The first Catholic church in Ferndale was completed on 9 May 1879 and served until 1895 when it was moved from the corner of Washington and Berding streets to another lot on Washington. The new church was built at Washington and Berding by J.W. Blackmore, at a cost of $4062.50 and dedicated on 16 August 1896. In 1883 the first rectory was replaced with a

title: Hierarchy of the Catholic Church

text: of the patriarch, major archbishop or metropolitan is also mentioned, because these also have direct responsibility within all the eparchies of the particular Church in question. For the same reason, every Catholic celebration of the Eucharist has a mention of the Pope by name. Ordination to the episcopate is the fullness of the priesthood and the completion of the sacrament of Holy Orders. Bishops are considered the successors of the apostles. Within the Catholic Church the following posts have similarities to that of a diocesan bishop, but are not necessarily held by a bishop. Canon 368 of the "Code of

title: Criticism of the Catholic Church

text: Church of "England" these many years hath [sic] been read in Latin to the people, which they understand not; so that they have heard with their ears only, and their heart, spirit, and mind, have not been edified thereby." The French Catholic Church in the 18th century adapted vernacular missals in some dioceses. In 1794 the Synod of Pistoia, firmly influenced by Jansenism, rejected the use of Latin and demanded the use of the vernacular. In the 19th century the "Old Catholic" anti-primacy movements adopted the vernacular liturgy along with other reforms. In 1962 the encyclical "Veterum sapientia" of Pope

title: 19th-century history of the Catholic Church in the United States

text: John Lancaster Spalding, as well as the magazines "Catholic World" and "Ave Marie." The true Catholic belief supposedly was close support of the Catholic Church by a government. Allegations were made by German American Catholic bishops in the Midwest, who are distrustful of the Irish to increasingly dominated the American Catholic Church.. The Vatican grew alarmed in the 1890s, and Pope Leo XIII issued an encyclical denouncing Americanism in theory. In "Longinqua oceani" (1895; “Wide Expanse of the Ocean”), Leo warned the American church leaders hierarchy not to export their unique system of separation of church and state. In 1898

title: Women in the Catholic Church

text: West, their work in education and medical care is increasingly being taken up by laypeople. Education of the young has been a major ministry for Catholic women in religious institutes and the Catholic Church produced many of the world's first women professors. Among the notable historical Catholic women teachers have been Trotula of Salerno the 11th-century physician, Dorotea Bucca who held a chair of medicine and philosophy at the University of Bologna from 1390, Elena Piscopia who, in 1678, became the first woman to receive a Doctorate of Philosophy, and Maria Agnesi, who was appointed around 1750 by Pope Benedict

title: History of the Catholic Church in Mexico

text: of Our Lady of Guadalupe. When Pope John Paul II visited Mexico in 1979 as part of the Conference of Latin American Bishops' gathering in Puebla, President Miguel López Portillo (1976–82), gave the pope a warm welcome even though this was not a state visit. The top echelons of the hierarchy sought to continue the modus vivendi in Mexico, but as the Catholic Church underwent changes as a result of the Second Vatican Council, so too did a number of Mexican bishops and laypeople. The bishop of Cuernavaca, Sergio Méndez Arceo, initially appointed in 1953, became an active adherent of

text: vast majority of sex abuse cases occurred, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops commissioned a comprehensive study that found that four percent of all priests who served in the US from 1950 to 2002 faced some sort of sexual accusation. Further, the Church was widely criticized when it emerged that some bishops had known about abuse allegations, and reassigned many of the accused after first sending them to psychiatric counseling, instead of removing them. Some bishops and psychiatrists contended that the prevailing psychology of the times suggested that people could be cured of such behavior through counseling. Pope John

title: Catholic Church in the Maldives

text: Catholic Church in the Maldives The Catholic Church in the Maldives is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. The Annals of the Propagation of the Faith mentions that in 1833 after the consecration of Clément Bonnand as the Vicar Apostolic of Pondicherry, he was authorized by the Holy See to send missionaries to the Maldive Islands where the Christian faith has not reached. But there is not and has never been any Catholic territorial jurisdiction in the Maldives, but has been covered by the Archdiocese of Colombo in Sri Lanka since

title: History of the Catholic Church and homosexuality

text: I to judge?" "The problem," he said, "is not having this orientation. We must be brothers." Several LGBT groups welcomed the comments, noting that this was the first time a pope had used the word "gay" in public, and had also accepted the existence of gay people as a recognizable part of the Catholic Church community. The Pope's attitude towards homosexuality earned him a place on the cover of the US gay news magazine "The Advocate". In October 2016, Francis said that "When a person (who is gay) arrives before Jesus, Jesus certainly will not say, 'Go away because you

title: Veneration of Mary in the Catholic Church

text: of Mary in salvation and redemption continued with Pope John Paul II's 1987 encyclical "Redemptoris mater" It was through Mary's intercession, through compassion for the hosts, at the marriage feast of Cana, that Jesus worked his first miracle. The "Catechism of the Catholic Church" states: "From the most ancient times the Blessed Virgin has been honored with the title of 'Mother of God,' to whose protection the faithful fly in all their dangers and needs." The Eastern Catholic Churches observe the feast of the Intercession of the Theotokos in October. Roman Catholic views of the Virgin Mary as refuge and

title: Theological differences between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church

text: of Rome to be merely one of greater honour, regarding him as "" ("first among equals"), without effective power over other churches. Other Orthodox Christian theologians, however, view primacy as authoritative power: the expression, manifestation and realization in one bishop of the power of all the bishops and of the unity of the Church. The Roman Catholic Church attributes to the primacy of the Pope "full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered," a power that it attributes also to the entire body of the bishops united with the pope. The

title: Catholic Church in the United States

text: Catholic Church in the United States The Catholic Church in the United States is part of the worldwide Catholic Church in communion with the Pope in Rome. With 20.8% of the United States population as of 2018, the Catholic Church is the country's second largest single religious group after Protestantism, but the country's largest religious denomination. The United States has the fourth largest Catholic population in the world after Brazil, Mexico and the Philippines, the largest Catholic minority population, and the largest English-speaking Catholic population. The central leadership body of the Catholic Church in the United States is the U.S.

title: History of the Catholic Church in France

text: trips, parties or religious debates on secularism and religious issues, which remain sensitive subjects despite the separation of Church and the State. Finally, since the 1990s, greater participation has been noticed at gatherings of young people, as well as various national pilgrimage, indicating probable involvement of other Christians to the life of the Catholic Church. On the eve of the release of "Summorum Pontificum" by Pope Benedict XVI in 2007, the Tridentine Mass – which the Pope referred to as an "extraordinary form of the Roman Rite" – was celebrated in France on the basis of Pope John Paul II's

text: assumed by Pope John I Bishop of Rome (523–526), who ratified the Alexandrian computation of the date of Easter. Bestowing the title on Rome's pontiff did not strip it from Alexandria's, and the Roman Catholic Church recognizes this ecclesiastical fact. Since Alexandria was the capital of the province, the preaching center and the place of martyrdom of Saint Mark the Evangelist and Holy Apostle, the title “Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of all Africa on the Holy Throne of Saint Mark the Evangelist and Holy Apostle". also known as “Pope and Patriarch of Alexandria and all Africa” in short, was

title: Catholic Church in the 20th century

text: the falangist Spain of Franco. Pope Pius XI was moderately skeptical of Italian Fascism. To Pope Pius XI, Dollfuss in Austria was the ideal politician realising "Quadragesimo anno". In the 1937 encyclical "Mit brennender Sorge", drafted by the future Pope Pius XII, Pope Pius XI warned Catholics that antisemitism is incompatible with Christianity. Read from the pulpits of all German Catholic churches, it described Hitler as an insane and arrogant prophet and was the first official denunciation of Nazism made by any major organization. Nazi persecution of the Church in Germany then began by "outright repression" and "staged prosecutions of

title: Catholic Church in the Netherlands

text: Catholic Church in the Netherlands The Catholic Church in the Netherlands (), is part of the worldwide Catholic Church under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. Its primate is the Metropolitan Archbishop of Utrecht, currently Willem Jacobus Eijk since 2008. Currently, Catholicism is the single largest religion of the Netherlands, forming some 11.7% of the Dutch people in 2015, based on indepth interviewing, down from 40% in the 1960s. Although the number of Catholics in the Netherlands has decreased significantly in recent decades, the Catholic Church remains today the largest religious group in the Netherlands. Once known as

title: Dogma in the Catholic Church

text: ascertaining that they are beliefs already held in some form throughout the Catholic church. Both Pope Pius IX and Pope Pius XII consulted the bishops worldwide before proclaiming these dogmas. A movement to declare a third Marian dogma for "Mediatrix" and "Co-Redemptrix" was underway in the 1990s, an issue handled very delicately by the bishops at Vatican II. The term "Dogma Catholicum" was first used by Vincent of Lérins (450), referring to "what all, everywhere and always believed". In the year 565, Emperor Justinian declared the decisions of the first ecumenical councils as law "because they are true dogmata of

text: Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria The Pope of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria is the leader of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria, a faith with ancient Christian roots in Egypt. The current holder of this position is Pope Tawadros II, who was selected as the 118th pope on November 18, 2012. Following the traditions of the church, the pope is chairman and head of the Holy Synod of the Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria as a first among equals. The Holy Synod is the highest authority in the Church of Alexandria, which has between 12

title: Hierarchy of the Catholic Church

text: for clergy in the Russian Orthodox Church, and is the style of the Bishop of Alexandria. Pope Marcellinus (d. 304) is the first Bishop of Rome shown in sources to have had the title "pope" used of him. From the 6th century, the imperial chancery of Constantinople normally reserved this designation for the Bishop of Rome. From the early 6th century, it began to be confined in the West to the Bishop of Rome, a practice that was firmly in place by the 11th century, when Pope Gregory VII declared it reserved for the Bishop of Rome. As bishop of

title: Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Budslav

text: frescoes of the church survived to our time without later changes. Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Budslav Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary () is a former Bernardine, now parish Catholic Church in village Budslau, Myadzyel Raion, Minsk Region, Belarus. The church is a monument of architecture of the late Baroque, it has Budslau icon of Our Lady - one of the most revered Catholic images. In 1996 Pope John Paul II proclaimed this icon the patron of Belarus. First time the church was mentioned in documents in 1504, when the Grand Duke

title: Legal history of the Catholic Church

text: early twentieth century, Oriental canon law had been in the process of codification. Some of these Oriental canon law reforms were promulgated by Pope Pius XII. The codification effort culminated with the Pope John Paul II's 1990 promulgation of the "Codex Canonum Ecclesiarum Orientalium" (CCEO, Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches) which incorporates certain differences in the hierarchical, administrative, and judicial "fora" for the 23 "sui juris" particular Eastern Catholic Churches, which were each encouraged to issue codes of particular law peculiar to each church, so that all of the Catholic Church's canon law would be codified. Legal history

title: Criticism of the Catholic Church

text: particular the Second Vatican Council, as not benefitting the advancement of the Church. Some groups, such as the Society of St. Pius X, saying the Church has betrayed the core values of Catholicism, have rejected some of the decisions of the Holy See that they see harmful to the faith. They have in common the firm adherence to the Tridentine Latin Mass that was used, with some changes, for 400 years prior to 1970. A numerically minor group, the sedevacantists, have characterized the current Pontiffs of the Catholic Church as heretics. This group says that the current Pope (as well,

title: Hierarchy of the Catholic Church

text: First Vatican Council, laid down that cardinals have precedence over all other prelates, even patriarchs. The 1983 Code of Canon Law did not deal with questions of precedence. The cardinalate is not an integral part of the theological structure of the Catholic Church, but largely an honorific distinction that has its origins in the 1059 assignation of the right of electing the Pope exclusively to the principal clergy of Rome and the bishops of the seven suburbicarian dioceses. Because of their resulting importance, the term "cardinal" (from Latin "cardo", meaning "hinge") was applied to them. In the 12th century the

title: Sacraments of the Catholic Church

text: a year, during Eastertide. As a growing trend during the second half of the 2010s, many US dioceses of Latin Rite are officially returning to the traditional order of the three sacraments of Christian initiation, that is: Baptism, Confirmation and, lastly, the first Communion. This order of Sacraments has ever refererred in the Catechism of Roman Catholic Church (n. 1212), and “The holy Eucharist completes our Christian initiation” (N. 1322). The current order -with Eucharist preceding the Confirmation- was started in 1910 with the decree by Pope Pius X, "Quam Singulari Christus Amore" (transl.: “How Special Christ’s Love”), which said

title: History of the Catholic Church

text: Catholics were allowed to continue some of their schools. The end of the Napoleonic wars, signaled by the Congress of Vienna, brought Catholic revival and the return of the Papal States to the pope; the Jesuits were restored. France remained basically Catholic. The census of 1872 counted 36 million people, of whom 35.4 million were listed as Catholics, 600,000 as Protestants, 50,000 as Jews and 80,000 as freethinkers The Revolution failed to destroy the Catholic Church, and Napoleon's concordat of 1801 restored its status. The return of the Bourbons in 1814 brought back many rich nobles and landowners who supported

text: Catholic Church in the Dominican Republic The Catholic Church in Dominican Republic is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome. The Catholic Church is the world's largest Christian Church, and its largest religious grouping. There are an estimated 7.6 million baptised Catholics in the Dominican Republic, (78% of the population), in 11 territorial dioceses and one military ordinariate, served by 800 priests. Within the Dominican Republic the hierarchy consists of: The Dominican Republic offers religious freedom, but the Catholic Church still enjoys certain favors, in particular due to a 1954 concordat with

title: Catholic Church in Azerbaijan

text: and preparations for a Papal visit gained traction. On May 23, 2002, Pope John Paul II visited the country, despite his increasingly fragile health. He was initially invited by Azerbaijan's president, Heydar Aliyev. Thanks to his visit, President Aliyev gave the Catholic Church a plot of land to build a church. The building was funded by proceeds from Pope John Paul II's book sales and foreign donations. Delegates from Azerbaijan attended the first Congress of Catholic Laity of Eastern Europe in 2003. When Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, the apostolic nuncio to Azerbaijan, visited the country he encountered many elderly believers who