Roman Catholic Church

[[File:Thebible33.jpg|thumb|right|165px|Catholic religious objects.]]
{{christianity}}{{bronze}}

{{cquote|And speaking of my friends the Catholics, when John Cardinal O'Connor of New York and some of these other Cardinals and Bishops have experienced their first pregnancies and their first labor pains and they've raised a couple of children on minimum wage, then I'll be glad to hear what they have to say about abortion. I'm sure it'll be interesting. Enlightening, too. But, in the meantime what they ought to be doing is telling these priests who took a vow of chastity to keep their hands off the altar boys! Keep your hands to yourself, Father! You know? When Jesus said 'Suffer the little children, come unto me', that's not what he was talking about!|||George Carlin in his 1996 HBO special, <i>Back in Town</i><ref>https://www.wis.community/blogarticle/fixing-world-or-help-george-carlin-stick-it-god</ref>}}

The '''Roman Catholic Church''' is the world's second largest [[religion|religious]] body after [[Sunni]] Islam,<ref>Religious Diversity and Children's Literature: Strategies and Resources, ‎Sandra Brenneman Oldendorf - 2011, p 156</ref> and the largest Christian denomination in the world,<ref>http://gospelclarity.com/2010/08/25/the-largest-christian-denominations-in-the-world/</ref> with an estimated 1.4 billion adherents.<ref>[https://www.ewtnnews.com/vatican/worldwide-catholic-population-hits-14-billion?redirectedfrom=cna Worldwide Catholic population hits 1.4 billion], Victoria Cardiel, ''EWTN News'' 21 March 2025</ref> Frequently, and for simplicity's sake, they just call themselves '''Catholics'''. Like most religions, they believe that they are the only universal valid [[faith]], and the Catholic Church teaches that it is the one true Church, to the exclusion of non-Catholic Christians; naturally, other Christians disagree. Even in [[Ireland]], a relatively conservative country, the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church seems to be increasingly out of touch with what ordinary Catholics want.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17973830 Association of Catholic Priests discuss Church's future]</ref>

As of 2009, it is impossible to formally defect from the Roman Catholic Church. However, public or "notorious defection" (as it is called in the Church's Canon Law) from the Catholic Church is of course possible, as is expressly recognised in the Code of Canon Law. Even private defection (through "[[heresy]]", "[[schism]]", or "[[apostasy]]") is subject to the penalty of [[excommunication]] laid down in Canon 1364 of the Code of Canon Law.<ref>[https://www.vatican.va/archive/cod-iuris-canonici/cic_index_en.html Code of Canon Law,] canons 171 §1, 194 §1, 316 §1, 694 §1.</ref>

==Basic beliefs==
Unlike most Christian denominations, for which finding out what they actually believe can be as hard as nailing jelly to a wall, Roman Catholicism has the [http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM Catechism of the Catholic Church], which all Catholics are meant to agree to (they don't all, but it's the official statement of beliefs). Other statements by influential Catholics (such as the [[Pope]]) are not normally strict Roman Catholic doctrine &mdash; they are about as important as statements made in a press conference by a President or Prime Minister.

The Roman Catholic Church believes that it is God's representative on Earth and that this gives them an authority in [[moral]] matters. It is fully aware that quite a few former Popes have been interesting and even downright dangerous individuals. Because of this, what the Pope says under normal circumstances can be taken with a pinch of salt. There is a specific set of circumstances known as Papal Infallibility, but in 2000 years, there have been few enough infallible statements that they can be counted on your fingers. Most of them have been on obscure subjects or subjects that are from day-to-day irrelevant (such as the [[Virgin_birth#Immaculate_conception|Immaculate Conception]] &mdash; i.e. the idea that [[Mary (mother of Jesus)]] was conceived without [[sin]]).

The Roman Catholic Church believes that it is God's representative on Earth, therefore God would not allow it to have [[Appeal to tradition|persistently wrong teachings for a prolonged period of time]] (something known as Magisterial Infallibility). When the Roman Catholic Church has historically claimed something as morally wrong, there is no room for compromise (which is why their teachings on [[contraception]] and [[homosexuality]] are so screwed up).

Since the [[Second Vatican Council]], the Church has generally avoided clear moral statements, instead creating the illusion of unity through ambiguous essays that can be interpreted differently by [[#Modern and traditional|conflicting groups]] within Catholicism.<ref>[http://theweek.com/article/index/269890/the-vaticans-latest-foray-into-self-deception The Vatican's latest foray into self-deception]</ref> For instance, imprecise writing has persuaded sections of the media that the Roman Catholic Church will change its teachings on the sinfulness of gay sex and extramarital sex. The public (including many lay Catholics) don't seem to understand how unlikely this would be<ref>[http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/2014/10/this-catholic-earthquake-on-homosexuality-is-splitting-the-church/ This Catholic ‘earthquake’ on homosexuality is splitting the Church]</ref> ([[Pope Francis]], on the other hand, has been very clear on this point).<ref>[http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2014/10/21/well-pope-francis-as-cardinal-burke-implored-has-now-firmly-upheld-the-depositum-fidei-but-has-he-let-loose-forces-he-cant-control/ Well, Pope Francis, as Cardinal Burke implored, has now firmly upheld the depositum fidei: but has he let loose forces he can’t control?]</ref>

===Roman Catholic philosophy and ethics===
[[File:Saint Peter's Basilica facade, Rome, Italy.jpg|thumb|right|250px|St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.]]
Roman Catholic philosophy and ethics is based on a number of [[Logical fallacy|logical fallacies]]. The philosophy is generally Thomist &mdash; based on the works of [[Thomas Aquinas]] and also based on [[Aristotle]]. Aquinas was the poster child for carrying logical thought past the evidence and then [[mistaking the map for the territory]]. Once you've done that, it is unsurprising that you get a set of [[celibacy|celibate]] old men laying down rules on [[contraception]] and [[marriage]], despite being officially obliged to not have much to do with either. They are also [[Teleology|teleological]] &mdash; rather than being a fancy name for the [[argument from design]], they presuppose the designer and work from there. (This doesn't mean that the Roman Catholic Church is [[creationist]] or supporters of [[intelligent design]]; although statements supporting either position have been made by individuals, they are not official teachings.)

The Roman Catholic Church teaches [[deontological ethics]]. This means that what is important is following the rules set down by the Church rather than, as [[utilitarianism]] would suggest, working out what would do the most good. The idea behind this is twofold. First, it suggests that by providing clear guidelines, it means it is possible to do the right thing with incomplete information. Second, it posits the idea that even if the humans that make up the Roman Catholic Church are flawed, the Church as an institution is far better at reasoning than any one person and so can do better than you can by yourself.

Roman Catholics also believe in [[original sin]] &mdash; the doctrine that humans from the moment of conception are not in a state of grace and are unable to be in the presence of God due to the transgressions of Adam and Eve.

==Apostolic succession and more==
[[File:Priesterweihe in Schwyz 2.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Ordination of priests.]]
The doctrine of apostolic succession is not unique to the Catholic Church: the various Eastern and Orthodox Churches assert their claim to be the true inheritors of the original Christian Church, with many viewing Catholicism as having departed from this tradition due to teachings they consider heretical, such as the filioque doctrine. The Catholic Church officially recognizes that the Orthodox Churches possess valid apostolic succession. The Orthodox Churches, however, lack a unified stance on Catholic orders; some jurisdictions may recognize them via "ecclesiastical economy," while stricter ones do not.

Apostolic succession functions somewhat like a franchising model. The validity of anyone's consecration as a bishop depends on the validity of the consecration of the bishops who consecrated the new one. There exist "wandering bishops", episcopi vagantes, people who were consecrated validly but illegally by bishops who had the sacramental power, but not the canonical authority, to ordain them. These bishops are considered technically valid and partake of the lineage of apostolic succession, even if their ministries are not considered lawful by the mainstream Roman Catholic or Orthodox denominations.

The Anglican churches (Church of England, known as Episcopalians in America) also claim apostolic succession, though the Catholic Church claims the Anglican chain was broken during the English Reformation when ordination rites were altered to remove references to the Mass as a sacrifice.

Baptists and Restorationists generally deny that apostolic succession is necessary for a valid church. Some Baptists adhere to Landmarkism (popularized as the "Trail of Blood"), a theory claiming a continuous, hidden line of "true" non-Catholic Christians has existed since the apostles. Conversely, Restorationists generally believe the original line was entirely lost due to a "Great Apostasy" and had to be restored in modern times. The Church is referred to as "Roman" simply because its spiritual head is the Bishop of Rome.

===Pope===

The Catholic doctrine of "apostolic succession" holds that it is the original Christian Church &mdash; the direct chain of inheritance from Jesus to the apostles passed on via the "[[magical thinking|laying on of hands]]."  [[Saint Peter]], in particular, is claimed to be the leader of the first apostles, and his authority is said to have been transferred to the See (or diocese) of Rome.  The Bishop of Rome (the [[Pope]]) is the inheritor of Saint Peter and thus the head of the earthly Church.

The present pope, (or Pontiff<ref group=note>the title ''Pontifex Maximus'' &mdash; literally "Master Bridge Builder" was originally a pagan Roman title held by the Emperors, which the popes claimed following the establishment of Christianity as Rome's official religion</ref>) Leo was 69 on appointment. The outgoing pope, [[Pope Francis]] (Jorge Bergoglio), was elected in 2005. Ideally, the Pope is a wise man well-past normal retiring age, being instead chosen to relentlessly work for the well-being of humanity until God calls him to [[Heaven]]. (Or at least that's the plan. Some do, but many across history have been in it solely for the power.) Usually, however, the realistic administrator-types have made better popes than the more saintly ones.

==Modern and traditional==
Nowadays, Roman Catholicism can be divided into two groups, bluntly calling each other modernists and [[Traditionalist Catholicism|traditionalists]], though there are many more subdivisions and nuanced positions. Different cultures are emerging and strengthening; Pope Francis may find it increasingly difficult to keep them together and speak for all Catholics.<ref>[http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2014/10/22/pope-francis-plays-long-game-to-reform-roman-catholic-church/ Pope Francis plays long game to reform Roman Catholic Church]</ref> 

Modern Western culture increasingly encourages people to think for themselves{{fact}},which steadily weakens the authority of the pope and the Church hierarchy. In many nations, including [[Argentina]], [[Brazil]], [[Colombia]], [[France]], and [[Spain]], more than 90% of Catholics support [[contraception]], while worldwide 78% approve. Over 60% in Argentina, Brazil, [[Poland]], Spain, and the [[United States]], among others, believe that priests should be able to marry. In Europe and the United States, less than 40% agree that women should be barred from the priesthood. 54% of United States Catholics and 64% of Spanish Catholics accept [[gay marriage]]. African Catholics are much more conservative.<ref>[http://time.com/6048/poll-catholic-beliefs-at-odds-with-vatican-doctrine/ Poll: Catholic Beliefs at Odds With Vatican Doctrine]</ref><ref>[http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/652386-catholics-support-pope-francis-but-many-split-on-teachings-.html Catholics support Pope Francis, but many split on teachings: poll]</ref>

A large survey of Catholic women in particular, released in 2023 and spanning 140 countries, was even starker. It found that an overwhelmingly majority (especially those in the older age brackets) of said women wanted the church to become more liberal on a slew of topics: contraception, LGBT issues, divorce, transparency, women's representation, etc.<ref>Jordan Baker (March 6, 2023). [https://www.smh.com.au/national/sick-of-it-catholic-women-vent-frustration-over-sex-power-and-abuse-20230303-p5cp6r.html "'Sick of it': Catholic women vent frustration over sex, power and abuse"]. ''The Sydney Morning Herald''.</ref>

===Modernism===
'''Modernism''' consists of groups ranging from the ordinary [[pro-choice]] Catholics to [[liberation theology|liberation theologians]] and the ''Nouvelle Théologie''. Some famous Catholics belonging to this group are [[Joe Biden]] (pro-choice Catholic), Hans Küng (Nouvelle Théologie, denies [[papal infallibility]] and more<ref>[http://www.shc.edu/theolibrary/resources/kung.htm Hans Kung, Daniel T. Spotswood]</ref>) and Gustavo Gutiérrez (the founder of [[liberation theology]]). Joseph Ratzinger, the later [[Pope Benedict XVI]], was considered to adhere to the Nouvelle Théologie in his younger years, but he became increasingly conservative.<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/05/catholic-revolution-nazi-dictatorship-pope The Guardian]</ref> This progressive group tends to be politically progressive as well, though they aren't free of [[new age]] [[pseudo-science]] despite having abandoned creationism.

===Traditionalism===
[[File:LaPurisimaInmaculadaConcepciondeRibera.jpg|thumb|right|165px|The Virgin Mary.]]
'''[[Traditionalist Catholicism|Traditionalism]]''' consists of groups ranging from, on the one hand, neoconservative Catholics who strictly follow Rome on sexual but not economic traditions and who, in some cases, observe an "extraordinary" (read: old) version of the Roman Rite with approval from the Church, to, on the other, capital-T Traditionalists, or Trads, like the [[Society of St. Pius X]] (the Society), who don't recognize the [[Second Vatican Council]] and who may not follow any pope since Pius the XII (the last pope before Vatican II). 

Marcel Lefebvre, the founder of the Society, was excommunicated together with the four bishops he consecrated. The four bishops have had their excommunication lifted. Richard Williamson, one of these bishops, vehemently [[Holocaust denial|denies the holocaust]], and [[User:-Mona-|this]] RationalWiki editor heard him say that a "sane society executes homosexuals." Williamson was expelled from the society after breaking his ''gag order(s)'' countless times.<ref>[http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pius-x-society-expells-bishop-williamson-for-disobedience/ Catholic News Agency]</ref> Of this group (unlike Pope Francis), the neoconservatives downplay Catholic Social Teaching on economic issues in favor of libertarian-type capitalism,<ref>http://distributist.blogspot.com/2007/02/catholic-whiggery.html</ref> but accept [[theistic evolution]]. Members of the Society mostly adhere to absolute monarchism, and are either [[Distributism|distributist]] or conservative. They reject the [[Freedom of speech|freedoms of speech]] and [[Freedom of religion|religion]] included in the American Bill of Rights as Modernist heresies, proclaiming that "error has no rights."<ref>http://www.acatholicthinker.net/why-we-are-traditionalists/</ref> (These folk were absent that day in civics when teacher explained that rights inhere in individuals, not in the ideas — including errors — they propound.) Some of their members, especially in France and Spain, are far-right extremists, praising [[Vichy France]] and [[Francisco Franco|Francoist Spain]]. They are very likely to be [[Young Earth creationism|young earth creationists]].

===Factions and attempted resolution===
The Roman Catholic hierarchy is certainly dividing into factions, notably over sexual moral issues.<ref group=note>Priests struggling to remain [[celibacy|celibate]] and struggling with continual sexual temptation sometimes obsess over sexual sin.</ref> Should [[marriage|remarried]] [[divorce]]es receive [[Eucharist|Communion]]? As of 2014, Damian Thompson of ''The Spectator'' compared the divisions to what happened around the second Vatican Council and suspected that the authority of Pope Francis was seriously weakened.<ref>[http://www.spectator.co.uk/features/9361502/watch-out-pope-francis-the-catholic-civil-war-has-begun/ Watch out Pope Francis: the Catholic civil war has begun][http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/damian-thompson/2014/11/the-catholic-civil-war-turns-nasty/ Pope Francis and ‘the Great Division’: the Catholic civil war draws closer]</ref> Andrew Brown of ''[[The Guardian]]'' thought such a schism less likely<ref>[http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/30/catholic-church-schism-pope-francis-liberal-conservative A Catholic church schism under Pope Francis isn’t out of the question]</ref> and David Gibson writing in the ''[[Huffington Post]]'' emphasised how unlikely he thought it.<ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/04/catholic-schism-francis-_n_6102672.html Catholic Schism Unlikely Despite Conservative Suspicion Of Pope Francis]</ref> By contrast, {{wpl|Ross Douthat|Ross Douthat}} of the ''[[New York Times]]'' warned of a possible major [[schism]] and looming crisis with conservative Catholics breaking away from the pope.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/26/opinion/sunday/ross-douthat-the-pope-and-the-precipice.html?_r=0 The Pope and the Precipice]</ref> Douthat also feared that allowing the [[eucharist]] to remarried divorcees redefined doctrine either on [[sin]] or on the [[sacrament]]s; Douthat suggested later that a range of unconventional committed sexual relationships could become acceptable.<ref>[http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/05/will-pope-francis-break-the-church/389516/ Will Pope Francis Break the Church?].</ref><ref>[http://theweek.com/article/index/270736/the-culture-war-finally-comes-to-the-catholic-church The culture war finally comes to the Catholic Church]</ref>  

In 2016, Pope Francis released a document, ''“Amoris Laetitia”''; it appeared groundbreaking to some commentators, but others feel it restates traditional Catholic doctrine with minor changes. The language is a bit vague, which may please different factions.<ref name=Tobin>[https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/bishop-amoris-laetitias-intentional-ambiguity-means-people-will-do-whatever Bishop: Amoris Laetitia’s ‘intentional ambiguity’ means people will do ‘whatever they want’]</ref>  Only [[heterosexual]] marriage, 'open to the transmission of life', conforms to God's plan and marriage is indissoluble.  Committed gay relationships and other relationships can offer some stability with positive features. Still, they cannot be compared to heterosexual marriage endorsed by God; further gay acts are grave sin.<ref>[http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2016/04/08/in-amoris-laetitia-pope-francis-says-same-sex-relationships-are-not-equivalent-to-marriage/ In “Amoris Laetitia,” Pope Francis Says Same-Sex Relationships Are Not Equivalent to Marriage]</ref> Cardinal Schönborn of Vienna believes the document allows the sacraments to sinners in certain cases and is therefore very significant.<ref name=Tobin/> Church doctrine on what is sinful has not changed, but people living in modern western society may be convinced that Church moral teachings are in some cases wrong. The Church sees this as not fully understanding the truth of Church teachings. Still, such people may not be fully culpable according to Church teachings and may therefore receive the sacraments.<ref>[https://www.ncronline.org/news/faith-parish/amoris-laetitia-three-months-communion-question-still-debated 'Amoris Laetitia' at three months: Communion question still debated]</ref>

[[RationalWiki]] cannot [[precognition|predict the future]], though as of 2016, [[Divorce#Divorce and Roman Catholicism|a compromise may be developing]].

==Politics==
[[File:Francisco Franco en la iglesia de Santa María durante la celebración de la Salve (5 de 9) - Fondo Car-Kutxa Fototeka.jpg|thumb|right|300px|[[Francisco Franco]] meeting with Catholic clergy.]]
{{cquote|The Church has always sold itself to those in power, and agreed to any bargain in return for immunity. It would have been fine if the spirit of religion had guided the Church; instead, the Church determined the spirit of religion. Churchmen through the ages have fought political and institutional corruption very little, so long as their own sanctity and church property were preserved.|||[[Albert Einstein]]|quoted in ''Einstein and the Poet'' by William Hermanns}}
Politically, the Catholic Church has long been a very [[conservative]] force. For centuries, the Church has fought the creation of [[liberalism|liberal democracy]], vehemently opposing almost every progressive change in Europe and North America during the 18<sup>th</sup> and 19<sup>th</sup> centuries. As recently as 1864, Pius IX's infamous ''Syllabus of Errors'' declared that [[liberalism]], [[rationalism]], and [[freedom of religion]] were all [[Heresy|heretical]]. For most of the 20<sup>th</sup> century, it was little better, often supporting [[Monarchy|monarchies]], [[dictatorship]]s, and [[fascist]] regimes against democracies and republics (Spain, Italy, and [[Latin America]]{{fact}} were all areas where the Church was a bulwark to fascism and militarism).  

===Economic policy===
Their policies were largely reactions against the [[French Revolution]], with its strongly anti-clerical turn, and later, against the rise of [[Communism]] and similar socialist movements, all of which they strongly opposed.  In order to oppose the [[left-wing]] idea of [[class]] struggle by the working class, the Church attempted to create its own, contrary, political [[ideology]]. This was developed in a series of Papal encyclicals, including Leo XIII's ''Rerum Novarum'' ("Of Revolution...", 1891)<ref>[http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Rerum_Novarum Rerum Novarum]</ref> and Pius XI's ''Quadragesimo Anno'' ("Forty years later...", 1931).<ref>[http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xi/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xi_enc_19310515_quadragesimo-anno_en.html Quadragesimo Anno]</ref> 

This Catholic political ideology sought to instill [[nationalism]] and ethnic solidarity, hoping that emphasizing the claims of unique national characters would encourage moral traditionalism, and hoping that ethnic solidarity would take the place of class solidarity. In order to attempt to quell the discontents caused by [[Capitalism|capitalist]] greed and resulting inequality, they advocated a "[[Third positionism|third way]]" system, sometimes called "[[distributism]]", under which [[corporatism|government, industry, and labor work together]] under the direction of a powerful, strongman government. Not a liberal democracy &mdash; that was still heresy &mdash; but a government with the power to expropriate and redistribute property and enforce traditional morality. These governments were of course supposed to cede control of parts of their [[law]]s and institutions, such as their [[education]]al systems, and their laws on [[sex]], [[marriage]], and [[divorce]], to the Church. This ideology had a way of [[fascism|not working all that well]] when translated into a political blueprint. The constitutions of [[Vichy France]], [[Francisco Franco|Franco]]'s [[Spain]], and [[António de Oliveira Salazar|Antonio Salazar]]'s [[Portugal]] all referenced these documents as having inspired their polities.<ref>See, e.g.:<br> Nicholas M. Nagy–Talavera, ''The Green Shirts and the Others: A History of Fascism in Hungary and Romania'' (Iaşi and Oxford: The Center for Romanian Studies, 2001). ISBN 973-9432-11-5;<br> Hugh Kay, (1970). ''Salazar and Modern Portugal''. NY, USA: Hawthorn Books;<br> David Littlejohn, ''The Patriotic Traitors: A History of Collaboration in German-occupied Europe'', 1940-45. ISBN 0-434-42725-X;<br>Robert Pyrah (2008). "Enacting Encyclicals? Cultural Politics and 'Clerical Fascism' in Austria, 1933–1938."  In ''Clerical Fascism in Interwar Europe'' (Routledge). pp. 157–169.</ref>

===Rise of fascism and World War II===
When it came to the rise of [[fascism]] and the [[Second World War]], the Catholic Church was generally opposed to the [[Nazi]] party. However, it often didn't do enough to stop it, and some pastors openly supported it.<ref>https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-german-churches-and-the-nazi-state</ref> More common however were priests getting persecuted or at least hindered, such as by being imprisoned at Dachau concentration camp<ref>https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/bib258093</ref> or having their diocesan documents being confiscated<ref>https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-german-churches-and-the-nazi-state</ref>. 

Before the war, some dioceses in Germany prohibited their members from joining the NSDAP.  Furthermore, the Catholic Centre Party--a political party based on Catholic policy--allied with the conventional left, rather than National Socialism or fascism. However, the ban on membership was dropped after Hitler publicly praised Christianity, and in  it would later go on to support the Enabling Act of 1933.<ref>https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-german-churches-and-the-nazi-state</ref>

Once the Nazi party took power, the Church was admittedly complicit much of the time,<ref> Alan Bullock, Hitler, a Study in Tyranny. Harper Perennial edition (1991).</ref> although Cardinal Bishop Clemens August Graf von Galen of Münster led movements in the German Resistance.<ref>Anton Gill; An Honourable Defeat; A History of the German Resistance to Hitler; Heinemann; London (1994); pg. 60</ref> As previously mentioned, many clergy were imprisoned in the Dachau Priests' Barracks<ref>https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-german-churches-and-the-nazi-state</ref>. 

Outside influence came into Germany for support for the German Resistance from the Vatican, with Pope Pius XII supporting the Allies discreetly.<ref>William L. Shirer; The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich; Secker & Warburg; London; 1960; pp. 648–49</ref>


The Catholic Church's relationship with Fascist Italy was originally somewhat positive with the signing of the Lateran Treaty with [[Benito Mussolini]],<ref>"Vatican City turns 91". Vatican News. 11 February 2020. The world's smallest sovereign state was born on February 11, 1929, with the signing of the Lateran Treaty between the Holy See and the Kingdom of Italy</ref> but soured with the prohibition of marriages between Jews and non-jews by the Italian racial laws.<ref>Zuccotti, Susan (2002). Under His Very Windows: The Vatican and the Holocaust in Italy pg. 48</ref>

===After the war===
[[File:Glina church massacre.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Forced conversion of Orthodox Serbs in fascist Croatia.]]
During the second half of the 20<sup>th</sup> century, the Church's posture changed somewhat: the environment of the [[Cold War]] meant that the Church's fanatical opposition to Communism landed it on the side of pro-democracy activists like Lech Wałęsa in [[Poland]]. In the 1960s, Catholic clergy in Latin America began challenging, instead of supporting, local elites, using the gospel as a basis. This so-called "[[liberation theology]]" was viewed dimly by the central hierarchy due to its links with [[Marxism]] and radicalism, but it attracted considerable support among ordinary Catholics. The Church remains vehemently opposed to [[gay rights]] and [[homosexuality]], leading to complaints this makes life for millions of gay Catholics a tad difficult,<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-34661555 Gay priest: Roman Catholic Church 'violently homophobic']</ref> though it's not actually illegal in any predominantly Catholic countries, including Vatican City.<ref>[https://76crimes.com/76-countries-where-homosexuality-is-illegal/ ''Erasing 76 Crimes'', "77 countries where homosexuality is illegal"]</ref> Church opposition to [[abortion]] causes problems for victims of incest and rape, and women who are not in a position to care for a baby. Just saying no to [[birth control]] also cause serious problems for everyone in families that are too big and poor to support their children well without [[welfare|commie government handouts]] (although the Church does at least advocate state support to the poor). Still, the Church has taken a stand against the [[Capital punishment|death penalty]], unprovoked aggression, and [[torture]], apologizing for past witch hunts, Crusades, and the Inquisitions which they engaged in. It has also made some effort to ameliorate its generally appalling record on the treatment of women, while still absolutely prohibiting the creation of women clergy: at least they're now allowed to learn how to read a Bible, and in a language that isn't Latin even.

In the 21<sup>st</sup> century, the Church still has trouble accepting full democratic freedom. Voting in ways the Church dislikes can become [[mortal sin]]. That means before receiving [[Eucharist|Communion]], Catholics who voted against the direction of the Church should go to [[Confession#Catholic confession|confession]] and listen penitently while the priest explains why they should have voted differently.<ref>[http://www.thecatholicthing.org/2014/07/23/can-there-be-mortal-sin-in-voting/ Can there be Mortal Sin in Voting?]</ref>{{Better source}} Remember, [[Omniscience|God sees how a person votes]], so for believing Catholics and many other people, there is no secret ballot.

The Catholic Church is the only religious denomination to have full legal, internationally-recognized control of its own [[state]], the [[Vatican]] City State in Rome.<ref group=note>Although the Orthodox monasteries on Mount Athos also enjoy considerable political autonomy from the Greek state, they do not, for example host diplomatic missions as the Vatican does. Saudi Arabia and Iran are examples of other states where the clergy have a fair amount of legal authority, although there is still a civil administration.</ref> Historically, from about the mid-7<sup>th</sup> century onwards, the Popes controlled the ''Papal States'', a territory covering a significant part of central Italy.<ref group=note>The basis of Papal temporal authority was said to be the "Donation of Constantine" &mdash; a supposed testament of Emperor Constantine that gave the Pope's authority over central Italy. In fact, this document is one of history's most notorious forgeries.</ref> In 1860, however, most of the Papal States were lost as part of the wars that led to the unification of Italy. Rome was finally occupied by Italy in 1870, leading to a 59-year conflict between the Popes and the government of Italy. This conflict was finally resolved by the Concordat of 1929 with [[Benito Mussolini|Fascist Italy]] that established the present-day Vatican City as a sovereign state.

Shortly before his death in 2012, the late Cardinal Carlo Martini commented that the Church was 200 years behind the times &mdash; just about in step with the Napoleonic era. The late cardinal was [[liberal]] by RC standards, and he was widely respected and even considered as a possible pope. Martini was concerned about declining attendance and confidence in the church by its members and worried that official RC policy was alienating its followers.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19451439 Cardinal Carlo Martini says Church '200 years behind']</ref>

==Scandals==
[[File:CatholicChurchAbuseScandalGraffitiPortugal2011.JPG|thumb|right|300px|Portuguese graffiti depicting a Catholic priest chasing two children.]]
{{cquote|Do you know who'd be the last person to be ever accepted as a Prince of the Church? The Galilean carpenter. That Jew – they would kick him out before he tried to cross the threshold, he'd be so ill at ease in the Church. What would he think of the wealth, the power, the self-justification, and the wheedling apologies?|||[[Stephen Fry]]<ref>[https://youtu.be/kwP4C5hjo4Y?t=1663 The Catholic Church is a force for good - Intelligence Squared debates]</ref>}}
There are ongoing scandals involving child abuse, leaked dossiers<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21731439 The Vatican: Suspense and intrigue]</ref>, and other matters. It can be confidently predicted that more dirt will be uncovered in the future.<ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wayne-besen/a-new-pope-wont-save-the-sinking-ship_b_2808271.html A New Pope Won't Save the Sinking Ship]</ref> In 2012, documents were stolen from [[Benedict XVI]] and later published that revealed backbiting, cronyism, and other problems high up in the Church. There were concerns raised about {{wpl|money laundering|money laundering}} and accusations of corruption at the Vatican Bank.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21766314 Rome conclave: Cardinals to resume papal deliberations]</ref> Pope Francis has done a great deal to reform the Vatican Bank, though since the Vatican is notoriously secretive, outsiders can no more than guess how much remains unreformed.  

Some cardinals blame the Curia for preventing a more decisive response to the child abuse problem.<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21756645 Pope election: Where the Conclave really divides]</ref> Archbishop [[Carlo Maria Viganò]] claimed in leaked documents that there was corruption over Vatican contracts that cost the Holy See  millions of dollars. Later, the Pope sent Archbishop Viganò as an ambassador to Washington, which gave him the chance to explain said problems to American [[Cardinal]]s and author Massimo Franco. In a book. Franco claims the Vatican is ''"falling apart"'' with financial scandals, internal strife, and the child sexual abuse issue, weakening the Church worldwide. Franco claims Benedict XVI sacrificed himself since he could not improve the situation.<ref>[http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57572424/vatican-dysfunction-looms-ahead-of-papal-conclave/ Vatican dysfunction looms ahead of papal conclave]</ref> Others claim Ratzinger never wanted to be Pope, and so it may not have been a big sacrifice.  

In 2007, a senior Vatican official was secretly filmed making [[gay]] advances to another man and, in 2010, a chorister allegedly tried to procure gay [[prostitute]]s for someone within the Vatican. Rumours have circulated about Vatican priests frequenting gay-affiliated places in Rome and being blackmailed. Links to [[Organized crime|organised crime]] have also been alleged, notably through the Vatican Bank. All of this was reported in the [[Italy|Italian]] newspaper, ''La Repubblica'' and reprinted extensively elsewhere. According to ''La Repubblica'', some members of the Curia may be open to blackmail because they belong to a "gay network" and organise "sexual meetings" in Rome and the Vatican.<ref>[http://www.smh.com.au/world/vatican-scandal-cited-in-pope-resignation-20130222-2ev0d.html Vatican scandal cited in Pope resignation]</ref> These allegations have not been conclusively proven, but the Vatican refuses to deny them.<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/21/pope-retired-amid-gay-bishop-blackmail-inquiry Papal resignation linked to inquiry into 'Vatican gay officials', says paper]</ref> 

These scandals are nothing new and there have been many periods where the church has been challenged over corruption, such as the [[Protestant Reformation|Protestant Revolt]], or attempts to change the Catholic Church instead of splitting from it, such as the Counter-Reformation. Although the Catholic Church's history is tainted with these deeds, it has not yet ceased its existence.

===Abuse===
That the church does not offer its moralizing with entirely clean hands should be obvious. Among the morally repugnant activities of its clergy have been the psychological, physical, and sexual abuse of persons in its custody. The [[Magdalene laundries]] scandal is well known in [[Ireland]]. In Spain, there is a growing scandal about newborn babies taken from their mothers and sold for adoption while authorities pretended the babies had died.<ref>Giles Tremlett. "[http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/27/spain-baby-trafficking-claims Spain seeks truth on baby-trafficking claims]."  ''The Guardian''. 2011 January 27.</ref>

===Child sex abuse===
{{main|Child sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church}}
[[Child sexual abuse|Pedophilia]] and [[NAMBLA|pederasty]] are not the sole preserve of the Irish Roman Catholic Church, with allegations emerging in virtually every country with a sizable Roman Catholic population, including the [[United States]], the [[United Kingdom]], [[Canada]], and [[Germany]]. For decades, the church tried to cover up abuse. Basically, abuse victims were told to keep quiet about harm done to them, while abusers were in most cases moved on to other parishes (where, far too often, other victims were abused). The whole criminal policy was written in [[Latin]], which obfuscates its meaning from most people, but our article, ''[[Crimen sollicitationis]]'', explains things in plain [[English]].

==Science==
[[File:Galileo before the Holy Office.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Galileo before the Roman Inquisition.]]
The Roman Catholic Church accepts the [[Big Bang]] model of the origin of the [[universe]]<ref>http://www.lightandmatter.com/evolution/</ref> (indeed, the originator of the theory was {{wpl|Georges Lemaître|a Catholic priest who was also a trained physicist|,}} and many secular physicists at the time ''rejected'' the idea of a Big Bang on the basis that the idea of a "beginning of time" with a defined creation event was ''too religious''<ref>https://www.astronomy.com/science/the-steady-state-when-astronomers-tried-to-overthrow-the-big-bang/</ref>) and accepts a fair amount of [[science]]. The Church believes in [[Non-Overlapping Magisteria]], but where science conflicts with the Roman Catholic [[faith]] position, it gets confusing; see [[Adam and Eve]] and [[original sin]] below. 

Church hospitals keep up on the latest life support system technologies, and volunteer their services to people who signed [[Terry Schaivo case|Do Not Resuscitate Orders]], at affordable unmercenary prices. It's a miracle God helped them invent: Total parenteral nutrition, Mechanical ventilation, Heart/Lung bypass, Urinary catheterization, Dialysis, Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, Defibrillation, and Artificial pacemakers all on their own without help from atheists or Protestants, or else it might look like they lack the healing proficiency of Jesus and rely on science instead like the rest of us muggles.

===Evolution===
Since 1950, when Pope Pius XII issued the {{wpl|Encyclical}} ''Humani Generis'', the official position of the Roman Catholic Church has been to accept that the [[theory of evolution]] is consistent with Roman Catholic [[faith]].<ref>[http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/pius_xii/encyclicals/documents/hf_p-xii_enc_12081950_humani-generis_en.html ''Humani Generis'']</ref> [[John Paul II]] went further, saying that [[scientific method|scientific evidence]] points to evolution being real.<ref>[http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/vaticanview.html The Vatican's View of Evolution: The Story of Two Popes]</ref> The Roman Catholic Church accepts some type of [[theistic evolution]], and teaches [[evolution]] in its schools, though Roman Catholics are not required to believe it.<ref>[http://atheism.about.com/od/popejohnpaulii/a/evolution.htm Pope John Paul II, Darwin, and Evolution]</ref>

Roman Catholics are, however, required to believe in [[Adam]] and [[Eve]] who were the universal parents of all mankind, and Roman Catholics must believe in original sin.<ref>[http://blog.adw.org/2010/10/polygenism/ The Problem of Polygenism in Accepting the Theory of Evolution]</ref> [[PZ Myers]] considers this unscientific and unreasonable. Myers claims that introducing God into evolution violates [[parsimony]]. Further, universal descent from Adam and Eve would lead to a recent genetic bottleneck (i.e., massive [[incest]]), which would be observable in the genome and has not been found. However, some Catholics believe in a nonliteral reading of Genesis, using the sheepskins God clothes Adam and Eve in as an allegory for Jesus, turning Genesis into a story about salvation instead of creation. However, this is categorically a retranslation, and the concepts of god as a creator versus god as a savior are conflated and not considered mutually exclusive by the church.<ref>[http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/10/24/sunday-sacrilege-cant-cant/ Sunday Sacrilege: Cant can’t]</ref> However, some Roman Catholics have been rejecting the "Adam and Eve" myth; unfortunately, as they don't really understand what "Monogenism" and "Polygenism" is, their statements can be confusing.<ref>http://catholicforum.fisheaters.com/index.php?topic=2415395.0%3Bwap2</ref><ref>http://vox-nova.com/2011/02/11/moving-forward-with-polygenism/</ref><ref>http://consciouslifenews.com/catholic-cardinal-adam-eve-didnt-exist/1127457/</ref>

26% of ordinary Catholics are [[Young earth creationism|Young earth creationists]], 33% accept [[theistic evolution]], and another 33% accept natural [[evolution]].<ref>[https://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2016/09/20/after-driving-away-16000-demons-vaticans-chief-exorcist-goes-to-heaven/ After driving away 160,000 demons, Vatican’s chief exorcist goes to Heaven]</ref>

==Relationship with other Christians==
[[File:Pope Franciscus & Patriarch Bartholomew I in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem (1).JPG|thumb|right|300px|Pope Francis and Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople.]]
While most people in the West accept the idea that the Catholic Church is the oldest branch of [[Christianity]] (whether or not due to some geopolitical quirk of the Rome-centred [[Roman Empire]] or of post-Empire Western [[Europe]]), other Eastern followers of Christ consider their ecclesiastical institutions as old as the Roman Catholic Church, which they claim has fallen into [[heresy]] (an opinion reciprocated by the Catholics). Recently, the Catholic Church has made efforts to reconcile with some of these smaller churches, with some success. Despite the RCC's status as the largest branch of Christianity, however, some [[fundamentalist]] [[Protestant]]s [[No True Scotsman|refuse to recognize it as Christian at all]]. The RCC recognizes that the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]]es have valid orders,<ref>{{wpa|holy orders}}</ref> but it regards the orders of the [[Church of England|Anglican Communion]] as utterly null and absolutely void.

The Catholic Church considers all persons baptized with the {{wpl|Trinitarian formula}} to be members; if they are above the "age of reason", they must profess the Catholic faith to be members of the Church. But the Catholic Church also states that Protestants and Eastern Orthodox may be in imperfect communion with the Catholic Church if their "heresy" and "schism" are material, i.e., if they are "invincibly ignorant" of the truth of Catholicism. Unlike Protestants and Eastern Orthodox, the Eastern-Rite Catholics, such as the Byzantine or Syro-Malabar Catholics, are members of the Church just as Roman-Rite Catholics are. The Eastern Orthodox are considered to be very close indeed, but the Eastern Orthodox churches are still considered to be "in schism", and thus to Catholics, they do not belong to the Church. [[Lutheranism|Lutherans]], [[Methodism|Methodists]], and other Protestants are acknowledged to be Christians, but they are considered "separated brethren" and at least materially heretical. [[Mormonism|Mormons]], [[Jehovah's Witnesses]], and [[Oneness Pentecostalism|Oneness Pentecostals]] are considered to be members of non-Christian [[sect]]s due to what the Catholic Church holds to be their view of the [[Holy Trinity]].

Catholicism is not a monolithic entity in and of itself; there are several branches, particularly in the [[Middle East]] and North Africa, that are fundamentally part of the Catholic Church but not of the Latin Church to which most Catholics belong. In some places, splinter groups both [[liberal]] and [[traditionalist Catholicism|traditionalist]] appear, which are not a part of the Catholic Church, having parted company over doctrinal differences such as [[gay rights]], [[female]] priesthood, and the controversial Vatican II reforms of the 1960s. In addition, small groups such as [[Opus Dei]] and the [[Society of St. Pius X]] operate on the fringes of the Roman church (the latter is generally not on good terms with [[Rome]], while the former, though a social fringe and according to some a [[cult]], operates with the direct blessing of the [[Vatican]]).

Unlike Protestants, Catholics do not consider the [[Bible]] to be {{wpl|sola scriptura|the sole source of religious truth|.}} To Catholics (as to the Eastern Orthodox), the Bible is just one part of "Sacred Tradition" and cannot be interpreted outside of the Church's teaching. To the Catholic view, believing in the Bible without believing in the Church that wrote it is a confusion, analogous to thinking that the book ''[[The Origin of Species]]'' is good science but that [[Charles Darwin]] was a moron. The Catholic Church also teaches that human reason is a gift of God and can lead to a natural belief in God and morals without religion, albeit in man's "fallen state", it is necessary that the Church interpret the natural law when it becomes occluded by false reasoning. As a result, rationalist arguments based on [[Biblical contradictions]] are less challenging to Catholics than to Protestants — Catholics don't ''expect'' the Bible to make sense to an individual intellectually examining it outside the Church. The Roman Catholic hierarchy for [[England]], [[Scotland]], and [[Wales]] has formally accepted that parts of the Bible are not literally true; this applies to the first few chapters of [[Guide to Genesis|Genesis]], parts of [[Book of Revelation|Revelation]], and to the idea that [[Evil Jew#Christ-killers|all Jews collectively are responsible for the death of Jesus]].<ref>http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article574768.ece</ref>

===Eastern Rite===
While most people associate the Catholic Church with the Roman Catholic Church (RCC), the Catholic Church is actually made up of the RCC and 23 other {{wpl|Eastern Catholic Churches}} (ECC), which should not be confused with the [[Eastern Orthodox]] or the Oriental Orthodox Churches. ECCs are churches that practice Eastern liturgical traditions, but are in full communion with the RCC and recognize the Pope as leader of the wider Catholic Church, which they consider themselves to be part of. Most of their leaders use the titles of "archbishop" or "patriarch". A handful are cardinals within the RCC, meaning that as long as they're younger than 80, they get to elect popes. There are 23 Eastern Catholic churches:
{{collist|2|
*{{wpl|Albanian Greek Catholic Church}}
*{{wpl|Armenian Catholic Church}}
*{{wpl|Belarusian Greek Catholic Church}}
*{{wpl|Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church}}
*{{wpl|Coptic Catholic Church}}
*{{wpl|Eritrean Catholic Church}}
*{{wpl|Ethiopian Catholic Church}}
*{{wpl|Greek Byzantine Catholic Church}}
*{{wpl|Greek Catholic Church of Croatia and Serbia}}
*{{wpl|Hungarian Greek Catholic Church}}
*{{wpl|Italo-Albanian Greek Catholic Church}}
*{{wpl|Macedonian Greek Catholic Church}}
*{{wpl|Melkite Greek Catholic Church}}
*{{wpl|Romanian Greek Catholic Church}}
*{{wpl|Russian Greek Catholic Church}}
*{{wpl|Ruthenian Byzantine Catholic Church}}
*{{wpl|Slovak Byzantine Catholic Church}}
*{{wpl|Syriac Catholic Church}}
*{{wpl|Syriac Maronite Church}}
*{{wpl|Syro-Malabar Catholic Church}}
*{{wpl|Syro-Malankara Catholic Church}}
*{{wpl|Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church}}
}}
The only church to have always been in full communion with the RCC are the Maronites. All the others reconciled with the RCC during and after the 16th century.

==="But Catholics aren't Christians"===
To claim that Catholics aren't Christian is to imply the following:
* 1.2 billion (or 55%) of the 2.2 billion self-professed Christians ''aren't'' actually Christians.
* Christianity has merely 1 billion followers, compared to [[Islam]] at 1.6 billion, [[Hinduism]] at 1 billion, and "unaffiliated" at 1.1 billion.
* Europe is {{wpl|Religion in Europe|not Christian}} but instead secular — with 23% being agnostic or atheist, and merely 12% being Protestants.

===Conspiracy theories===
The Catholic church has been the subject of many [[conspiracy theories]] from wingnuts, especially those in the circle of [[Jack Chick]] and [[Alberto Rivera]].<ref>[https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2015/catholics-and-conspiracies Catholics and Conspiracies]. Southern Poverty Law Center.</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Chick |first=Jack |date=1984-2018 |title=Jesuits |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180827014729/http://www.chick.com/catalog/comics/0120.asp |website=Chick Publications; the Internet Archive |location=<!--Not stated--> |publisher=Chick Pubications |access-date=May 23, 2025}}</ref> Generally, this manifests as accusing the Vatican as being secretly [[satanic]], [[Masonic]], or [[Antisemitism|even worse, Jewish]]!

These theories are not to be confused with legitimate criticism of the Catholic Church, as they represent a particularly extreme form of [[anti-Catholic]] sentiment.

==See also==
*[[Relic]]
*[[Douay-Rheims]]
*[[Independent Catholic churches]]
*[[Old Catholic Church]]
*[[Palmarian Catholic Church]]
*[[Theophagy]]
*[[Thirty Years War]]

==External links==
*[http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/_INDEX.HTM Catechism of the Catholic Church], describing the fundamental doctrine of Catholicism.
*[http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_INDEX.HTM The 1983 Code of Canon Law], the rules and laws that govern the Catholic Church.
**Also available in [http://www.vatican.va/latin/latin_codex.html Latin], for those who like such things.
*[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TxjrHPHypA Perfect description of the catholic church]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist|2|90%}}

[[Category:Anti-LGBT bigots]]
[[Category:Catholicism| ]]
[[Category:Christian denominations]]
[[Category:Conspiracy theorist scapegoats]]
[[Category:Crimes against humanity]]
[[Category:Organizations]]
[[Category:Homophobes]]
[[Category:Transphobes]]
[[Category:Paedophilia]]
[[Category:Purity culture]]
[[Category:Rape culture]]
[[Category:Sexists]]

Categories: Anti-LGBT bigots, Catholicism, Christian denominations, Conspiracy theorist scapegoats, Crimes against humanity, Organizations, Homophobes, Transphobes, Paedophilia, Purity culture, Rape culture, Sexists