Who are the Catholics. How Catholics are baptized. Catholic fasting

This article will focus on what is Catholicism and who are Catholics. This direction is considered one of the branches of Christianity, formed due to the great schism in this religion, which occurred in 1054.

Who are the Catholics? Catholicism in many ways is similar to Orthodoxy, but there are differences. From other currents in Christianity the Catholic religion differs with features of a dogma, cult ceremonies. Catholicism supplemented the "Symbol of Faith" with new dogmas.

Spread

Catholicism is widespread in Western European countries (France, Spain, Belgium, Portugal, Italy) and Eastern European countries (Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, partly Latvia and Lithuania), and in the states of South America, where the overwhelming majority of the population professes it. There are also Catholics in Asia and Africa, but the influence of the Catholic religion is not significant here. The Catholics in Russia are a minority in comparison with the Orthodox. They number about 700 thousand. The Catholics of Ukraine are more numerous. They number about 5 million people.

Name

The word "Catholicism" is of Greek origin and in translation means universality or universality. In modern terms, this term refers to the Western branch of Christianity, which adheres to apostolic traditions. Apparently, the church was understood as something universal and universal. Ignatius of Antioch spoke about this in 115. The term "Catholicism" was officially introduced at the first Council of Constantinople (381). The Christian church was recognized as one, holy, catholic and apostolic.

The Origin of Catholicism

The term "church" began to meet in written sources (the letters of Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp of Smyrna) from the second century. This word was synonymous with the municipality. At the turn of the second and third centuries, Irenaeus applied the word "church" to Christianity in general. For individual (regional, local) Christian communities, it was used with the appropriate adjective (for example, the Alexandrian Church).

In the second century, Christian society was divided into laity and clergy. In turn, the latter were divided into bishops, priests and deacons. It remains unclear how the management was carried out in the communities - collectively or individually. Some experts believe that at first the government was democratic, but eventually it became monarchical. The clergy was ruled by the Spiritual Council headed by the bishop. This theory is confirmed by the letters of Ignatius of Antioch, in which he mentions bishops as leaders of Christian municipalities in Syria and Asia Minor. Over time, the Spiritual Council has become merely an advisory body. And the real power in a single province was possessed only by a bishop.

In the second century, the desire to preserve apostolic traditions contributed to the emergence of church hierarchy and structure. The church was to guard the faith, dogmas and canons of Holy Scripture. All this, as well as the influence of the syncretism of the Hellenistic religion, led to the formation of Catholicism in its ancient form.

The final formation of Catholicism

After the division of Christianity in 1054 into the western and eastern branches, they began to be called Catholic and Orthodox. After the Reformation of the sixteenth century, the word "Roman" was increasingly added to the term "Catholic" in everyday life. From the point of view of religious studies, the concept of "Catholicism" encompasses many Christian communities that follow the same doctrine as the Catholic Church and obey the authority of the Pope. There are also Uniate and Eastern Catholic churches. As a rule, they emerged from the authority of the Patriarch of Constantinople and passed under the authority of the Pope, but they preserved their dogmas and rites. Examples are the Greek Catholics, the Byzantine Catholic Church and others.

Basic tenets and postulates

To understand who these Catholics are, you need to pay attention to the basic postulates of their dogma. The main dogma of Catholicism, which distinguishes it from other Christian trends, is the thesis that the Pope is infallible. However, there are many cases where the popes, in the struggle for power and influence, entered into dishonest alliances with the great feudal lords and kings, were obsessed with profit and constantly multiplied their wealth, and also interfered in politics.

The next postulate of Catholicism is the dogma of purgatory, approved in 1439 at the Florence Cathedral. This teaching is based on the fact that the human soul after death is sent to purgatory, which is an intermediate level between hell and paradise. There she can, through various tests, purify herself from her sins. Relatives and friends of the deceased can help his soul cope with the trials through prayers and donations. From this it follows that the fate of a person in the afterlife depends not only on the righteousness of his life, but also on the financial well-being of his loved ones.

An important postulate of Catholicism is the thesis of the exclusive status of the clergy. According to him, without resorting to the services of the clergy, a person can not self-deserve God's mercy. The priest of Catholics has serious advantages and privileges in comparison with the ordinary flock. According to the Catholic religion, only the clergy have the right to read the Bible - this is its exclusive right. The rest of the believers are forbidden. Canonicals are only publications written in Latin.

Catholic dogmatism causes the need for a systematic confession of believers before the clergy. Everyone must have his own confessor and constantly report to him about his own thoughts and actions. Without systematic confession, the salvation of the soul is impossible. This condition allows the Catholic clergy to penetrate deeply into the personal life of their flock and control every step of the person. Constant confession allows the church to exert a serious influence on the society, and especially on women.

Catholic ordinances

The main task of the Catholic Church (the community of believers in general) is to preach Christ in the world. The sacraments are considered visible signs of the invisible grace of God. In fact, these are the actions established by Jesus Christ, which must be performed for the good and salvation of the soul. In Catholicism there are seven sacraments:

• Epiphany;
• Chrismation (confirmation);
• Eucharist, or Communion (the first Communion is accepted by Catholics at the age of 7-10 years);
• The sacrament of penance and reconciliation (confession);
• Anointing;
• The ordinance of the priesthood (ordination);
• The mystery of marriage.

According to some experts and researchers, the roots of the sacraments of Christianity date back to the pagan mysteries. However, this view is actively criticized by theologians. According to the latter, in the first centuries AD. E. Pagans were borrowed from Christianity, some rites.

What is the difference between Catholics and Orthodox Christians?

The common thing in Catholicism and Orthodoxy is that in both these branches of Christianity the church is the mediator between man and God. Both churches agree that the Bible is the main document and the doctrine of Christianity. However, between Orthodoxy and Catholicism there are many differences and disagreements.

Both directions converge on the fact that there is one God in three incarnations: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (the trinity). But the origin of the latter is treated differently (Filioque problem). The Orthodox profess "The Symbol of Faith," which proclaims the procession of the Holy Spirit only "from the Father." Catholics also add to the text "and the Son," which changes dogmatic meaning. Greek Catholics and other Eastern Catholic faiths preserved the Orthodox version of the "Symbol of Faith".

Both Catholics and Orthodox understand that there is a difference between the Creator and the creation. However, according to the Catholic canons, the world has a material character. He was created by God out of nothing. In the material world, there is nothing divine. While Orthodoxy assumes that the divine creation is the embodiment of God Himself, it comes from God, and therefore he is invisibly present in his creations. Orthodoxy believes that it is possible to touch God through contemplation, that is, to approach the divine through consciousness. Catholicism does not accept this.

Another difference between the Catholics and the Orthodox is that the former consider it possible to introduce new dogmas. There is also a doctrine of "good deeds and merits" of Catholic saints and the church. On its foundation the Pope can forgive sins to his flock and is the vicar of God on Earth. In matters of religion, it is considered infallible. This dogma was adopted in 1870.

Differences in rituals. How Catholics Are Baptized

There are differences in the rituals, the design of churches, etc. Even the prayer procedure Orthodox do not quite as Catholics pray. Although at first glance it seems that the difference is in some small things. To feel the spiritual difference, it is enough to compare two icons, Catholic and Orthodox. The first is more like a beautiful picture. In Orthodoxy, icons are more sacred. Many people are concerned with the question of how to be baptized Catholic and Orthodox? In the first case, they are baptized with two fingers, and in Orthodoxy - three. In many Eastern Catholic rituals, the thumb, index and middle fingers are folded together. How are Catholics baptized yet? A less common way is to use an open palm, the fingers of which are tightly pressed, and the large one is slightly bent to the inside. This symbolizes the openness of the soul to the Lord.

The fate of man

The Catholic Church teaches that people are burdened by original sin (with the exception of the Virgin Mary), that is, every person from birth has a grain of Satan. Therefore, people need the grace of salvation, which can be obtained by living by faith and by doing good deeds. The knowledge of the existence of God is, in spite of human sinfulness, accessible to the human mind. This means that people are responsible for their actions. Every man is loved by God, but at the end he is awaited by the Last Judgment. Particularly righteous and God-pleasing people are ranked as Saints (canonized). The church maintains their list. The process of canonization is preceded by beatification (attribution to the face of the blessed). Orthodoxy also has a cult of Saints, but most Protestant movements reject it.

Indulgences

In Catholicism, indulgence is the complete or partial liberation of a person from punishment for his sins, as well as from the corresponding redemptive action imposed on him by a priest. Initially, the basis for obtaining indulgences was the commission of some good deed (for example, a pilgrimage to holy places). Then they became a donation of a certain amount in favor of the church. In the Renaissance, there were serious and widespread abuses, which consisted in distributing indulgences for money. As a result, it provoked the beginning of protests and the reform movement. In 1567, Pope Pius V imposed a ban on the issuance of indulgences for money and material resources in general.

Celibacy in Catholicism

Another serious difference between the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church is that all the clergy of the latter give a vow of celibacy (celibacy). Catholic priests do not have the right to marry and generally have sexual intercourse. All attempts to marry after receiving the deacon's dignity are considered void. This rule was announced during the time of Pope Gregory the Great (590-604 gg.), And finally approved only in the XI century.

Eastern churches rejected the Catholic version of celibacy at the Trullo cathedral. In Catholicism, the vow of celibacy concerns all priests. Initially, the small church ranks had the right to marry. In them, married men could be dedicated. However, Pope Paul VI abolished them, replacing the posts of the reader and the acolyte, which ceased to be associated with the status of the cleric. He also introduced the institution of life-long deacons (not going to move forward in the church career and become priests). Among them may be married men.

As an exception, married men can be ordained to the holy order, who have converted to Catholicism from various branches of Protestantism, where they had the ranks of pastors, clerics, etc. However, the Catholic Church does not recognize their priesthood.

Now the commitment of celibacy to all Catholic clergymen is the subject of heated discussions. In many European countries and the United States, some Catholics believe that the obligatory celibacy should be abolished for the non-monastic clergy. However, Pope John Paul II did not support the implementation of such a reform.

Celibacy in Orthodoxy

In Orthodoxy, priests can be married if the marriage was made before ordination to a priestly or deacon ordained. However, only monks of the small schema, priests-widowers or celibate can become bishops. In the Orthodox Church, the bishop must be a monk. Only the archimandrites can be ordained to this order. Bishops can not become simply unmarried and representatives of married white clergy (non-monastic). Sometimes, as an exception, it is possible for the representatives of these categories to be ordained Bishop. However, before that they must accept a small monastic schema and obtain the rank of archimandrite.

The Inquisition

When asked who the Catholics of the medieval period are, you can get an idea by getting acquainted with the activities of such an ecclesiastical organ as the Inquisition. It was the judicial institution of the Catholic Church, which was intended to combat heresy and heretics. In the 12th century, Catholicism faced the growth of various opposition movements in Europe. One of the main was Albigensia (Cathars). The popes assigned duties to fight them against the bishops. They had to identify heretics, judge them and pass them on to the secular authorities to enforce the sentence. The highest penalty was burning at the stake. But the episcopal activity was not very effective. Therefore, Pope Gregory IX created a special church organ - the Inquisition - to investigate the crimes of heretics. Initially directed against the Cathars, she soon turned against all heretical currents, as well as witches, sorcerers, blasphemers, gentiles and so on.

The Inquisition Tribunal

Inquisitors were recruited from members of various monastic orders, primarily from the Dominicans. The Inquisition was directly subordinate to the Pope. Initially, the tribunal was headed by two judges, and from the 14th century - by one, but it consisted of legal advisers who determined the degree of "heretical". In addition, the number of employees of the court included a notary (certified testimony), witnesses, a doctor (supervised the defendant during executions), the prosecutor and the executioner. The Inquisitors were given part of the confiscated property of the heretics, so there is no reason to speak about the honesty and justice of their court, since it was profitable for them to recognize a person guilty of heresy.

Inquisition procedure

The inquisition investigation was of two types: general and individual. At the first, a large part of the population of any locality was interviewed. At the second definite person, a call was made through the cure. In those cases when the summoned was not, he was excommunicated from the church. The person gave an oath to sincerely tell everything that he knows about heretics and heresy. The course of the investigation and trial was kept in the deepest secrecy. It is known that the Inquisitors widely used torture, which were authorized by Pope Innocent IV. Sometimes their cruelty was condemned even by secular authorities.

The accused never reported the names of the witnesses. Often they were excommunicated, murderers, thieves, perjurers - people whose testimonies were not taken into account even by the secular courts of the time. The suspect was deprived of the right to have a lawyer. The only possible form of protection was an appeal to the Holy See, although it was formally forbidden by the bull 1231. People who had been once convicted by the Inquisition could at any time be brought to justice again. Even the death did not save the investigation. If the guilty person was already recognized as dead, his ashes were taken from the grave and burned.

The system of punishment

The list of punishments for heretics was established by the Bulls 1213, 1231, as well as the decisions of the Third Lateran Cathedral. If a person confessed to heresy and repented already during the trial, he was sentenced to life imprisonment. The Tribunal had the right to shorten the term. However, such sentences were rare. Prisoners were kept in very tight cells, often shackled, fed with water and bread. In the late Middle Ages, this sentence was replaced by penal servitude on galleys. Persistent heretics were sentenced to be burned at the stake. If a person was guilty before commencing the trial, he was subjected to various church punishments: excommunication, pilgrimage to holy places, donations in favor of the church, interdict, various types of penances.

Fasting in Catholicism

The fast for Catholics is to abstain from excesses, both physical and spiritual. In Catholicism, there are the following fasting periods and days:

• Lent in Catholics. It lasts 40 days before Easter.
• Advent. Four Sundays before Christmas, believers should reflect on his upcoming coming and be spiritually focused.
• All Fridays.
• Dates of some great Christian holidays.
• Quatuor anni tempora. Translated as "four seasons". These are special days of repentance and fasting. The believer should fast once a year, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
• Fasting before communion. A believer should abstain from food one hour before communion.

The requirements for fasting in Catholicism and Orthodoxy are mostly similar.