What is Catholicism?

Answer 1

. Catholic Answer Catholicism is Christianity as established by Our Blessed Lord on the Cross at Calvary, and then, after His resurrection, He commissioned His Apostles to go out preaching and baptizing to convert all nations. Catholicism is the Mystical Body of Christ which has been guaranteed by Our Blessed Lord who sent the Holy Spirit to guide it into all truth and to preserve it until the end of the world. It is the only form of Christianity that Our Blessed Lord specifically created and guaranteed would be One. It is not a denomination, a branch, or the mother church of other Christian Churches. It is the one and only Bride of Our Blessed Lord, Jesus Christ, and His Mystical Body. It is the Church founded on the Apostle Peter, and ruled to this day by Christ's Vicar on earth, the Holy Father in Rome.

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Catholicism is a denomination of Christianity. It is the oldest Church, being founded in the year 33 AD by Jesus Christ, with its first leader - who would later be called pope - being St. Peter. Catholicism includes 22 sui juris or particular churches, the most notable the Latin Rite (or more commonly Roman Rite, often called the Roman Catholic Church).

The entire Catholic Church is under the authority of the Bishop of Rome or the Pope. The hierarchy of the Church consists of ordained Deacons, Priests, Bishops and Patriarchs, and the Pope.

Catholicism is a form of Christianity which believes in the Doctrine of the Trinity, or Blessed Trinity. Catholicism has seven sacraments (though the same sacraments the names differ from each rite due to language differences); they are: Baptism, the Holy Eucharist (also known as the Lord's Supper, Last Supper, or Holy Communion - Catholics also believe in the real presence), Reconciliation (otherwise known as Confession), Confirmation, Marriage (no gay/lesbian marriage), Holy Orders (being ordained - not for lay Catholics), and Anointing of the Sick (also known as Last Rites or Extreme Unction).

Catholics, to the contrary of public opinion, do not worship the Virgin Mary or any of the Saints.

The Church's law is the Code of Canon Law (for the Latin Rite).

The Church's headquarters is the Vatican in Vatican City (a sovereign country of which the Pope is sovereign leader). The Country of Vatican City is inside of the Italian City of Rome.

For any more information on Catholicism you can get more info from catholic.com

. Answer">Answer

To answer the question, Catholicism is the practice of being Catholic (universal). Researching history will show you that Jesus started the Catholic Church. Many historians and theologians, Catholic, protestant and others all agree on this point. The term Catholic appears in many of the early church fathers writings such as St Polycarp, disciple of the Apostle John the Baptist. The term Catholic is from the Hebrew word Katholica meaning "Universal". If you ever attend a Catholic mass, you will see that the entire mass service is straight out of the bible. Everything that is done is copied from both the new and old testaments. So, if one is able to deduct that the Catholic church was started by Jesus, then it must still be the same today as it was then for Jesus said "Thou art Peter and upon this Rock I will build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." If the church that Jesus started is not the same today as it was then, that would mean that either Jesus lied or the gates of hell have prevailed against it and we are all doomed anyway. Again, the study of historical documents show that the Catholic church was well established approximately 300 years before the New Testament was put together (by the Catholic church). The Catholic church was established and unquestioned for 1500 years until Martin Luther caused a break in the church. Martin Luther himself said that the worst thing imaginable would be to break from Mother Church. However, many mistook his questions of what was going on in the Church as their que to do what ever they wanted. This caused John Calvin in 1534 make another break. The two major breaks in the church are known as the "Protestant Reform". From this point on in history, we see many, many splits in Christianity. Today, Christianity is still the largest religion, followed closely by Islam. Christianity as a whole is composed of approximately 54% Catholics, 30% protestants, and 13% Orthodox, with the remainder being composed of minority sects, such as Nestorianism.

However, I ask that you don't take my word or anyone else's word for anything you see on these boards. I ask that you go and study the early church fathers. Study the history of Christianity. Take faith out of it. Try to take out your preconceived understandings of what you were always taught. Look at the facts that have been recorded all through time. Then make your own decisions about what God wants for you. You will see that men are just that. They make mistakes. God chose numerous holy men throughout time to lead his people. He made covenants with each of them. They were all great, as we read in the Old Testament. However, they all failed in the end and it was God who chose to become man in order to make the final covenant with himself to show us all what it is that He wanted us to do.

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Catholicism is defined by the Nicene Creed... We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty,maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen.We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God,eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light,true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven: by the power of the Holy Spirit he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered, died, and was buried. On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated on the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen

... The Catholic church is universal. Jesus came to teach the good news to all. They could choose to accept it or not.