Why was the Roman Catholic Church started?

Answer 1

The Roman Catholic Church is the current name of the church Christ founded. The word Catholic ("universal") was first recorded by St. Ignatius of Antioch in 110 A.D.: "Let no one do anything of concern to the Church without the bishop. Let that be considered a valid Eucharist which is celebrated by the bishop or by one whom he ordains [i.e., a presbyter]. Wherever the bishop appears, let the people be there; just as wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church" (Letter to the Smyrneans 8:2 [A.D. 110]). Before this time it was simply "The Church". All other existing churches were separate creations that were started apart from the Roman Catholic Church, and each one has it's own distinct human leader. The Roman Catholic Church's apostolic succession dates back to Peter with 265 successors down to Benedict XVI. It is Roman because it was began it's centered in Rome when Peter and Paul traveled there and were later Martyred there. It was also started during the Roman Empire. == Answer == Because it was God's will that his word be spread and that it should grow to reach many. I believe Jesus once described the Kingdom of Heaven as that of a Mustard Seed which is a small seed but grows to a plant of a large size with many branches.

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Roman Catholic AnswerThe Catholic faith emanated from God from the beginning of time, and was established on earth definitively from the side of Jesus Christ on the cross outside of Jerusalem when He side was pierced by a spear, around 33 A.D.. Then it was shown to the world at Pentecost with the coming of the Holy Spirit, fifty-three days later. It was Our Blessed Lord's way of preaching to all people throughout the world throughout time, and it has spread from the first century, before that century was over, into most of the known world, at that time, and has been continued for twenty centuries.

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from

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, English translation 1994

766

The Church is born primarily of Christ's total self-giving for our salvation, anticipated in the institution of the Eucharist and fulfilled on the cross. "The origin and growth of the church are symbolized by the blood and water which flowed from the open side of Christ as he slept the sleep of death upon the cross that there came forth the 'wondrous sacrament of the whole Church.'" Sacrosanctum concilium 5) As Eve was formed from the sleeping Adam's side, so the church was born from the pierced heart of Christ hanging dead on the cross. (Cf. St. Ambrose, In Luc. 2, 85-89: J.P. Migne, ed., Patrologia Latina {Paris: 1841-1855} 15, 1666-1668)

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"When the work which the Father gave the Son to do on earth was accomplished, the Holy Spirit was sent on the day of Pentecost in order that he might continually sanctify the Church." (Lumen gentium 4; cf. Jn 17:4) The "the Church was openly displayed to the crowds and the spread of the gospel among the nations, through preaching, was begun." (Ad gentes 4) As the "convocation" of all men for salvation, the Church in her very nature is missionary, sent by Christ to all the nations to make disciples of them. (Cf. Mt 28:19-20; Ad gentes 2; 5-6)