At the present time, there are more than 1000 denominations around the world yet they all differ in very many parameters. Churches continue sprouting day in day out but the Catholic Church which has been in existence for a very long time remains to be strong and command a large following. It is therefore worth studying it what makes it such a more loved church around the globe.
With the many Christian denominations in the world, the Catholic Church which is around 2000 years old stands out to be one that commands the largest following and membership around the world and thus unmistakably becoming the largest denomination in the world. This may be partly as a result of its structure, doctrine, ethos, and origin.
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With a membership of more than 1.3 billion, the Church seems to remain firm and loved by many. Although the exact time it was formed remains unknown, is believed to have traced its origin from Jesus Christ, an itinerant preacher in the streets of Jerusalem and his teachings. It is believed to be a continuation of the church that Christ instituted on earth. As a result of doctrinal issues, it is also believed that the Catholic Church broke from other Orthodox Christians in 1054.
The apostle Peter, according to the gospel of Matthew is the 'rock on which the whole church will be built' and according to the Catholic Church, this was Jesus' commissioning of Peter into the office of bishop (first pope) of the Catholic Church in Rome. However, some scholars hold a different opinion to this idea since they think that Jesus's declaration did not mean to crown Peter the head of the church in any way. The day of Pentecost is also believed to be the day public ministry of God’s word was officially flagged off.
In terms of leadership, the Catholic Church has a hierarchy consisting of the bishops, priests, and deacons both who serve to diversify the different gifts God has endowed the church with. The authority chiefly rests with the bishops who are at the apex of decision making while priests serve as their assistants, coworkers, and helpers. The church has a larger division called the diocese which is headed by the Bishop. Each diocese is further divided into smaller divisions called parishes which are manned by one or more priests. At the parish, deacons or other lay ecclesiastical ministers may minister. All clergymen are entrusted with the responsibility of preaching, baptizing, conducting funeral liturgies and marriage ceremonies. However, only bishops and priests can conduct the sacraments of the Eucharist, ordination services, and administer the Holy Communion. Only the bishop can administer the sacrament of holy orders with which men are ordained as priests.
From the church structure, it seems there are positions which have been prohibited from women. Only males can be Pope, bishops or priests. Thus, men hold the most influential positions of leadership as opposed to women who can only serve as patriarchs or nuns. This view seems to have been borrowed from the teachings of Apostle Paul and Peter who did not mention or specify whether women can be ordained into ministerial offices. However, with the introduction of the convent, women are trained to be nuns who help in the running of schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and monastic settlements.
The bishop is considered as the successors to the apostles. They head the diocese and teach doctrine and other ordinances in the church. The pope, who is the bishop of Rome is the Vicar of Christ and the successor of the prince of the apostles, Saint Peter and Paul. He is considered the leader of the Catholic Church in the world. Patriarchs are heads of certain churches in within the diocese. They have authority over the bishops of that diocese as well as overall the faithful. The pope is the patriarch of the Latin Church.
Further still are the Cardinals, primates, metropolitan bishops, archbishops, diocesan bishops and metropolitan archbishops serve in different capacities in the church. The archbishops
The authority of the Catholic Church has been a source of controversy over the past with most Protestant churches playing down the Catholic Church's beliefs on its authority. While the church solely believes that Jesus is the ultimate authority of the church, the magisterium of the Catholic Church is the church's authority or the office that determines the authority of the word of God whether in its written form or tradition. Scriptural interpretation is a task entirely vested on the pope and the Bishops. They determine the meaning of the word of God from sacred tradition and sacred scriptures which are all viewed with careful consideration of the revelation of a single deposit of faith.
The Catholic Church just like any other church has its aim clear so that not at any point does it lose track and begin doing things which it is not supposed to. One of the goals that it has served to exist is to care for the less privileged and the less fortunate. Getting its foundations from the teachings of Jesus Christ, the Catholic church believes that one of the main functions of the church is to take care of the needs of people around us; showing love. Better still, the main reason any church exists is for its eternal value; to preach the word of God that brings salvation to all men. This second point according to the church should be given priority over the former since it is a commission Jesus Himself gave to the church during His ascension to heaven.
Given its rich history and good mission, the Catholic Church boasts a great following as being one of the largest churches in the world. It has members in almost every country in the world. In most countries, the Catholic Church has forms the majority of Christians. This makes it a very large church. Having been there since the days of the apostles, it is very difficult to specify the exact year it was started or its exact age. However,
The Catholic Church has seen dark ages within its life. The question of doctrine has been the toughest to fight against followed by the protestant reformation of the 16th century led by the likes of Martin Luther. This was the greatest dark age the Catholic church has ever found itself in. After Martin Luther posted his 95 theses to spark a public debate challenging some of the core doctrines of the church, there was massive division which led to a great split resulting to formation of other denominations as well as the persecutions and wars. During this period, most of its members split up to form all the other denominations. Martin Luther was then excommunicated from the church and his followers later on formed the now reformed churches in Germany, England and Switzerland. But in all these cases, persecutions continued.
While the church is boasting of a good number of its congregants all over the world, the Catholic Church stands out in its teachings, practices and doctrine thus making it loved and appreciated by many. Even in the midst of the many challenges it has faced, the Church has remained strong and countered all the negativity around it.
