THE GROWTH OF CHRISTENDOM UNIT 2

CHAPTER 5 THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH CONSISTS OF EASTERN RITE CATHOLICS AND WESTERN RITE CATHOLICS WE BELONG TO THE WESTERN RITE CATHOLICS WHICH IS CALLED THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH THERE ARE 22 DIFFFERNT CHURCH TRADITIONS THAT MAKE UP THE UNIVERSAL CATHOLIC CHURCH

HISTORICAL CONFLICTS LED TO THE DIVISION BETWEEN CATHOLICS WITH DIFFERENT CULTURES. THE EXISTENCE OF DIFFERENT TRADITIONS LED TO THE DIVISIONS IN OUR CHURCH. MORE EMPHASIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN PLACED ON WHAT WE HAVE IN COMMON!

SIMILARITIES BETWEEN THE CHURCHES ALL 22 CATHOLIC CHURCHES PROFESS THE NICENE CREED ALL 22 CATHOLIC CHURCHES CELEBRATE THE 7 SACRAMENTS ALL 22 CATHOLIC CHURCHES RECOGNIZE THE BISHOP OF ROME (THE POPE) AS THE HEAD OF THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH! REPRESENTATIVES OF THESE CHURCHES MEET PERIODICALLY TO DISCUSS ISSUES AND WORK TOWARD UNITY!

THE NICENE CREED THIS SUMMARY OF CATHOLIC BELIEFS IS MORE DETAILED THAN THE APOSTLES’ CREED, WHICH REFLECTS THE TEACHINGS OF THE 12 APOSTLES. THE NICENE CREED WAS BEGUN AT THE COUNCIL OF NICAEA IN A.D. 325 AND COMPLETED AT THE COUNCIL OF CHALECEDONE IN 451.

NICENE CREED FOCUSES ON THE BELIEF THAT JESUS IS DIVINE AND EQUAL IN ALL THINGS TO GOD, THE FATHER. “one in being with the Father” RECOGNIZES MARY AS THE MOTHER OF GOD, NOT SIMPLY THE MOTHER OF THE HUMAN JESUS.

THE COUNCIL OF NICAEA CHURCH LEADERS HAD MANY DETAILS TO WORK OUT REGARDING UNITY AND HOW TO REMAIN FAITHFUL TO THE TEACHINGS OF CHRIST AS THE CHURCH’S MEMBERSHIP GREW. THERE WERE MANY HEATED ARGUMENTS AND A MAN NAMED ARIUS DISPUTED THE BELIEF IN CHRIST’S DIVINTY. THIS WAS THE MAIN BELIEF THAT WAS DEBATED AT THE COUNCIL ARIUS WOULD NOT SIGN CREED AND ARIANISM CONTINUED TO TROUBLE THE CHURCH. THE DECON ATHANASIUS BECAME BISHOP OF ALEXANDRIA AND FOUGHT AGAINST ARIANISM ALL HIS LIFE.SOME EMPERORS & BISHOPS SUPPORTED ARIUS, SO ATHANASIUS OFTEN HAD TO LIVE IN EXILE OR IN HIDING. THE NICENE CREED CONTAINS THE BELIEFS WE AFFIRM AT SUNDAY MASS. IT STRESSES OUR UNITY AS A FAITH COMMUNITY.

OTHER HERESIES HERESIES DENIED THE GOODNESS OF HUMANITY & CREATION. ST. AUGUSTINE ARGUED THAT ALL GOD CREATED WAS GOOD AND HE TAUGHT THE JESUS’ BIRTH INTO THE WORLD BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IS PROOF THAT THE CREATED WORLD IS GOOD. HE SAID THAT “EVIL ENTERS THE WORLD WHEN PEOPLE FREELY TURN AWAY FROM GOD”

ANOTHER HERESY IN THE 5 TH CENTURY AT CHALCEDON A HERESY THAT CLAIMED JESUS WAS DIVINE BUT NOT HUMAN, AROSE AT THE COUNCIL OF CHALCEDON. THIS WAS VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE JESUS NEEDED TO SHARE OUR HUMAN CONDITION IN ORDER TO TRANSFORM US THROUGH HIS DEATH & RESURRECTION. POPE LEO THE GREAT SENT A LETTER TO THE COUNCIL ADOPTING THE TEACHING THAT JESUS IS ONE PERSON WHO HAS TWO NATURES, HUMAN AND DIVINE.

BASIC CATHOLIC BELIEFS: WE BELIEVE IN THE HOLY TRINITY:GOD IS FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT. WE BELIEVE JESUS CHRIST IS BOTH HUMAN AND DIVINE WE BELIEVE JESUS CHRIST IS BOTH HUMAN AND DIVINE. WE BELIEVE THAT THE EUCHARIST IS CHRIST’S BODY AND BLOOD.

BASIC CATHOLIC BELIEFS: WE BELIEVE THAT GOD CREATED EVERYTHING WE BELIEVE IN EVERLASTING LIFE. WE BELIEVE THAT JESUS CHRIST ROSE FROM THE DEAD.

ST. PAUL ADVICES THESSALONIANS THESSALONIANS BELIEVED THAT “THE DAY OF THE LORD “ OR THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST, WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN. ST. PAUL SAID;”DO NOT BE DECEIVED. STAND FIRM AND HOLD FAST TO YOUR FAITH.

ST.AUGUSTINE BEFORE HIS CONVERSION, HIS LIFESTYLE INCLUDED ACTS OF MORAL WEAKNESS. HIS MOTHER, SAINT MONICA PRAYED FOR HIS COVERSION TO CHRISTIANITY. HE BECAME KNOWN AS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THEOLOGIANS IN THE HISTORY OF OUR CHURCH. “IF YOU UNDERSTOOD HIM, IT WOULD NOT BE GOD” AND “YOU HAVE MADE US FOR YOURSELF; OUR HEART IS RESTLESS UNTIL IT RESTS IN YOU”

SAINT AGUSTINE & SAINT MONICA

SAINT HELENA

MOTHER OF CONSTANTINE BECAME A CHRISTIAN AT 63 YEARS OLD BORN INTO A POOR FAMILY, MARRIED CONSTANTIUS WHO LATER DIVORCED HER, AND WAS A WONDERFUL MOTHER TO HER SON SHE DRESSSED SIMPLY AND REMAINED HUMBLE. SHE FOLLOWED CHRIST’S MESSAGE BY HELPING THE POOR AND THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. SHE WENT ON A PILGRIMAGE TO PALESTINE AND PROMISED TO BUILD CHURCHES TO SHOW HER DEVOTION TO GOD. SHE TAUGHT US TO TRUST IN GOD AND REMAIN FAITHFUL TO OUR CALLING.