Catholicism

“”The Catholic faith, which always preserves the unfashionable virtue, is at this moment alone sustaining the independent intellect of man.

— Gilbert Keith Chesterton

Catholicism is a branch of Christianity that is the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church. He is one of the main and most numerous Christian denominations, and is widely practiced in Italy, France, Poland, Lithuania, Ireland, and Spain. Catholicism upholds apostolic succession, papal supremacy, Sacred Tradition alongside Scripture, belief in transubstantiation in the Eucharist, the veneration of saints and Mary, the doctrine of purgatory, and adherence to the authority of ecumenical councils under the leadership of the Pope. This denomination emphasizes a tradition that traces its origins back to Jesus Christ and the Apostles, believing that the Pope is the successor to Saint Peter, whom Catholics consider the first Pope.

Catholicism is one of the orthodox, just, and traditional religions of the West. In Polandball, he is represented as Vatican City. In Polcompball, he is represented as Catholic Theocracy.

History

Foundation

“”And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

— Jesus Christ, Matthew 16:18

As a branch of Christianity, Catholicism's history is tranced back to Jesus Christ and his teachings in the 1st century AD in Judaea, province of Rome. According to Catholic teaching, each of the sacraments was instituted by Christ himself. Catholicism also holds that Jesus established his disciple Peter as the first pope of the nascent church, based on Matthew 16:18.

After Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, his followers, the Apostles, spread his teachings, establishing the early Christian communities. Peter is believed to have led the early Church and helped him lay the foundations for his hierarchical structure. This early period saw the development of core doctrines and practices that would shape the Catholic Church as he grew and spread throughout the Roman Empire and beyond. Still, Christians, like their Jewish kin, were persecuted under the pagan Roman Empire for their renunciation of other gods.

Legalization, Popularization, Spread

When Constantine became emperor of the Western Roman Empire in 312, he attributed his victory to the Christian God. Many soldiers in his army were Christians, and his army was his base of power.

On the 27 February 380, the Edict of Thessalonica was issued by emperor Theodosius I, making Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire, outlawing all other religions. Theodosius was the last emperor to rule before the empire permanently split.

After the fall of the Roman Empire in 476, most of the Germanic tribes that previously practiced Arian Christianity adopted Chalcedonian Christianity in order to ally themselves with the religious figures of the regions they were invading, leading to most of the former Western Roman Empire becoming a Catholic Theocracy loyal to the Vicar of Christ in Rome.

High Middle Ages

During the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church became corrupt. Catholic leaders began abusing indulgences (spiritual penance), telling peasants that they will have to pay the church in order to get to heaven. Catholicism also added in the belief of "purgatory", a place between heaven and hell. The medieval Church bureaucracy was expensive and requires a lot of money. This attracted many people who are more interested in getting monies rather than performing their religious duties. Many popes and bishops lived luxurious lives, which contrasted greatly with the poverty of the common clergy.

But Catholicism in the Middle Ages had good things too. The faith of the Middle Agers are very strong, and even though peasants were poor, they still attended church every week. Catholicism established a firm moral standing in Europe, and had the top intellectuals at the time. Many saints preformed miracles, and the church ran hospitals and universities all throughout Europe.

Great East-West Schism

In the 11th century, the European Christian church was split into two: Roman Catholicism ( Latin branch) in the west and Eastern Orthodoxy ( Greek branch) in the east. The schism between the western and eastern Mediterranean Christians resulted from a variety of political, cultural and theological factors which transpired over centuries, and ultimately arose over a dispute on whether Constantinople or Rome held jurisdiction over the church in Sicily and led to mutual excommunications in 1054.

Councils were held in an attempt to heal the schism, such as the Second Council of Lyon in 1274, to no avail.

Western Schism

In 1378, the cardinals re-elect a new pope after the old one died. But the new pope told them to live less luxurious lives, which made many cardinals unhappy, so they did another election with another pope. So, there was now two popes each claiming to be legitimate, and the church split in half, one side in Rome and the other in Avignon. This was known as the Western Schism. Some countries supported one side while some supported the other. The two factions both excommunicated their opposing side, meaning every single Catholic was living under excommunication at one point. The Council of Pisa (1409) tried to fix this, but they just elected a third pope.

The Council of Constance (1414-1418) was held to address the issue of multiple popes claiming authority. Other goals were to address corrupt practices within the Church, and to examine the teachings of John Wycliffe and Jan Hus. The Council's most significant contribution was the doctrine of conciliarism. It asserted that a general council, representing the whole Church, holds supreme authority in the Church immediately from Christ, even over the pope. Conciliarism drew on medieval corporate theory, which saw the Church not as a monarchy but as a universitas (corporation), where ultimate authority resided in the whole body, which could act in a crisis to preserve himself.

Renaissance

The printing press gets "invented" in Europe in the 15th century, and the Catholic Church cannot gatekeep the Bible any longer. Now that everyone can read the Bible in their own languages, people found that many rules the Church made don't align with the scripture (maybe because the Church have been interpreting the word in Latin). This caused discontent and led to the rise of Protestantism.

Contemporary

In 2024, the Catholic Church decided to make an anime-styled mascot named Luce (meaning "Light" in Italian) for the 2025 Jubilee. Some people liked the idea and believed it will resonate more with young people, others think it’s heretical.

Doctrine, Theology & Beliefs

Catholics believe that tradition and scripture are equally authoritative. Catholic doctrine is rooted in the Scriptures and Sacred Tradition, both of which are interpreted and taught by the Church's Magisterium, or teaching authority.

Catholic Social Teaching is another important aspect of the faith, focusing on issues such as the dignity of the human person, the common good, subsidiarity, and solidarity. This teaching guides the Church's stance on a wide range of social issues, including poverty, justice, and the sanctity of life.

Filioque

Catholicism teaches that the Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son in a doctrine called filioque ( Latin term meaning "and from the Son"). It was added to the original Nicene Creed during the First Council of Constantinople in 381, and caused great controversy between Western and Eastern Christianity.

This doctrine also distinguishes Catholicism from Eastern Orthodoxy, who holds that the Spirit proceeds only from the Father.

Mariology

Catholicism places a strong emphasis on the veneration of Mary, the mother of Jesus, as one of the saints. Catholic doctrine states that Mary was conceived without original sin, making her pure from the moment of her existence. The Church teaches that she remained a virgin before, during, and after the birth of Christ, known as the Perpetual Virginity of Mary. At the end of her earthly life, she was taken body and soul into heaven, a doctrine referred to as the Assumption of Mary.

Papal Supremacy

Catholicism teaches that the Pope, by virtue of papal supremacy and primacy, holds the highest authority as the successor of Saint Peter, entrusted with the governance of the universal Church. The Pope is infallible when speaking ex cathedra (officially) on matters of faith and morals, meaning that, through divine assistance, he is preserved from error in definitive teachings. However, this does not mean that the Pope cannot sin or make mistakes in other capacities. Rather, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, he is prevented from issuing heretical teaching even in his non-infallible Magisterium, as a consequence of the Church's indefectibility, which guarantees that the faith remains pure and uncorrupted throughout history.

Purgatory

Purgatory is a state of purification after death for those who have died in a state of grace but still need to be cleansed of any remaining imperfections before entering heaven. Those in purgatory have already been forgiven and are assured of their place in heaven, but they must undergo a final purification to attain the "holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven." In the Middle Ages, it is also interpreted as a place between heaven and hell.

Sacraments

Catholicism is known for his sacraments, with seven sacraments being central to his practice. They are considered visible rituals that serve as signs of God's presence and, received with the proper disposition (ex opere operato), are believed to convey God's grace to the faithful.

• Baptism - initiates individuals into the Church, cleansing them of original sin.
• Confirmation - strengthens the gifts of the Holy Spirit received at Baptism.
• The Eucharist (AKA Holy Communion) - regarded as the source and summit of Christian life, is the reception of Christ's body and blood. It is particularly significant as Catholics believe in the doctrine of transubstantiation, where the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ during the Mass.
• Penance - offers reconciliation with God through the confession of sins.
• Anointing of the Sick - provides spiritual and sometimes physical healing.
• Holy Orders - ordains individuals into the clergy, enabling them to serve the Church.
• Holy Matrimony - unites a man and a woman in a lifelong sacramental bond.

Sainthood

In Catholicism, a saint is a person recognized for their exceptional holiness and closeness to God and are believed to be in heaven. The Church has a series of official saints who are venerated for their exemplary lives of faith. The process of canonization officially declares someone a saint, allowing for public veneration in the Church's liturgy. In order for a person to gain sainthood, he/she must be already deceased, have lived a great life and served God, and have at least two miracles performed.

Catholics do not pray directly to saints but invoke them for intercession, asking for their prayers on their behalf.

Transubstantiation

Transubstantiation is the doctrine that, during the celebration of the Eucharist, the substance of the bread and wine is transformed into the actual body and blood of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit through the words of consecration spoken by the priest. While the outward appearances, such as taste, colour, and texture, of bread and wine remain the same, their essence or substance is changed. This change occurs substantially in substance but not accidentally in appearance, meaning that the bread and wine are no longer bread and wine in essence, but the true body and blood of Christ.

Vicars of Christ

In Catholicism, the term Vicars of Christ refers to the bishops, who are considered successors to the Apostles through Apostolic Succession. This doctrine holds that the authority given by Jesus Christ to the Apostles has been passed down through an unbroken line of ordinations, and therefore ensures the validity of the sacraments. Catholics believe that Jesus appointed Saint Peter as the "rock" upon which He would build His Church (Matthew 16:18-19), granting him a special authority to lead and unify the Apostles. As the successor of Saint Peter, the Pope holds the position of the supreme Vicar of Christ on Earth.

Relationships

Fratres

• Christianity - ¹⁸And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. You are essentially me, but with a few hereterodox sects.
• Augustinianism - The foremost of the Latin Fathers . Thanks for so much great theology and defense of the Roman/Papal primacy!
• Aristotelianism - I use your metaphysics to explain transubstantiation.
• Scholasticism - You were conceived to end the conflict between Athens and Jerusalem. Some of my modern followers criticise you, but you have always been integral to the Church since the Middle Ages.
• Thomism - Thanks for writing so much on my doctrine! He is the Angelic Doctor, graced by God, and provides the backbone of my philosophy and theology.
• Creatio Ex Nihilo - A Catholic priest was the first to come up with the Big Bang Theory.
• Moral Universalism - Just as the Church is Catholic, so is her mission and duty.
• Saint Peter - Our first pope, appointed by Christ himself!

Mixtum

• Eastern Orthodoxy - We work together more often than not now, even if he is a schismatic. You have some heterodox theology too. But under no circumstances convert Orthodox Christians. It is a transgression against the ecumenist goal!
• Anglicanism - You might be one of the most high church Protestants, but that does not mean we will recognize your holy orders. They are still invalid, no matter how much of a farce you put up.
• Agnosticism - God exists, period. Now go do some good deeds.
• Schmittianism - Thank you for defending me with your political metaphysics, but your decisionism is fundamentally agnostic and Machiavellian.
• Oriental Orthodoxy - Although we are quite friendly with each other, you are even more distant from me than he is.

Heretic

• Atheism - Blessed are they who have not seen yet believe.
• Protestantism - I may not be as antagonistic toward you as in the 17th century, but our doctrines are inherently incompatible since you reject the papal authority. Still you accused me of not knowing the Bible, yet the Scriptures are always read at the Mass! And you're still a heretic.
• Lutheranism - You're the one responsible for this thousand-denomination mess! Stop criticizing me!
• Calvinism - Claiming Jesus' sacrifice was not sufficient for everyone denies the power of the Cross and is incompatible with God's love and justice!
• Evangelicalism - Prideful protestant who thinks I'm not even a real Christian.
• Chick Theology - You're an heretical conspiracy theorist who keeps slandering me! I'm not a daughter of Satan or whatever, you are just crazy.
• Judaism - The Church is the true Israel! The Jews have not recognized our LORD, therefore we cannot recognize the Jewish people. But God has never abandoned his people, and I pray for your conversion. Accept Jesus as the son of God!
• Islam - Traitor! He destroyed Constantinople and he wanted to destroy Rome! What a disgrace…
• Paganism - Christ and His Church have reigned supreme over your false gods. Where are they now? It's time to convert!
• Feminism - Both male and female are equal in dignity and importance even if not in sameness, and the Church has given women many places in the Church as nuns, mothers, and other roles. That being said, so as Christ did not ordain any women to His priesthood, the Church does not give women ecclesial teaching authority.
• Pantheism - Read the Athanasian creed sometime. So many of my mystics were either dangerously close to you or are accused of being you…
• Utilitarianism - Natural law is not valid merely because of its usefulness.
• Esoteric Christianity - The incarnated Lord was not a guru for the sages, but the Good Shepherd for the flock of common men.
• Superfascism - You are a vile pagan espousing false tradition! The Guelphs will always be superior to the Ghibellines in the spiritual realm! At least your thoughts on me in general warmed up eventually, even if not fully.
• Screech - I already banished you with my crucifix so stop reappearing!
• Seek & Figure - What? How did you break free of my crucifix?

How to draw

The Crucifix on a flag

Catholicism has a drawing rating of intermediate.

1. Draw a ball.
2. Fill the ball with yellow.
3. Draw the Catholic cross in the middle.
4. Add the eyes and you are done!
5. Add a pope’s hat (optional)

Color Name		HEX
	White	#FFFFFF
	Yellow	#FFD300

Gallery

RegularInformational

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  The Crucifix

See Also

• Catholic Theocracy
• Vatican City