Catholic is one of the Apostolic Churches, which is characterized primarily by the presence of the dogma of the procession of the Holy Spirit not only from the Father, but also from the Son - filioque, as well as by the dogma of the infallibility of the Pope.
Where did Catholicism come from?
Initially, the ancient Christian church was united and was divided into departments according to seniority. The oldest of the pulpits was occupied by the Roman bishop - the Pope, since it was the city where the chief apostles Peter and Paul preached and died a martyrdom. But after the transfer of the imperial capital from Rome to the so-called “new Rome” - Constantinople, contradictions began to arise between the cathedrals regarding the status of the Roman bishop.
By the number of believers, Catholicism is by far the largest denomination among Christianity. The number of Catholics exceeds one billion.
Faith continued to be one, and traditions over time began to differ greatly. For example, a Catholic prelate or monk shaved his beard, but for a Byzantine one this was a sign of a homosexual. Differences have gone into service as well. Contradictions ripened for several centuries, until Rome introduced a special dogma, which still remains a stumbling block between the churches - this is the filioque dogma of the procession of the Holy Spirit "and from the Son".
For several centuries, the church continued to be one even in spite of this dogma, but the different paths of development of the East and West led to the mutual anathematization of Rome and Constantinople and the final separation of the churches.
The main differences of Catholicism
In addition to the filioque, Catholics have a doctrine of the infallibility of the Pope. Since in ancient times Rome was the senior see, as the contradictions deepened, Western Christians' understanding of the Roman bishop as the head of the entire church grew. Well, after the division of the churches, Rome announced that all the other patriarchs became heretics, and he is its only infallible head.
Further, several more new dogmas arose that are absent in the Eastern churches. Firstly, it is the dogma of the virgin Mary's immaculate conception, which the parents allegedly conceived without sin.
A recognizable feature of Catholicism is the doctrine of indulgence. Allegedly, the saints accumulate before God some "super-due" merit, due to which Rome can absolve sinners.
Another dogma was the dogma of limbo “purgatory” - a special place where souls who did not go to hell or heaven are cleansed of all kinds of evil with relatively small torments. Catholics also use unleavened bread in the service, and not leavened bread, like other Christians. The Catholic clergy is obliged to take a vow of celibacy. Also, the Pope has a special state with its own laws. This is the Vatican - the smallest country in the world.
