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The Roman Catholic Church or '''Catholic Church''' (see ''terminology'' below) is the Christian Church in Full Communion with the Bishop Of Rome , currently Pope Benedict XVI . It traces its origins to the Original Christian Community founded by Jesus Christ and spread by the Twelve Apostles , in particular Saint Peter .Matthew 16:17-18"St. Peter - Founder of the Catholic Church" ( MSN encarta Encyclopedia, 2007 ). The Catholic Church is the largest Christian church, representing around half of all Christians, and is the largest organized body of any world Religion .12 According to the ''Statistical Yearbook of the Church'', the Catholic Church's worldwide recorded membership at the end of 2005 was 1,114,966,000, approximately one-sixth of the world's population.3. See below on what constitutes Membership . The worldwide Catholic Church is made up of one , is called a Diocese in the Latin church and an Eparchy in the Eastern churches. At the end of 2006, the total number of all these jurisdictional areas (or "Sees") was 2,782.4 TERMINOLOGY The church described in this article has, throughout its history, used many names to describe itself.''Catechism of the Catholic Church'' 748–810 It has not formally declared any of these names to be ''the'' name by which it should be known. However, in view of the sensibilities of other Christians, it refers to itself in its relations with them as either "the Catholic Church"Instances of ''the Catholic Church'': 5; 6; 7 or "the Roman Catholic Church".Instances of ''the Roman Catholic Church'': 8; 9; 10; 11; 12 Divergent usages attach a certain ambiguity to each of the terms ''Roman Catholic Church'' and ''Catholic Church''. Some, especially church,The term "Latin Rite" or "Latin Church" refers not to a liturgical rite (such as the Roman Rite , the Ambrosian Rite or the Mozarabic Rite , or, for that matter, the Byzantine Rite ) but to the Western Particular Church , which is analogous to, for instance, the Maronite Church . excluding the Eastern Catholic Churches .These Particular Church es too are in Full Communion with the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. As for the term ''Catholic Church'', Oriental Orthodox , Eastern Orthodox , Lutheran , Anglican , Old Catholic , and other Christians claim to be, or to be part of, the catholic Church (often writing "catholic" with a lower-case 'c' to distinguish it from the Roman Catholic Church). For their understandings of the term, see Catholicism , Catholic , and One, Holy, Catholic, And Apostolic Church . According to the Oxford English Dictionary (unabridged), "Roman Catholic is the designation known to English law, but 'Catholic' is that in ordinary use on the continent of Europe, especially in the Latin countries; hence historians frequently contrast 'Catholic' and 'Protestant', especially in reference to the continent; and in familiar, non-controversial use, 'Catholic' is often said instead of 'Roman Catholic'". According to the New Oxford Dictionary quoted in the article ''Roman Catholic'' of the Catholic Encyclopedia , "the use of this composite term (''Roman Catholic'') in place of the simple ''Roman'', ''Romanist'', or ''Romish'', which had acquired an invidious sense, appears to have arisen in the early years of the seventeenth century. For conciliatory reasons it was employed in the negotiations connected with the Spanish Match (1618-1624) and appears in formal documents relating to this printed by Rushworth (I, 85-89). After that date it was generally adopted as a non-controversial term and has long been the recognized legal and official designation, though in ordinary use ''Catholic'' alone is very frequently employed." The Catholic Encyclopedia considers this statement correct in substance, but identifies earlier uses of the term ''Roman Catholic'' by two Anglican theologians, one in 1581, the other in 1588. It says that for long after the Spanish Match negotiations, in official government use "the term ''Roman Catholic'' continued to be a mark of condescension, and language of much more uncomplimentary character was usually preferred." It also cites documentary evidence of use of the term by Catholics themselves in 1630, 1632, 1659 and 1661, and says that, later, Catholic associations adopted it as part of their name. It interprets the form "Catholic Roman", used by some Catholic writers from as early as 1575 (sic) as "simply a translation of the phraseology common both in Latin and in the Romance languages 'Ecclesia Catholica Romana', or in French 'l'Église catholique romaine'." The date 1575 would indicate that the Latin and French equivalents of "Roman Catholic Church" were in "common" use even before the phrase began to be used in English. It appears therefore that "1575" may be a misprint for "1675". Even this indicates that from an early stage the use of "Roman Catholic Church" was by no means a phenomenon limited to the English language. Many Catholics dislike the term "Roman Catholic", because some use it to posit a distinction between "the ''Roman'' Catholic Church" and "the catholic Church".For example, proponents of the "'' is an example: in it, "the Church" appears many hundreds of times, compared to 24 uses of "the Catholic Church" (including the title of the book) and no use of the term "the Roman Catholic Church". The name "Catholic Church" for this church is formally accepted by some other Christian churches, as shown in the joint documents referenced above, but most of these groups use "Roman Catholic Church" instead. In informal use, however, members even of the latter groups commonly understand "Catholic Church" as referring to it. As far back as 397, Saint Augustine Of Hippo remarked that the term was generally thus understood even by those whom he qualified as Heretics : :… the name itself of Catholic, which, not without reason, amid so many heresies, the Church has thus retained; so that, though all heretics wish to be called Catholics, yet when a stranger asks where the Catholic Church meets, no heretic will venture to point to his own chapel or house.13 The term "Catholic Church" is freely used within this article without suggesting acceptance of any claims implicit in that term, while "Roman Catholic Church" is used without endorsing the view that this church is merely part of some larger "Catholic Church"; both terms are used here as alternative names for the entire church that describes itself as "governed by the successor of Peter and by the bishops in communion with him."14 ORIGINS AND HISTORY dom of St. Ignatius , bishop of Antioch appointed by St. Peter .]] The Church traces its history to Jesus and the Twelve Apostles , and sees the Bishop s of the Church as the successors of the Apostles in general, and the Pope as the successor of Saint Peter , leader of the Apostles, in particular.15 The first known use of the term "Catholic Church" was in a letter by Ignatius Of Antioch in 107, who wrote: "Where the bishop appears, there let the people be, just as where Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church."16 para. 8. Additionally, Catholic writers list a number of quotations from early writers dispute this claim which was one of the main issues behind the East-West Schism , historically considering the Pope First Among Equals .18 Central to the doctrines of the Catholic Church is ). The New Testament contains warnings against teachings considered to be only masquerading as Christianity,; ; ; and shows how reference was made to the leaders of the church to decide what was true doctrine. The Catholic Church teaches that it is the continuation of those who remained faithful to the apostolic and episcopal leadership and rejected false teachings. Constantinian Era and Christological Councils After an initial period of sporadic but intense Persecution , Christianity was legalized in the fourth century, when Constantine I issued the Edict Of Milan in 313. Constantine was instrumental in the convocation of the First Council Of Nicea in 325, which sought to address the Arian heresy and formulated the Nicene Creed , which is still currently used by the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy , Anglican Communion , and various Protestant churches. In 326, Pope Sylvester I consecrated the first Basilica Of St. Peter built by Constantine. On 27 February 380, Emperor Theodosius I enacted a law establishing Catholic Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire and ordering others to be called heretics."It is our desire that all the various nations which are subject to our clemency and moderation should continue to the profession of that religion which was delivered to the Romans by the divine Apostle Peter, as it has been preserved by faithful tradition and which is now professed by the Pontiff Damasus and by Peter, Bishop of Alexandria, a man of apostolic holiness. ... We authorize the followers of this law to assume the title Catholic Christians; but as for the others, since in our judgment they are foolish madmen, we decree that they shall be branded with the ignominious name of heretics, and shall not presume to give their conventicles the name of churches." 19 This time period in history also marked the rise in Christological Councils which determined much of the theology of the Church. In 382, the Council Of Rome set the Canon of the Bible, listing the accepted books of the Old Testament and the New Testament . Also, the Council Of Ephesus in 431 declared that Jesus existed both as Man and God simultaneously, clarifying his status in the Trinity . The meaning of the Nicene Creed was also declared a permanent holy text of the Church. Medieval Period Following the decline of the Roman Empire, the Church underwent a time of missionary activity and expansion. In 480, St. Benedict began his Monastic Rule, setting out regulations for the establishment of Monasteries . Monasticism was highly successful, and gave rise to various centers of learning, most famously in Ireland , Scotland and Gaul , and contributed to the Carolingian Renaissance . Later, cathedral schools developed into Universities (see University Of Paris , University Of Oxford , and University Of Bologna ), the direct ancestors of modern Western institutions of learning. Catholicism spread among the Germanic Peoples (initially in competition with Arianism); the Vikings ; the Poles , Croats , Czechs , Slovaks , Hungarians , Lithuanians , Latvians , Finns and Estonians . In 452, Pope Leo I (the Great) met Attila The Hun , and dissuaded him from sacking Rome. However, in 455, the Vandals sacked Rome. The Middle Ages brought about major Church changes and statements. Pope Symmachus , in 502, ruled that the laity should no longer vote for new popes, and that only higher clergy (now cardinals) should be allowed. Pope Gregory The Great dramatically reformed ecclesiastical structure and administration. When Iconoclasm became a large issue throughout eastern Europe in the early eighth century, the Church established the Second Ecumenical Council of Nicaea (787) to determine its stance on the subject.
at the Council Of Clermont , where he preached the First Crusade .]] Beginning in 1095 the Crusades , a series of military campaigns in the Holy Land and elsewhere, sanctioned by the Papacy , began under the pontificate of Urban II in response to pleas from the Byzantine Emperor Alexios I for aid against Arabic expansion. This and the subsequent crusades ultimately failed to stifle Islamic aggression and even contributed to Christian enmity with the sacking and occupation of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade .
See Also: East-West Schism Through a gradual process over a number of centuries, the church underwent a great Schism that divided the church into a Western (Latin) branch, which has been known as the Catholic Church and an Eastern (Greek) branch, which has become known as the Orthodox Church . These two churches disagree on a number of administrative, liturgical, and doctrinal issues, most notably the Filioque clause and Papal Primacy Of Jurisdiction . The Great Schism: The Estrangement of Eastern and Western Christendom The Second Council Of Lyon (1274) and the Council Of Florence (1439) attempted to reunite the churches, but in both cases the Orthodox refused to accept the decisions. The two churches remain in schism to the present day, although Excommunications Were Lifted mutually between Rome and Constantinople in 1965, and efforts to end the schism continue. Some Eastern churches have reunited with the Roman Catholic Church, acknowledging papal primacy, and others claim never to have been out of communion with the Pope. (See Eastern Catholic Churches .) Milton V. Anastos, ''Constantinople and Rome'' Inquisition Beginning around 1184, and continuing through the Protestant Reformation , a number of historical movements involving the Catholic Church, broadly referred to as the Inquisition , were aimed at securing religious and doctrinal unity within Christianity through Conversion , and sometimes prosecution, of alleged Heretic s. A conviction of heresy, seen as Treason against Christendom , could involve penalties ranging from a fine to a sentence of Capital Punishment such as Burning At The Stake administered by the state. Historians distinguish between the Medieval Inquisition , the Spanish Inquisition , the Roman Inquisition , and the Portuguese Inquisition as distinct historical events. The extent of the Inquisition's activity, and particularly the exact number of deaths, has been the subject of much subsequent Propaganda . (See Black Legend .) Renaissance and Reformation The Renaissance brought about the discovery of the Americas by Christopher Columbus in 1492, and the Catholic Church sought to spread the faith throughout the colonies. Pope Alexander VI awarded sole colonial rights over most of the New World to Spain . On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses , which protested some key points of Catholic Doctrine and the sale of Indulgences . His efforts against the Church developed into a movement called the Protestant Reformation . Other repudiated issues included the Primacy Of The Pope , Clerical Celibacy , the Seven Sacraments and various other Catholic doctrines and practices, as well as abuses (such as Simony and the sale of Indulgences ) that were common at the time. In 1534, the English Parliament passed the Act Of Supremacy making the King Of England Supreme Head of the Church of England Beginning in 1536, the monasteries throughout England, Wales , and Ireland were Dissolved . Pope Paul III , reacting to this and other schismatic issues, Excommunicated King Henry VIII in 1538, marking a decisive schism between the Catholic Church and England. Reformers within the Catholic Church launched the , Asia , Africa and Oceania . Modernity Throughout the centuries, the Church has responded to people or groups attempting to change core beliefs. Some of these opponents were declared Heretical . The 18th and 19th century church found itself facing not only the teachings of Protestantism, but also Enlightenment and Modernist teachings about the nature of the human person, the state, and morality. With the coming of the Industrial Revolution , and the increased concern about the conditions of urban workers, 19th and 20th century popes issued encyclicals (notably '' Rerum Novarum '') explicating Catholic Social Teaching . The First Vatican Council (1869-1870) affirmed the doctrine of Papal Infallibility which Catholics hold to be in continuity with the history of Petrine Supremacy in the church. Second Vatican Council Reforms See Also: Second Vatican Council ]] , opening the Second Vatican Council in 1962]] The Catholic Church undertook one of the most comprehensive reforms in its history during and immediately after the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), which was convened by Pope John XXIII . The Council stressed what it saw as positive rather than what it saw as negative in other Christian communities, other religions, and the aspirations of human beings in general. It was a primarily pastoral but authoritative council,"In view of the pastoral nature of the Council, it avoided any extraordinary statement of dogmas that would be endowed with the note of infallibility, but it still provided its teaching with the authority of the supreme ordinary Magisterium. This ordinary Magisterium, which is so obviously official, has to be accepted with docility, and sincerity by all the faithful, in accordance with the mind of the Council on the nature and aims of the individual documents" (Pope Paul VI, at General Audience of 12 January 1966 called to make the historical teachings of the Catholic Church clear to the modern world. It issued documents on a number of topics, including the nature of the church, the mission of the laity, and religious freedom. It also issued directions for a revision of the liturgy, including permission for the . BELIEFS , a cross with ''corpus'', a symbol used in Catholicism in contrast with some other Christian communions, which use only a cross.]] The Church's Catechesis makes use of the Nicene Creed and the Apostles' Creed , summaries of the main points of Catholic belief. The '' Catechism Of The Catholic Church '' gives a "systematic presentation of the faith" and a "complete exposition of Catholic doctrine".John Paul II, Apostolic Letter ''Laetamur Magnopere'' The ''Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church'', first published in 2005 and in English in 2006, is a more concise version of the Catechism, in question and answer form. In addition to all of the main points of Orthodox Trinitarian Christianity, Catholics place particular importance on the Church as an institution founded by Jesus and kept from doctrinal error by the presence and guidance of the Holy Spirit, and as the font of salvation for humanity. The seven Sacraments , of which the most important is the Eucharist , are of prime importance in obtaining salvation. Sources: scripture and tradition The teachings of the Catholic Church are derived from two sources, firstly the ''Sacred Scriptures'' (the Bible ) and secondly the '' Sacred Tradition ''. Both are ultimately governed and interpreted by the '' Magisterium '' of the Church. In his 1943 encyclical letter, " should not be confused with a " Translation " There is a variety of sources for knowledge of Sacred Tradition, taught by the Church to be originally passed from the apostles in the form of oral tradition. Many of the writings of the early Church Fathers reflect teachings of Sacred Tradition, such as Apostolic Succession . Nature of God Catholicism is ), all-knowing ( Omniscient ), all-good ( Omnibenevolent ), and Omnipresent . God exists as distinct from and prior to his creation (that is, everything which is not God, and which depends directly on him for existence) and yet is still present intimately in his creation. In the First Vatican Council the Church taught that, while by the natural light of human reason God can be known in his works as origin and end of all created things, God has also chosen to reveal himself and his will supernaturally in the ways indicated in the Letter to the . Catholicism is also 's relationship to the Son , the Son's relationship to the Father, and the relations of both to the Holy Spirit , constitute the one God as a Trinity. Catholics are Baptized in the name (singular) of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit — not three gods, but one God subsisting in three Persons. While sharing in the one divine essence, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct, not simply three "masks" or manifestations of one Person. The faith of the church and of the individual Christian is based on a relationship with these three Persons of the one God. The Catholic Church believes that God has revealed himself to humanity as Father to his only-begotten Son, who is in an eternal relationship with the Father: "No one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him." Catholics believe that God the Son, the Divine Logos , the second of the three Persons of God, became Incarnate as Jesus Christ , a human being, born of the Virgin Mary . He remained truly divine and was at the same time truly human. In what he said, and by how he lived, he taught all people how to live, and revealed God as Love, the giver of unmerited favours or Graces. After Jesus' Crucifixion and Resurrection , his followers, foremost among them the Apostles , spread more and more extensively their faith with a vigour that they attributed to the presence of the Holy Spirit , the third of the three Persons of God, sent upon them by Jesus. Original sin See Also: Original sin Human beings, in Catholic belief, were originally created to live in union with God. Through the disobedience of the first humans (. The sacrament of Baptism is the only means for the remission of original sin. The church (Ecclesiology) printed in 1455. By the end of the 1400s, Catholics such as Johann Gutenberg were operating 250 print shops all over Europe.]] The Church is, as scripture states, "the body of Christ,"; cf. and Catholics teach that it is one united body of believers both in heaven and on earth. There is therefore only one true, visible and physical church, not several. And to this one church, originally founded by Jesus on Peter and the Apostles, Jesus gave a mandate to be the authoritative teacher and guardian of the faith. To transmit Christ's divine revelation, the apostles were given the mandate to "preach the Gospel," which they performed both orally and in writing, and which they preserved by leaving bishops as their successors. Thus, the ''Catechism'' states "the apostolic preaching, which is expressed in a special way in the inspired books, was to be preserved in a continuous line of succession until the end of time. This living transmission, accomplished in the Holy Spirit, is called (see below). The Church claims infallibility in teaching the faith, based on Jesus' scriptural promises to remain with his church always, and to maintain it in truth through the Holy Spirit.; Furthermore, Jesus promised divine protection to the teachings and judgements of the Apostles,; and those who succeeded them in their teaching office (i.e. the bishops). Moreover, Jesus set up the church as the final arbiter between all believers: "And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax-gatherer." In this, it bases its doctrines both on the written Apostolic record, The New Testament, and upon the oral traditions passed down from the Apostles to their successors (the bishops) through the continuous witness of the church.; ; ; ; , cathedral of the diocese of Rome and therefore of the Pope.]] Section 8 of the Second Vatican Council 's Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, '' Lumen Gentium '' states that "the one Church of Christ which in the Creed is professed as One, Holy, Catholic And Apostolic " subsists "in the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of Peter and by the bishops in communion with him." (The term ''successor of Peter'' refers in to the Bishop of Rome, the Pope ; see Petrine Theory ). The Catechism Of The Catholic Church , 85 states that authentic interpretation of the Word of God is entrusted to the living Magisterium of the Church, namely the bishops in communion with the successor of Saint Peter.''Catechism of the Catholic Church'', 85 Catholic theology places the authoritative interpretation of Scripture in the hands of the consistent judgment of the Church down the ages (what has always and everywhere been taught) rather than the private judgment of the individual. The Magisterium does, however, encourage its flock to read Sacred Scripture. According to the Catechism Of The Catholic Church , "the Church's first purpose is to be the sacrament of the inner union of men with God." Thus the Church's "structure is totally ordered to the holiness of Christ's members."''Catechism of the Catholic Church'', 773 , 775 Salvation The Church teaches that salvation to eternal life is God's will for all people, and that God grants it to sinners as a free gift, a grace, through the sacrifice of Christ. "With regard to God, there is no strict right to any merit on the part of man. Between God and us there is an immeasurable inequality, for we have received everything from him, our Creator." ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'', 2007 It is God who justifies, that is, who frees from sin by a free gift of holiness (sanctifying grace, also known as habitual or deifying grace). We can either accept the gift God gives through faith in Jesus Christ and through baptism, or refuse it. Human cooperation is needed, in line with a new capacity to adhere to the divine will that God provides.21 The faith of a Christian is not without works, otherwise it would be dead. In this sense, "by works a man is justified, and not by faith alone," and eternal life is, at one and the same time, grace and the reward given by God for good works and merits.''Catechism of the Catholic Church'', [http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt3sect1chpt3art2.htm 1987–2016 ] Faith, and subsequently works, are a result of God's grace - thus, it is only because of grace that the believer can be said to "merit" salvation. The Church teaches that a person must be in a state of Sanctifying Grace at the moment of death in order to be saved. Sanctifying Grace is conferred at Baptism , and is lost when a soul commits a Mortal Sin . A mortal sin is a deliberate and serious transgression of God's law. Sanctifying Grace is regained when a person confesses his or her sin in the Sacrament Of Penance . If a person repents of his or her sin before he or she dies but is unable to obtain the actual Sacrament of Penance before death due to reasons outside of the person's control, the person's sin is forgiven by nature of the person's desire to receive it. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that through the graces Jesus won for humanity by sacrificing himself on the cross, salvation is possible even for those outside the visible boundaries of the Church. Christians and even non-Christians, if in life they respond positively to the grace and truth that God reveals to them through the mercy of Christ, may be saved (an attitude often referred to, in the case of non-Christians, as "baptism of desire"). This may sometimes include awareness of an obligation to become part of the Catholic Church. In such cases, "whosoever, therefore, knowing that the Catholic Church was made necessary by Christ, would refuse to enter or to remain in it, could not be saved."22 Catholic life , which it connects with Jesus' words in and , among other sources. From the film '' True Confessions '' (1981) directed by Ulu Grosbard]] Catholics are obliged to endeavour to be true disciples of Jesus. They seek forgiveness of their sins and follow the example and teaching of Jesus. They believe that Jesus has provided seven sacraments which give Grace from God to the believer. If a person dies in unrepented Mortal Sin , which is forgiven through the Sacrament Of Penance , he loses God's promise of salvation and goes to Hell . However, before entering heaven, some undergo a purification, known as Purgatory . concelebrated Divine Liturgy , "the Eucharist ic Sacrifice , which is the fount and apex of the whole Christian life."23 ]] Catholics believe that God works actively in the world. Catholics grow in grace through participation in the sacramental life of the Church, and through prayer, the work of mercy, and spiritual disciplines such as fasting and pilgrimage. The Catholic laity also grow in grace when they fulfill their secular duties and try to imbue society with Christian values by being a model of Christ and his teachings. Prayer for others, even for enemies and persecutors is a Christian duty. Catholics say there are four types of prayer: adoration, thanksgiving, contrition, and supplication. Catholics may address their requests for the intercession of others not only to people still in earthly life, but also to those in heaven, in particular the Virgin Mary and the other Saint s. As Mother of Jesus, the Virgin Mary is also considered to be the spiritual mother of all Catholics. Social teaching Catholic social teaching emphasizes love, forgiveness, charity towards others, especially those most in need, and respect for the sanctity of life. Catholics were pacifists in the earliest days of the church, as witnessed by the fact that Christians were forbidden to join the Roman army. This was part of the cause of their political persecution in the empire.24 Today, however, only some Catholics hold that position, with various analyses of the " Just War " theory more widely held. It should be noted that the purpose of the Catholic "just war" criteria is to prevent and limit war rather than to justify it.25 Capital punishment, though it has not been wholly condemned by the Church, has come under increasing criticism by theologians and church leaders. Pope John Paul II, for instance, opposed capital punishment in all cases except those in which it is absolutely necessary for the defense of a society (found almost exclusively in developing nations). After four years of consultations with the world's Catholic bishops, John Paul II wrote that execution is only appropriate "in cases of absolute necessity: in other words, when it would not be possible otherwise to defend society. Today however, as a result of steady improvements in the organization of the penal system, such cases are very rare, if not practically non-existent."26 This position is also held today by Avery Cardinal Dulles, Msgr. William Smith, Germain Grisez and other Catholic moral theologians, who oppose all "intentional killing," as philosophers term it. Human life See Also: Humanae Vitae Evangelium Vitae 's The Creation Of Adam . Pope John Paul II taught that, "by means of his corporality, his masculinity and femininity, (man) becomes a visible sign of the economy of truth and love, which has its source in God himself."27]] The Catholic Church affirms the sanctity of all human life, from conception to natural death. The Church believes that each person is made in the "image and likeness of God," and that human life should not be weighed against other values such as economy, convenience, personal preferences, or social engineering. Therefore, the Church opposes activities that it believes destroy or devalue divinely created life, including Euthanasia , Eugenics and Abortion . According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2267, the traditional teaching of the Church does not exclude, presupposing full ascertainment of the identity and responsibility of the offender, recourse to the death penalty, when this is the only practicable way to defend the lives of human beings effectively against the aggressor. If, instead, bloodless means are sufficient to defend against the aggressor and to protect the safety of persons, public authority should limit itself to such means, because they better correspond to the concrete conditions of the common good and are more in conformity to the dignity of the human person. Today, in fact, given the means at the State's disposal to effectively repress crime by rendering inoffensive the one who has committed it, without depriving him definitively of the possibility of redeeming himself, cases of absolute necessity for suppression of the offender "today ... are very rare, if not practically non-existent" (John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae 56). Sexuality The Catholic Church teaches that human life and human sexuality are both inseparable and sacred. ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'', 2331–2400 The Church teaches that Manichaeism , the belief that the spirit is good while the flesh is evil, is a Heresy . Therefore, the Church does not teach that sex is sinful or an impairment to a grace-filled life. As God created the human body in his own image and likeness, and because he found everything he created to be "very good," then the human body and sex must likewise be good. The Catechism teaches that "the flesh is the hinge of salvation."''Catechism of the Catholic Church'', 1015 Indeed, the Church considers the expression of love between husband and wife to be a most elevated form of human activity, joining as it does, husband and wife in complete mutual self-giving, and opening their relationship to new life. “The sexual activity, in which husband and wife are intimately and chastely united with one another, through which human life is transmitted, is, as the recent Council recalled, ‘noble and worthy.’” "Humanae Vitae, no. 11" It is in cases in which sexual expression is sought outside sacramental marriage, or in which the procreative function of sexual expression within marriage is deliberately frustrated, that the Catholic Church expresses her grave moral concern. Pope John Paul II 's first major teaching was on the Theology Of The Body . Over the course of five years he elucidated a vision of sex that was not only positive and affirming but was about redemption, not condemnation. He taught that by understanding God's plan for physical love we could understand "the meaning of the whole of existence, the meaning of life."28 "The body, and it alone, is capable of making visible what is invisible: the spiritual and divine. It was created to transfer into the visible reality of the world the mystery hidden since time immemorial in God, and thus to be a sign of it." However the Church teaches that sexual activity outside of marriage is sinful because it violates the purpose of human sexuality to participate in the "conjugal act" before one is actually married. The conjugal act "aims at a deeply personal unity, a unity that, beyond union in one flesh, leads to forming one heart and soul" (Catechism 1643) since the marriage bond is to be a sign of the love between God and humanity (Catechism 1617). Masturbation, fornication, adultery, pornography, prostitution, rape, homosexual acts,''Catechism of the Catholic Church'', 2351–2357 and can carry the penalty of excommunication,''Catechism of the Catholic Church'', 2272 as a specific offence. The Church has been criticized for its teaching on Fidelity , Sexual Abstinence and its opposition to promoting the use of Condom s as a strategy to prevent the spread of HIV / AIDS , teen pregnancy, and STDs . Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragán, President of the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Assistance to Health Care Workers, has stated that Pope Benedict XVI asked his department to study the question of condom use as part of a broad look at several questions of bioethics.29 However, the president of the Pontifical Council For The Family , Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo , in an interview reported by Catholic News Agency on May 4 , 2006 , said that the Church "maintains unmodified the teaching on condoms", and added that the Pope had "not ordered any studies about modifying the prohibition on condom use."30 PRACTICES: PRAYER AND WORSHIP In the Catholic Church, there is a distinction between Liturgy, which is the formal public and communal worship of the Church, and personal prayer or devotion, which may be public or private. The Liturgy is regulated by church authority and consists of the Eucharist (the Mass), the other Sacraments, and the Liturgy of the Hours. All Catholics are expected to participate in the liturgical life of the Church, but personal prayer and devotions are entirely a matter of personal preference. Liturgy The Catholic Church is fundamentally liturgical in its public life of worship. Liturgy is derived from the Greek for "work of the people." The Second Vatican Council stated "for the liturgy, 'through which the work of our redemption is accomplished,' most of all in the divine sacrifice of the Eucharist, is the outstanding means whereby the faithful may express in their lives, and manifest to others, the mystery of Christ and the real nature of the true Church."31; ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'' 1068–69 Eucharist See Also: Eucharist (Catholic Church) . The chalice is displayed immediately after the Transubstantiation of the wine into the Blood of Christ.]] Catholics see the Eucharist, often called the Mass, as the source and summit of the Christian life, and believe that the bread and wine brought to the altar are transformed through the power of the Holy Spirit into the true Body and the true Blood of Christ. The Holy Mass is, according to the Catholic Church, a re-presentation of Christ's sacrifice on Calvary. Sacraments See Also: Sacraments of the Catholic Church The ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'', 1131 teaches: "The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper to each sacrament. They bear fruit in those who receive them with the required dispositions." According to the ''Catechism of the Catholic Church'', 1113 , "The whole liturgical life of the Church revolves around the Eucharistic sacrifice and the sacraments. There are seven sacraments in the Church: Baptism , Confirmation or Chrismation , Eucharist , Penance , Anointing Of The Sick , Holy Orders , and Matrimony ." For a discussion of St. Thomas Aquinas and the Biblical foundation of the Sacraments, go to Aquinas And The Sacraments . Liturgy of the Hours See Also: Liturgy of the Hours The Liturgy of the Hours, at least in the simple form of morning prayer and evening prayer, is the daily liturgy of all the Catholic faithful. It is intended as a communal experience, just as the Eucharist or the celebration of the other Sacraments, but is often recited by individuals. Devotional life/Personal Prayer In addition to the liturgy of the Church there is a variety of spirtual practices, devotions, and pietistic practices that Catholics may participate in, either communally or individually. Aside from the Mass, Catholics consider personal and communal prayer to be one of the most important elements of Christian life. Important examples are blessings of people and of objects, as well as devotions to particular saints, spiritualities, prayers, or Catholic tradtions. Popular devotions are not strictly part of the liturgy, but if they are judged to be authentic, the Church encourages them. They include veneration of Relics Of Saints , visits to sacred shrines, Pilgrimage s, processions (including Eucharistic processions), the Stations Of The Cross (also known as the Way of the Cross), Holy Hours, Eucharistic Adoration , Benediction Of The Blessed Sacrament , and the Rosary . Likewise, the great variety of Catholic Spirituality enables individual Catholics to pray privately in many different ways. The fourth and last part of the Catechism thus summarized the Catholic's response to the mystery of faith: "This mystery, then, requires that the faithful believe in it, that they celebrate it, and that they live from it in a vital and personal relationship with the living and true God. This relationship is prayer."''Catechism of the Catholic Church'' 2558 NATURE AND MISSION OF THE CHURCH The Church is the People of God, the Temple of the Holy Spirit, the Body of Christ. It is fundamentally a communion of members, and a communion of communions, with each other and with God. The Second Vatican Council identified the nature of the Church to be a mystery. As the Body of Christ, every member has a distinct calling, and is gifted for different kinds of participation in the mission of the Church. This mission is essentially to preach the Good News to all people, to form a worshipping communion, and to help those in need, particularly the poor and marginalized. Churches within the Catholic Church , venerated by the Maronites , who have always been in communion with Rome.]] See Also: Particular church Unlike "families" or "federations" of churches formed through the grant of mutual recognition by distinct ecclesial bodies, the Catholic Church considers itself a single church ("one Body") composed of a multitude of local or Particular Church es, each of which embodies the fullness of the one Catholic Church. The universal Church, however, is believed to be "a reality ontologically and temporally prior to every individual particular Church."32 However, the Catholic Church attaches great importance to the Particular Church es within it, whose theological significance the Second Vatican Council highlighted. Two uses of the term ''particular church'' are distinguished.
Ordained Ministry The Church has a hierarchical structure, meaning a holy ordering (as opposed to a charismatic structure). This hierarchical nature applies to the entire Church, though it is often used to refer only to the (bishops), Presbyterate (priests), or Diaconate (deacons). Episcopate The Bishop s, who possess the fullness of Christian priesthood, are as a body (the College Of Bishops ) the successors of the Apostles 33 and are "constituted Pastors in the Church, to be the teachers of doctrine, the priests of sacred worship and the ministers of governance."34 The pope, cardinals (in principle), patriarchs, primates, archbishops and Metropolitans are all bishops and members of the Catholic episcopate or college of bishops. Presbyterate (Priesthood) , a diocesan priest renowned for Penitential life and Ministry as a Confessor ]] Bishops are assisted by Priest s and Deacon s. Parish es, whether territorial or person-based, within a diocese are normally in the charge of a priest, known as the parish priest or the pastor. Priests may perform many functions not directly connected with ordinary pastoral activity, such as study, research, teaching or office work. They may also be rectors or chaplains. Other titles or functions held by priests include those of Archimandrite , Canon Secular or Regular, Chancellor , Chorbishop , Confessor, Dean of a Cathedral Chapter, Hieromonk, Prebendary, Precentor, etc. In the Latin Rite , only celibate men, as a rule, are ordained as priests, while the Eastern Rites , again as a rule, also ordain married men. Among the Eastern particular churches, the Ethiopic Catholic Church ordains only celibate clergy, while also having married priests who were ordained in the Orthodox Church. Other Eastern Catholic churches, which do ordain married men, do not have married priests in certain countries, such as the United States of America. The Western or Latin Rite does sometimes, but very rarely, ordain married men, usually Protestant clergy who have become Catholics. All rites of the Catholic Church maintain the ancient tradition that, after ordination, marriage is not allowed. Even a married priest whose wife dies may not then marry again. Diaconate Since the Second Vatican Council , the Latin church again admits married men of mature age to ordination as Permanent deacons. "Deacons are ordained as a sacramental sign to the Church and to the world of Christ, who came 'to serve and not to be served.' The entire Church is called by Christ to serve, and the deacon, in virtue of his sacramental ordination and through his various ministries, is to be a servant in a servant-Church. As ministers of Word, deacons proclaim the Gospel, preach, and teach in the name of the Church. As ministers of Sacrament, deacons baptize, lead the faithful in prayer, witness marriages, and conduct wake and funeral services. As ministers of Charity, deacons are leaders in identifying the needs of others, then marshalling the Church's resources to meet those needs. Deacons are also dedicated to eliminating the injustices or inequities that cause such needs."35 Candidates for the Diaconate go through a Diaconate Formation program that is designed based on the contemporaneous needs of their Diocese but must meet minimum standards set by the Bishops Conference in their home country. Upon completion of their formation program and acceptance by their local Bishop, Candidates receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders through Ordination. Generally, following Ordination, a Deacon is assigned by his Bishop to a local Parish in which he will perform his ministry and serve the local church and community. Laity with son, , whom John Paul II urged in the post Synodal Apostolic Exhortation ''Christifideles laici'' (December 30, 1988) "to take an active, conscientious and responsible part in the mission of the Church," for they not only belong to the Church, but "''are the Church.''" (Italics in the original) Equipped with the common priesthood in Baptism , these ordinary Catholics — e.g., mothers, farmers, businessmen, writers, politicians — are to take initiative in "discovering or inventing the means for permeating social, political, and economic realities with the demands of Christian doctrine and life."''Catechism of the Catholic Church'', 899 They exercise the common, baptism-based ''priestly office'' by offering their prayer and works as spiritual sacrifices,''Catechism of the Catholic Church'', 901 the ''prophetic office'' by their word and testimony of life in the ordinary circumstances of the world,''Catechism of the Catholic Church'', 905 and the ''kingly office'' by self-mastery and conforming worldly institutions to the norms of justice.''Catechism of the Catholic Church'', 908–9 This theology of the laity, called a "characteristic mark" of Vatican II by Paul VI and John Paul II, was complemented, and in some cases influenced, by the rise of many , Neocatechumenal Way , Communion And Liberation , and the Personal Prelature Of Opus Dei . The Directory Of International Associations Of The Faithful , published by the Pontifical Council For The Laity , lists the names and characteristics of lay movements that have received official recognition. Some of the non-ordained exercise formal, public ministry in the name of the church, often on a full time and life-long basis, and often in ministries that were reserved to the Presbyterate in the decades leading up to the Second Vatican Council . These are called Lay Ecclesial Ministers , a broad category which may include Pastoral Life Coordinators, Pastoral Associates, Pastoral Assistants, Youth Ministers, Campus Ministers, etc. . Religious See Also: Consecrated life (Catholic Church) Within the Catholic Church, the Consecrated Life refers to the following: the Religious Life, eremitical life, consecrated virginity, societies of consecrated life and Secular Institute s. All of these are ways of Christian living by those who have made a public commitment and (if religious) took vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. The Vows are regulated church Law, both proper to the institute and universal ( Canon Law ).36 Those who have made their profession and vow are not, however, part of the Church hierarchy, unless they are also ordained priests.[http://www.intratext.com/IXT/ENG0017/_P1X.HTM can. 588 CIC 1983} They commit themselves, for the love of God, to observe as binding certain counsels from the Christian Gospel. Most who feel called to following Christ in a more exacting way join what are called ''Religious Institutes'',37 often referred to in everyday life as religious orders or religious congregations, in which they follow a common rule under the leadership of a superior. They usually live in community, although some may for a shorter or longer time live the Religious Life as Hermit s without ceasing to be a member of the Religious Institute. Canons 603 and 604 give official recognition also to consecrated hermits and consecrated virgins who are not members of religious institutes (see below). Membership of the Catholic Church According to , may later be received back into the Catholic Church, after making a profession of faith or, when the person has not defected by a formal act, going to confession.To break on one's own initiative the juridical bond with the Church, a formal act is required in writing before one's local Ordinary or parish priest, who is to judge the genuineness of the act of Apostasy , Heresy or Schism ; without this formal act of defection, "heresy (whether formal or material), schism and apostasy do not in themselves constitute a formal act of defection, if they are not externally concretized and manifested to the ecclesistical authority in the required manner"( circular letter 10279/2006 of 13 March 2006 from the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts to Presidents of Episcopal Conferences ). Those who do not take this step are presumed to be still linked with the Catholic Church and thus bound by ecclesiastical laws. Worldwide distribution The number of Catholics in the world is around 1.1 billionThe ''Statistical Yearbook of the Church 2005'', compiled by the Central Statistics Office of the Church and published by Libreria Editrice Vaticana in 2007 (ISBN 978-88-209-7928-7) put the recorded membership figure for the end of 2005 at 1,114,966,000; according to the World Christian Database the figure was 1,119 million (cf. ''World Christian Trends 2005'', page 3). and continues to increase, particularly in (due to 300 years of Spanish colonial rule) and East Timor (due to Portuguese missionaries). See Membership on the conditions required for being considered in Canon Law a member of the Catholic Church. In countries where a question on religion is included in the census, the number given in the ''Statistical Yearbook of the Church'' (see, above, Introduction) is that of the census returns. Ecumenism: Quest for Christian Unity While the Catholic Church sees itself as the church founded by Jesus, it recognizes that many of the salvific elements of the Gospel are found in other churches and ecclesial communities also. The .) The Catholic Church has, since the Second Vatican Council, reached out to other Christian bodies, seeking reconciliation to the greatest degree possible. Significant agreements have been achieved on Baptism, ministry, and the Eucharist with 2006 . Methodist Statement These landmark documents have brought closer fraternal ties with those ecclesial communities. However, recent developments, such as ordination of women to priesthood and acceptance of homosexual relationships, present new obstacles to reconciliation with some of them. Consequently, in recent years the Catholic Church has focused its efforts at reconciliation with the Orthodox Churches Of The East , with which the theological differences are not as great. Relations with the Russian Orthodox Church were strained in the 1990s over property issues in countries that were formerly Soviet-dominated, and these differences are not solved (most notably the parishes belonging to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church ); however, fraternal relations with other Eastern churches continue to progress. In a ''recent speech'' given by Pope Benedict XVI while visiting the former concentration camp Auschwitz, in Poland on May 28 2006 he stated: 'Why, Lord, did you remain silent?' Where was God in those days? How could he permit this endless slaughter, this triumph of evil? ...We must continue to cry out humbly yet insistently to God: Rouse yourself! Do not forget mankind, your creature!' ROLE OF THE CHURCH IN CIVILIZATION Church doctrine and science Historians of science, including non-Catholics such as who discovered Radioactivity ; Galvani , Volta , Ampere , Marconi , pioneers in Electricity and Telecommunications ; Lavoisier , "father of modern Chemistry "; Vesalius , founder of modern Human Anatomy ; Cauchy one of the mathematicians who laid the rigorous foundations of Calculus . This position is a reverse of the view, held by some Enlightenment Philosophers , that the Church's doctrines were superstitious and hindered the progress of civilization. In the most famous example cited by these critics, , on 31 October 1992 , publicly expressed regret for the actions of those Catholics who badly treated Galileo in that trial.Choupin, ''Valeur des Decisions Doctrinales du Saint Siege'' An abstract of the acts of the process against Galileo is available at the Vatican Secret Archives , which reproduces part of it on its website. Cardinal John Henry Newman , in the nineteenth century, stated that those who attack the Church can only point to the Galileo case, which to many historians does not prove the Church's opposition to science since many of the churchmen at that time were encouraged by the Church to continue their research.42 Recently, the Church has been both criticized and applauded for its teaching that Embryonic Stem Cell Research is a form of experimentation on human beings, and results in the killing of a human person. Criticism has been on the grounds that this doctrine hinders scientific research. The Church argues that advances in medicine can come without the destruction of humans (in an embryonic state of life); for example, in the use of adult or umbilical stem cells in place of embryonic stem cells. Church, art, literature, and music by Raphael , Apostolic Palace , Vatican ]] Several historians credit the Catholic Church for the brilliance and magnificence of Western Art . They refer to the Church's fight against Iconoclasm , a movement against visual representations of the divine, its insistence on building structures befitting worship, Augustine 's repeated reference to (God "ordered all things by measure and number and weight") which led to the geometric constructions of Gothic architecture, the Scholastics ' coherent intellectual systems called the '' Summa Theologiae '' which influenced the intellectually consistent writings of Dante , its creation and sacramental theology which has developed a Catholic Imagination influencing writers such as J. R. R. Tolkien 43, C.S. Lewis , and William Shakespeare ,44 and of course, the patronage of the Renaissance popes for the great works of Catholic artists such as Michelangelo , Raphael , Bernini , Borromini and Leonardo Da Vinci . In addition, we must take into account the enormous body of religious music composed for the Catholic Church, a body which is profoundly tied to the emergence and development of the European tradition of Classical Music , and indeed, all music that has been influenced by it. Church and economic development Francisco De Vitoria , a disciple of Thomas Aquinas and a Catholic thinker who studied the issue regarding the human rights of colonized natives, is recognized by the United Nations as a father of international law, and now also by historians of economics and democracy as a leading light for the West's democracy and rapid economic development.45 Joseph Schumpeter , an economist of the twentieth century, referring to the scholastics, wrote, "it is they who come nearer than does any other group to having been the ‘founders’ of scientific economics."46 Other economists and historians, such as Raymond de Roover, Marjorie Grice-Hutchinson, and Alejandro Chafuen, have also made similar statements. Historian Paul Legutko of Stanford University said the Catholic Church is "at the center of the development of the values, ideas, science, laws, and institutions which constitute what we call Western civilization."47 Social justice, care-giving, and the hospital system The Catholic Church has contributed to society through its social doctrine which has guided leaders to promote social justice and by setting up the Hospital system in Medieval Europe, a system which was different from the merely reciprocal hospitality of the Greeks and family-based obligations of the Romans. These hospitals were established to cater to "particular social groups marginalized by poverty, sickness, and age," according to historian of hospitals, Guenter Risse.48 James Joseph Walsh wrote the following about the Catholic Church's contribution to the hospital system: During the thirteenth century an immense number of {Link without Title} hospitals were built. The Italian cities were the leaders of the movement. Milan had no fewer than a dozen hospitals and Florence before the end of the Fourteenth century had some thirty hospitals. Some of these were very beautiful buildings. At Milan a portion of the general hospital was designed by Bramante and another part of it by Michelangelo . The ''Hospital of the innocents'' in Florence for foundlings was an architectural gem. The Hospital of Sienna, built in honor of St. Catherine , has been famous ever since. Everywhere throughout Europe this hospital movement spread. Virchow , the great German pathologist, in an article on hospitals, showed that every city of Germany of five thousand inhabitants had its hospital. He traced all of this hospital movement to Pope Innocent III , and though he was least papistically inclined, Virchow did not hesitate to give extremely high praise to this pontiff for all that he had accomplished for the benefit of children and suffering mankind.49 In spite of the lingering problems of the Dark Ages, hospitals began to appear in great numbers in France and England. Following the French Norman invasion into England, the explosion of French ideals led most Medieval monasteries to develop a hospitium or hospice for pilgrims. This hospitium eventually developed into what we now understand as a hospital, with various monks and lay helpers providing the medical care for sick pilgrims and victims of the numerous plagues and chronic diseases that afflicted Medieval Western Europe. Benjamin Gordon supports the theory that the hospital – as we know it - is a French invention, but that it was originally developed for isolating lepers and plague victims, and only later undergoing modification to serve the pilgrim.50 Owing to a well-preserved 12th century account of the monk Eadmer of the Canterbury cathedral, there is an excellent account of Bishop Lanfranc’s aim to establish and maintain examples of these early hospitals: But I must not conclude my work by omitting what he did for the poor outside the walls of the city Canterbury. In brief, he constructed a decent and ample house of stone…for different needs and conveniences. He divided the main building into two, appointing one part for men oppressed by various kinds of infirmities and the other for women in a bad state of health. He also made arrangements for their clothing and daily food, appointing ministers and guardians to take all measures so that nothing should be lacking for them.51 The beauty and efficiency of the Italian hospitals inspired even some who were otherwise critical of the Church. The German historian Ludwig Von Pastor recounts the words of Martin Luther who, while journeying to Rome in the winter of 1510–1511, had occasion to visit some of these hospitals: In Italy, he remarks, the hospitals are handsomely built, and admirably provided with excellent food and drink, careful attendants and learned physicians. The beds and bedding are clean, and the walls are covered with paintings. When a patient is brought in, his clothes are removed in the presence of a notary who makes a faithful inventory of them, and they are kept safely. A white smock is put on him and he is laid on a comfortable bed, with clean linen. Presently two doctors come to him, and the servants bring him food and drink in clean glasses, showing him all possible attention.52 cf. Luther, Martin. (1967). ''Luther's Works'', American Edition, 55 vols. Helmut T. Lehmann, Theodore G. Tappert, editors, Concordia Publishing House and Fortress Press, '' Table Talk '', vol. 54, p.296, No. 3930 , ( recorded by Anthony Lauterbach, August 1, 1538 ). ISBN 0-8006-0354-0 The Catholic Church as ''opus proprium'', says Benedict XVI in Deus Caritas Est , has conducted throughout the centuries from its very beginning and continues to conduct many charitable services — hospitals, schools, poverty alleviation programs, among others. On November 14, 2006, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops also issued the document Ministry To Persons With A Homosexual Inclination to provide "guidelines for the pastoral care of people with a homosexual inclination". Sexual abuse cases Since 1985, there have been an estimated 1,400 sexual abuse lawsuits launched against Roman Catholic priests in the United States. Allegations were made that priests had sexually abused children over several decades and that church leaders had sometimes dealt with the abusive priests by relocating them instead of reporting them to civil authorities. A study by the U.S. Bishop's National Review Board found that U.S. sex-abuse related costs totaled $573 million, with $219 million covered by insurance companies. The AP reported in 2007 that the cost to U.S. church's from 1950 to now is at least $2.3 billion. The largest single payout was by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 2007 in the amount of $660 million.[http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070907/ap_on_re/church_abuse_bankruptcy;_ylt=AlGal3Us6Vlrtj7uzwf.wkis0NUE] The U.S. Bishop's National Review Board study concluded that 81% of the abuse victims were male (while, the study said, in the general U.S. society the main problem is men abusing girls), and that only a small percentage of the priests were accused of abusing children who had not reached puberty."An overwhelming majority of the victims, 81 percent, were males. The most vulnerable were boys aged 11 to 14, representing more than 40 percent of the victims. This goes against the trend in the general U.S. society where the main problem is men abusing girls. A majority of the victims were post-pubescent adolescents with a small percentage of the priests accused of abusing children who had not reached puberty" (Study commissioned by the U.S. Bishops' National Review Board, published by John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, 27 February 2004, as reported at [http://www.americancatholic.org/News/ClergySexAbuse/ AmericanCatholic.org]). Since 2001, the adjudication of charges of sexual abuse by clergy is no longer within the competence of the local bishop, but is reserved to the issued an official document, the '' Instruction Concerning The Criteria For The Discernment Of Vocations With Regard To Persons With Homosexual Tendencies In View Of Their Admission To The Seminary And To Holy Orders '' (2005). The document states that the Church "cannot admit to the seminary or to holy orders those who practise homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support the so-called 'gay culture'". SEE ALSO
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