When was the Only True Church Founded- The Catholic Church the True church of Christ

When Was The Catholic Church founded?




Posted by catholicfaithdefender on April 10, 2008
http://www.catholicapologetics.info/
When Was The Catholic Church founded?
BY Charles The Hammer
When researching the history of the Catholic Church using public
sources we find that many times thay are reluctant to give the full
truth as to when and by whom the Catholic Church was found. Some are
only willing to admit the church existed in the first century but most
just avoid the issue altogether. Below, I have listed a series of
citations from non-Catholic sources which are believed to be helpful in
apologetics. When you read them you’ll notice that each one admits
certain details but does not discuss other details, of course it would
not do well with Protestants if any encyclopedia came forward and
stated ” The Catholic Church was founded in the first century by Jesus
Christ ” but occasionally they’re forced to admit part of this truth
such as the church existing from the first century or its connection to
the apostles of Jesus Christ, is for this reason they become useful.
Protestants many times would like us to believe there was no early
church structure or for that matter a specific early church and that
Constantine “created” the Roman Catholic Church. they would also like
us to believe there was no standardized early church leadership and
no universal church leadership, all of these were creations of the third
and fourth century. Although as a stated above not everyone the
citations is as explicit as we may want them to be their very useful
against the pseudo-history.
ROMAN CATHOLICISM. The largest of the Christian denominations
is the Roman Catholic church. As an institution it has existed since the
1st century AD…The name of the church is derived from its base in Rome
and from a Greek term meaning “universal.” The word Catholic refers
to the wholeness of the church, and for many centuries the Roman church
claimed to be the only true Christian denomination.(Compton’s
Interactive Encyclopedia 1996)
ROMAN CATHOLICISM: Christian church characterized by its
uniform, highly developed doctoral and organizational structure that
traces its history to the apostles of Jesus Christ in the 1st century
C.E. (Marriam-Webster’s Encyclopedia of World Religions 1999, page
938 )
The history of the Roman Church, therefore, in relation to the
ancient oriental churches, is in fact, the history of this claim to
supremacy. The claim of supremacy on the part of the bishop of Rome
rests on the belief that Christ conferred on the apostle Peter a
‘primacy of jurisdiction;’ that Peter fixed his see and died at Rome
and thus, that the bishops of Rome, as successors of the apostle Peter,
have succeeded to his preorgatives of supremacy. In this light,
historians read the facts of the early history of the church—and they
trace to this acknoledgment of the superiority of that see, the numerous
references to Rome on matters of doctrine or discipline; the appeals
from other churhces, even those of Alexandria, Antioch, and
Constantinople; the depositions or nominations of bishops, examination
and condemnation of heresies—of which the first five centuries,
especially the 4th and 5th, present examples. . . In all the
controversies on the Incarnation—the Arian, the Nestorian, the
Eutychian, the Monothelite—not only was the orthodoxy of Rome never
impeached, but she even supplied at every crisis a rallying point for
the orthodox of every church. ( Imperial Encyclopedia and Dictionary,
Volume 32 1903)
The Church of Rome is the earliest of Christian organization; after
three centuries of persecution, it was given freedom by the edict of
Constantine and Licinius and acquired increased influence. Bishoprics
were established in various parts of the empire, but the one at Rome
remained supreme, and in time the title of Pope, or father originally
borne by all the bishops indiscriminately, began to be restricted to
the bishop of Rome.(The World Book Encyclopedia 1940, Page 6166, Volume 14,)
The office of Pope was founded on the words of Christ: “And I say
also unto thee, That thou art Peter [which means a rock], and upon this
rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail
against it” ( Matthew xvi, 18). The attention of every historian has
been attracted by the endurance of the Papacy through centuries that
have seen the downfall of every other European institution that existed
when the Papacy arose, and of a number of others that have originated
and fallen, while it continued t flourish. The Roman Catholic offers
these facts as evidence that the Church is not merely a human
institution, but that it is built “upon a rock,” (The World Book
Encyclopedia 1940, Page 5730 Volume13)
Historical Notes. The Holy Catholic Apostolic Roman Church recognizes
the Bishop of Rome, the Pope, as the Vicar of Christ on this earth,
and as the Head of the Church. It traces its origin from the naming of
the Apostles Peter by Jesus as the chief of the Apostles . The
authority of Peter as head of the Church is exercised by his successors
as the Bishops of Rome. The doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church
come from the faith given by Christ to his Apostles.( World Religions,
By Benson Y. Landis, 1957 Page 110)
At first the Christians were terribly persecuted, but gradually they
spread the Christ’s radian spirit and teachings until they united many
races, classes, and religious beliefs into a brotherhood which extended
from Persia to the Atlantic Ocean. Later, this brotherhood spread to
American, and Christianity became the prevailing religion of the
Western Hemisphere. It has now ben taught in all countries.For nearly a
thousand years the Christians remained practically one great
community. Then the Greek Catholics broke away from the Roman Catholics. “The World Book Encyclopedia 1940, Page 1413 Volume 3)
(The Catholic) Church… traces an unbroken line of popes from
St. Peter in the 1st century AD to the present occupant of the papal
throne. During this nearly 2,000-year period there were more than 30
false popes, most notably during the late 14th and early 15th
centuries. These men were merely claimants to the position. There have
rarely been periods when a genuine pope was not ruling the church. In
1978 John Paul II became the 264th true pope.(Compton’s Interactive
Encyclopedia 1996)
By A. D. 100,…Christianity had become an institution headed by
a three-rank hierarchy of bishops, priests, and deacons, who
understood themselves to be the guardians of the only “true faith.” The
majority of churches, among which the church of Rome took a leading
role, rejected all other viewpoints as heresy. Deploring the diversity
of the earlier movement, Bishop Irenaeus and his followers insisted that
there could be only one church, and outside of that church, he
declared, “there is no salvation.” Members of this church alone are
orthodox (literally, “straight-thinking”) Christians. And, he claimed,
this church must be catholic– that is, universal.(The Gnostic Gospels
by Elaine Pagels. Published by Vintage Books. 1994)
The Empire within the Empire.—Long before the fall of Rome
there had begun to grow up within the Roman Empire an ecclesiastical
state, which in its constitution and its administrative system was
shaping itself upon the imperial model. This spiritual empire, like the
secular empire, possessed a hierarchy of officers, of which deacons,
priests or prebyters, and bishops were the most important. The bishops
collectively formed what is know as the episcopate. There were four
grades of bishops, namely, country bishops, city bishops, metropolitans
or archbishops, and patriarchs. At the end of the third century there
were five patriarchates, that is, regions ruled by patriarchs. These
centered in the great cities of Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria,
Antioch, and Jerusalem. Among the patriarchs, the patriarchs of Rome
were accorded almost universally a precedence in honor and dignity.
They claimed further a precedence in authority and jurisdiction, and
this was already very widely recognized …Besides the influence of great
men, such as Leo the Great, Gregory the Great, and Nicholas I, who
held the seat of St. Peter, there were various historical circumstances
that contributed to the realization by the Roman bishops of their claim
to supremacy and aided them vastly in establishing the almost
universal authority of the see of Rome. In the following paragraphs we
shall enumerate several of these favoring circumstances. These matters
constitute the great landmarks in the rise and early growth of the
Papacy.
The belief in the Primacy of St. Peter and in the Founding by
him of the Church at Rome.—The Catholic Church teaches that the apostle
Peter was given by the Master primacy among his fellow apostles and,
furthermore, that Christ intrusted that disciple with the keys of the
kingdom of heaven and invested him with superlative authority as
teacher and interpreter of the Word by the commission “Feed my sheep”; .
. .”feed my lambs,” thus giving into his charge the entire flock of
the Church. It also teaches that the apostle Peter himself founded the
church at Rome. Without doubt he preached at Rome and suffered
martyrdom there under the Emperor Nero…The Pastor as Protector of
Rome.—With the advent of the barbarians there came another occasion for
the Roman bishops to widen their influence and enhance their
authority. Rome’s extremity was their opportunity. Thus it will be
recalled how mainly through the intercession of the pious Pope Leo the
Great the fierce Attila was persuaded to turn back and spare the
imperial city; and how the same bishop, in the year A.D. 455, also
appeased in a measure the wrath of the Vandal Geiseric and shielded the
inhabitants from the worst passions of a barbarian soldiery…Thus when
the emperors, the natural defenders of the capital, were unable to
protect it, the unarmed Pastor was able, through the awe and reverence
inspired by his holy office, to render services that could not but
result in bringing increased honor and dignity to the Roman see.
(Mediaeval and Modern History, By Myers, Pg 26-27 Ginn and Company New
York, 1905 )
Peter: d AD 64? Apostle, pope, and saint. According to the
Bible Peter, a fisherman of Galilee was originally known as Simon. He
was chosen by Jesus to be the first leader (pope) of his disciples.
During Jesus’ crucifixion, Peter denied knowing him, an act that Jesus
had predicted and that Peter bitterly repented of. After word of Jesus’
ascension to heaven, Peter actively sought converts, and is believed to
have been crucified, head downward, in Rome by Nero. In the Roman
Catholic Church, he is considered to be the first Pope. (Excerpted from
the Macmillan Concise Dictionary of World History, compiled by Bruce Watterau. 1986 Macmillan Publishing Company, a division of Macmillan, Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
“If you are a Roman Catholic, Jesus Christ began your religion
in the year 33. “(Ann Landers (Jewish), syndicated columnist in the
Daily Record of Morris County, N.J. (from which we take this piece) for
Monday, November 11,1996 reads)
“The Roman Catholic church … the only legitimate inheritor, by
an unbroken episcopal succession descending from Saint Peter to the
present time, of the commission and powers conferred by Jesus
Christ…Until the break with the Eastern church in 1054 and the break
with the Protestant churches in the 1500s, it is impossible to separate
the history of the Roman Catholic church from the history of
Christianity” (The Encarta Encyclopedia 1997 says)
“33-40 A.D.The Roman Catholic Church is founded by Jesus Christ”(The Timetables of History 1975)
“The Catholic Church…Saint Peter and the Popes who have
descended in unbroken succession from him have never ceased to feed,
with the life-giving Sacraments and doctrines of the Catholic Church,
the sheep whom Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd” (History Of The Popes
1965)
“Jesus Christ has founded one only Church, the Catholic
hierarchical Church, whose chief pastors are the Pope and the Bishops in
union with the Pope,” (The Early Church 1945)
“St. Peter, of Bethsaida in Galilee, From Christ he received
the name of Cepha, an Aramaic name which means rock .Prince of the
Apostles, was the first pope of the Roman Catholic Church. He lived
first in Antioch and then in Rome for 25 years. In C.E. 64 or 67, he was
martyred. St. Linus became the second pope.” (National Almanac
1996)
“ROMAN CATHOLICISM The largest of the Christian denominations
is the Roman Catholic church. As an institution it has existed since the
1st century AD, …the Roman church owes its existence to the life of
Jesus Christ in the 1st century AD” (Comptons Encyclopedia 1995)
“Roman Catholic authority rests upon a mandate that is traced
to the action of Jesus Christ himself, when he invested Peter and,
through Peter, his successors with the power of the keys in the church.
Christ is the invisible head of his church, and by his authority the
pope is the visible head.” (Encyclopedia Britannica 1999)
“Roman Catholicism Christian church characterized by its
uniform, highly developed doctrinal and organizational structure that
traces its history to the Apostles of Jesus Christ in the 1st century
AD.” (Encyclopedia Britannica 1999)
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, the largest single Christian body, composed of
those Christians who acknowledge the supreme authority of the bishop
of Rome, the pope, in matters of faith. The word catholic (Gr.
katholikos) means “universal” and has been used to designate the church
since its earliest period, when it was the only Christian church. The
Roman Catholic church regards itself as the only legitimate inheritor,
by an unbroken episcopal succession descending from St. Peter to the
present time, of the commission and powers conferred by Jesus Christ on
the 12 apostles (see APOSTLE). The church has had a
profound influence on the development of European culture and on the
introduction of European values into other civilizations. Its total
membership as the 1990s began was about 995.8 million (about 18.8
percent of the world population). (Funk & Wagnalls Encyclopedia 1998-2000)
The doctrine of apostolic succession, that is, the continuous
transmission of ministry from the time of Jesus until today. The
doctrine is found as early as the Epistle to the Corinthians (c. 96),
traditionally attributed to Pope Clement I…It is expressly affirmed in
Roman Catholicism. It is identified with the succession of bishops in
office and interpreted as the source of the bishops’ authority and
leadership role. The most specific instance of these claims is that the
pope is the successor of St. Peter, who was chosen by Jesus as head of
his church (see Matt. 16:16–18). (Funk & Wagnalls Encyclopedia 1998-2000)

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IN THE WRITINGS OF THE EARLY CHRISTIANS
Saint Cyprian (died A.D. 258):
“He who has turned his back on the Church of Christ shall not come to
the rewards of Christ; he is an alien, a worldling, an enemy. You cannot have God for your Father if you have not the Church for your mother. Our Lord warns us when He says: `he that is not with Me is against Me, and he that gathereth not with Me scattereth.’
Whosoever breaks the peace and harmony of Christ acts against Christ;
whoever gathers elsewhere than in the Church scatters the Church of
Christ.” (Unity of the Catholic Church)
“He who does not hold this unity, does not hold the law of God, does not hold the faith of the Father and the Son, does not hold life and salvation.” (Patrologiae Cursus Completus: Latina)
“Nay, though they should suffer death for the confession of the
Name, the guilt of such men is not removed even by their blood…No martyr
can he be who is not in the Church.” (Ancient Christian Writers)
“Christ has declared the unity of the Church. Whoever parts and
divides the Church cannot possess Christ … The House of God is but one,
and no one can have salvation except in the Church” (The Unity of the Church)
“There is no salvation outside the Catholic Church … and it is they who in His Church have labored in doing good works whom the Lord says shall be received into the Kingdom of Heaven on the Day of Judgment.” (Epistle 73:21)
Bishop Firmilean (died A.D. 269): “What is the greatness of his error, and what the depth of his blindness,
who says that remission of sins can be granted in the synagogues of
heretics, and does not abide on the foundation of the one Church.” (Anti-Nicene Fathers)
Saints Cosmas and Damian (died A.D. 303): “There is absolutely no salvation outside the Catholic Church“ (Saints to Remember)
St. Catherine of Alexandria (died A.D. 307) “It is necessary for you to believe the Catholic Faith and to be baptized, as must every man in order to save his soul.” (Saints to Know and Love)
Lactantius (died A.D. 310): “It is the Catholic Church alone
which retains true worship. This is the fountain of truth, this is the
abode of the Faith, this is the temple of God; into which if anyone shall not enter, or from which if anyone shall go out, he is a stranger to the hope of life and eternal salvation.” (The Divine Institutes)
Saint Cyril of Jerusalem (died A.D. 386):
“Abhor all heretics…heed not their fair speaking or their mock
humility; for they are serpents, a `brood of vipers.’ Remember that,
when Judas said `Hail Rabbi,’ the salutation was an act of betrayal. Do
not be deceived by the kiss but beware of the venom. Abhor such men,
therefore, and shun the blasphemers of the Holy Spirit, for whom there
is no pardon. For what fellowship have you with men without hope.
Let us confidently say to God regarding all heretics, `Did I not hate,
O Lord, those who hated Thee, and did I not pine away because of Your
enemies?’ For there is an enmity that is laudable, as it is written, `I
will put enmity between you and the woman, between your seed and her
seed.’ Friendship with the serpent produces enmity with God, and death.
Let us shun those from whom God turns away.” (The Fathers of the Church)
Saint Ambrose (died A.D. 397):
“Where Peter is therefore, there is the Church. Where the Church is
there is not death but life eternal. …Although many call themselves
Christians, they usurp the name and do not have the reward.” (The Fathers of the Church)
St. John Chrysostom (died A.D. 407): “We know that salvation belongs to the Church alone, and that no one can partake of Christ nor be saved outside the Catholic Church and Catholic Faith.” (De Capto Eutropio)
“We should mourn for those who are dying without the Faith … And well should the pagan weep and lament who, not knowing God, goes straight to punishment when he dies!” (On the Consolation of Death)
St. Gaudentius of Brescia (died A.D. 410): “It is certain that all men of Noah’s time perished, except those who merited to be in the Ark, which was a figure of the Church. Likewise, they cannot in any way now be saved who are aliens from the Apostolic Faith and the Catholic Church” (De Lect. Evangel)
Bishop Niceta of Remesiana (died A.D. 415): “He
is the Way along which we journey to our salvation; the Truth, because
He rejects what is false; the Life, because He destroys death. …All
who from the beginning of the world were, or are, or will be justified –
whether Patriarchs, like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, or Prophets,
whether Apostles or martyrs, or any others – make up one Church,
because they are made holy by one faith and way of life, stamped with
one Spirit, made into one Body whose Head, as we are told, is Christ. I
go further. The angels and virtues and powers in heaven are co-members
in this one Church, for, as the Apostle teaches us, in Christ `all
things whether on the earth or in the heavens have been reconciled.’
You must believe, therefore, that in this one Church you are gathered
into the Communion of Saints. You must know that this is the one
Catholic Church established throughout the world, and with it you must
remain in unshaken communion. There are, indeed, other so called
`churches’ with which you can have no communion. …These `churches’
cease to be holy, because they were deceived by the doctrines of the
devil to believe and behave differently from what Christ commanded and
from the tradition of the Apostles.” (The Fathers of the Church)
Saint Jerome (died A.D. 420): “As
I follow no leader save Christ, so I communicate with none but your
blessedness, that is, with the Chair of Peter. For this, I know, is the
rock on which the Church is built. …This is the Ark of Noah, and he who is not found in it shall perish
when the flood prevails. …And as for heretics, I have never spared
them; on the contrary, I have seen to it in every possible way that the
Church’s enemies are also my enemies.” (Manual of Patrology and History of Theology)
“Therefore, I believe it is good for me to praise the Chair and
Faith of peter: with you alone remains uncorrupted the inhereitance of
the Fathers. As I follow no one but Christ, so do I therefore unite
myself with Your Holiness, that is, with the Chair of Peter. Whoever eats the Lamb outside this House is profane; whoever is not in this Ark of Noah will perish in the Flood; whoever does not gather with thee scatters; that is: he who is not Christ’s is Antichrist’s.” (To Pope Damasus, Epistle 15)
Saint Augustine (died A.D. 430): “No man can find salvation except in the Catholic Church. Outside the Catholic Church one can have everything except
salvation. One can have honor, one can have the sacraments, one can
sing alleluia, one can answer amen, one can have faith in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, and preach it too, but
never can one find salvation except in the Catholic Church.” (Sermo ad Caesariensis Ecclesia plebem)
“So certain and so clear is the Catholic Faith as expressed in the
words of the Apostolic See, so ancient and so well-extablished, that it
would be a sacrilege for any Christian to doubt!” (Faith of the Early Fathers)
“There is nothing a Christian should dread more than to be separated
from the Body of Christ, for if he is separated from the Body, he is
not one of His Members. If he is not a member of Christ, then he does
not live by His Spirit. “If any man have not the Spirit of Christ,”
says the Apostle, “he is none of His” (Romans 8:9) … Do you also wish
to live by the Spirit of Christ? Then belong to the Body of Christ. No
one ascends into Heaven except him who remains glued to Christ, for “no
man hath ascended into Heaven except Him Who alone descended from
Heaven: the Son of man Who is in Heaven” (John 3:13). Do you want to
ascend, too? Then become a member of Him Who alone ascends! For He, the
Head, is one man with the other members … If, then, the Body of Christ
and its members belong to “one man,” do not make two of them … He is
the Bridegroom Who is the Head, the Bride is he who is in the Body. For
“they two,” He said, “shall be in one flesh” (Mt. 19:5-6) … And since
no one can ascend into Heaven but him who has become His member in His
Body, the saying is fulfilled that “no man ascends to Heaven except Him
Who descended” … What do these words mean if not that no man ascends
into heaven who has not been made one with Him and, as a member, become
hidden within the Body of Him who has descended from Heaven? And what
is that Body if not the Church?” (Treatise on John)
“Everyone God teaches, He teaches out of pity; but whomever He does
not teach, He does not teach them out of justice … The saving grace of
this religion, the only true one, through which alone true salvation is
truly promised, has never been refused anyone who was worthy of it;
and whoever did lack it was unworthy of it. Consequently, those who have
not heard the Gospel, and those who, having heard it, have refused to
come to Christ, that is, to believe in Him … all of these have perished
in death; they all go in one lump into condemnation.” (Predestination of the Saints; Admonition and Grace)
St. Patrick (died A.D. 493):
“Not without just cause does the Apostle say: ‘Where the righteous
shall scarcely be saved, where shall the sinner and the ungodly
transgressor of the law find himself?’ (1Peter 4:18). The Words are not
mine, but God’s and the Apostle’s and Prophet’s who have never lied: “He who believes and is baptized shall be saved, but he who does not believe shall be damned‘ (Mk 16:16). God hath spoken!” (The Writings of St. Patrick)
Saint Fulgentius (died A.D. 533): “Hold most firmly and never doubt at all that not only pagans, but also all Jews, all heretics, and all schismatics who finish this life outside of the Catholic Church, will go into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Enchiridion Patristicum)
“No one can be saved by any means outside the Church; all pagans and heretics are infallibly damned … Anyone who is outside the Church is walking a path not to Heaven but to Hell. He is not approaching the home of eternal life; rather, he is hastening to the torment of eternal death.” (“On the Faith of Peter” and “The Forgiveness of Sins”)
“Anyone who is out of this Church is walking a path not
to heaven, but to hell. He is not getting closer to the home of eternal
life; on the contrary, he is hurrying to the torments of eternal
death. And this is the case not only if he remains a pagan without Baptism, but even if, after having been Baptized, he continue as a heretic“ (To Euthymius, on the Remission of Sins)
Saint Bede the Venerable (died A.D. 735): “Just as all within the ark were saved and all
outside of it were carried away when the flood came, so when all who
are pre-ordained to eternal life have entered the Church, the end of
the world will come and all will perish who are found outside.” (Hexaemeron)
“He who will not willingly and humbly enter the gate of the Church will certainly be damned and enter the gate of hell whether he wants to or not!” (cf. Sermon 16; PL94:129)

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Kita na ninyo hindi pala si Manalo, si Luther o mga walang kwentang nagtatag ng mga protestanteng sekta ang tunay eh. Si Cristo lang pala ang siyang nagtatag ng Iglesia. Ingatan ninyo ang mga Iglesiang kay Satanas sapagkata gagamitin niya ang mga pekeng sugo, mga sektang protestante gaya ng INC ni Manalo, Baptist, JW, Born against, at lahat ng klase ng sektang protestante para ilayo kayo sa tunay na ulo ng Catholic Church si Cristo.

Dhugz,

Ang question lagi ay kung nasa Bible daw ang "Roman Catholic?" Ano ang paliwanag mo dyan...