Definition and Identity of the Roman Catholic Church
The Roman Catholic Church is one of the most special terms used to refer to the archdiocese church of Rome. The name is a 19th-century British coinage aimed at differentiating the church from all other churches that follow the catholic faith. The Roman Catholic Church strictly defines its Christians in communion with the pope. In this case, the name Roman Catholic is perceived to be the first church to be formed when Christianity started, making it the major group of Christians among the various catholic churches. As a Christian church, the Roman Catholic has a hierarchy of bishops and priests under the pope’s rule, a mass centered on the liturgy, veneration of the Holy Mary and saints, celibacy, and papal infallibility. Such aspects are linked to the Roman Catholic, making it distinct from other catholic churches.
The Four Marks of the Church
The Roman Catholic is also called the one holy catholic and apostolic church. This aspect is based on the belief that it is the only church that Christ established on earth. In this case, the Roman Catholics believe that the church is the complete identity of the church of Christ, which He first established before ascending to heaven to be on the right.
The terms holy, catholic, and apostolic portray the four marks of the church (Coogan 23). The word “one” means that the church is one united or single global church based on Christ. The second word, “holy,” refers to the holy body of Christ, who is the church’s head.
The third word, “catholic,” is used to mean universal in terms of the gospel spreading across the globe. The fourth word, “apostolic,” is based on the church’s origin, as it is believed that the church started with the apostles during Pentecost (de Lubac 9). Such words are affirmed in the creeds linked to the Roman Catholic Church, which the members use to profess their faith and beliefs.
The Role of the Creeds in Roman Catholic Belief
In the creeds, the church’s various beliefs are stipulated, including how the church addresses the holy trinity. The three creeds, which entail the Nicene, Apostles, and Athanasian Creeds, make clear the essential beliefs of the church and effectively address the nature of God. According to the creeds, Christians profess their faith in the eternal existence of God as the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit (Ratzinger 20).
The creeds state that Jesus Christ is the only begotten son of God who lives in heaven, and the Holy Spirit is God who gives life to all beings. The teachings of God the Son enlighten Christians about the resurrection from the dead. Christians believe that after conquering death, they will resurrect as Jesus did and ascend to heaven, where they will have everlasting life (Dulles 8). The creed is very clear in the church: the resurrection and eternal life as Christians believe that they live the life of Christ, who died for our sins and was resurrected. Christ showed them the way as He passed beyond death to new life.
Comparison of the Nicene and Apostles’ Creeds
The Nicene and the Apostle’s creeds are the two main creeds used in the Roman Catholic Church. The two creeds are used on different occasions and differ in structure, even though the content is almost identical. In terms of catechism, the Nicene Creed is more elaborate as it intends to enhance non-believers’ understanding of the church’s beliefs and attract more followers through baptism. Through the elaborated structure, the church addressed the issues about the church and its central beliefs, making it easy to convince even illiterate people to join the faith.
Works Cited
Coogan, Michael D., The New Oxford Annotated Study Bible: New Revised Standard Version with the Apocrypha, Fifth Edition Fully Revised and Expanded. New York: Oxford University Press, 2018. [ISBN 978-0-19-027608-9]
De Lubac, Henri. The Christian Faith: An Essay on the Structure of the Apostles’ Creed. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1986 [1969]. [ISBN 0-89870-053-1]
Dulles, Avery. The catholicity of the Church. Oxford University Press, 1987.
Ratzinger, Joseph [Benedict XVI], Introduction to Christianity. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2004 [1968]. [ISBN 1-58617-029-5]