The Catholic Church...

Below is one of my homework assignments for school. It talks about the early Church and it's turmoil. Thought I'd share...

In 337 Emperor Constantine died. Constantine’s sons, whose views were different, “ultimately divided the empire” (p 37). Constantine became an extremist against the pagans. He enforced the death penalty for any non-Christian works and often forcefully destroyed. In doing so, Christianity penetrated throughout the region. However, in the fourth century Emperor Theodius banned “all pagan cults and sacrificial rites” leading the Catholic Church to become the “state church” (p38).

There were many positive and negative dimensions due to this change. For instance one positive aspect was that the initial church as they knew It had grown over time. It was no longer an oral religion that was spoken behind closed doors and in hiding. This religion had grown into the state (politics), humanities and even into a strong hierarchy to manage same. This hierarchy is “still exist today, Rome, Patriarchate of West, New Rome, Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem.

Conversely, the negatives were just as challenging, if not more. The extreme opposite commenced. This election of official state church created so much frenzy through out the region not only between the Christians and other religions, but also amongst the Christians themselves; “for the first time now Christians killed other Christians because of differences in their views of the faith” (Molloy p38).

I personally believe that everything happens for a reason. If the church had not gone through the turmoils and tribulations she went through early in history, we would not have the church we have today. As everything else, it is vital that everything evolves to some degree. Evolve enough to make a statement, but not enough where we will loose our roots and traditions. This was the main reason why we had Vatican II; times were changing and the church was stagnant.

The Church also maintains that beneath all changes there are many realities which do not change and which have their ultimate foundation in Christ, Who is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever. Hence under the light of Christ, the image of the unseen God, the firstborn of every creature, the council wishes to speak to all men in order to shed light on the mystery of man and to cooperate in finding the solution to the outstanding problems of our time. (Gaudium Et Spes 10) http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_cons_19651207_gaudium-et-spes_en.html