The Catholic Church was founded by Jesus Christ nearly two thousand years ago through His apostles and disciples. The Church consists of the faithful united though the Holy Spirit by faith, the seven sacraments, and leadership. The visible head of the Catholic Church is the Pope of Rome who is the successor to St. Peter, the vicar of Christ, and universal teacher of religious truth.

The early Church originated in the Middle East and spread throughout the world. As the Church spread, it encountered a variety of cultures. The coupling of Christianity with these cultures resulted in different forms of worship and expressions of faith. While the forms of worship, or rites varied from region to region, the fundamental truths of Catholicism remained the same.

The early Church established local churches in the major centers of the Roman Empire: Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, Rome, and Constantinople. When the Roman Empire was divided into East and West in 395 AD, the local churches became closely related to the structure of the state. Political divisions became models for ecclesiastical division, and the tendency was for each political division to have its own local church. This can be seen in how the Catholic Church is structured today. It consists of Western Rites and Eastern Rites. The Western Rites consist of those ancient traditions whose center was Rome. The Eastern Rites consist of the Christian communities whose centers were Constantinople, Jerusalem, Antioch, and Alexandra.

The various Rites vary from one another with regards to their Eucharistic Liturgies, fasting regulations, celebration of holy days, art, architecture, etc. Each Rite is autonomous in that each has its own canons, ecclesiastical discipline, and spiritual hierarchy. However, each Rite maintains the Sacraments (Mysteries), the fundamental teachings of the Church (the Incarnation, Resurrection, the Blessed Trinity, ...) and stresses the common Apostolic Tradition. All Rites within the Catholic Church are of equal dignity. Differences in forms of worship do not compromise the essential unity of the Church. Catholics of various Rites are encouraged to worship in each other's Churches, including receiving the Sacramental Mysteries of Reconciliation (Penance) and the Holy Eucharist.

webmaster www.evangelizationstation.com