Roman Catholic Church in the Middle Ages represents one of the most powerful EU institutions.It is thanks to her efforts, it managed to reconcile conflicting interests of Western countries and the region in which they were turned into a fairly coherent and monolithic entity.
history of the Catholic Church
basic dogmas of the Christian faith had formed before the beginning of the Middle Ages.In concentrated form, they were recorded in the Creed, adopted in 325 at the Council of Nicaea.Since then, 264 years have passed, and the Catholic Church decided to make him a very significant addition, which finally divided the Eastern and Western branches of Christianity.This is the famous dogma (589), which states that the source of the Holy Spirit is not only God the Father, and God the Son.Rather, this provision was adopted in order to prevail in a protracted controversy with the Arians.Adding to the formula of faith ("I believe in one God") supplement "and the Son", the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages introduced a new, more subordinative interpretation of the Trinity: it turned out that the younger son of the Father, despite the fact that both are sources of the Holy Spirit.Despite the fact that this view is controversial, in 809, with the support of Charlemagne it was finally fixed on the Aachen Cathedral.There is another important innovation, which in those days took the Catholic Church.In the Middle Ages the Roman pope Gregory the Great 1 first voiced the idea of the existence of some intermediate place between heaven and hell where the righteous guilty could atone for their sins are minor.On the basis of this assumption, there was the dogma of purgatory.Another innovation was the postulate of a stock of good works.According to the dogma of the righteous and holy in his life make many good things that are too much for personal salvation.As a result of "excess" good accumulates in the church and can be used to rescue the less righteous worshipers.This idea has been very practical use: the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages began selling indulgences.Beginning in 1073 the title of "Daddy" was the only belong to the Bishop of Rome.According to the teachings of the apostolic heritage is transferred to it all the trappings of power that once belonged to Peter, who led the first 12 apostles.In 1870, the thesis was finally secured to the Vatican as a dogma of the supremacy of the pope.
role of the Catholic Church in our time
Despite the fact that the power of the western branch of Christianity in our day markedly diminished, it is too early to say that the influence of this organization in the world today does not mean anything.The Catholic Church continues to be a significant social institution, which can easily change the public opinion on a particular issue.Ever since the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church has managed to amass great wealth.In the United States property of its organizations is estimated at about $ 100 billion., And the value of annual income stands at $ 15 billion. It is natural that such a large and well-funded organization like the modern Catholic Church, strongly defending its global interests.In spite of internal contradictions and a separation from the people, the influence of this organization in the Western world is still a very high level.
