Who founded the Catholic Church?

Question

Who founded the Catholic Church? Explain.

Answer 1

Jesus Christ set up the structure of the Catholic Church.

Then the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles and disciples on Pentecost and the Church was born.

The Church has referred to itself as the “Catholic Church” at least since 107 AD (about 10 years after the last book of the New Testament was written), when the term appears in the Letter of St. Ignatius of Antioch to the Smyrnaeans:

"Wherever the bishop appear, there let the multitude be; even as wherever Christ Jesus is, there is the Catholic Church."

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/ignatius-smyrnaeans-hoole.html

We do not know how long they had been using the term "Catholic" before it was included in this letter.

All of this was long before the Council of Nicea and the Nicene Creed from 325 A.D. which states, "We believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church."

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

Catholics believe that Jesus Christ Himself founded the Catholic Church.

Pentecost is the official beginning of the Catholic Church. It is often referred to as the "birthday" of the Church. So, therefore the Church was begun by the Apostles with Peter as their head (the first pope).

Answer 3

"I say to thee: That thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven."

These words were spoken by Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself (see Mt 16:18-19) to the Apostle Peter. The answer therefore is that Christ founded the Catholic Church. The context (see verses before v.18) makes it clear that He founded the Church on Peter's profession of Faith, which was given to Peter as a singular grace by God the Father.

God, therefore, is the founder of the Catholic Church: God the Father, God the Son and also, obviously, God the Holy Spirit. That is why the Church is Trinitarian, just as she is Christocentric.

Answer 4

Jesus Christ founded the Catholic Church.

Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.

And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, 13 and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.

I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. 14 Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."

Matthew 16: 17-19.

God bless.

Answer 5

The Catholic Church, like any other church is founded on belief in Jesus Christ as the son of God, who took on flesh, died for our sins, and rose from the dead.

The Catholic Church traces its mandate to Peter. Jesus said to Peter, "You are the rock on which I will build my church." Catholics see Peter as the first Pope.

All subsequent popes are descended from Peter, not biologically, but rather by apostolic succession. This means that each priest, bishop, or pope receives the blessing to perform their office by laying on of hands, thus passing the mandate down the line.

Answer 6

jesus christ. the details are quite long so here are some sites should you be interested

www.scripturecatholic.com
www.catholiceducation.org
www.newadvent.org
www.askmeaboutgod.org
www.fisheaters.com

a catechism the bible and the writings of the early church fathers attest to the teachings and beliefs of the early christians being roman catholic.

Answer 7

Constantine made apostate Chrisianity the state religion.

The Roman Catholic Church contends that its origin is the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ in approximately 30 A.D. The Catholic Church proclaims itself to be the Church that Jesus Christ died for, the Church that was established and built by the Apostles. Is that the true origin of the Catholic Church? On the contrary. Even a cursory reading of the New Testament will reveal that the Catholic Church does not have its origin in the teachings of Jesus, or His apostles. In the New Testament, there is no mention of the papacy, worship / adoration of Mary (or the immaculate conception of Mary, the perpetual virginity of Mary, the assumption of Mary, or Mary as co-redemptrix and mediatrix), petitioning saints in Heaven for their prayers, apostolic succession, the ordinances of the church functioning as sacraments, infant baptism, confession of sin to a priest, purgatory, indulgences, or the equal authority of church tradition and Scripture.

Attention Linda: Jesus did NOT say to Peter, "You are the rock on which I will build my church." Read that verse again.

There is NOTHING in the Bible that even hints on there being a succession of popes. And why should there be? "Pope" comes from the Latin "pappas" which means "father." Didn't Jesus tell his followers not to be called "father" as a religious title? (Matt. 23:19)

The Church is the mother of false Christianity.

Answer 8

The first Bishop of Rome (Patriarch of Rome, and therefore the pope) was Peter, one of the 12 disciples. Other patriarchies existed, and still do exist, but after the Nicean Council, and the subsequent schism, they are all now termed "orthodox" christians.

Answer 9

I think Constantine in Rome. or at least it was founded in Rome when they tried to combine many religions those using Mary to replace the Goddess Diana. it has absorbed so much from other faiths of its time that Christians are still accused of being pagan and that is why the Protestant churches Brock away from the catholic doctrine looking more to the Bible.

Answer 10

Wayne T is correct. And, the 1st pope was Gregory around 600 A.D. Roman catholicism is one of the factions of early Christianity- fortunately for that group, the Emperor was on their side. It proved to be unfortunate for the rest of the Christians.
Peter was never a pope or a bishop of Rome. There is no 'credible' documentation to support this tale.