There may be enormous benefit from Catholic evangelization in safeguarding the future survival and growth of that church. Unfortunately, Catholicism has undergone significant decline in recent times. If one is to do an assessment of its history, it will show that this downward trend was set in motion as far back as the 15th century. It is also a trend that is showing no let up in modern times.
From the beginning of Christianity as the leading religion in Western countries, Rome was at the helm of the international church. Indeed, in historical times, there existed just one Christian church. As new churches broke away, the main Roman church came to be known as Catholics. They preserved their governing seat as the Vatican and the presiding pontiff as the Pope.
Catholicism still remains the largest Christian denomination. It is the church that is followed by most of Latin America. It has millions of believers in Brazil, Mexico and Argentina. Southern Europe also has a big following in Spain, Italy and Portugal. In Eastern and Western Europe countries of Ireland and Poland profess Catholicism as the primary denominations of those countries.
From the 1600s onwards, the church began to experience breakaways as new denominations began to spring up. This was especially so in countries of West Europe such as Germany, Netherlands and Britain. As these countries began to assert their own power during the age of exploration and colonialism, they no longer wanted to be dominated by the powers of Rome.
This trend of assuming political independence from Rome is perhaps nowhere better illustrated than in the history of Britain and the emergence of the Protestants. The main protagonist in this particular story is the Tudor King Henry VIII who decided he wanted to marry Anne Boleyn. Unfortunately, for him, he was still already married to Catherine of Aragon. As the doctrine of Rome prohibited divorce, any marriage to Boleyn would have been illegal. To solve this problem, Henry and his advisors decided that England should have its own church headed by its own King. Hence, the birth of the protestant Church of England.
In the same way that the Protestants splintered from the main church, Protestantism also experienced breakup in turn. Other important churches grew independently, namely, the Baptists, Presbyterians and the Methodists. In Germany and the Netherlands, the Lutheran church and the Dutch Reform church began to hold sway. The growth of America also fuelled the trend. As the provided sanctuary to persecuted churches, many start-ups that were considered heretical in their home countries, set sail for America.
People of African origin are represented in some of the fastest growing churches of the modern world. They favour the Charismatic and the Pentecostal movements which are on the rise among Africans, African Americans and African Caribbean people. This branch of Christianity is also growing where black people do not predominate.
Growth of other churches has happened at the expense of Catholicism. In order to gain back some of the lost ground, Catholic evangelization may be able to win back some lost believers and return back to a growing church.
From the beginning of Christianity as the leading religion in Western countries, Rome was at the helm of the international church. Indeed, in historical times, there existed just one Christian church. As new churches broke away, the main Roman church came to be known as Catholics. They preserved their governing seat as the Vatican and the presiding pontiff as the Pope.
Catholicism still remains the largest Christian denomination. It is the church that is followed by most of Latin America. It has millions of believers in Brazil, Mexico and Argentina. Southern Europe also has a big following in Spain, Italy and Portugal. In Eastern and Western Europe countries of Ireland and Poland profess Catholicism as the primary denominations of those countries.
From the 1600s onwards, the church began to experience breakaways as new denominations began to spring up. This was especially so in countries of West Europe such as Germany, Netherlands and Britain. As these countries began to assert their own power during the age of exploration and colonialism, they no longer wanted to be dominated by the powers of Rome.
This trend of assuming political independence from Rome is perhaps nowhere better illustrated than in the history of Britain and the emergence of the Protestants. The main protagonist in this particular story is the Tudor King Henry VIII who decided he wanted to marry Anne Boleyn. Unfortunately, for him, he was still already married to Catherine of Aragon. As the doctrine of Rome prohibited divorce, any marriage to Boleyn would have been illegal. To solve this problem, Henry and his advisors decided that England should have its own church headed by its own King. Hence, the birth of the protestant Church of England.
In the same way that the Protestants splintered from the main church, Protestantism also experienced breakup in turn. Other important churches grew independently, namely, the Baptists, Presbyterians and the Methodists. In Germany and the Netherlands, the Lutheran church and the Dutch Reform church began to hold sway. The growth of America also fuelled the trend. As the provided sanctuary to persecuted churches, many start-ups that were considered heretical in their home countries, set sail for America.
People of African origin are represented in some of the fastest growing churches of the modern world. They favour the Charismatic and the Pentecostal movements which are on the rise among Africans, African Americans and African Caribbean people. This branch of Christianity is also growing where black people do not predominate.
Growth of other churches has happened at the expense of Catholicism. In order to gain back some of the lost ground, Catholic evangelization may be able to win back some lost believers and return back to a growing church.
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