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Question Title Posted By Question Date
the starting of the Church William Wednesday, December 8, 2004

Question:

I have some people telling me the Roman Catholic Church was started in 0325 by Clements,can you help me tell these people they are wrong and the Church was started by Jesus Christ in about 33.

Did the name Roman Catholic come after the spilt in about 1054 ? I may be wrong on all counts so I need your help.

Yours in Christ and Thank You.



Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear William:

I think these people are saying that the Church was started by Constantine around A.D. 325. This is a common error proven easily by the fact that there have been Popes since St. Peter. If the Catholic Church did not start until 325 then Pope St. Sylvester I, who was Pope from A.D. 314-35 would have been the first Pope.

In fact there were 33 Popes that preceded him and this list is a matter of historical fact.

St. Peter (32-67)
St. Linus (67-76)
St. Anacletus (Cletus) (76-88)
St. Clement I (88-97)
St. Evaristus (97-105)
St. Alexander I (105-115)
St. Sixtus I (115-125) -- also called Xystus I
St. Telesphorus (125-136)
St. Hyginus (136-140)
St. Pius I (140-155)
St. Anicetus (155-166)
St. Soter (166-175)
St. Eleutherius (175-189)
St. Victor I (189-199)
St. Zephyrinus (199-217)
St. Callistus I (217-22)
St. Urban I (222-30)
St. Pontain (230-35)
St. Anterus (235-36)
St. Fabian (236-50)
St. Cornelius (251-53)
St. Lucius I (253-54)
St. Stephen I (254-257)
St. Sixtus II (257-258)
St. Dionysius (260-268)
St. Felix I (269-274)
St. Eutychian (275-283)
St. Caius (283-296) -- also called Gaius
St. Marcellinus (296-304)
St. Marcellus I (308-309)
St. Eusebius (309 or 310)
St. Miltiades (311-14)

Here is an encylopedia article that gives details of the the Papacy from the first century: The Popes

There are also several pamphlets on the subject of the Popes at Catholic Answers

St. Ignatius of Antioch in A.D. 107 was the first one to call the Church "Catholic" and admonised the local churches to remain in communion with the Bishop of Rome.

Pope Clement I, who was Pope from A.D. 88-97, ordered the Church at Corinth to shape up or be under the pain of sin. Since Clement I was not the Bishop of Corinth the only way he could have exerted such authority is if he was Pope. We have manuscripts still in existence of Pope Clement's admonishment to the Church of Corinth.

The Term Roman Catholic

The Term "Roman" Catholic was not applied to the Church until the 16th Century. When the King split from the Church and started the Church of England they wanted to fancy themselves as still being Catholic.

So the term "Roman" Catholic began as an a cowardly way by the Church of England to try to convince themselves that they were still "Catholic", but just not under Rome. The term was also considered an insult to Catholic Church.

God bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary