Was there ever a time in recorded history where The Catholic Church was the only Christianity in Existence?

[JamalChristophr]

I think the OP question is phrased in such a way that this thread is going to be rather chaotic. The question can be interpreted in too many different ways.

Perhaps we all could stand to learn more of our early church history for the first 1000 years. I know that I certainly need to do that.

For starters, I am curious to know which apostles it was that are credited with bringing the Gospel to your lands? Just asking because I don’t know. I remember something about Saints Cyril and Methodius but maybe I’m getting them mixed up somehow.

I know communication was quite poor the first 1000 years and the distance between Rome and Constantinople was approximately 900 miles which was pretty darn far back then!! But it seems there definitely was unity, though imperfect, between East and West back then. Even now, the bishop of a diocese is to a very large degree sovereign of his diocese to a point… He must of course stay within accepted doctrine and canon law, but he has say of what goes on in that diocese for the most part. And I think the East recognized the Bishop of Rome’s final authority until signficant issues started to arise, hitting their apex in 1054.

This thread could become many many pages, but maybe it won’t. I find the question somewhat vague and not precisely defined.

 

[JamalChristophr]

If there was in fact a large period of time where Catholicism was the only Christianity this will strengthen the possibility that the Catholic Church is the true church of Christ.

I think to answer, a person needs to really look at church history for at least the first 500 years and specifically focus on what the Church calls the great heresies, then one must decide if those were legitimate churches or just heretical movements splitting away from the Church by some strange doctrine or extreme emphasis on one truth at the expense of all the rest.

 

[JamalChristophr]

Let’s take Gnosticism in the first and second centuries. Did that count as Christianity? I would say yes, it was a form of Christianity, although an aberrant one that did not contain the fullness of the truth, but it was a form of Christianity.

Yes or no?

 

[Della]

Let’s take Gnosticism in the first and second centuries. Did that count as Christianity? I would say yes, it was a form of Christianity, although an aberrant one that did not contain the fullness of the truth, but it was a form of Christianity.

Yes or no?

Actually, Arianism was more of a rival for the title since a majority of bishops believed in it and promoted it in their dioceses. However, these heresies did not set themselves against the established Church, but rather tried to take it over, which is quite different from the split with the East, and centuries later, the Protestant Reformation. There were smaller splinter groups of heretics that did set themselves against the established Church before Luther, but they were quite small and localized. And although they posed a threat to the souls of those who adhered to them, they were never considered separate ecclesial communities, but simply heretics.

 

[JamalChristophr]

Actually, Arianism was more of a rival for the title since a majority of bishops believed in it and promoted it in their dioceses. However, these heresies did not set themselves against the established Church, but rather tried to take it over, which is quite different from the split with the East, and centuries later, the Protestant Reformation. There were smaller splinter groups of heretics that did set themselves against the established Church before Luther, but they were quite small and localized. And although they posed a threat to the souls of those who adhered to them, they were never considered separate ecclesial communities, but simply heretics.

I just picked one somewhat arbitrarily. Yes, Arianism was a special case, it seems to me. In this specific case, this error was attempted to be propagated throughout the Catholic church.

I’m not good at my church history but I remember from the movie about St. Augustine that he disputed with the Donatists. I got the impression they had set up their own church with their own bishops.

But Aryan heresy was certainly the most widespread. Bishops, too, had to be brought back in line with what the truth really was, but I"m not sure this is really getting at the OP question because I see the Aryan heresy as something of a special case that can’t be applied to all the others.

 

[Della]

I just picked one somewhat arbitrarily. Yes, Arianism was a special case, it seems to me. In this specific case, this error was attempted to be propagated throughout the Catholic church.

I’m not good at my church history but I remember from the movie about St. Augustine that he disputed with the Donatists. I got the impression they had set up their own church with their own bishops.

But Aryan heresy was certainly the most widespread. Bishops, too, had to be brought back in line with what the truth really was, but I"m not sure this is really getting at the OP question because I see the Aryan heresy as something of a special case that can’t be applied to all the others.

Well, people are going to form their own ideas no matter what God has established. That’s part of human nature. What seems permanent to man often fades away. Ideologies come and go, don’t they? The thing is, the Church is a supernatural institution. God created it, not mere men. If God had put angels in charge to enforce it, we’d have no doubts and we’d have to obey or face the consequences in the here and now, but the Church isn’t for angels it’s for us fallen men.

Jesus simply stated that he would establish his Church–not many churches. He set up it’s leadership, gave it its sacraments, and its teachings and ensured its survival with promises. That’s what we have to go on, so that’s what we need to look to. We should carefully note that the Church declares that all baptized with the trinitarian rite are Christian. This is why Pope BXVI used the term ecclesial bodies–because there’s only one Church, but there are members not fully in union with her, and that includes the Orthodox.

 

[JamalChristophr]

Well, people are going to form their own ideas no matter what God has established. That’s part of human nature. What seems permanent to man often fades away. Ideologies come and go, don’t they? The thing is, the Church is a supernatural institution. God created it, not mere men. If God had put angels in charge to enforce it, we’d have no doubts and we’d have to obey or face the consequences in the here and now, but the Church isn’t for angels it’s for us fallen men.

Jesus simply stated that he would establish his Church–not many churches. He set up it’s leadership, gave it its sacraments, and its teachings and ensured its survival with promises. That’s what we have to go on, so that’s what we need to look to. We should carefully note that the Church declares that all baptized with the trinitarian rite are Christian. This is why Pope BXVI used the term ecclesial bodies–because there’s only one Church, but there are members not fully in union with her, and that includes the Orthodox.

I could not agree more. But it did take me until I was thirty to start to come to this realization by His Grace and me falling on my face hard enough to start thinking and searching.

 

[Della]

I could not agree more. But it did take me until I was thirty to start to come to this realization by His Grace and my falling on face hard enough to start thinking and searching.

I was thirty-something too when I understood and accepted it. Fortunately I didn’t have to fall down hard, but it was a huge spiritual and mental struggle all the same. I sympathize with anyone trying to get to the truth of this important issue.

 

[ChurchSoldier]

I’d just like to say that the Church does not claim that she alone has the truth. She claims that the fullness of truth subsists within her, which is something altogether different from claiming to be the only one that has the truth. Truth may be found, in fragments–some large and some quite small, in every religion and culture because God put natural law into our hearts.

I don’t think JamalChristophr wrote correctly that the Catholic Church is the only one with true apostolic succession, although I don’t believe he meant to leave out the Orthodox churches in his statement–I’ll let him clarify his meaning on that. But he didn’t state that he believes that the Catholic Church alone has the truth. I think if he meant to state that he would have. Again, I’ll let him comment on it.

Fair enough.

Thanks

 

[Della]

Fair enough.

Thanks

:tiphat: Didn’t mean to nitpick.