Hall of Church History—The Catholics

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Theology from A Bunch of Dead Guys™

The Catholics
"There is one God, and one mediator between God and men,
the man Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 2:5).

he Roman Catholic Church first set down its views on justification at the Council of Trent in the second half of the sixteenth century. In doing so, Rome officially rejected justification by faith alone (sola fide) and excommunicated the Reformers who had begun to articulate this doctrine.
The links on this page feature Catholic history and doctrine from the Council of Trent on. For all Catholic writings prior to Trent, see our pages on The Church Fathers and The Medieval Churchmen.

The Complete Listing of Popes

This is the complete lineage that is offered in support of the Vatican's claim that Peter's chair has been passed down in an unbroken succession of Roman bishops. With biographical sketches on each Pope.

The Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent

The complete set of documents from the council that rejected the Reformation.

Papal Encyclicals Online

An indexed and searchable collection of Papal writings.

The Papacy: Its History, Dogmas, Genius, and Prospects

By Rev. J.A. Wylie, LL.D. This is a Protestant/Reformed account of the Papacy and its origins, along with a critique of Papal dogma.

The Teresian Carmel

Teresa of Avila was a sixteenth-century Catholic mystic. Her writings are enjoying a current revival of interest.

Autobiography of Madam Guyon

Madam Guyon "lived and died in the Catholic Church; yet was tormented and afflicted; was maltreated and abused; and was imprisoned for years by the highest authorities of that church." Her mystical approach to spirituality made a significant impact on another well-known Catholic mystic, Archbishop Fenelon.

Newman Reader

Featuring the life and works of John Henry Cardinal Newman, perhaps the most controversial figure in English religion in the 19th century (see immediately below).

John Henry Cardinal Newman

Newman converted from Anglicanism to Roman Catholicism in the mid-nineteenth century. The movement he led rocked the Protestant world and is still reverberating today. Newman was a gifted writer and apologist for the Catholic cause.

Catechism of St. Pius X

The Catechism of the Council of Trent was directed to all priests. The recently released Catechism of the Catholic Church was directed to all bishops. This catechism is Pope Pius X's partial realization of a simple, plain, brief, popular Catechism for the layman. It was used in the ecclesiastical province of Rome and for some years in other parts of Italy. It was not, however, prescribed for use throughout the universal church.

The Baltimore Catechism

A late 19th-century catechism for children, based on the Catechism of Trent.

The Catholic Encyclopedia

A wealth of information about Catholic doctrine and history.

Documents of Vatican I

The council which, among other things, declared the Pope's infallibility.

Documents of Vatican II

The voluminous output of the most important Catholic Church Council in modern history. Click HERE to get the Vatican II documents from the Vatican Web site.

Catechism of the Catholic Church

The latest version of the Fidei Depositum. This is an important site for anyone studying Catholicism. Much of the text of the Catechism is excerpted verbatim from other historical documents, including the canons and decrees of the Council of Trent, and the Vatican II documents.

EWTN—The Global Catholic Network

This includes a massive searchable library of Catholic documents.

The Holy See

The current Pope's Home Page.

The Pope Who Never Was

The true story of "Pope Joan."

| The Creeds | The Church Fathers | The Medieval Churchmen | The Heretics | The Eastern Orthodox | The Catholics | The Reformers | The Puritans | The Anabaptists | The Arminians | The Cultists | The Unorthodox | The Baptists | The Recent Stalwarts |
Looking for pictures of the leading figures of Church History? Visit The Museum of Pilgrims.