Understanding the Role and Structure of the Church

ITEM 1: Church: "The Church is one," has only one Lord, confesses one faith, and one baptism. The Church is holy: through it, you reach the message of Jesus and his saving power. The Church is catholic because Christ is present in it. The Church is apostolic, founded on the apostles and attached to the same tradition. ITEM 2: Vocabulary:

• Beaten: pagan religion, that is, people who are not baptized and worship idols or other representations of divinity.
• Edict: mandate or decree issued by a competent authority.
• Caesaropapism: situation in which the head of state assumes the powers of the religious leader.

The Church faithful to the apostolic tradition: the heresies are misinterpretations of Christian doctrine. The Church leaders tried to clarify what beliefs belong to the apostolic tradition and what they went through.

• The Council of Nicea (325) condemned the doctrine of Arius, who claimed that Christ was not God, but one created by God.
• In the Council of Constantinople (381), the formulation of the creed that has survived to this day was established.
• The Council of Ephesus (431) claimed that Christ was God and that Mary was the mother of God.
• The Council of Chalcedon (451) stated that Jesus Christ was true God and true man.

The Golden Age of the Fathers of the Church: most influential figures in theology:

• In the East: St. Athanasius, St. Basil, and St. John Chrysostom.
• In the West: St. Jerome, St. Ambrose of Milan, and St. Augustine.

Parts of the Basilica:

1. Water Basilica: longitudinal space divided into querencias. In ships, through the various ships, were located.
2. Ábside: the altar, decorated with mosaics.
3. Baptistery: venue for baptism.
4. Atrium: quadrangular courtyard surrounded by columns with a fountain in the middle.
5. Narthex: porch access to the temple.

Authority in the Church: "In the early Church, there were various ministries that were evolving and adapting to the historical circumstances of the moment. The influence that during the fourth century was exercised by the powers of the Roman Empire on the structures of church government was very strong. With Charlemagne (ninth century), the Pope and the Emperor tried to rule by dividing powers. Pope Gregory VII (eleventh century) sought to rid the Church of the dependence on temporal power. With Vatican II (twentieth century), some decentralization in the governance of the Church was initiated.