The Roman

Catholic Church
And Its Effects on
Modern Civilization
Project #2
Luisamanda Velasco
Sociology
 History of the
Church:
-The Roman Catholic church is an institution that has always been
deemed controversial. While Catholics believe their religion and beliefs
stemmed from the death of Christ, its original origin is still a question
that many historians debate.
- Catholicism began shortly after Jesus Christs passing, when he called
upon his disciples to go forth and continue to spread the word of the
lord. His disciples descended to other parts of the world to make
Catholicism/Christianity a worldwide faith. He left the church in the
hands of St. Peter.
-After Peters death the pope was left as his successor.
-The Catholic church and Christianity are one of the worlds most
practiced religions with a following of nearly 1,170,000,000
 The
Pope:
-The Pope is the head of the catholic church
and overall bishop of Rome.
-He resides in Vatican city, and spreads the
gospels at the infamous Vatican church.
-One of the major duties of the pope is to
maintain a relationship with the people in order
to sustain faith and reliance on the church
Pope Francis I, has duties both political and
religious. The pope meets with heads of state
and maintains diplomatic relationships with
more than 100 nations. He conducts liturgies,
appoints new bishops and travels.
 General beliefs of a member
of the catholic church:
-Followers of the church aim to live a
live free of sin.
-They follow the gospel of the lord and
listen to the word of the lord at a Mass,
the most significant mass being the
one held every Sunday.
-They believe and follow the 10
commandments.
-They maintain a strong relationship
with god through prayer.
Society's Views on the Church:

There are many mixed views of the catholic

church. While it has one of the largest followings
its origin and gospels have always been
questioned by society, especially by those that
are skeptical and dont have the strongest faith.
While some people view the church as one of the
most highly respected faiths the skeptics view the
church as hypocritical and manipulative.
Society's Views on the Church:
So the question is why do skeptics deem the
catholic church to be manipulative and bad?
From the beginning of Catholicism dating back
to medieval Rome, the catholic church was
thriving in power. Many people were afraid with
the idea of heaven and hell and made it a point
to live a lifestyle tat would save them from the
dreaded fire pits of hell.
Sin was frowned upon and Mass was mandatory,
making religion and faith a full time job.
Society's Views on the Church:

-One of the major reasons why the church is viewed as

hypocritical and manipulative are because of some of the
major scandals that have merged/leaked.
-Such as funds being invested in things other than the
church
-Sex scandals
-Priests abusing children
-the most talked about church scandal to date, the
resignation of Pope Benedict XVI
All acts that the world and the church know are
extremely unacceptable.
 How do members of the institution
perceive itself?
-With a following of nearly 1,170,000,000
believers the catholic church is one of the
worlds most followed religions.
-Many people of catholic faith view the
church as their one everlasting connection
with God.
-They follow the gospel of the world and do
their best to live a life free of sin, in their
eyes they are living the life that Jesus
himself fought and died for.

Linked below is a video that highlight the

catholic church:
https://youtu.be/lpOVsFtZ1hM
How has the institution changed over time?

-With the adaption of modern civilization changes in

the catholic church is making lead to change as well.
-Through the help of pope Francis he hopes to restore
a new faith in the church and change it for the better..
Pope Francis's calls for mercy, forgiveness and a
priesthood truly at the service of the laity is at the
heart of a reform that, if successful, could transform
the nature of Catholicism as we know it. It's as if the
Church - the institution itself - is being asked to enter
the confessional, acknowledging its sins in readiness
for a new start.
Ways to improve the institution:
I believe to improve the overall quality and ability
to sustain a healthy religion the catholic church
needs to remember that the world is constantly
changing and adapting and sometimes a little
change is for the better not the worst.
Having an open and accepting mind is key.
 Functionalist/Conflict Analysis:
A functionalists view of the church might be
that with its flaws the church is ever growing.
Through religion and faith we are maintaining a
growing and changing society so that we
function accordingly as people
A conflict theorist sees religion only for its flaws
and how it only creates a more unequal way of
living. Religion only adds to social inequility.
 Works Cited
Pappas, Stephanie. "What does the people do anyway?" Livescience. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2017.
"A Point of View: Has the Catholic Church really changed?" BBC News. BBC,
22 Nov. 2015. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.
Hitchcock, James. History of the Catholic Church: from the Apostolic Age to
the Third Millennium. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2012. Print.
"Library." Roman Catholic Origins, Roman Catholic History, Roman Catholic
Beliefs. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.
"The Medieval Church." History Learning Site. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2017.
"The Pope Resigned ." YouTube. YouTube, 20 Dec. 2016. Web. 02 Apr. 2017.
"The Role of the Pope." The Role of the Pope. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2017.