Roman Catholicism in America

Paper Summary:

This paper studies the dramatic changes and upheavals Roman Catholicism has faced in its three hundred year history in the U.S. The paper discusses how individual Catholics and their church have at times been the targets of glaring religious prejudice and discrimination. The paper also examines the relationship between the American church and Rome, citing that while the the church was established by Rome, it was actually later condemned by the Pope himself. The paper then examines how the American Catholic church settled back into a period of calm obedience with the Papacy, before once again becoming a noisy, fractious divided place of worship over the last four decades.

From the Paper:

"Remarkably, Americans began their branch of the Roman Catholic Church in distinctly democratic fashion. The first diocese began in Baltimore in 1789, and the first American bishop, John Carroll, was elected the following year by clergymen of the diocese. These clergymen and even Carroll himself envisioned the continuation of this elective process, though, of course, Rome's approval would be required for all choices. Indeed, they also envisioned a church grounded in principles of religious tolerance that would be open and inviting to all, and, of great importance, in which Mass would be said in English. However, it did not take long for this vision to fade. Under prodding from Rome, by 1800 the elective experiment had been abandoned and Rome was making all appointments of bishops. Soon, Latin displaced English in church ceremonies and services, and the American Catholic church more and more resembled a virtual clone of the ancient European model. At the same, American independence slowly slipped away (Gillis 58)."

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