Though the history of the widespread Roman Catholic Church is long enough to fill volumes of books, here the goal is to present only the most basic information about the founding and growth of the Church, from information on its founder to the present day.
The Roman Catholic Church (or RCC) has long held that the apostle Peter was the founder. However, it’s not entirely sure whether it was Peter, but it is clear that at least one of the apostles did found the RCC. The “Bishop of Rome” was the name for the first leaders, and they often faced a grave situation – the station usually only lasted 2 or 3 years and wound up with a terrible fate at the hands of lawmakers. Sometime during this period, the term “Bishop of Rome” became the “Pope,” as it continues today.
In 314, Sylvester became the Pope, and change began to happen. The desire to spread the RCC far and wide became more important than the mission of Christ. The power of the state came to bear, and Catholicism was considered the only true path. The union of church and state lasted for over a century, until Rome fell to Odoacer in 476. In 508, however, under a new Pope, the RCC became again an agent of the state – or, rather, the state became beholden to the RCC.
Through a series of Popes and appointed rulers, the RCC became a mighty power, collecting taxes and running the land as it saw fit, without anything or anyone to temper its spread. This lasted until 1798, when Napoleon deposed Pope Pius VI, thus ending the reign of the RCC as the Roman Empire.
Over the last 200 years, the RCC has grown back into a strong church with the headquarters in Vatican City. The RCC is coming back into favor with leaders who speak for the good of the people and don’t reach out for supremacy over nations. The RCC is a financial powerhouse, and many deeply religious RCC members follow the words of the Pope to the letter, but the days of papal supremacy are long over.