A church is a building where people come to pray and participate in different religious rituals.
The term ecclesĭa , whose origin dates back to a Greek word that means "assembly" , allows the Christian temple to be named. This is the building where public religious services are held and images or relics are presented that are worshiped by the faithful. For example: "Every Sunday morning I go to church to ask for my mother's health," "See you this afternoon at the church door."
The church is often called the "house of God" since, although God is omnipresent, it is in the temples where the Christian community meets to pray and participate in rituals such as mass. Abbey , basilica, cathedral, chapel, convent, monastery and parish are different notions linked to the types of church or temples.
Some notable churches
There are many temples of this type that exist throughout the world. However, among all of them we could highlight some for their beauty, value or uniqueness. This would be the case of the Rocky Chapel of the Holy Cross , which is located in the American area of Arizona and whose main identifying feature is the fact that it is located within a mountain.
In the same way, we cannot ignore the most famous church in Iceland . We are referring to the Hallgrímskirkja church which is located in the city of Reikjavik and which is the highest building in the country, with its 74.5 meters high.
In Colombia there is another church that has also managed to be considered one of the most beautiful and unique in the world. Specifically, it is the famous Las Lajas Sanctuary , whose main characteristic is the fact that it is framed in the middle of the Guaítara River Canyon.
There are different types of churches, such as basilicas, parishes, chapels and cathedrals.
The cathedrals
In addition to all of the above, we have to emphasize that the term in question is also used together with other words to specify the concept a little more. Thus, we find the expression cathedral church , which is used to define the temple in which the bishop has his seat.
Among this type of church is, for example, the cathedral church of Seville, which has the privilege of being the largest Gothic-style cathedral that exists in the entire world.
The church as a community
The word church also allows us to name the congregation of the Christian faithful, the entire clergy and people of a territory where Christianity has followers , the general ecclesiastical government (the Catholic Church ) and the Christian communities that define themselves as the church (the church). Anglican, Lutheran Church, etc.).
As a general community, the church is the body of all Christians who have received the sacrament of baptism (and are therefore recognized as children of God). Church members believe in Christ as savior and messiah.
The Catholic Church is sustained by the apostolic succession from the apostle Peter to the current Pope ( Benedict XVI ). Protestants, on the other hand, deny the value of apostolic tradition.