Catholic and Protestant History
The French were the founders of New Orleans in 1699 and because of this, the city was strictly Catholic starting out. The importance of this is that most of the founders of other New World settlements were of the Protestant faith. Many of the traditions of New Orleans stemmed from the French and their Catholic faith and were later challenged by Protestant settlers. Therefore, it was rather difficult for both of these groups of people to coexist together peacefully.
St. Louis Cathedral
St. Louis Cathedral is one of the most widely known landmarks of New Orleans and is the central church that practices Catholicism in New Orleans. Pictures of this church are often depicted in travel guides, on advertisements and on television.
Iconic view of St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans.
Inside view of the ceiling of St. Louis Cathedral and its intricate murals.
Entrance to the St. Louis Cathedral as seen on the tour.
Differences in Faith
The emphasis for the Catholic religion is based on three traditions. The first is that the Church has a very organized hierarchy with the head being the pope in Rome. The Church was the primary source of spiritual nurture, divine authority, and final salvation. The second is that sacraments were used as as the means of communication with the divine. The third tradition of the Catholic faith is that the saints could be called upon to "intercede" for Catholics with the Father and the Son. On the other side of the equation were the Protestants. The first difference is that there is not as much focus n hierarchy in the structure of the church. The second difference is that the Bible is used as a means of communication with the divine. The third primary difference is that they viewed Jesus as the only intercessor with God.
Religious Segregation
The religious aspect of the lives of black Christians in New Orleans was a heavy burden during the era of Reconstruction. One source of segregation was the choices of churches that were available to them. One challenge was that there were several priests who supported the White League and introduced segregated seating in the Saint Louis Cathedral which caused a boycott. To read more please follow the link below.
Works Cited
Byrne, Julie. "Roman Catholics and Immigration in Nineteenth-Century America." National Humanities Center. N.p., 2000. Web. 2 Jan. 2017. <http://www.nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/nineteen/nkeyinfo/nromcath.htm>.
Slawson, Douglas. "Segregated Catholicism: The Origins of Saint Katherine's Parish, New Orleans." 17.3 (1996): 141-84. Vincentian Heritage. Web. 2 Jan. 2017. <http://via.library.depaul.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1173&context=vhj>.
"French Histroy in New Orleans." New Orleans Official Guide.
N.p., 2016. Web. 2 Jan. 2017.
<http://www.neworleansonline.com/neworleans/multicultural/multiculturalhistory/french.html>.
No comments:
Post a Comment