Often, the word "Roman" is added before “Catholic” because Vatican City, where the Church has its headquarters, is a country inside of Rome, Italy. Members of the Catholic Church call themselves Catholics . Almost half of all Catholics are in Latin America. The continent with the second-largest number of Catholics is Europe.
Sep 22, 2023 · Roman Catholicism, Christian church that has been the decisive spiritual force in the history of Western civilization. Along with Eastern Orthodoxy and Protestantism, it is one of the three major branches of Christianity. Learn about the history, doctrines, and influence of the Roman Catholic Church. Search BritannicaClick here to search
With 23 percent of the United States ' population as of 2018, the Catholic Church is the country's second largest religious grouping, after Protestantism, and the country's largest single church or Christian denomination where Protestantism is divided into separate denominations. [3]
The terms Catholic (Church) and Roman Catholic (Church) are acceptable contemporary names for the worldwide church and its members, headed by the Pope in Rome. Articles should not be changed from using Catholic to Roman Catholic or vice versa without strong reason. A typical sign identifying a parish church in the United States.
The term Catholic Bible can be understood in two ways. More generally, it can refer to a Christian Bible that includes the whole 73-book canon recognized by the Catholic Church, including some of the deuterocanonical books (and parts of books) of the Old Testament which are in the Greek Septuagint collection, but which are not present in the ...
Catholicism is the traditions and beliefs of Catholic Churches. It refers to their theology, liturgy, morals and spirituality. The term usually refers to churches, both western and eastern, that are in full communion with the Holy See . In 2012, there were more than 1.1 billion Catholics worldwide.
Catholics hold that Saint Peter was Rome's first bishop. He started the unbroken line which includes the current pontiff, Pope Francis. That is, the Catholic Church maintains the apostolic succession of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope, who is the successor to Saint Peter. Conditions in the Roman Empire facilitated the spread of new ideas.