The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church,^{[note 1]} is the world's largest Christian Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in the New Testament. The Christian faith is essentially faith in Jesus as the Christ (or Messiah), the Son of God, the Savior, the manifestation of God to humankind (Immanuel), and God (Yahweh or the "Lord") himself church. With more than a billion members, over half of all Christians^{[note 2]} and more than one-sixth of the world's population The term world population commonly refers to the total number of living humans on Earth at a given time. As of 7 September 2009, the Earth's population is estimated by the United States Census Bureau to be 6.783 billion. The world population has been growing continuously since the end of the Black Death around 1400. There were also short term, the Catholic Church is a communion The term Communion is derived from Latin communio . The corresponding term in Greek is κοινωνία, which is often translated as "fellowship". In Christianity, the basic meaning of the term communion is an especially close relationship of Christians, as individuals or as a Church, with God and with other Christians. This basic of the Western, or (Latin Rite The Latin Church or Rite is the majority Rite or particular Church within the Catholic Church, comprising roughly 98% of its membership. The Latin Rite is one of the 23 sui iuris particular Churches within the Catholic Church. This particular Church developed in western Europe and north Africa, where, from antiquity to the Renaissance, Latin was) Church, and 22 autonomous In civil law the phrase sui juris indicates legal competence, the capacity to manage one’s own affairs . It also implies someone who is capable of suing and/or being sued in a legal proceeding in their own name, without the need of an ad litem Eastern Catholic Churches The Eastern Catholic Churches are autonomous particular Churches in full communion with the Bishop of Rome — the Pope. They preserve the centuries-old liturgical and devotional traditions of the various Eastern Christian Churches with which they are associated historically. While doctrinal differences divide these other Eastern Christian (called particular churches In Catholic theology and canon law, a particular Church is an ecclesial community headed by a bishop or someone recognised as the equivalent of a bishop), comprising a total of 2,795 dioceses In some forms of Christianity, a diocese is an administrative territorial unit administered by a bishop. It is also referred to as a bishopric or Episcopal Area or episcopal see, though strictly the term episcopal see refers to the domain of ecclesiastical authority officially held by the bishop, and bishopric to the post of being bishop. The in 2008. The Church's highest earthly authority in matters of faith, morality, and governance is the Pope The pope is the Bishop of Rome and, as such, is leader of the worldwide Catholic Church (that is, both the Latin Rite and the Eastern Catholic Churches, all of which are in full communion with the Roman Pontiff). The current (conventionally considered the 265th) office-holder is Pope Benedict XVI, who was elected in papal conclave on 19 April 2005,^[15] currently Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI is the 265th and reigning Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the head of the Roman Catholic Church and, as such, Sovereign of the Vatican City State. He was elected on 19 April 2005 in a papal conclave, celebrated his Papal Inauguration Mass on 24 April 2005, and took possession of his cathedral, the Basilica of St, who holds supreme authority in concert with the College of Bishops The term College of Bishops is used in Catholic theology to describe the bishops, as the successors of the Apostles in communion with the Pope, who is the Bishop of Rome, as a body. With the Pope, the college shares the pastoral care and government of the Roman Catholic Church. According to canon 336 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law:, of which he is the head.^[16][17][18] The Catholic community is made up of an ordained In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is undergoing the process of ordination, is sometimes ministry In Christian churches, a minister is someone who is authorized by a church or religious organization to perform clergy functions such as teaching of beliefs; performing services such as weddings, baptisms or funerals; or otherwise providing spiritual guidance to the community and the laity In religious organizations, the laity comprises all persons who are not clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order; members of either group may belong to organized religious communities Religious orders are the major form of consecrated life in the Catholic Church. They are organisations of laity and/or clergy who live a common life following a religious rule under the leadership of a religious superior. Many of these are enclosed monastic orders, others are not.^[19]

The Church defines its mission as spreading the gospel A gospel is a writing that describes the life of Jesus. The word is primarily used to refer to the four canonical texts: the Gospel of Matthew, Gospel of Mark, Gospel of Luke and Gospel of John, probably written between AD 65 and 100. They appear to have been originally untitled; they were quoted anonymously in the first half of the second century of Jesus Christ Jesus of Nazareth —also known as Jesus Christ or occasionally Jesus the Christ—is the central figure of Christianity, and within most Christian denominations he is venerated as the Son of God and as God incarnate. Christians also view him as the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament; however, Judaism rejects these claims. Islam considers Jesus, administering the sacraments The Sacraments of the Catholic Church are, the Church teaches, "efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us. The visible rites by which the sacraments are celebrated signify and make present the graces proper to each sacrament. They bear fruit in those who receive them and exercising charity.^[20] It operates social programs and institutions throughout the world, including schools Catholic schools are education ministries of the Catholic Church. Currently, the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system. These schools aim to develop their students through participation in the sacramental life of the Church, study of religion and theology, a full curriculum in secular subjects, and a variety of, universities, hospitals, missions and shelters, as well as organizations such as Catholic Relief Services Catholic Relief Services is the international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Founded in 1943 by the U.S. bishops, the agency provides assistance to 80 million people in more than 100 countries and territories in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. A member of Caritas Internationalis,, Caritas Internationalis Caritas Internationalis is a confederation of 162 Roman Catholic relief, development and social service organisations operating in over 200 countries and territories worldwide. Collectively and individually their mission is to work to build a better world, especially for the poor and oppressed. The first Caritas organisation was started in and Catholic Charities Catholic Charities is a worldwide network of charities whose aim is to "reduce poverty, support families, and empower communities." It is one of the largest and most respected charities. Catholic Charities traces its origin to an orphanage founded in 1727 in New Orleans, Louisiana by the French Ursulines Sisters that help the poor, families, the elderly and the sick.^[21]

Through apostolic succession Apostolic succession is the doctrine in some of the more ancient Christian communions that the succession of bishops, in uninterrupted lines, is historically traceable back to the original Twelve Apostles. Apostolic succession is not the same as the Petrine supremacy . As a general rule, Protestantism rejects the doctrine of apostolic succession, the Catholic Church sees itself as the original Church founded by Jesus Christ Jesus of Nazareth —also known as Jesus Christ or occasionally Jesus the Christ—is the central figure of Christianity, and within most Christian denominations he is venerated as the Son of God and as God incarnate. Christians also view him as the Messiah foretold in the Old Testament; however, Judaism rejects these claims. Islam considers Jesus in his selection of Saint Peter Saint Peter (c.1–AD 64) was a leader of the early Christian church, who features prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. According to Biblical accounts, he was one of Twelve Apostles, chosen by Jesus from his first disciples. He was a Galilean fisherman assigned a leadership role by Jesus (Matthew 16:18), and was,^[22] a view shared by many historians of Christianity.^[23] The Catholic Church considers its bishops to be validly ordained according to the doctrine of apostolic succession, making them valid and true successors to the twelve Apostles In Christianity, apostles were missionaries among the leaders in the Early Church and, in the Epistle to the Hebrews, Jesus Christ himself. The term was also used, especially by the Gospel of Luke, for "the Twelve," Jesus' inner circle of disciples (students). They were, according to the Acts of the Apostles and Christian tradition,. It is believed, therefore, that the bishops, priests and deacons receive spiritual and sacramental authority, via the twelve Apostles, from Christ. In addition, the Church lays claim to the Primacy of Simon Peter A number of Christian denominations and scholars hold that Simon Peter was the most prominent of the apostles, favored by Jesus of Nazareth with the first place of honor and authority. This doctrine is known as the Primacy of Simon Peter or the Petrine Primacy . A number of traditions, most notably Roman Catholic but others as well, hold that and the Primacy of the Roman Pontiff The primacy of the Roman Pontiff is the apostolic authority of the Pope , from the Holy See, over the several churches that comprise the Catholic Church in the Latin and Eastern Rites. It is also termed "papal primacy", "primacy of Peter", or "Roman primacy"; one might encounter "Peter in primacy over the by virtue of the Pope's title as the Bishop of Rome The pope is the Bishop of Rome and, as such, is leader of the worldwide Catholic Church (that is, both the Latin Rite and the Eastern Catholic Churches, all of which are in full communion with the Roman Pontiff). The current (conventionally considered the 265th) office-holder is Pope Benedict XVI, who was elected in papal conclave on 19 April 2005.^[23][24][25] Other churches such as the Eastern Orthodox churches The Orthodox Church, also officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church[note 1] and commonly referred to in English speaking countries as the Eastern Orthodox Church,[note 2] is the world's second largest Christian communion, estimated to number 225 million members. It is considered by its adherents to be the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic and the Anglican Communion The Anglican Communion is an international association of national Anglican churches. There is no single "Anglican Church" with universal juridical authority as each national or regional church has full autonomy. As the name suggests, the Anglican Communion is an association of these churches in full communion with the Church of England recognize the valid consecration of the Catholic Church's bishops as well as the primacy of the Bishop of Rome although they interpret that primacy differently.

The Church has defined its doctrines through various ecumenical councils Catholic Ecumenical Councils include 21 councils over a period of 1700 years. While definitions changed throughout history, in today's understanding Ecumenical Councils are assemblies of Patriarchs, Cardinals, residing Bishops, Abbots, male heads of religious orders and other juridical persons, nominated by the Roman Pontiff. They meet to discuss, following the example set by the first Apostles in the Council of Jerusalem The Council of Jerusalem is a name applied subsequently to a meeting described in Acts of the Apostles chapter 15 and possibly referred to in Paul's letter to the Galatians chapter 2. The events described there are generally dated to around AD 50, at the latest some time before the death of James the Just in 62, and before the First Roman-Jewish.^[26] On the basis of promises made by Jesus to his apostles, described in the Gospels A gospel is a writing that describes the life of Jesus. The word is primarily used to refer to the four canonical texts: the Gospel of Matthew, Gospel of Mark, Gospel of Luke and Gospel of John, probably written between AD 65 and 100. They appear to have been originally untitled; they were quoted anonymously in the first half of the second century, the Church believes that it is guided by the Holy Spirit In Christianity, the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. In mainstream Christian beliefs he is the third person of the Trinity. As part of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit is equal with God the Father and with God the Son and thereby protected from falling into doctrinal error.^[27][28][29]

Catholic beliefs are based on the deposit of Faith Sacred Tradition or Holy Tradition is a technical theological term used in some Christian traditions, primarily in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox traditions, to refer to the fundamental basis of church authority (containing both the Holy Bible Books of the Bible are listed differently in the canons of Jews, and Catholic, Protestant, Greek Orthodox, Slavonic Orthodox, Georgian, Armenian Apostolic, Syriac and Ethiopian Churches, although there is substantial overlap. A table comparing the canons of some of these denominations appears below, for both the Old Testament and the New Testament and Sacred Tradition Sacred Tradition or Holy Tradition is a technical theological term used in some Christian traditions, primarily in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox traditions, to refer to the fundamental basis of church authority) handed down from the time of the Apostles, which are interpreted by the Church's teaching authority The Magisterium is the "teaching authority of the Roman Catholic Church". The word is derived from Latin magisterium, which originally meant the office of a president, chief, director, superintendent, etc. or teaching, instruction, advice. Those beliefs are summarized in the Nicene Creed The Nicene Creed is the creed or profession of faith (Greek: Σύμβολον τῆς Πίστεως) that is most widely used in Christian liturgy. It is called Nicene (pronounced /ˈnaɪsiːn/) because, in its original form, it was adopted in the city of Nicaea by the first ecumenical council, which met there in 325. The Nicene Creed has been and formally detailed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church The Catechism of the Catholic Church is an official exposition of the teachings of the Catholic Church. A provisional, "reference text" was issued by Pope John Paul II on October 11, 1992 — "the thirtieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council" — with his apostolic constitution, Fidei depositum.^[30] Formal Catholic worship, termed the liturgy A liturgy is the customary public worship done by a specific religious group, according to its particular traditions. The word may refer to an elaborate formal ritual such as the Eastern Orthodox Divine Liturgy and Catholic Mass, or a daily activity such as the Muslim salat and Jewish services. As a religious phenomenon, liturgy is a communal, is regulated by Church authority. The Eucharist Eucharist in the Catholic Church refers to both the celebration of the Mass, that is the Eucharistic Liturgy, and the consecrated bread and wine which according to the faith become the body and blood of Christ. Blessed Sacrament is a devotional term used in the Roman Catholic Church to refer to the Eucharistic species, one of seven Church Sacraments A sacrament, as defined in Hexam's Concise Dictionary of Religion is what Roman Catholics believe to be "a rite in which God is uniquely active." Augustine of Hippo defined a Christian sacrament as "a visible sign of an invisible reality." The Anglican Book of Common Prayer speaks of them as "an outward and visible sign of, which is also called the Mass The Mass is the Eucharistic celebration in the Latin liturgical rites of the Roman Catholic Church. The term is used also of similar celebrations in Old Catholic Churches, in the Anglo-Catholic tradition of Anglicanism, in some largely High Church Lutheran regions, including the Scandinavian and Baltic countries, and in a small amount of Methodist in the West, and in the East the Divine Liturgy The Divine Liturgy is the common term for the Eucharistic service of the Byzantine tradition of Christian liturgy. As such, it is used in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches. Armenian Christians, both of the Armenian Apostolic Church and of the Armenian Catholic Church, use the same term. Some Oriental Orthodox employ the term ", is the center of Catholic worship.

With a history spanning almost two thousand years, the Church is "the world's oldest and largest institution"^[31] and has played a prominent role in the history of Western civilization The opposition of a European "West" to an Asiatic "East" has its roots in Classical Antiquity, with then Persian Wars where the Greek city states were opposing the expansion of the Achaemenid Empire. The Biblical opposition of Israel and Assyria from a European perspective was recast into these terms by early Christian authors since at least the 4th century.^[32] In the 11th century, a major split, sometimes called the Great Schism, occurred between Eastern and Western Christianity, largely as a result of disagreements over papal primacy The primacy of the Roman Pontiff is the apostolic authority of the Pope , from the Holy See, over the several churches that comprise the Catholic Church in the Latin and Eastern Rites. It is also termed "papal primacy", "primacy of Peter", or "Roman primacy"; one might encounter "Peter in primacy over the. Those Eastern churches which remained in, or later re-established, communion with the Bishop of Rome, the Pope, form the Eastern Catholic churches The Eastern Catholic Churches are autonomous particular Churches in full communion with the Bishop of Rome — the Pope. They preserve the centuries-old liturgical and devotional traditions of the various Eastern Christian Churches with which they are associated historically. While doctrinal differences divide these other Eastern Christian and those which remain independent of papal authority are usually known as Eastern Orthodox The Orthodox Church, also officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church[note 1] and commonly referred to in English speaking countries as the Eastern Orthodox Church,[note 2] is the world's second largest Christian communion, estimated to number 225 million members. It is considered by its adherents to be the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic churches. In the 16th century, partly in response to the rise of the Protestant Reformation in western Europe, the Church engaged in its own substantial process of reform and renewal, known as the Counter-Reformation.

Although the Church maintains that it is the "one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church" founded by Jesus Christ and in which is found the fullness of the means of salvation,^[33][34] it also acknowledges that the Holy Spirit can make use of other Christian communities to bring people to salvation.^[35][36] It believes that it is called by the Holy Spirit to work for unity among all Christians, a movement known as ecumenism.^[36] Modern challenges facing the Church include the rise of secularism and opposition to its stances on abortion, euthanasia, contraception, and sexual morality.^[37]

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