Catholic Church

The Roman Catholic Church (Irish Eaglais Chaitliceach Rómanách) is the largest group of Christians, with over 1 billion people. It is the only church to claim that it continues the original Christian group, started by Jesus Christ and his followers, about 2,000 years ago.

The word Roman derives from its headquarters in Vatican City, which is located within the city of Rome, Italy. The word catholic comes from the Greek word "katholicos", which means "universal." Although many Christian groups call themselves "catholic", the phrase "the Catholic Church" usually means "the Roman Catholic Church". Typically, people who call themselves 'Catholic' mean that they are a member of the Roman Catholic Church. It also means that they follow the teachings of the Church.

People in the Roman Catholic Church are found all over the world, but many Catholics live in Western Europe, Southern Europe, Ireland, United Kingdom, Sub-Saharan Africa, India, South Korea, the Philippines, Oceania, Latin America and the United States. The Roman Catholic Church is led by the pope, who lives in the Vatican City. According to Catholics, the pope is infallible in religious matters. This means that his official statements ('ex cathedra') are true and must be obeyed. The first pope is the apostle Peter, according to the Catholic Church, because some parts of the bible which hint that Peter will start the church (Matthew 18, thou art Peter ('rock'), and upon this rock I will build my church). Right now the pope is Benedict XVI.

Other pages

• Roman Catholicism
• Catholicism