Roman Catholic

The Roman Catholic Church, commonly referred to as the Catholic Church, is the Christian church led by the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope Benedict XVI. Catholic doctrine asserts that the origins of the Catholic church can be traced, via apostolic succession, to the original Christian community founded by Jesus in his act of consecration of Saint Peter, considered by the church and many historians to have been the first pope. Alongside its primary mission to preach the Gospel and administer the sacraments, the church also operates numerous social programs, institutions and ministries throughout the world. These include schools, universities, hospitals, and shelters, as well as Catholic Relief Services and Catholic Charities that help the poor, families, the elderly, the sick and the marginalized.

As with the Eastern Orthodox and mainstream Protestants, the Roman Catholic faith is summarized in the Nicene Creed. Claiming to be preserved from error by the Holy Spirit in doctrinal matters, the church established or affirmed other doctrines through ecumenical councils following the example of the first Apostles. Catholic belief is detailed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Formal Catholic worship is ordered by means of the liturgy regulated by church authority. The celebration of the Eucharist, one of seven church sacraments, is considered the center of Catholic worship. However, there are numerous additional forms of personal prayer and devotion including the Rosary, the Stations of the Cross, and Eucharistic adoration.

The Catholic Church is the world's largest Christian church, made up of one Western or Latin and 22 Eastern Catholic autonomous particular churches. It is divided into 2,782 jurisdictional areas around the world. The church community consists of an ordained ministry of priests and deacons, as well as the ordinary laity, and those like monks and nuns who live a consecrated life under a rule. Representing over half of all Christians and one sixth of the world's population, these churches look to the Pope, either alone or together with the College of Bishops, as their highest visible authority in matters of faith, morals, and church governance.

Church history is intricately intertwined with the history of Western civilization. The church has affected and shaped the lives and beliefs of Christians and non-Christians alike for almost two thousand years. When the Roman Empire fell, the church endeavoured to preserve Western civilization. The 11th century saw the Eastern Church split definitively with the Roman Catholic Church. Subsequent reunification of some of the Eastern churches with Rome created the Roman Catholic Church's Eastern Rite. In the 16th century, the Church underwent substantial reforms in response to the Protestant Reformation. Although the Catholic Church believes that it is the true church founded by Jesus Christ, in an apostolic constitution the church acknowledges that the Holy Spirit is active in Christian churches and communities separated from itself, and that Catholics are called by the Holy Spirit to work for unity amongst all Christian.

source from wikipedia