Ethan Walker
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized members worldwide. The word Catholic comes from the Greek phrase katholou, meaning on the whole, according to the whole, in general. The term was first used by Ignatius of Antioch in his Letter to the Smyrnaeans (circa 110 AD), in which he encouraged Christians to unite under their bishop, writing: Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude [of the people] also be; even as, wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church. Catholics belong to a Christ-centered faith community that views Jesus Christ as the foundation. They worship and praise God by living a sacramental life, recognizing the need for forgiveness and reconciliation with God and each other.
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What You'll Learn
The Catholic Church
The sacraments play a key role in Roman Catholic teaching, with seven sacraments celebrated in total: baptism, the Eucharist, confirmation, reconciliation (confession), marriage, anointing of the sick, and holy orders. The Eucharist is considered the principal sacrament, through which Catholics encounter the real presence of Jesus Christ and are nourished as a community. The Catholic Church also places importance on social teaching, emphasising voluntary support for the sick, the poor, and the afflicted through various works of mercy. It operates tens of thousands of schools, universities, hospitals, and orphanages worldwide, making it the largest non-governmental provider of education and healthcare.
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Catholic Social Teaching
CST is rooted in the social teachings of the New Testament, the Church Fathers, the Old Testament, and Hebrew scriptures. The church responded to the social dislocation, economic suffering, and political turbulence that arose from modernisation with philosophical and theological teachings on social justice, which considered the nature of humanity, society, economy, and politics.
Pope Leo XIII, in a series of encyclicals spanning 20 years, formalized the modern approach to Catholic social teaching, which combines evangelical teachings on love with natural law and social-scientific arguments about what constitutes human prosperity. These principles have been consistently reiterated by later popes over the subsequent century and more.
The Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society. This belief is the foundation of all the principles of Catholic social teaching. Catholics believe that every person is precious, and that people are more important than things. Marriage and the family are the central social institutions that must be supported and strengthened, not undermined.
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Catholicity
The word "Catholicity" comes from the Ancient Greek adjective "katholikos", which means "universal". The term entered many other languages via Late Latin "catholicus", and became the base for various theological terms such as "Catholicism". "Catholicity" is a concept pertaining to beliefs and practices that are widely accepted by numerous Christian denominations, especially those that describe themselves as Catholic in accordance with the Four Marks of the Church, as expressed in the Nicene Creed formulated at the First Council of Constantinople in 381: " [I believe] in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.". The Nicene Creed of AD 381 is one of the distinguishing beliefs of Catholicity, along with episcopal polity, or the belief that bishops are the highest order of ministers within the Christian religion.
The term "Catholic" is used to refer specifically to the Catholic Church and often, the Roman Catholic Church, which is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptised Catholics worldwide as of 2025. The Catholic Church maintains that it practises the original Christian faith taught by the apostles and preserves it infallibly through scripture and sacred tradition. The Eucharist is the principal one of its seven sacraments, celebrated liturgically in the Mass. The church teaches that through consecration by a priest, the sacramental bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ. The Virgin Mary is also venerated as the Mother of God and Queen of Heaven.
The Catholic Church has 24 sui iuris (autonomous) churches, including the Latin Church and 23 Eastern Catholic Churches, which comprise almost 3,500 dioceses and eparchies around the world, each overseen by one or more bishops. The pope, who is the bishop of Rome, is the chief pastor of the church. The Catholic Church has been profoundly influential in Western philosophy, culture, art, literature, music, law, and science. It operates tens of thousands of Catholic schools, universities, colleges, hospitals, and orphanages around the world, and is the largest non-governmental provider of education and healthcare globally.
The term "Catholicity" is also ascribed to other denominations such as the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox Church, and the Assyrian Church of the East. It is used in the context of Protestant and related traditions to indicate a self-understanding of the universality of the confession and continuity of faith and practice from Early Christianity. Specifically among Moravian, Lutheran, Anglican, Methodist, and Reformed denominations, the term "Catholic" is used in claiming to be "heirs of the apostolic faith".
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Catholic Sacraments
The Catholic Church has seven holy sacraments, which are viewed as mystical channels of divine grace instituted by Christ. Each sacrament is celebrated with a visible rite that reflects its invisible, spiritual essence.
The first sacrament is baptism, which is seen as the sacrament of admission to the faith, bringing sanctifying grace to the person being baptized. In Catholicism, the baptism of infants is the most common form, but unbaptized children or adults who wish to join the faith must also receive the sacrament. During the rite of baptism, holy water is usually sprinkled or poured on the head by a priest who simultaneously invokes the Trinity: "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
The second sacrament is Confirmation, which "confirms" a baptized person in their faith. The third is the Eucharist, or Holy Communion, which is the central rite of Catholic worship. The Eucharist is viewed as the real body and blood of Christ, not merely a symbol. During the mass, the priest consecrates bread and wine, which are transubstantiated into the body and blood of Christ. The congregation then shares in the sacred meal, reflecting Christ's Last Supper with his disciples.
The remaining four sacraments are the Sacrament of Penance (also known as the sacrament of Reconciliation), the Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony. The sacraments of Penance and the Anointing of the Sick are considered "sacraments of healing," while Holy Orders and Matrimony are "sacraments of service."
The sacraments are efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church. Their power comes from God, and their efficacy does not depend on the celebrant's state of grace but rather on the recipient's disposition.
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Catholic Worship
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptised members worldwide. The church consists of 24 autonomous churches, including the Latin Church and 23 Eastern Catholic Churches, which comprise almost 3,500 dioceses and eparchies around the world, each overseen by one or more bishops. The pope, who is the bishop of Rome, is the chief pastor of the church.
Catholics belong to a Christ-centred faith community that views Jesus Christ as their foundation. They share Jesus' vision and model their lives after his example of love. They are called to care for one another and to use their unique gifts and talents for the good of the community and the world. They believe in God, who is their loving Father and creator, and that God sent his son, Jesus Christ, who suffered, died, and rose from the dead, to save them and offer them the gift of eternal life. They also believe in the Holy Spirit and in its powerful presence in the Church today.
Catholics worship and praise God by living a sacramental life. They recognise the need for forgiveness and see the sacrament of reconciliation as a means to receive this gift of forgiveness. They also encounter the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and are nourished and fed by it on a weekly basis. The Eucharist binds them together as a community and with God. They believe that the Eucharist is not merely a sign or symbol of Jesus, but rather the real body and blood of Christ.
The Eucharist, or the Mass, is the principal sacrament of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. The church teaches that through consecration by a priest, the sacramental bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ. The Virgin Mary is venerated as the Mother of God and Queen of Heaven. She is honoured in dogmas, such as that of her immaculate conception, perpetual virginity, and assumption into heaven.
The Catholic Church has been criticised for its teachings on sexuality, its doctrine against ordaining women, and its handling of sexual abuse committed by clergy.
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Frequently asked questions
A Catholic is someone who follows Catholicism, the largest branch of Christianity. Catholics view Jesus Christ as the foundation of their faith and model their lives after Jesus' example of love.
The term 'Catholic' is derived from the Greek word 'katholikos', meaning 'universal'. It is often used to refer to the Catholic Church as a whole, including the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Catholic Churches. The term 'Roman Catholic' specifically refers to the largest Christian communion, led by the Pope in Rome.
Catholics believe in God as their loving Father and creator, and in the divinity of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. They also believe in the Holy Spirit and its powerful presence in the Church. Catholics worship and praise God by living a sacramental life, with the Eucharist being the principal sacrament.
The Pope, as the bishop of Rome, is the leader of the Roman Catholic Church and the head of state of Vatican City. He is considered the chief pastor of the Church and the successor of Saint Peter, upon whom primacy was conferred by Jesus Christ.
Catholicism has had a profound influence on Western philosophy, culture, art, literature, music, law, and science. It is the largest non-governmental provider of education and healthcare in the world, operating tens of thousands of schools, universities, colleges, hospitals, and orphanages. Catholicism has also played a significant role in the history and development of Western civilization.
