Number of Worldwide Members:
The Roman Catholic Church denomination is the largest Christian group in the world today with more than a billion followers constituting about half of the world's Christian population.
Founding:
The New Testament disciples of Jesus Christ provided the beginning origins of the Roman Catholic Church. As early as 380 AD, the Roman Empire declared the Catholic Church to be the official religion of the Empire. For the first thousand years of Christianity no other established denominations existed, only "the one, holy, Catholic Church." For more about Catholic history visit Roman Catholic Denomination - Brief History.
Prominent Founders:
Although many (including the Catholic Church) claim that the disciple, Peter, was the first Pope, most historians give this title to the Roman Bishop Leo I (440-461). He was the first to claim ultimate authority over all of Christendom.
Geography:
Roman Catholicism is by far the largest worldwide Christian denomination. It is the majority religion of Italy, Spain, and nearly all Latin American countries. In America it is the largest individual Christian denomination, encompassing about 25 percent of the population.
Governing Body:
The Roman Catholic Church structure is hierarchical, headed by the pope in Rome. Its government is run by the cardinals living in Rome, and is concerned with matters of wide significance. The Church is organized and divided by diocese, with bishop and archbishops, overseeing these territories. With certain restrictions, the pope names the bishops. Dioceses are made up of parishes, each of which has a church and a priest. The pope controls bishops mainly by general legislation.
• Learn more about the Organization of the Catholic Church.
Sacred or Distinguishing Text:
The Holy Bible with the inclusion of the Deuterocanonical Apocrypha, and The Canon Law.
Notable Catholics:
Pope Benedict XVI, Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
Beliefs and Practices:
The best summary of Roman Catholic beliefs is found in the Nicene Creed. For more about what Catholics believe, visit Roman Catholic Denomination - Beliefs and Practices.
Roman Catholic Church Resources:
• Top 10 Books About Catholicism
• More Roman Catholic Church Resources
• Catholicism 101
(Information in this article is compiled and summarized from the following sources: ReligiousTolerance.org, ReligionFacts.com, AllRefer.com, and the Religious Movements Web site of the University of Virginia.)
