User:Ottava Rima/Roman Catholic Church
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Roman Catholic Church, known as the Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian Church representing over half of all Christians and one-sixth of the world's population.[1][2] It is made up of one Western church (the Latin Rite) and 22 Eastern Catholic churches, divided into 2,782 jurisdictional areas around the world. The Church looks to the Pope, currently Benedict XVI, as its highest human authority in matters of faith, morality and Church governance.[3] An ordained ministry and the laity together comprise the community, and members of either group may be members of organized religious communities[4]
The Catholic Church defines its mission as spreading the message of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity.[5] In carrying out its mission, the Church operates social programs and institutions throughout the world. These include schools, universities, hospitals, missions and shelters, as well as organizations such as Catholic Relief Services, Caritas Internationalis and Catholic Charities that help the poor, families, the elderly and the sick.[6]
The Church believes that it is the continuation, through apostolic succession, of the Christian community founded by Jesus in his consecration of Saint Peter.[7] The Church has defined its doctrines through various ecumenical councils, following the example set by the first Apostles in the Council of Jerusalem.[8][9] On the basis of promises that Jesus made to his apostles, it believes that it is guided by the Holy Spirit and so protected from falling into doctrinal error.[10][11][12] Catholic faith is summarized in the Nicene Creed, shared with many other Christians, and is detailed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.[13] Formal Catholic worship is ordered by the liturgy, which is regulated by Church authority. The Eucharist, one of seven Church sacraments and a key part of every Catholic Mass, is the center of Catholic worship.
With a nearly two thousand year history, the Church is the world's oldest and largest institution.[14][15] From at least the 4th century, it has played a prominent role in the history of Western civilization.[16] In the 11th century, the Eastern, Orthodox Church and the Western, Catholic Church split, largely over disagreements regarding papal primacy. Eastern churches that maintained (or later re-established) communion with Rome form the Eastern Catholic Churches. In the 16th century, partly in response to the Protestant Reformation, the Church engaged in a substantial process of reform and renewal, known as the Counter-Reformation.
The Catholic Church maintains that it is the "one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church" founded by Jesus, but acknowledges that the Holy Spirit can make use of Christian communities separated from itself to bring people to salvation.[17] The Church teaches that it is called by the Holy Spirit to work for unity among all Christians—a movement known as ecumenism.[18] Modern challenges facing the Church include the rise of secularism, and opposition to its pro-life stance on abortion, contraception and euthanasia.[19]