Catholicism and Comparison of Beli

Catholicism and Comparison of Beliefs

The Catholic Church is the world’s largest single religious body, and comprises 23 "particular churches," or Rites, all of which acknowledge a primacy of jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome and are in full communion with the Holy See and each other. As the oldest continuously operating organization, the Catholic Church has a distinguished history. The Church has also been involved in many of the historical events and movements of the past 2,000 years. The number of Catholics in the world is around 1.1 billion and continues to increase, particularly in Africa and Asia. Brazil is the country with the largest number of Catholics. The increase between 1978 and 2000 was 288 million.

The pope is the head of the Roman Catholic Church. He and the magisterium (the teaching authority of the Church) clarify doctrine. Mary, the mother of Jesus, is highly revered, though not worshipped. Saints are asked to intercede on behalf of sinners. Social justice teachings urge Catholics to show a special preference for those who are poor and weak.