Roman Catholicism
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Roman Catholicism (Catholic meaning 'universal') is a very old and traditional religion. It is recognized as one of the major roots of Christianity. It is the single largest religious organization in the world.
Like other Christians, Catholics believe a person called Jesus Christ was God. Catholics believe that because of his love for all people Jesus Christ died so that all of us will live forever. The Catholic Church teaches that Catholics should follow the example of love Jesus Christ teaches; to love each other so much that one is even willing to die for another.
The leader of the Roman Catholic religion is called the Pope. Catholics say Jesus Christ established the Catholic Church, and appointed the first Pope, a person named Saint Peter, to lead all Christians. Over the next 2,000 years, different Popes have lead the church. The current Pope is called Benedict and he lives in a country called Vatican City, a very small country inside the city of Rome, Italy. In addition to the Roman Catholic Church, the Pope also lead the Eastern Catholic churches, together with the Roman Catholic Church are know as the Catholic Church.
Some of the traditional worship practices of Roman Catholics include making the sign of the cross, kneeling, bowing, and receiving the Eucharist during their worship ceremonies. Their main form of worship is called the Mass and is celebrated on Sunday. However, there are other Holy Days where Roman Catholics also attend church services. Two main Holy Days are Christmas and Easter. While these are all practices of Roman Catholics, many other Christian churches also use many or all of these same practices.
Catholics believe that some of the official statements that the Pope makes about their religion are true and cannot be proved incorrect, an idea called infallibility. In certain cases, bishops can also make such statements.
