Catholic Church

The Catholic Church (Latin: Ecclesia Catholica), commonly called the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian denomination, with an estimated 1.28 to 1.41 billion baptized members worldwide as of 2026. As one of the world's oldest institutions, it has played a central role in the development of Western civilization. The church consists of 24 autonomous (sui iuris) churches—the Latin Church and 23 Eastern Catholic Churches—organized into nearly 3,500 dioceses and eparchies governed by bishops. Catholic communities are present worldwide through missions, immigration, and conversions, with a majority of Catholics now living in the Global South, reflecting rapid demographic growth in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the effects of secularization in parts of Europe and North America.

Catholic doctrine is rooted in the Nicene Creed and holds that the church is the "one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church" founded by Jesus Christ. It teaches that bishops are the successors of the apostles and that the pope is the successor of Saint Peter, entrusted with a unique pastoral role, serving as the head of the church. Apostolic teaching is understood to be transmitted through Scripture and sacred tradition, interpreted by the magisterium, the church's teaching authority. Catholic liturgical life includes the Roman Rite and other rites of the Latin Church, as well as the diverse liturgical traditions of the Eastern Catholic Churches. Religious orders, monastic communities, and lay movements contribute to a range of theological and devotional expressions within global Catholicism.

Among the church's seven sacraments, the Eucharist is regarded as the source and summit of the Christian life and is celebrated in the Mass. Catholics believe that through consecration by a priest, the bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ. The Virgin Mary is venerated as the Mother of God and honored through dogmas such as the Immaculate Conception, perpetual virginity, and Assumption, including many devotional practices. Catholic social teaching emphasizes care for the poor, the sick, and the marginalized, and the church operates tens of thousands of educational, medical, and charitable institutions worldwide—the largest non-governmental provider of education and health care.

The Catholic Church's relations with other Christian traditions have been shaped by historical divisions. The separation between the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches from within the state Roman church developed gradually and was solidified by the Fourth Crusade, amidst theological and political disputes, including disagreements over papal authority. Earlier schisms occurred with the Church of the East after the Council of Ephesus (431) and with the Oriental Orthodox Churches following the Council of Chalcedon (451). The Eastern Catholic Churches—today numbering roughly 18 million members—are the Eastern Christian communities that remained in or later entered communion with the pope. The 16th-century Protestant Reformation led to many new Christian traditions and prompted the Catholic Counter‑Reformation. Since the late 20th century, the church has faced criticism on its teachings on sexuality, clerical celibacy, and the ordination of women, as well as its handling of clerical sexual abuse. The Diocese of Rome, governed by the pope, forms his local jurisdiction, while the Holy See serves as the church’s central governing authority through the Roman Curia, based in Vatican City.