Catholicism is a term used to describe the beliefs of the Catholic faith.

Followers of the Catholic religion have several strict beliefs:

• There is one eternal God in three forms: The Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit.
• The pursuit of salvation, the concept of behaving morally to save one’s soul.
• A belief in purgatory, a place between Heaven and Hell.
• The infallibility of the Pope.

In addition to these beliefs, Catholics are expected to attend Mass, a physical meeting of believers in a church, lead by a priest.

The Catholic Church has a very strict and traditional hierarchy. The ultimate leader is Jesus Christ and the head of the Church is the pope, who governs from Vatican City. Beneath the Pope are 2,795 bishops who each lead a diocese, and within these dioceses are parishes that are lead by deacons and priests.

This religion is one of the most prominent in the world, last reported with more than 1 billion believers, which accounts for about a sixth of the world’s population. The majority of Catholics are found in Western Europe and throughout the Americas.

© ProjectExplorer.org, 2010.
Text by Annie Leroux.