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Catholicism means belonging to the universal church, but Roman Catholicism specifically refers to the Christian Church in full communion with the Pope. It believes in the resurrection of Jesus, the Pope’s infallibility, and divine mysteries. The sacraments include Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Marriage.
The word “Catholic” comes from the Greek word for “universal.” In its most basic form, being a Catholic means belonging to the universal church, which, in theory, includes all of Christianity. However, due to the many schisms that have plagued the history of the Christian faith, Roman Catholicism has necessarily developed a more specific meaning.
Roman Catholicism defined itself as the Christian Church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, otherwise known as the Pope in the Vatican. It is one of the oldest Christian churches in existence and currently the largest body of organized religion in the world. It has its roots in the original church founded by Jesus Christ.
Like most of Christianity, the cornerstone of the Catholic faith is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The faithful believe that Christ rose from the dead on the third day of his death and ascended into heaven, body and soul. Roman Catholics believe that mankind’s salvation was earned through Christ’s supreme sacrifice, and that through the resurrection and ascension, He opened the gates for mankind to enter heaven.
Perhaps the feature that separates Roman Catholicism from other Christian denominations is the belief that the Pope is an infallible leader, in a direct line to Peter, the apostle Jesus called the “rock” on which the Church would be built. Together with the pope, the Roman Catholic Church is governed by bishops in the College of Cardinals. Bishops or Cardinals are charged with the spiritual guidance of their communities and are spread throughout the world. These communities are divided into parishes, led by priests. Catholics believe that bishops are successors of Jesus’ twelve apostles.
Catholicism also requires belief in what it calls divine mysteries, some of which are not accepted by other Christians. The Divine Mysteries include the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, which states that there are three persons in one God: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost or Holy Ghost. It also teaches that the Holy Eucharist is in fact the body of Christ, and not just a symbol, the veneration of Mary as the Mother of God, the veneration of saints, and the practice of the Sacraments or Sacred Mysteries.
The sacraments of Catholicism include Baptism, Confirmation, the Holy Eucharist (reception of the wafer), Penance (confession, the Anointing of the Sick or Holy Unction, Holy Orders (entering the priesthood or becoming a nun) and the Marriage It was commonly believed that the sacraments built on each other. For example, the most basic sacrament of Catholicism is that of Baptism, without which one cannot be considered Catholic at all and could not proceed to the other sacraments.
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