Roman Catholicism

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Roman Catholicism (Catholic meaning 'universal') is a very old and traditional religion. Regarded as the root of Christianity, it is the largest single religious group in the world.

The leader of the Roman Catholic religion is called the Pope. He lives in Vatican City, which is a very small country inside the city of Rome, Italy. 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); there are conditions on when the Pope is considered infallible. The Pope is the pastoral and temporal leader not only of the Roman Catholic Church, but of Eastern Catholic Churches. The Eastern Orthodox Churches practice a religion similar to the Catholic Church commonly referred to as the Roman Catholic Church. Jesus Christ established the Catholic Church. Catholics believe that because of his love for all people Jesus Christ died so that all may have ever-lasting life. The Catholic Church teaches 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.

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. While these are all practices of Roman Catholics, many other Christian churches also use many or all of these same practices.

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