Portal:Catholic Church

Catholic Church Portal Main page   Pontifex Maximus   The town and the world Introduction The Catholic Church (Latin: Ecclesia Catholica), also called the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with an estimated 1.28 to 1.41 billion baptized members worldwide as of 2026. It 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. Throughout history, the church has had a large role in the development of Western civilization. Catholic communities are present worldwide through missions, immigration, and conversions. The majority of Catholics live in the Global South, reflecting rapid demographic growth in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, as well as 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—the bishop of Rome—is the successor of Saint Peter the Apostle, entrusted with a unique and primary pastoral role. Leo XIV is the current pope, serving as the head of the church; the Diocese of Rome forms his local jurisdiction, while the Holy See serves as the church's central governing authority through the Roman Curia. 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, other rites of the Latin Church, and the liturgical traditions of the Eastern Catholic Churches. Religious orders, monastic communities, and lay movements contribute to a wide range of theological and devotional expressions within Catholicism globally. Among the church's seven sacraments, the Eucharist is seen 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 devotional practices. Catholic social teaching emphasizes care for the poor, the sick, and the marginalized. The church operates tens of thousands of educational, medical, and charitable institutions worldwide, making it the largest non-governmental provider of education and health care. (Full article...) Selected article An image of Our Lady of Guadalupe Our Lady of Guadalupe (Spanish: Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, Nahuatl: Nicān Mopōhua), also called the Virgin of Guadalupe (Spanish: Virgen de Guadalupe) is a 16th century Roman Catholic icon depicting an apparition of the Virgin Mary. It is Mexico's most beloved religious and cultural image. Our Lady of Guadalupe is known in Mexico as "La Virgen Morena", which means "The brown-skinned Virgin". Our Lady of Guadalupe's feast day is celebrated on December 12, commemorating the account of her appearances to Saint Juan Diego on the hill of Tepeyac near Mexico City from December 9 through December 12, 1531.The Virgin of Guadalupe is a cultural symbol of significant importance to the Mexican identity.The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City is the second most visited Roman catholic shrine on the world after the Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican.The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is often read as a coded image. Miguel Sanchez, the author of the 1648 tract Imagen de la Virgen María, described the Virgin's image as the Woman of the Apocalypse from the New Testament's Revelation 12:1: "arrayed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars." Read more... Selected image Credit: Chowells Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King (usually shortened to Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Liverpool, England. It replaced the Pro-Cathedral of St. Nicholas, Copperas Hill. The cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Liverpool, the mother church of Liverpool's Catholics, and the metropolitan church of the ecclesiastical Northern Province. Selected biography Elias Zoghby (January 9, 1912 – January 16, 2008) was the Melkite Greek Catholic Archbishop of Baalbek and a leading advocate of Catholic-Orthodox ecumenism. He is best known for his ecumenical interventions during Vatican II and his 1995 Profession of Faith, known as the Zoghby Initiative, which attempted to re-establish communion between the Melkite Greek Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church while maintaining communion with the Roman Catholic Church. Zoghby's views on topics such as Catholic–Orthodox "double communion" and dissolution of marriage were controversial. Critics labeled him the enfant terrible of his church, while supporters lauded him as an energetic visionary who sought to re-unite the Eastern Churches. Elias Zoghby was born on January 9, 1912 in Cairo. His mother, Hanne Ishak Yared, was a Melkite Greek Catholic and his father, Abdallah Mikail Zoghby, was Antiochian Orthodox convert and former Maronite Catholic. Read more... Did you know... ... that Franz Anton Knittel deciphered the Gothic text of the palimpsest Codex Carolinus in 1762? ... that the French Gothic Niederhaslach Church (buttresses pictured) in Alsace was plundered in 1525 during the German Peasants' War, burnt in 1633 during the Thirty Years' War, and became a slaughterhouse in 1744? ... that according to some scholars, Christ's agony at Gethsemane was added to the New Testament to counter docetism? Related portals Feast Day of July 21 Lawrence of Brindisi, OFM Cap. (22 July 1559 – 22 July 1619), born Giulio Cesare Russo, was an Italian Catholic priest, theologian and member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin. An accomplished linguist, in addition to his native Italian, Lawrence could read and speak Latin, Hebrew, Greek, German, Czech, Spanish, and French fluently. Lawrence was ordained a priest at the age of 23. Lawrence was beatified on 1 June 1783 and canonized as a saint on 8 December 1881. (Full article...) Attributes: leading an army against the Turks; embracing the Child Jesus Patronage: Brindisi Selected quote Robert Bellarmine, SJ, Doctor of the Church “ Sharing in solicitude for all the Churches, bishops exercise this episcopal office of theirs, received through episcopal consecration, in communion with and under the authority of the Supreme Pontiff. All are united in a college or body with respect to teaching the universal Church of God and governing her as shepherds. ” — Robert Bellarmine Decree on the Bishops' Pastoral Office News 2 July 2026 – 2026 Écône consecrations The Holy See excommunicates the entire clergy of the Society of Saint Pius X for consecrating four bishops yesterday without the Pope's permission, barring the group from officiating marriages and hearing confessions. The Catholic laity are also warned that they will also be excommunicated if they attend SSPX masses. (AP) (Vatican News) 1 July 2026 – Religion in the United Arab Emirates The Emirate of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates reopens its Catholic churches, including St. Mary's and St. Francis of Assisi in Jebel Ali, after three months of closure amidst the Iran war. (Gulf News) 19 June 2026 – Sudanese civil war Catholic priest Yohanna Al-Amin Komkome is killed alongside two of his associates in Kauda near the Nuba Mountains. The Sudan People's Liberation Movement–North is accused of the attacks. (Sudan Now) 10 June 2026 – Visit by Pope Leo XIV to Spain Pope Leo XIV blesses and inaugurates the Tower of Jesus Christ at the Sagrada Família in Barcelona, Spain, coinciding with the centenary of the death of its architect Antoni Gaudí, during his visit to the country. (Reuters) Subcategories Catholic Church Catholic Church by city Catholic Church by continent Catholic Church by country Catholic Church-related lists Catholic particular churches sui iuris Latin Church Eastern Catholic Churches Catholic bibles Buildings and structures of the Catholic Church Catholic Church portals Catholics Catholic charities Catholic culture Catholic dioceses Ecclesiastical polity of the Catholic Church Catholic ecumenical and interfaith relations History of the Catholic Church Catholic liturgy Catholic missions Catholic orders and societies Organisation of the Catholic Church Outlines of the Catholic Church Popes Catholic Church in popular culture Roman Catholic saints Catholic spirituality Catholic studies Catholic theology and doctrine Venerated Catholics Catholic Church stubs Topics God the Trinity: God the Father · God the Son · God the Holy Spirit The Holy Bible: Old Testament (including the Deuterocanonicals) · New Testament Particular churches (grouped by liturgical rite): Latin Rite: Latin Church Alexandrian Rite: Coptic Catholic Church · Eritrean Catholic Church · Ethiopian Catholic Church Armenian Rite: Armenian Catholic Church East Syriac Rite: Chaldean Catholic Church · Syro-Malabar Catholic Church West Syriac Rite: Maronite Church · Syriac Catholic Church · Syro-Malankara Catholic Church Byzantine Rite: Albanian Greek Catholic Church · Belarusian Greek Catholic Church · Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church · Greek Byzantine Catholic Church · Greek Catholic Church of Croatia and Serbia · Hungarian Greek Catholic Church · Italo-Albanian Catholic Church · Macedonian Greek Catholic Church · Melkite Greek Catholic Church · Romanian Greek Catholic Church · Russian Greek Catholic Church · Ruthenian Catholic Church · Slovak Greek Catholic Church · Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church History: Jesus of Nazareth · The Apostles · Ecumenical councils · East–West Schism · The Crusades · Reformation Christian theology: Four Marks of the Church · Christian worship · Divine grace · Salvation · Sermon on the Mount · Ten Commandments Things you can do If you want to help, you can do the following things: Contribute to one or more of the following articles: Articles needing attention: Coptic Catholic Church • Salesians of Don Bosco • Caritas Internationalis • Teresa Janina Kierocińska • St. Joseph's Cathedral, Allahabad • Emiliano Tardif • More... 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