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World Religions – Catholicism

Introduction
Almost from the time of its organization the Catholic religion has played a large role in the formation and operation of societies throughout history. It is one of the oldest religions and possibly the largest in the world. Catholicism has divided nations, communities, and families. It is the only religion that has its own sovereign nation. The Catholic Church teaches that it was founded by Jesus Christ upon his resurrection and that Jesus named Peter the Apostle as the first head of the Church. For hundreds of years the Catholic religion was THE Christian religion. It was simply known as Christianity or “The Church” because there were no Baptists, Lutherans, Methodists, or other Protestant religions. There was only one doctrine that applied to Christian believers all over the world and thus those believers were united by the same traditions, beliefs, church organization, and worship rituals. In fact the word “catholic” means "universal". The Catholic Church was also the parent or basis for many other Christian religions or denominations. Yet despite its undisputed impact on history and even current events, there are many practices and beliefs of the Catholic religion that seem mysterious and even strange to non- Catholics, including other Christians. This paper will examine some of those practices and attempt to explain the history and meaning behind them while comparing those rituals and practices with those of other Christian denominations.

The Site Visit - Sacred Heart Catholic Church
A Catholic church is similar to a protestant church in several ways. There are pews and a pulpit and most churches have beautiful stained glass windows. But Catholicism relies heavily on rituals and traditions and the worship ceremonies and practices are very similar or the same in Catholic churches all over the world. Those traditional rituals are in evidence as soon as you walk into a Catholic Church. In the foyer of the Sacred Heart Catholic...