Roman Catholicism, Christian religion that has been the decisive spiritual force in the history of Western civilization. Along with Eastern Orthodoxy and Protestantism, it is one of the three major branches of Christianity.

COMMENTARY: Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical, issued 135 years ago, demonstrated how the Catholic Church’s teaching, rooted in natural law and divine Revelation, could engage a de-Christianized society ...

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Where a potential peace deal with Iran stands Iranian state media said its leadership is reviewing the U.S.'s latest peace proposal, nearly three months into a war that has had global...

The Catholic Church (Latin: Ecclesia Catholica), commonly called the Roman Catholic Church, [note 1] is the largest Christian church, with an estimated 1.28 to 1.41 billion baptized members worldwide as of 2026.

Search the world's largest database of answers about the beliefs and practices of the Catholic faith. Learn more about Catholicism through articles, books, videos and more.

Visiting the official website of the Holy See one can browse: the Magisterium of the Supreme Pontiffs; the fundamental texts of Catholicism in various languages (the Sacred Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the documents of the Second Vatican Council and the Code of Canon Law); the documents of Dicasteries, Bodies and Institutions of ...