Catholicism By Ashley Baker

How did Catholicism begin? The term "the catholic church" started in the year 107 AD when Ignatius of Antioch used the title to describe Jesus' church. Ignatius was the child that the Savior took up in His arms in Mark 9:35. Catholicism is the oldest and largest Christian denomination in the world. Roughly half of all Catholics live in Latin America and the Caribbean. In 2003, there were 63.4 million Roman Catholics in the United States

The Seven Sacraments Sacraments are an outward sign of a Catholic’s faith. Catholics should take place in as many of the Sacraments as they can in order to live a holy life. The seven Sacraments are Baptism, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Confirmation, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick, and Holy Orders. When a person is Baptized, the priest places a cross on their forehead with holy water as a symbol that they will be raised Catholic. This is usually done to babies. A Catholic Christian is baptized in the name (singular) of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit - not three gods, but One God in three persons The Eucharist is also known as the Holy Communion. This is when you receive the Body of Christ in the form of the host or drink. Catholics believe Jesus' body and blood can be given to us in the form of bread or wine.

The Seven Sacraments cont. Reconciliation, commonly known as Confession, forgives Catholics of their sins when they confess them to a Priest. There is no set number of times Catholics must take place in Reconciliation, but they must have done this at least once before they make their first Holy Eucharist. When someone is Confirmed, it means they have received the Holy Spirit. After receiving baptism, reconciliation, and the Eucharist, they are now confirmed as a Catholic. Marriage, or Holy Matrimony is when two Catholics marry, not only show their love for each other, but also their love for God. They do this having a home with Catholic values and morals.

The Seven Sacraments cont. Anointing of the Sick is when a Catholic is facing serious illness and a priest is called in to say a prayer and bless them so they may get better. Catholics receive the Sacrament of Holy Orders when they become a nun or a priest. Obviously, it is not expected that all Catholics become one of these.

Organization of the Church St John Lateran, cathedral of the diocese of Rome and of the Pope The Pope lives in Vatican City, set up in 1929 as an independent state within the city of Rome. The group of officials that assist him with governing the Church is known as the Roman Curia. Cardinals are appointed by the pope, usually from his assistants in the curia and bishops from around the world. Bishops are in charge of different diocese in a given area. A diocese is a community of Catholic churches around the same area.

Organization of the Church cont. Bishops are assisted by Priests and Deacons. Priests and Deacons are in charge of their own church. Typically a Catholic Church will have 1 or 2 Priests. These Priests speak at mass and assist with the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

The Afterlife Catholics believe that when someone dies, their souls will spend time in purgatory. Purgatory is a place where souls become perfected for when they meet with God. Purgatory is not eternal, but may last as long as centuries in the case of the more guilty souls. The length of time depends on what God decides is fair. Purgatory ends when God has made is final judgment of sending your soul either to Heaven or Hell. His decision is permanent.

Catholic Websites http://www.catholic.org/ http://www.catholicexchange.com/ http://www.americancatholic.org/ http://www.catholicrelief.org/

Sources http://catholicism.about.com http://www.newadvent.org http://www.infoplease.com http://en.wikipedia.org