BASIC BELIEFS OF CATHOLICISM

Catholics are, first and foremost, Christians who believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Catholicism
shares some beliefs with other Christian practices, but essential Catholic beliefs include the following:

The Bible

Baptism,

Gods Ten

Catholics recognize the unity of body and soul for each human being. So the whole religion centers on
the truth that humankind stands between the two worlds of matter and spirit. The physical world is
considered part of Gods creation and is, therefore, inherently good until an individual misuses it.
Catholics also recognize the ten commandments.

How it was started[change | change source]

Catholicism was started as a result of Jesus of Nazareth, a Jewish man whom Christians believe is the
Son of God, a Christian belief known as the Trinity (Father,Son, and Holy Spirit). Catholics believe Jesus
to be a descendant of David, a Jewish king from a long time ago. Jesus was executed (killed) by
the Romans in the year 33 AD. Christians believe Jesus rose from the dead, and spoke to his followers,
called the twelve Apostles. Christian also believe that Jesus rose into Heaven, and then sent the Holy
Spirit to guide his followers at an event known as Pentecost.

One of his followers, the apostle named Saint Peter, was appointed leader by Jesus and later became
recognized as the first Pope, Today, the pope is Pope Francis,

The history of Roman Catholicism in the United States prior to 1776 often focuses on the 13 English-
speaking colonies along the Atlantic seaboard, as it was they who declared independence from Great
Britain in 1776, to form the United States of America. However, this history of Roman Catholicism in
the United States also includes the French and Spanish colonies, because they later became the
greater part of the contiguous United States.

The seven sacramentsBaptism, Confirmation, Holy Communion, Confession, Marriage,

Holy Orders, and the Anointing of the Sickare the life of the Catholic Church. All of the sacraments
were instituted by Christ Himself, and each is an outward sign of an inward grace.

What Are the Important Holidays & Traditions of the Catholic Religion?

Lent and Easter

Lent, which begins on Ash Wednesday, is a 40-day season immediately prior to Easter. Lent is a time
for Catholic Christians to renew their commitment to Christ

Ascenion and Pentecost

Pentecost is the capstone of the Easter season, it is the celebration of the gift of the Holy Spirit to the
Church.

Advent and Christmas

During the season of Advent, Catholics prepare their hearts and minds not only to celebrate Christ's
birth at Christmas, but also to welcome him at his second coming.

So, it is evident that there are many Catholics in the entire world but we are curious to find out how
many exactly; and also, how does the US ranks among the other countries in the world by the
percentage of the Catholics. Do those most Catholic states in the US make a difference? Apparently they
do because the US is among 5 countries in the world with the largest number of Catholics

Cathedrals can be of such a beauty; they can cause admiration even in true atheists. Thanks to
Christianity, there are 193 Catholic cathedrals in the US. How many are there in your state? You have to
find out for yourself because the time has come to present you the list of 10 most Catholic states in the
US:

Did you know which is the most catholic state in the US, or was this the new information for you? We
hope that you have learnt something new from this list!

The Catholic Churchs Vatican has diplomatic relations with almost every country in the
world

Pope John Paul II traveled to more than 129 different countries, logging more than 750,000 frequent
flyer miles, which is about three times the distance to the moon

The Devils Advocate or Advocate Diaboli, is a real position within the Catholic Church

The crime rate in Vatican City is 133.6%, which means there are more annual offenses than there
are people in the Vatican (about 500 people). Most of the crimes, though, are committed by visiting
tourists.[2]
 The oldest institution in the Western world is the Catholic Church. It traces its history back almost
2,000 years.[7]

The pope does not live in Italy; he lives in Vatican City, which is a county within Italy.[7]

Women are not allowed to become Roman Catholic priests.[2]

Brazil has more Catholics than any other country with close to 127 million, or 11.7% of the worlds
Catholic population

The magical term hocus pocus comes from the most sacred moment in Catholic ritual: the
consecration of the bread as the body of Christ by the priest speaking the words This is my
body, which in Latin is Hoc est enim corpus meum.[7]

For the Catholic Church, In vitro fertilization is not morally

accepted.

3 The inventor of the first printing press was a Catholic named Johannes Gutenberg and the first book
printed was the Bible.

In the early times, around 11th Century AD, the Catholic Church was against the use of forks since it
was an instrument of the devil.