Catholic

Catholicism is the largest branch of Christianity, with over 1.3 billion followers worldwide. As part of the Christian faith, Catholics believe in Jesus Christ as the son of God. Roman Catholics believe in the Bible as an accurate telling of history given from God to mankind. In the Catholic afterlife, one may enter heaven, hell, or purgatory based on their actions in life. To enter heaven after death, one must be baptized and follow the commandments to lead a moral lifestyle. During baptism, a sacrament that usually takes place early in a child’s life, water is poured over the individual, cleansing them of humanity’s original sin. If one does not follow the Catholic God and his commandments, they may be sentenced to punishment in hell or be allowed to repent for their sins in the temporary punishment of purgatory.

Additionally, the main difference between the Catholic faith and other Protestant sects is that the Catholic church has a hierarchy of leadership. The Pope is at the top of the leadership hierarchy and is the head of the entire church. Beneath the Pope are the Cardinals and then Archbishops. Bishops fill the center positions and the ones who communicate with the congregation are Priests. Priests run worship at individual churches.