The Catholic Church is the largest Christian denomination in the world. It has more than one billion members worldwide – that means one in every six people walking the earth is a baptised Catholic.
Around five million live in England. What unites all Catholics is our belief in Jesus Christ and his message of love for all, peace and forgiveness. We also believe that all men and women are equal, because we are made in the image of God, who sent his only son Jesus to earth to save us. We believe in justice and equality too as whatever we do to each other, we do to Christ.
To help us, Catholics are guided by a leader, the Pope and also local leaders in our individual dioceses, the bishops. Jesus asked one of his followers, the apostle Peter, to lead his people and spiritually nourish them. Every Pope is the successor to Peter, and every bishop is the successor to Christ’s apostles.
What's On? - Eucharistic Congress Bell at St Albans
The values of the Gospel– peace, love, truth, justice, charity – are unchanging, eternal truths. Yet the world is changing constantly. The Church therefore has a prophetic calling to read these ‘signs of the times’ and interpret them in the light of the Gospel.
The Church is called to reflect on the interface between Christianity and society. Do our schools, hospitals and prisons reflect the depth of Christ’s love for humanity? Do our laws protect and cherish all humans, rich or poor, sick or well, as made in the image and likeness of God?
What unites all Catholics is our belief in Jesus Christ and his message of love for all, peace and forgiveness. We also believe that all men and women are equal, because we are made in the image of God, who sent his only son Jesus to earth to save us. We believe in justice and equality too as whatever we do to each other, we do to Christ.
Internationally, the Church works and collaborates with people and organisations in many countries around the world. The breadth of the Church's work takes in aid and development, global justice and peace, support and solidarity with the Church overseas and missionary work to highlight but a small cross-section.