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The '''Catholic Church''' is, literally, the ''Universal Church'' of Jesus Christ (from the Greek ''katholikos'', "universal"). [[Catholic Church]] is a Christian church that is headed by the pope, the bishop of Rome. It is one of the largest religions in the world, with more than 1 billion adherents (In the United States more than 64 million.)   

The '''Catholic Church''' is, literally, the ''Universal Church'' of Jesus Christ (from the Greek ''katholikos'', "universal"). [[Catholic Church]] is a Christian church that is headed by the pope, the bishop of Rome. She is one of the largest religions in the world, with more than 1 billion adherents (In the United States more than 64 million.)   

To belong to the church one must accept as factually true the gospel of our lord [[Jesus Christ]]. ''"The chief teachings of the Catholic church are: God’s objective existence; God’s interest in individual human beings, who can enter into relations with God (through prayer); the Trinity; the divinity of Jesus; the immortality of the soul of each human being, each one being accountable at death for his or her actions in life, with the award of heaven or hell; the resurrection of the dead; the historicity of the Gospels; and the divine commission of the church. In addition the Roman Catholic Church stresses that since the members, living and dead, share in each other’s merits, the [[Virgin Mary]] and other saints and the dead in purgatory are never forgotten." '' <ref> [http://www.bartleby.com/65/ro/RomanCat.html The Columbia Encyclopedia]</ref>

To belong to the church one must accept as factually true the gospel of our lord [[Jesus Christ]]. ''"The chief teachings of the Catholic church are: God’s objective existence; God’s interest in individual human beings, who can enter into relations with God (through prayer); the Trinity; the divinity of Jesus; the immortality of the soul of each human being, each one being accountable at death for his or her actions in life, with the award of heaven or hell; the resurrection of the dead; the historicity of the Gospels; and the divine commission of the church. In addition the Roman Catholic Church stresses that since the members, living and dead, share in each other’s merits, the [[Virgin Mary]] and other saints and the dead in purgatory are never forgotten." '' <ref> [http://www.bartleby.com/65/ro/RomanCat.html The Columbia Encyclopedia]</ref>