Roman Catholicism

Followers of Roman Catholicism believe that their Church is the one, holy, Catholic and apostolic Church. The faith of the Roman Catholic Church is said to be identical with that taught by Christ and his Apostles, contained in tradition and in the Bible, to which nothing could be added.  New definitions of doctrines were later declared by Popes, some of which include the Immaculate Conception of Mary (1854), and the bodily Assumption of Mary (1950).

The Roman Catholic Church is still the largest Christian organization in the world.  In the Philippines, Catholicism was the first Christian religion introduced by the Spanish colonizers.  It spread so widely that the 1983 Catholic Directory of the Philippines recorded 43,129,303 Catholics and 69 Ecclesiastical territories including the Filipino-Chinese Apostolate and the Military Vicariate.

The supreme governing body of the Roman Catholic Church is the Hierarchy, which consists of the roman Pontiff and the bishops joined together in one apostolic college.  The Pope, as head of the hierarchy of arcbishops, bishops, priests and deacons, has full ecclesiastical power, passed on to him by Christ through Peter.  Catholics rely on the Pope when speaking  for the whole Church in matters of faith, morals, and tradition.  The cardinals, now always bishops, serve as the chief counselors of the Roman Pontiff who is further assisted by the departments of the roman Curia.

The bishops, some of whom have the titles Patriarch and the Arcbishop, are united with the Pope in the governance of the whole church.  When assigned to the particular.  Sees, however, they are individually responsible for the teaching, sanctification, and governance of their particular Church.  Apostolic Vicars and Prefects together with certain Abbots and other Prelates are joined in this work.

Roman Catholicism has relatively elaborate rituals, a wide variety of public and private rites, some of which are rosary recitation, processions, novenas, fasting and abstinence. The seven Sacraments included in the special rites of Roman Catholics are baptism, contrition and penance, confirmation, Eucharist of the sacrament of the Mass, matrimony, ordination , and anointing of the sick or Extreme Unction.  In the Philippines, the first Catholic mass was celebrated in Limasawa on Easter Sunday, March 31, 1521.

Roman Catholics are theoretically very strict, although tolerant in practice on most issues. They do not, however, accept divorce and remarriage, and their clergy must take a vow of celibacy.

The doctrine of Roman Catholics is also highly elaborate.  They believe that salvation by merit is gained through faith.  To them, penitent souls are purified in a place called purgatory.