Roman Catholic Church
The Roman Catholic Church is the world's largest single religious grouping with over 1,000,000,000 baptised members (see Catholicism). The church exists within virtually every country on Earth.
The visible earthly head of the Church is the Pope, the successor to Saint Peter, whose seat is the Vatican City in Rome. He is supported by an elite group of Cardinals. The Pope officially appoints all clergymen in the Church above the rank of priest. All members of the hierarchy are answerable to the Pope and to his papal court, the Curia.
Organisation
Patriarchs are the heads of Catholic Churches other than the Latin Church. Some senior Roman Catholic archbishops are also called Patriarchs.
Archbishops and Bishops administer individual dioceses as successors of the twelve apostles. As such they are responsible for the appointment and supervision of parish priests, and the oversight of all church affairs within their diocese.
The Catholic Church is organised into local hierarchies within each nation, or group of smaller nations. National Conferences of bishops co-ordinate local policy within each nation.
The World Hierarchy by Region
North America
Central America
Europe
South America
Africa
Asia
Oceania
External Links
Referenced By
'Donation of Constantine' | 11 October | 11th October | 14 December | 14th December | 1616 | 1622 | 1769 | 1822 | 1962 | 1999 | 23 April | 23rd April | 24 February | 24th February | 31 October | 31st October | A Protestant view of the Council from Schaff-Herzog Encyc of Religion | Abomination | Abortion in the United Kingdom | Aetheism | African popes | Albania between wars | Albino Luciani | All Souls Day | Alsace-Moselle | Anatole France | Anne de Xainctonge | Annuna | Anti-Semitism in Poland | Antonio Fogazzaro | Apostolic See | April 2003 | April 23 | April 23rd | Aquinas | Ardbraccan | ArgumentsForTheExistenceOfGod | Arguments for the existence of God | As of 1999 | Assize of Clarendon | Assyrian Church | Assyrian Church of the East | Atheism | Atheist | Athiest | Augsburg Confession | Authoritarian | Authoritarianism | Avignon Papacy | B Minor Mass | B Minor Mass (Bach) | Banned book | Banned books | Baron d'Holbach | Baroque | Basil of Caesarea | Basil the Great | Bavarian Illuminati | Bellarmine | Benito Juarez | Benito Juárez | Benito Juárez, Guerrero | Benito Mussolini | Benito Pablo Juarez | Benito Pablo Juárez | Benny Mussolini | Bernadette Soubirous | Bernard of Clairvaux | Bernardin Cardinal Gantin | Bernardino Ochino | Bishop of Rome | Black popes | Bogomil | Bogomils | Bogumil | Bogumils | Boniface | Boniface VIII | Bono Act | Bosniak | Bosniaks | Bosnian Muslim | Bosnian Muslims | Brasil | Brazil | Brazilian | Byzantine Catholics in former Yugoslavia | Byzantine religion | CTEA | Calvinism | Calvinist | Calvinist Church | Calvinists | Canonization | Canonization of Saints | Canonize | Canonized | Cao Dai | Caodaism ...
|
