Christianity and Catholicism

1 billion people in the world follow Christianity.  It is thought to be the largest religion in the world


Christians believe that a man, Jesus, is the Son of God.  Jesus was called Christ by his followers, which means "anointed one"


The key teachings of Jesus were:
-  Obey God's laws, which are the commandments given by God to Moses
-  People should repent their sins and make a new start
-  Love and serving others was more important than following laws
Jesus taught by telling stories (called Parables)


The Sacred Text of Christianity is the 
Bible.  The Bible is divided into 2 sections, the Old Testament and the New Testament.  Christians believe that the Bible provides them with guidelines for living their life


The main beliefs of Christianity are:
1.  The universe was created by God
2.  It is wrong to act against God's laws
3.  That there will be a Day of Judgement
4.  There is a Heaven and Hell for life after death



In 1054 a dispute between the Church in Constantinople (headed by the Patriarch) and the Church in Rome (headed by the Pope) led to a split in Christianity, called the Great Schism.  The Church in Rome became known as the Roman Catholic Church



Some Catholic customs are as follows:
-  Regular prayer
-  Baptism, to welcome people into the church
-  Confirmation, a ceremony to become an adult member of the church
-  Marriage
-  Last Rights (a death ceremony)


Catholics worship at Churches.  Most Catholics attend mass on Sundays, which involves hearing readings from the Bible, listening to sermons from priests or ministers, praising God, and asking for God's help


The spiritual leader of Catholics is the Pope