Sean
This is the most expansive Christian denomination with over 1.2 billion members worldwide. The Catholic Church does not consider itself to be a denomination; instead, it considers itself to be the original church. The head of the Catholic Church is the pope and his seat of authority is called the papacy. Some of the beliefs of the Catholic Church include:
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The infallibility of the pope
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Non-marriage of priests, nuns, bishops, and cardinals
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Mass: a service which is essentially considered a reenactment of the death of Christ, held daily in remembrance of Christ
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The Trinity: the fundamental Christian belief of a three-person Godhead; Father, Son (Jesus), and Holy Spirit, that is a single God.
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Confession and penance: this is the act of confessing one’s sins to a priest in confidentiality and the priest having the divine power to absolve them from their sins following the completion of an administered punishment.
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Relic veneration: images and statues of Jesus, Mary, and the saints are made in various sizes to be revered in the church or privately.
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Veneration of the saints and the dead
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Purgatory: a limbo-like place where sinners are offered a second chance toward salvation; a place where the souls of sinners suffer or purge for a while before they proceed to heaven.
