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Catholicism and the World

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Catholicism and the World

Nichole L. Lombardi

Axia College of University of Phoenix

Catholicism and the World

I have never been a person of faith, so this paper was intended to further my understanding of Catholicism, how it works, and how it compares to one of the fastest growing religions in the world, Islam. I have known of the existence of Catholicism for many years, but the usual things I have heard about it have been the negatives involving scandals with the clergy or some other important announcement from the Pope. This paper is intended to give both me and the reader a greater understanding of what the catholic faith is and how it relates to Islam, as well as describing some of the practices involved in these faiths. I have completed an interview with a practicing Catholic in order to facilitate my understanding. What I learned in this interview will be revealed later in this paper. By the end of this paper, I hope to have a better understanding of what it means to be a Catholic or a Muslim. Most importantly, I hope to truly understand what causes people to believe the things they believe and embrace religion. The Catholic Church is one of the oldest of religions and claims to be the original form of Christianity. The teachings and practices of Catholicism are believed to be handed down from Jesus Christ himself directly to the 12 apostles. The Catholic Church has enjoyed a very colorful history that includes the Crusades, the great Catechism, and more recently, numerous incidents involving improprieties committed by church officials. Today, the Roman Catholic Church, as well as its leaders, the Pope, Archbishops, Cardinals, Monsignors, Priests and Deacons, has become an international congregation, extending to almost every country in the world. It is recognized as the most populous religion in the world and controls monies and assets estimated

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