Beliefs:
In the Catholic Church, it is believed that God's grace comes from participation in the sacraments. Important sacraments include baptism (which initiates an infant into the Church), reconciliation (in which sins are confessed to the priest), communion (also called the Eucharist) and confirmation (in which an adolescent joins the church as an adult). Optional sacraments include marriage, anointing of the sick and holy orders.

The church is led by a hierarchical organization of bishops and priests. The head of the church is the Pope, who is the bishop of Rome and lives at the Vatican. The rest of the hierarchy is made up of Cardinals, Bishops, priests and deacons. Outside of the hierarchy are monks and nuns.

The priest has a special position in the Catholic Church. He is considered an intermediary between the people and God. Priests are forbidden to marry and women cannot be priests. In addition, only a priest is capable of performing the sacrament of the Eucharist (changing the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ). Catholics believe in transubstantiation, which means the literal transformation of the bread and wine into the body and blood, rather than symbolic representation. The Eucharist is the most important of the seven sacraments (see above).

History:
The Catholic Church is considered one of the oldest religious institutions and the oldest branch of Christianity. The term "Catholic Church" was first mentioned in 110 C.E. in a letter written by Ignatius of Antioch. However, many Catholics believe that their history begins with the birth of Jesus Christ. Members of the Church also believe that Peter, Jesus' follower, was supposed to have been the first pope (the pope being the leader of the Catholic Church).

Today:
In 2005, Pope John Paul II died and Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was elected as Pope Benedict XVI. The Catholic Church has also endured much scandal recently, especially in regards to molestation and child abuse. In addition, many followers have begun to leave the Church because of the conservative views on abortion, birth control and women's roles within the Church.

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