Roman Catholicism

Introduction & Top Questions
Early history of Roman Catholicism
- The emergence of Catholic Christianity
- The emergence of Roman Catholicism
  - Internal factors
  - External factors
  - The early medieval papacy
- The church of the early Middle Ages
  - The concept of Christendom
  - A period of decadence
  - Popular Christianity c. 1000
- The church of the High Middle Ages
  - Gregorian Reform
  - The reign of Gregory VII
  - The Investiture Controversy: Gregory VII to Calixtus II
  - The Crusades
  - The papacy at its height: The 12th and 13th centuries
  - The renaissance of the 12th century
  - The apostolic life
  - Religious orders: Canons and monks
  - The mendicant orders
  - The rise of heresy
  - Religious life in the 13th century
  - The golden age of Scholasticism
  - The persecuting society
- From the late Middle Ages to the Reformation
  - The “Babylonian Captivity”
  - Late medieval reform: The Great Schism and conciliarism
  - Jan Hus
  - Efforts to heal the East-West Schism
  - Roman Catholicism on the eve of the Reformation
    - The decline of Scholastic theology
    - Expressions of spirituality and folk piety
    - Roman Catholicism and Renaissance humanism
    - Roman Catholicism and the emergence of national consciousness
The age of Reformation and Counter-Reformation
- Roman Catholicism and the Protestant Reformation
- The Roman Catholic Reformation
  - The Council of Trent
  - New religious orders
- The Counter-Reformation
- Post-Reformation conditions
- Developments in France
  - The Gallican problem
  - Jansenism
  - Quietism
- Controversies involving the Jesuits
  - The Chinese rites controversy
  - Suppression of the Jesuits
- Religious life in the 17th and 18th centuries
The church in the modern period
- Catholicism in Revolutionary France
- Napoleon I and the restoration
- Pius IX
- Leo XIII
- The period of the World Wars
- The Second Vatican Council
- Aftermath of the council
- The church in the 21st century
Roman Catholicism outside Europe
- The New World: Spanish and Portuguese empires
  - Colonial period
  - After independence
  - Spanish and French missions in North America
- Roman Catholicism in the United States and Canada
  - United States
  - Canada
- Roman Catholicism in Africa and Asia
  - Missions in Africa
  - Missions in Asia
Structure of the church
- Doctrinal basis
  - The nature of the church
  - Apostolic succession
- The papacy
  - The papal office
  - Ancient and medieval views of papal authority
  - Early-modern and modern views of papal authority
  - Historical conceptions of the relationship of the papacy to the world
  - Contemporary teaching on papal authority
- The offices of the clergy
  - The Roman Curia and the College of Cardinals
  - The college of bishops
  - Ecumenical councils
  - The priesthood and the diaconate
- Religious communities
  - Hermits and monks
  - Mendicant friars and clerks regular
  - Nuns and brothers
- The laity
- Canon law
Beliefs and practices
- Faith
  - Concepts of faith
  - Preambles and motivation of faith
  - Heresy
- Revelation
  - The concept of revelation
  - The content of revelation
- Tradition and Scripture
- The magisterium
  - The concept of teaching authority
  - Organs of teaching authority
  - Object and response
- Major dogmas and doctrines
- Sacraments
  - General characteristics
  - Baptism
  - Confirmation
  - The Eucharist
  - Reconciliation
  - Anointing of the sick
  - Marriage
  - Holy orders
- Liturgy
  - The mass
  - The divine office
  - The liturgical year
- Paraliturgical devotions
  - Eucharistic devotions
  - Cult of the saints
  - Mysticism
- The order of the mass
  - The introductory rites
  - The liturgy of the Word
  - The liturgy of the Eucharist
  - The communion rite
  - The concluding rite
- The role of the church in society
  - Missions
  - Education
  - Charitable activities
  - Church and state relations
  - Economic views and practice
  - The family

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images, Videos & Interactives

St. Peter's Basilica

Cardinals in red vestments attend Mass inside St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City, with Cardinal Angelo Sodano leading the service at the ornate central altar.

Infographic featuring a central illustration of a pope, surrounded by labeled facts such as the total number of popes, most common papal names, oldest and youngest elected, longest and shortest reigns, number of popes made saints, official titles, and origins by country.

Who was St. Peter the Apostle?

Skellig Michael

Cluny: belfry tower

Photo of Saint Carlos Acutis in a Catholic church.

Map of the Iberian Peninsula highlighting the main pilgrimage routes of the Camino de Santiago across Spain, Portugal, and a portion of southern France. Color-coded lines trace the Finisterre, Frances, Ingles, Norte, Portugues Central, Portugues Coastal, and Via de la Plata routes, all converging toward Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain. Major cities along the routes, such as Lisbon, Porto, Burgos, Leon, and Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, are labeled.

Pope Gregory VII

At a Glance

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Roman Catholicism summary

Related Questions

St. Peter's Basilica — St. Peter's Basilica St. Peter's Basilica on St. Peter's Square, Vatican City.

Roman Catholicism

religion

Also known as: Roman Catholic Church

Written by

Jaroslav Jan PelikanAll

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 11, 2026 •History

Roman Catholicism, Christian religion that has been the decisive spiritual force in the history of Western civilization. Along with Eastern Orthodoxy and Protestantism, it is one of the three major branches of Christianity. It is led by the pope, as the bishop of Rome, and the Holy See forms the church’s central government, making decisions on issues of faith and morality for the some 1.3 billion Catholics throughout the world. The Roman Catholic Church traces...

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