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Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, claiming more than a billion members.^[1] It is a communion of 23 Churches under the Bishop of Rome -the Pope-, and it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity.

The Catholic Church is among the oldest institutions in the world and has played a prominent role in the history of Western civilisation.^[2] It teaches that its bishops are the successors of Jesus Christ's apostles and that the Pope, as the successor ofSt. Peter, possesses a universal primacy.

Catholic doctrine maintains that the Church is infallible when it dogmatically teaches a doctrine of faith or morals.^{[3][4][note 1][5]}Catholic worship is centred on the Eucharist in which the Church teaches bread and wine are supernaturally transubstantiatedinto the body and blood of Christ.

The Church holds the Blessed Virgin Mary in special regard. Catholic beliefs concerning Mary include her Immaculate Conception without the stain of original sin and bodily Assumption into heaven at the end of her life.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church