Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church – The Catholic Church, commonly called the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian denomination, with an estimated 1.28 to 1.41 billion baptized members worldwide as of 2026. As one of the world’s oldest institutions, it has played a central role in the development of Western civilization. The church consists of 24 autonomous churches—the Latin Church and 23 Eastern Catholic Churches—organized into nearly 3,500 dioceses and eparchies governed by bishops. Catholic communities are present worldwide through missions, immigration, and conversions, with a majority of Catholics now living in the Global South, reflecting rapid demographic growth in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the effects of secularization in parts of Europe and North America.
