什麼是天主教；羅馬公教

世界上最大的基督教單一教會，信徒人數接近十億，或者說佔世界人口總數的18%。天主教對西方文明的發展有過深厚的影響，並將基督教傳播到世界的許多地方。天主教認爲本教是耶穌基督的唯一合法繼承者，從使徒聖彼得開始不間斷地延續到現在。教宗是神啓的一貫正確的解釋者。教會組織有嚴格的等級。由教宗指定並統領約150名樞機主教。教會500名大主教中的每一個都是一個大主教轄區的首領。這些大主教轄區又分成約1,800個主教轄區，每個轄區有一名主教爲首。在主教轄區內有許多堂區，每個堂區有一個教堂和一個神父。只有男子可以擔任神職，女子想從事聖職可以當修女，修女們也可組織修會和建立女修道院。禮拜的基本形式是彌撒，是慶祝聖餐的聖事。從神學上說，天主教與新教的不同之處在於它們對啓示的來源和恩典的手段的理解不同。東正教認爲經籍和教會傳統都是基督教信仰基礎和教會政策的展示。天主教確立了七種聖事（洗禮、贖罪、聖餐、婚禮、聖職授任、堅振禮和塗油於病人）；另外還有其他的奉獻行爲加入此豐富的聖事生活中，主要是聖餐儀式和向聖人奉獻。第二次梵諦岡會議（1962～1965）放寬了教會在許多方面的限制，但婦女在教會中的角色地位、神職人員的禁慾、教會反對離婚、人工避孕以及墮胎等問題至今尚未解決。

Roman Catholicism

Largest single Christian denomination in the world, with nearly one billion members, or 18% of the world's population. The Roman Catholic church has had a profound effect on the development of Western civilization and has been responsible for introducing Christianity in many parts of the world. It regards itself as the only legitimate inheritor of the ministry of Jesus, by virtue of an unbroken succession of leaders beginning with St. Peter the Apostle and continuing to the present day. It holds that the pope is the infallible interpreter of divine revelation. Church organization is strictly hierarchical. The pope appoints and presides over about 150 cardinals. Each of the church's 500 archbishops is the head of an archdiocese. These in turn are divided into about 1,800 dioceses, each headed by a bishop. Within dioceses are parishes, each served by a church and a priest. Only men can enter the priesthood, but women who wish to enter holy orders can become nuns, who are organized into orders and convents. The basic form of worship is the mass, which celebrates the sacrament of the Eucharist. Theologically, Roman Catholicism differs from Protestantism with regard to its understanding of the sources of revelation and the channels of grace. With Eastern Orthodoxy it asserts that both scripture and church tradition are revelatory of the basis of Christian belief and church polity. It sets the number of sacraments at seven (baptism, penance, Eucharist, matrimony, ordination, confirmation, and anointing of the sick); its rich sacramental life is supplemented by other devotions, chiefly Eucharistic services and devotions to the saints. The Second Vatican Council (1962-65) liberalized many aspects of the church; the role of women in the church, clerical celibacy, church opposition to divorce, contraception by artificial means, and abortion remain contentious issues.