7 Very Interesting Facts About the Catholic Church
How much do you know about the oldest Church in the world? Whether you are Catholic or not, these facts are interesting for all! Here are 7 Fun Facts you might not know;
- The only Christian Church in existence for the first one thousand years of Christian history was the Catholic Church. All other Christian churches which exist today trace their lineage back to the one, apostolic Catholic Church. Most non-Catholic churches which exist today are less than a century or two old by comparison.
2. The Catholic Church consists of more than just the Roman Catholic Church. The Church is a “communion of Churches” or, “the right and the left lung.” There are 22 Eastern Rites that are in full communion with Rome and although they go by different names, they are every bit as much a part of the Catholic Church.
3. Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press, was Catholic and the first book every printed was the Catholic Bible.
4. How many Saints are recognized by the Catholic Church? The number of “canonized” Saints exceeds 10,000. By definition however, any person who enters Heaven is considered (at that point) to be a Saint … so it is certain that the number of actual saints (‘saints in the making’) in existence right now is much greater than the number officially recognized by the Church.
5. Any Catholic may perform an emergency baptism, such as if a person is in grave danger of death. In such a case, the validity of the baptism only depends upon the wishes of the person being baptized. In other words, that they desire the baptism. There are specific guidelines for such practices that Catholics should follow. Anyone wishing to be prepared for such case should refer to the Catechism for a deeper understanding of this allowance. Generally speaking however, such practices ought to be left to authorized and trained clergy.
6. About 15% of all hospitals in the United States are Catholic Hospitals. In some parts of the world, the Catholic Church provides the only health care, education and social services available to people.
7. The word “Catholic” was first used by Ignatius of Antioch around the year A.D. 110. It is from the Greek word katholikos, which means “toward the whole” — or ”universal.” Ignatius was suggesting that the Church of Jesus Christ is a gift offered by Christ to all people
