Global organisation of the Roman Catholic Church
Encyclopedia
The Catholic Church is organised in a worldwide hierarchy
Hierarchy
A hierarchy is an arrangement of items in which the items are represented as being "above," "below," or "at the same level as" one another...

 under the pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...

, and the Roman Curia
Curia
A curia in early Roman times was a subdivision of the people, i.e. more or less a tribe, and with a metonymy it came to mean also the meeting place where the tribe discussed its affairs...

.

Patriarch
Patriarch
Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a pater familias over an extended family. The system of such rule of families by senior males is called patriarchy. This is a Greek word, a compound of πατριά , "lineage, descent", esp...

s are the heads of some of the Catholic Churches other than the Latin Church. Some senior Roman Catholic archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...

s are also called Patriarchs. Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...

s and Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...

s administer individual diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...

s as successors of the twelve apostles. As such they are responsible for the appointment and supervision of parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...

 priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...

s, and the oversight of all church affairs within their diocese.

The Catholic Church is organised into local hierarchies within each nation, or group of smaller nations. National Conferences of bishops
Episcopal Conference
In the Roman Catholic Church, an Episcopal Conference, Conference of Bishops, or National Conference of Bishops is an official assembly of all the bishops of a given territory...

 co-ordinate local policy within each nation.

As of 17 April 2011, the ecclesiastical jurisdiction statistics is as follows; 13 Patriarchate
Patriarchate
A patriarchate is the office or jurisdiction of a patriarch. A patriarch, as the term is used here, is either* one of the highest-ranking bishops in Eastern Orthodoxy, earlier, the five that were included in the Pentarchy: Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem, but now nine,...

s, 2 Major Archdiocese
Major Archiepiscopal Church
Major archiepiscopal churches are the Eastern Catholic Churches governed by the major archbishops, assisted by the respective synod of bishops. These churches also have almost the same rights and obligations of patriarchal churches...

s, 542 Metropolitan Archdioceses, 80 Archdioceses, 2,179 Diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...

s, 47 Prelatures, 10 Territorial Abbeys, 17 Apostolic Exarchates, 8 Ordinariates, 36 Military Ordinariate
Military ordinariate
A military ordinariate is an ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church, of Latin or Eastern Rite, responsible for the pastoral care of Catholics serving in the armed forces of a nation....

s, 84 Apostolic Vicariate
Apostolic vicariate
An apostolic vicariate is a form of territorial jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church established in missionary regions and countries that do not have a diocese. It is essentially provisional, though it may last for a century or more...

s, 38 Apostolic Prefectures, 10 Apostolic Administrations, and 9 Missions 'sui juris'
Mission sui iuris
A mission sui iuris, or in Latin missio sui iuris, also known as an independent mission, is a rare type of Roman Catholic missionary pseudo-diocesan jurisdiction in an area with very few Catholics, often desolate or remote....

.

Catholicism by region

Africa


  • Algeria
  • Angola
    Roman Catholicism in Angola
    thumb|250px|Catholic Church in [[Huambo]]The Roman Catholic Church in Angola is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and Curia in Rome...


  • Benin
    Roman Catholicism in Benin
    The Catholic Church in Benin is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.There are an estimated 1.5 million baptised Roman Catholics in the Republic of Benin, or about 23% of the population, in ten dioceses and archdioceses...


  • Botswana
    Roman Catholicism in Botswana
    The Roman Catholic Church in Botswana is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.There are about 80,000 Catholics in the country, representing about 5% of the total population....


  • Burkina Faso
    Roman Catholicism in Burkina Faso
    The Roman Catholic Church in Burkina Faso is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome...


  • Burundi
    Roman Catholicism in Burundi
    The Roman Catholic Church in Burundi is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and Curia in Rome.There are about four million Catholics - around two thirds of the total population...


  • Cameroon
    Roman Catholicism in Cameroon
    The Catholic Church in Cameroon is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.There are an estimated 4.25 million baptised Catholics in the Republic of Cameroon, 26% of the population, in 24 Dioceses...


  • Cape Verde
    Roman Catholicism in Cape Verde
    The Roman Catholic Church in the Cape Verde is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....


  • Central African Republic
    Roman Catholicism in the Central African Republic
    The Roman Catholic Church in the Central African Republic is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....


  • Chad
    Roman Catholicism in Chad
    The Roman Catholic Church in Chad is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. The Apostolic Nuncio to Chad is Archbishop Pierre Nguyên Van Tot, appointed August 25, 2005....


  • Comoros
    Roman Catholicism in Comoros
    The Roman Catholic Church in Comoros is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and Curia in Rome....


  • Congo
    Roman Catholicism in the Republic of the Congo
    The Roman Catholic Church in Congo is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....


  • Congo (Dem. Rep.)
    Roman Catholicism in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
    The Roman Catholic Church in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....


  • Cote d'Ivoire
    Roman Catholicism in Côte d'Ivoire
    The Catholic Church in Côte d'Ivoire is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. Roman Catholicism arrived in Côte d'Ivoire through the arrival of French settlers....



  • Djibouti
    Roman Catholicism in Djibouti
    The Roman Catholic Church in Djibouti is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....


  • Egypt
    Roman Catholicism in Egypt
    The Catholic population in Egypt is considerably small as compared to the rest of the Christian population in Egypt. The Catholic population in Egypt is said to have begun during the British control of Egypt, however many returned to Europe after the 1952 Revolution in Egypt, which also caused the...


  • Equatorial Guinea
    Roman Catholicism in Equatorial Guinea
    The Roman Catholic Church in Equatorial Guinea is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....


  • Eritrea
    Roman Catholicism in Eritrea
    The Roman Catholic Church in Eritrea is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church. Located in the African country of Eritrea, this church is under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.-Characteristics:...


  • Ethiopia
    Roman Catholicism in Ethiopia
    The Catholic Church in Ethiopia is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome.The Ethiopian Catholic Church, the primary organization of Catholicism in the country, is especially close to the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, whose doctrine and...


  • Gabon
    Roman Catholicism in Gabon
    The Roman Catholic Church in Gabon is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. It is endowed with the right to elect its own clergy, except archbishops....


  • Gambia
    Roman Catholicism in The Gambia
    The Roman Catholic Church in the Gambia is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. Of the minority Christian population, there are around 30,000 Catholics, which represents around 2% of the population.Gambia is a predominantly Muslim...


  • Ghana
    Roman Catholicism in Ghana
    The Roman Catholic Church in Ghana is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....


  • Guinea
    Roman Catholicism in Guinea
    The Catholic Church in Guinea is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.There are approximately a quarter of a million Catholics - about 3% of the total population. There are three dioceses including one archdiocese....


  • Guinea-Bissau
    Roman Catholicism in Guinea-Bissau
    The Roman Catholic Church in Guinea-Bissau is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.There are about 125,000 Catholics in Guinea-Bissau, or just under 10% of the total population....


  • Kenya
    Roman Catholicism in Kenya
    The Catholic Church in Kenya is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.The Catholic Church is the world's largest Christian Church, and its largest religious grouping...


  • Lesotho
    Roman Catholicism in Lesotho
    Roman Catholicism in Lesotho is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. Approximately 90 percent of the population are Christians, of which half are Roman Catholics. Muslims, members of other non-Christian religions, and atheists...


  • Liberia
    Roman Catholicism in Liberia
    The Roman Catholic Church in Liberia is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.There around 166,000 Catholics in Liberia—5.8% of the population...


  • Libya
    Roman Catholicism in Libya
    The Roman Catholic Church in Libya is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and Curia in Rome.-Characteristics:...



  • Madagascar
    Roman Catholicism in Madagascar
    The Catholic Church in Madagascar is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....


  • Malawi
    Roman Catholicism in Malawi
    The Roman Catholic Church in Malawi is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.There are over 2 million Catholics in Malawi - around a fifth of the total population...


  • Mali
    Roman Catholicism in Mali
    The Roman Catholic Church in Mali is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.There are just under 200,000 Catholics in Mali - around 1.5% of the total population.-Dioceses:* Archdiocese of Bamako...


  • Mauritania
    Roman Catholicism in Mauritania
    The Roman Catholic Church in Mauritania is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....


  • Mauritius
    Roman Catholicism in Mauritius
    The Roman Catholic Church in Mauritius is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....


  • Morocco
    Roman Catholicism in Morocco
    The Roman Catholic Church in Morocco is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.There are around 20,000 Catholics in Morocco, most of them are European expatriates, with a big majority of French and Spanish from colonization and...


  • Mozambique
    Roman Catholicism in Mozambique
    The Roman Catholic Church in Mozambique is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.There are over four million Catholics in Mozambique, a former Portuguese colony...


  • Namibia
    Roman Catholicism in Namibia
    The Roman Catholic Church in Namibia is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....


  • Niger
    Roman Catholicism in Niger
    The Roman Catholic Church in Niger is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....


  • Nigeria
    Roman Catholicism in Nigeria
    The Catholic Church in Nigeria is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope, the curia in Rome, and the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria....


  • Rwanda
    Roman Catholicism in Rwanda
    The Roman Catholic Church in Rwanda is part of the Roman Catholic Church.There are just over five million Catholics in Rwanda - about half of the total population. The country is divided into nine dioceses including one archdiocese...


  • Reunion
  • Saint Helena
    Roman Catholicism in Saint Helena
    The Roman Catholic Church in Saint Helena is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....


  • Senegal
    Roman Catholicism in Senegal
    The Roman Catholic Church in Senegal is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....



  • Seychelles
    Roman Catholicism in Seychelles
    The Roman Catholic Church in Seychelles is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope.There are around 70,000 Catholics in the Seychelles - almost 90% of the total population. Seychelles forms a single diocese - the Roman Catholic Diocese of Port...


  • Sierra Leone
    Roman Catholicism in Sierra Leone
    The Roman Catholic Church in Sierra Leone is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.There are approximately 175,000 Catholics in Sierra Leone - around 3% of the total population...


  • Somalia
    Roman Catholicism in Somalia
    Roman Catholicism in Somalia refers to the presence of the Catholic faith in the Northeast African country of Somalia. The Roman Catholic Church in Somalia is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.-Overview:There are very few...


  • South Africa
    Roman Catholicism in South Africa
    The Roman Catholic Church in South Africa is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. There are 26 dioceses and archdioceses, plus an apostolic vicariate....


  • Sudan
    Roman Catholicism in Sudan
    The Roman Catholic Church in Sudan is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.There are approximately two million Catholics in Sudan, about 5% of the total population...


  • Swaziland
    Roman Catholicism in Swaziland
    The Roman Catholic Church in Swaziland is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....


  • São Tomé and Príncipe
    Roman Catholicism in São Tomé and Príncipe
    The Roman Catholic Church in São Tomé and Príncipe forms the largest religion in the country. A majority of the residents São Tomé and Príncipe adhere to Roman Catholicism....


  • Tanzania
    Roman Catholicism in Tanzania
    The Roman Catholic Church in Tanzania is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.There are around 9 million Catholics in the country - about a quarter of the total population...


  • Togo
    Roman Catholicism in Togo
    The Roman Catholic Church in Togo is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....


  • Tunisia
    Roman Catholicism in Tunisia
    The Roman Catholic Church in Tunisia is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.-Archdiocese:...


  • Uganda
    Roman Catholicism in Uganda
    The Roman Catholic Church in Uganda is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. There are an estimated 13.6 million Catholics — about 42% of the total population, estimated at about 32.4 million in 2010...


  • Western Sahara
    Roman Catholicism in Western Sahara
    The Roman Catholic Church in Western Sahara is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....


  • Zambia
    Roman Catholicism in Zambia
    The Roman Catholic Church in Zambia is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. There are about three million Catholics in the country - about a quarter of the total population...


  • Zimbabwe
    Roman Catholicism in Zimbabwe
    The Roman Catholic Church in Zimbabwe is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....




Asia


  • Afghanistan
    Roman Catholicism in Afghanistan
    The Roman Catholic Church in Afghanistan is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. There are very few Catholics in this overwhelmingly Muslim country — just over 200 attend mass in its only chapel — and freedom of religion has been...


  • Azerbaijan
    Roman Catholicism in Azerbaijan
    The Roman Catholic Church in Azerbaijan is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. The number of faithful number around 400 out of a total population of over nine million...


  • Bangladesh
    Roman Catholicism in Bangladesh
    There are approximately 211,159 Catholics in Bangladesh and the country is divided into six dioceses including one archdiocese. The Catholic Bishop's Conference of Bangladesh, founded in 1971, is the General Body of the Ordinaries of Bangladesh...


  • Bhutan
    Roman Catholicism in Bhutan
    The Roman Catholic Church in Bhutan is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.-Origins:...


  • Brunei
    Roman Catholicism in Brunei
    The Roman Catholic Church in Brunei Darussalam is a part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, in communion with the Pope in Rome. The entire territory of the Church in Brunei is organized as an apostolic vicariate, under the leadership of a bishop....


  • Cambodia
    Roman Catholicism in Cambodia
    The Roman Catholic Church in Cambodia is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.There are around 20,000 Catholics in Cambodia which represents only 0.15% of the total population...


  • China
    Roman Catholicism in China
    Roman Catholicism in China has a long and complicated history...


  • East Timor
    Roman Catholicism in East Timor
    The Roman Catholic Church in East Timor is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. Since its independence from Indonesia, East Timor became only the second predominantly Catholic country in Asia , a legacy of its status as a former...


  • Hong Kong
    Roman Catholicism in Hong Kong
    The Catholic Church in Hong Kong , established in 1841, is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and Curia in Rome. All Catholics in Hong Kong are under the Diocese of Hong Kong - officially under the Ecclesiastical Province of Guangzhou...


  • India
    Roman Catholicism in India
    The Catholic Church in India is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church under the leadership of the Pope and the curia in Rome.There are over 17.3 million Catholics in India, which represents less than 2% of the total population and is the largest Christian church within India. There are 157...



  • Indonesia
  • Iran
    Roman Catholicism in Iran
    The Roman Catholic Church in Iran is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and Curia in Rome.There are just 13,603 Catholics in Iran - out of a total population of almost 70 million...


  • Iraq
    Roman Catholicism in Iraq
    There are over 300,000 Catholics in Iraq, just over 1% of the total population. The Catholics of Iraq follow several different rites, but most are members of the Chaldean Catholic Church. There are fifteen currently active dioceses and eparchies in Iraq....


  • Israel
    Roman Catholicism in Israel
    The Catholic Church in Israel is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.There are just 100,000 Catholics in Israel, just over 1% of the total population. Most Israeli Catholics are members of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, but there...


  • Japan
    Roman Catholicism in Japan
    The Roman Catholic Church in Japan is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. There are approximately 509,000 Catholics in Japan—just under 0.5% of the total population. There are 16 dioceses, including three archdioceses with 1589...


  • Jordan
    Roman Catholicism in Jordan
    The Roman Catholic Church in Jordan is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.There are approximately 170,000 Catholics in Jordan or 2.9% of the Jordanian population...


  • Kazakhstan
    Roman Catholicism in Kazakhstan
    The Roman Catholic Church in Kazakhstan is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and Curia in Rome.-Demographics:...


  • Korea (South)
    Roman Catholicism in South Korea
    The Roman Catholic Church in South Korea is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. The history of Catholicism in Korea began in 1784 when Yi Sung-hun was baptized while in China under the Christian name of Peter...


  • Kuwait
    Roman Catholicism in Kuwait
    The Roman Catholic Church in Kuwait is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.There are over 140,000 Roman Catholics in the country - representing about 6% of the population....


  • Kyrgyzstan
    Roman Catholicism in Kyrgyzstan
    The Roman Catholic Church in Kyrgyzstan is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.-Demographics:...



  • Laos
    Roman Catholicism in Laos
    The Roman Catholic Church in Laos is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.The Roman Catholic Church is officially recognized by the LFNC...


  • Lebanon
    Roman Catholicism in Lebanon
    The Roman Catholic Church in Lebanon is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....


  • Macau
    Roman Catholicism in Macau
    The Roman Catholic Church in Macau is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....


  • Malaysia
    Roman Catholicism in Malaysia
    The Roman Catholic Church in Malaysia is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....


  • Mongolia
    Roman Catholicism in Mongolia
    The Roman Catholic Church in Mongolia is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome...


  • Myanmar
    Roman Catholicism in Myanmar
    The Roman Catholic Church in Burma is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. The church is overseen by an Apostolic Delegate. As of 2006 the delegate is Salvatore Pennacchio, who is also the Apostolic Nuncio of Thailand.There are...


  • Nepal
    Roman Catholicism in Nepal
    The Roman Catholic Church in Nepal is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Vatican City...


  • Pakistan
    Roman Catholicism in Pakistan
    The Roman Catholic Church in Pakistan is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. Pope John Paul II visited Pakistan on February 16, 1981....


  • Palestinian territories
  • Philippines
    Roman Catholicism in the Philippines
    The Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, in full communion with the Pope.With 73.8 million members in 2005, it is the predominant religion, making the Philippines the third largest "Catholic" nation in the world after Brazil and Mexico, as well as one...



    • Singapore
      Roman Catholicism in Singapore
      Roman Catholicism is practiced by about 4.6% of Singapore's populace, or about 210,000 people. Roman Catholicism is practiced by people of Chinese and Eurasian descent, along with a Filipino, Indian and European minority.- History :...


    • Sri Lanka
      Roman Catholicism in Sri Lanka
      The Roman Catholic Church in Sri Lanka is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.The country comes under the province of Colombo and is divided into 11 dioceses including one archdiocese.There are approximately 1.4 million Catholics...


    • Syria
      Roman Catholicism in Syria
      The Roman Catholic Church in Syria is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.There are 368,000 Catholics in Syria, approximately 2% of the total population...


    • Taiwan
    • Tajikistan
      Roman Catholicism in Tajikistan
      The Roman Catholic Church in Tajikistan is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....


    • Thailand
    • Turkmenistan
      Roman Catholicism in Turkmenistan
      The Roman Catholic Church in Turkmenistan is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....


    • Uzbekistan
      Roman Catholicism in Uzbekistan
      The Roman Catholic Church in Uzbekistan is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. There are approximately 5000 Catholics in the country of 27 million. They are organized under a single Apostolic Administration...


    • Viet Nam
      Roman Catholicism in Vietnam
      The Roman Catholic Church in Vietnam is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. Vietnam has the fifth largest Catholic population in Asia, after the Philippines, India, China and Indonesia....


    • Yemen
      Roman Catholicism in Yemen
      The Roman Catholic Church in Yemen is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....




    Central America


    • Antilles
      Antilles
      The Antilles islands form the greater part of the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. The Antilles are divided into two major groups: the "Greater Antilles" to the north and west, including the larger islands of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola , and Puerto Rico; and the smaller "Lesser Antilles" on the...


    • Costa Rica
      Roman Catholicism in Costa Rica
      The Roman Catholic Church in Costa Rica is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. There are approximately 3.2 million Catholics in Costa Rica - 76% of the total population...


    • Cuba
      Roman Catholicism in Cuba
      The Roman Catholic Church in Cuba is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....



    • Dominican Republic
    • El Salvador
      Roman Catholicism in El Salvador
      The Roman Catholic Church in El Salvador is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. There are almost five million Catholics in El Salvador. The country is divided into eight dioceses including one archdiocese, San Salvador...


    • Guatemala
      Roman Catholicism in Guatemala
      The Roman Catholic Church in Guatemala is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.There are approximately 5 million Catholics in Guatemala, which is about 60% of the total population....



    • Haiti
      Roman Catholicism in Haiti
      The Roman Catholic Church in Haiti is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope, the curia in Rome and the Conference of Haitian Bishops....


    • Honduras
      Roman Catholicism in Honduras
      The Roman Catholic Church in Honduras is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....


    • Mexico

    • Nicaragua
      Roman Catholicism in Nicaragua
      The Roman Catholic Church in Nicaragua is the Nicaraguan part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope, curia in Rome, and the Conference of Nicaraguan Bishops....


    • Panama
      Roman Catholicism in Panama
      The Roman Catholic Church in Panama is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....


    • Puerto Rico
      Roman Catholicism in Puerto Rico
      The Roman Catholic Church in Puerto Rico is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and the curia in Rome.-Present situation:...




    Europe
    Roman Catholicism in Europe
    The Roman Catholic Church is geographically centered in Holy See of Rome, Italy. About a third of the population of Europe today is Catholic, but only about a quarter of all Catholics worldwide reside in Europe, due to historical missionary activity, especially in South America.-References:*CIA...




    • Albania
      Roman Catholicism in Albania
      The Roman Catholic Church in Albania is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.Around 16.8%-17% of the population of Albania is Catholic — the second biggest religious denomination after Islam. More than 100,000 Albanian Catholics are...


    • Armenia
      Roman Catholicism in Armenia
      The Roman Catholic Church in Armenia is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....


    • Austria
      Roman Catholicism in Austria
      The Catholic Church of Austria, part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, is under the leadership of the Pope, the curia in Rome, and the Conference of Austrian Bishops. The Austrian church is the largest Christian denomination of Austria, with, according to the 2001 census, 5.9 million people...


    • Belarus
      Roman Catholicism in Belarus
      The Roman Catholic Church in Belarus is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.The first Latin Rite diocese in Belarus was established in Turaŭ between 1008 and 1013....


    • Belgium
      Roman Catholicism in Belgium
      The Belgian Catholic Church, part of the global Roman Catholic Church, is under the spiritual leadership of the Pope, the curia in Rome and the Conference of Belgian Bishops.-Dioceses:...


    • Bosnia and Herzegovina
    • Bulgaria
      Roman Catholicism in Bulgaria
      Roman Catholicism is the third largest religious congregation in Bulgaria, after Eastern Orthodoxy and Islam. It has roots in the country since the Middle Ages and is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.As an entity, the Catholic...


    • Croatia
    • Czech Republic
      Roman Catholicism in the Czech Republic
      The Roman Catholic Church in the Czech Republic is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope, curia in Rome, and the Conference of Czech of Bishops....


    • Cyprus
      Roman Catholicism in Cyprus
      The Roman Catholic Church in Cyprus is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.There are around 10,000 Catholic faithful in Cyprus, corresponding to just over 1% of the total population...


    • Denmark

    • Estonia
      Roman Catholicism in Estonia
      The Catholic Church in Estonia is the national branch of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.-The History of Catholicism in Estonia:...


    • Finland
      Roman Catholicism in Finland
      The Catholic Church in Finland is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....


    • France
      Roman Catholicism in France
      The Roman Catholic Church of France, sometimes called the "eldest daughter of the Church" owing to its early and unbroken communion with the bishop of Rome, is part of the worldwide Catholic Church...


    • Germany
      Roman Catholicism in Germany
      The German Catholic Church, part of the worldwide Catholic Church, is under the leadership of the Pope, curia in Rome, and the German bishops. The current president of the conference is Robert Zollitsch, the archbishop to Freiburg, the country's second largest diocese with 2.07 million Catholics...


    • Gibraltar
      Roman Catholicism in Gibraltar
      The Roman Catholic Church in Gibraltar is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and Curia in Rome. There are an estimated 23,000 baptised Catholics in Gibraltar, making up 86 percent of the population....


    • Great Britain
      Roman Catholicism in Great Britain
      Roman Catholicism in the United Kingdom refers to the practice of Roman Catholicism in Great Britain and Ireland since the creation of the United Kingdom....


    • Greece
      Roman Catholicism in Greece
      The Catholic Church in Greece is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and Curia in Rome.Indigenous Catholic Greeks number about 50,000 and are a religious and not an ethnic minority...


    • Hungary
      Roman Catholicism in Hungary
      The Roman Catholic Church in Hungary is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....


    • Iceland
      Roman Catholicism in Iceland
      The Roman Catholic Church in Iceland is part of the Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope. The current Bishop of the Diocese of Reykjavík is H.E. Msgr. Pierre Bürcher...


    • Ireland
      Roman Catholicism in Ireland
      The Catholic Church in Ireland is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, the Christian Church with full communion with the Pope, currently Benedict XVI...


    • Italy
      Roman Catholicism in Italy
      The Italian Catholic Church is part of the global Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope, curia in Rome, and the Conference of Italian Bishops. In addition to Italy, two other sovereign nations are included in Italian-based dioceses, San Marino and Vatican City...



    • Latvia
      Roman Catholicism in Latvia
      The Roman Catholic Church of Latvia is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.There are around 430,235 Catholics — around 17% of the total population.-History:...


    • Liechtenstein
      Roman Catholicism in Liechtenstein
      The Roman Catholic Church in Liechtenstein is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....


    • Lithuania
      Roman Catholicism in Lithuania
      The Roman Catholic Church in Lithuania is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....


    • Luxembourg
    • Macedonia
      Roman Catholicism in the Republic of Macedonia
      The Roman Catholic Church in the Republic of Macedonia is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome...


    • Malta
    • Moldova
      Roman Catholicism in Moldova
      The Roman Catholic Church in Moldova is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.-Statistics:...


    • Monaco
      Roman Catholicism in Monaco
      The Roman Catholic Church in Monaco is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome.The Catholic Church of Monaco has been part of the Catholic Church of France from the beginning of its history....


    • Netherlands
      Roman Catholicism in the Netherlands
      The Catholic Church in the Netherlands; , is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. Although the number of Catholics in the Netherlands has decreased significantly in recent decades, the Dutch Catholic Church is today the largest...


    • Norway
      Roman Catholicism in Norway
      Roman Catholicism in Norway is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope, the Curia in Rome and the Scandinavian Bishops Conference.There are about 83,000 - 230,000 Catholics in the country, 70% of whom were born abroad...


    • Poland
      Roman Catholicism in Poland
      Ever since Poland officially adopted Latin Christianity in 966, the Catholic Church has played an important religious, cultural and political role in the country....



    • Portugal
      Roman Catholicism in Portugal
      The Roman Catholic Church in Portugal is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. The Roman Catholic Church is the world's largest Christian organization....


    • Romania
      Roman Catholicism in Romania
      The Roman Catholic Church in Romania is a Latin Rite Christian church, part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and Curia in Rome. Its administration is centered in Bucharest, and comprises two archdioceses and four other dioceses...


    • Russia
      Roman Catholicism in Russia
      The Roman Catholic Church in Russia is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome.-Origins:...


    • Serbia
      Roman Catholicism in Serbia
      The Catholic Church in Serbia is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and Curia in Rome. There are 411,000 Catholics in Serbia according to the 2002 census, which is roughly 5.5% of the population, mostly concentrated in Vojvodina.Within Serbia, the...


    • Slovakia
      Roman Catholicism in Slovakia
      The Roman Catholic Church in Slovakia or Latin Church in Slovakia is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....


    • Slovenia
      Roman Catholicism in Slovenia
      The Roman Catholic Church in Slovenia is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....


    • Spain
      Roman Catholicism in Spain
      The Spanish Catholic Church, part of the global Roman Catholic Church, is under the spiritual leadership of the Pope, curia in Rome, and the Conference of Spanish Bishops.-Statistics:...


    • Sweden
    • Switzerland
      Roman Catholicism in Switzerland
      Roman Catholicism in Switzerland, organised in the six dioceses and two territorial abbeys, comprises approximately 3 million Catholics, about 42% of the Swiss population.The dioceses are the bishoprics of*Basel, currently headed by Bishop Felix Gmür...


    • Turkey
      Roman Catholicism in Turkey
      The Roman Catholic Church in Turkey is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. There are around 35,000 Catholics, constituting 0.05% of the population. The faithful follow the Latin, Byzantine, Armenian and Chaldean Rite...


    • Ukraine
      Roman Catholicism in Ukraine
      The Roman Catholic Church in Ukraine is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. The present Archbishop is Mieczysław Mokrzycki ....




    North America


    • Canada

    • USA
      Roman Catholicism in the United States
      The Catholic Church in the United States is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, the Christian Church in full communion with the Pope. With more than 68.5 registered million members, it is the largest single religious denomination in the United States, comprising about 22 percent of the population...



    • Mexico


    Oceania


    • Australia
      Roman Catholic Church in Australia
      The Catholic Church in Australia is part of the worldwide Catholic Church under the spiritual and administrative leadership of the Pope.Australia is a majority Christian but pluralistic society with no established religion. There are approximately 5.1 million Australian Catholics . Catholicism...


    • New Zealand
    • Pacific Islands

    • Papua New Guinea
    • Solomon Islands

    South America


    • Argentina
      Roman Catholicism in Argentina
      The Catholic Church in Argentina is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope, the Curia in Rome, and the Argentine Episcopal Conference....


    • Bolivia
      Roman Catholicism in Bolivia
      The Roman Catholic Church in Bolivia is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....


    • Brazil
      Roman Catholicism in Brazil
      The Roman Catholic Church in Brazil is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope, curia in Rome, and the very influential Brazilian Conference of Bishops , composed by over four hundred primary and auxiliary bishops and archbishops. There are over 250...



    • Chile
      Roman Catholicism in Chile
      The Catholic Church in Chile is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope, the curia in Rome, and the Chilean Bishops Conference....


    • Colombia
      Roman Catholicism in Colombia
      Colombia has a high percentage of Catholics, 90% of the population. There are 74 dioceses and other territorial jurisdictions.Catholicism was introduced in 1508. Two dioceses were organized in 1534. There was appreciable Church growth by the mid-17th century, in spite of the variety of Indian...


    • Ecuador

    • Falkland Islands
      Roman Catholicism in the Falkland Islands
      There are no dioceses in the islands, but it forms an apostolic prefecture which was erected in January 1952. There are over 230 Catholics in the Falkland Islands, approximately 10% of the total population. The spiritual leader of the prefecture is Father Michael McPartland who was appointed in...


    • Paraguay
      Roman Catholicism in Paraguay
      The Roman Catholic Church in Paraguay is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....


    • Peru

    • Uruguay
      Roman Catholicism in Uruguay
      The Roman Catholic Church in Uruguay is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome....


    • Venezuela
      Roman Catholicism in Venezuela
      The Catholic Church in Venezuela is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope, curia in Rome and the Venezuelan Bishops Conference....



    See also

    • Holy See
      Holy See
      The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...

    • Foreign relations of the Holy See
      Foreign relations of the Holy See
      The Holy See—which must be clearly distinguished from the city-state of Vatican City—has long been recognised as a subject of international law and as an active participant in international relations...

    • List of Roman Catholic dioceses (alphabetical) (including archdioceses)
    • List of Roman Catholic dioceses (structured view) (including archdioceses)
    • List of Roman Catholic archdioceses (by country and continent)
    • Index of Catholic Church articles
    • The term Roman Catholic
      Roman Catholic (term)
      The term Roman Catholic appeared in the English language at the beginning of the 17th century, to differentiate specific groups of Christians in communion with the Pope from others; comparable terms in other languages already existed...

    • List of popes
    • List of living cardinals (sortable by name, country, and birthdate)
    • Catholic Church hierarchy
      Catholic Church hierarchy
      The term Hierarchy in the Catholic Church has a variety of related usages. Literally, "holy government", the term is employed in different instances. There is a Hierarchy of Truths, which refers to the levels of solemnity of the official teaching of the faith...

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