CHRISTIANITY119
Most of the Christians who worship
in the United States are members
of Protestant churches.PROTESTANTISM
In the early 16th century,
some Christians felt that the
Roman Catholic Church
was no longer correctly
following the teachings of
Christ. Martin Luther, a
German monk, led the
protests. Others who agreed
with him broke away and
formed protest groups in a
movement that became known
as the Reformation. Today,
most Christians who are not
members of the Roman
Catholic or Orthodox
churches are called Protestants.
Some Protestant churches,
called Evangelical churches,
are among the fastest-growing
Mother Teresa was born in Albania in Christian groups in the world.
1910 but became an Indian citizen.
All the nuns in her missions wear a
flowing Indian dress called a sari.ORTHODOX CHURCH
At first, there was only
one Church. In 1054 ce,
however, the Christian
Church divided. The Pope
in Rome and the Patriarch,
head of the Church of
Constantinople (now
Istanbul, Turkey), disagreed
about the leadership of the
Christian world. As a result,
the Church in Rome
(Catholic) and the Eastern
Church (Orthodox) separated. Roman Catholics and members of Eastern
Orthodox churches, such as those of Russia and Greece, share many beliefs.
However, Orthodox Christians do not accept the authority of the Pope. Many
Christians in eastern Europe and western Asia belong to Orthodox churches. In
their churches, religious portraits called icons are considered sacred.ROMAN CATHOLICISM
Roman Catholics make up the largest
Christian group. They believe that
the Pope, the head of the Catholic
Church, is God’s representative
on Earth. His authority on
religious matters should always
be obeyed. The Pope lives in
a tiny independent state in
Rome called Vatican City.
The Roman Catholic Church
is spread worldwide and is the
main religion of many
countries, including Spain,
Ireland, Colombia, and Brazil.
Catholics try to attend Mass
on Sundays and to regularly
confess their sins to a priest.
They pray to God and have special
regard for Mary, the mother of Jesus.
They also pray to the Christian saints—
deeply religious people, some of whom
died for their faith.ROSARY
Catholics use
a rosary—a
symbolic string
of beads—to
help them pray.
They say a prayer
for each bead in
the chain.BAPTISM
Adults and children enter the Christian faith through
baptism, a ceremony in which they are sprinkled with water
or immersed in it. Baptism washes away a person’s sins.
Children are often named, or christened, at their baptism.
Parents promise to raise them as good Christians. In some
churches, baptism takes place outdoors in lakes or rivers.
Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River in the Middle East.
MOTHER TERESA
Christians believe it is their
duty to help relieve the
suffering of the poor and
sick. Mother Teresa founded
the Missionaries of Charity
for the homeless and dying in
India. She became famous for
her work among lepers. In
1979, she was awarded the
Nobel Peace Prize. She died
in 1997.Find out more
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