From its humble beginnings the Catholic Church has grown vast in the last two millennia, spreading over the entire world. The Christian faith is the most widely practiced religion, encompassing nearly a third of the world’s population, and of the many denominations the Catholic Church is the largest, boasting 1.285 billion faithful.
While the Middle East gave rise to Catholicism, and the Romans helped to spread it through Europe, the majority of the world was introduced to the Word of Christ by way of European missionaries. Although the social position of the church has changed since the Middle Ages, the faith remains a strong, guiding force in the lives of so many.
Launch the slideshow to see the Top Ten Most Catholic Countries in the World:
And today we celebrate...