“Christianity” is a word that is typically used as an umbrella term to refer to one of tens of thousands of denominations of the religion. One of the most prominent of these sects is Roman Catholicism. Considered to be one of the oldest Christian groups in the world, those who identify as Roman Catholic tend to follow very specific rules and rituals related to Jesus, the Bible, and morality. Naturally, there are also many intriguing facts about this religion of which many people are unaware. Review these details to learn more about Roman Catholics.

The Roman Catholic Bible Was One of the First Books Printed

Though books have taken a backseat to digital text in recent years, it can be shocking to consider a time before the printing press existed. Johannes Gutenberg was a German inventor in the 1400s who was responsible for the invention of the Western printing press, as many individuals across Asia were using a similar system in the East at the time. Gutenberg was a devout Catholic and proud of his faith. When the time came to use his press to print a full book Gutenberg opted for the Bible, making it one of the oldest books to be in print.

Martin Luther Totally Changed the Church’s Trajectory

The Catholic Church has overseen multiple edits of the Bible over the existence of the religion. The most famous person to tackle this task was the German priest Martin Luther. Throughout his lifetime, Luther had several issues with Catholicism. Specifically, he thought many church leaders were manipulating biblical concepts to take advantage of pious followers. As a response, Luther wrote critical essays about the organization and inadvertently began the Protestant Reformation. Though considered a separate denomination now, it was viewed as a reflection of Catholicism early in the 1500s.

Luther was also responsible for making major edits to the Bible because he believed the stories and teachings conflicted with the main understanding of the religion. Under his guidance, books removed from the Bible included Judith, Wisdom, and Sirach, among others. Interestingly, Luther fought hard to remove the Book of Revelations from the Bible, which talks of the end of the world and is a main focus of many modern Christian groups. Luther did not see value or credibility in the stories of Revelations, though other church leaders disagreed and kept the book canonical.

Saints Are Innumerable

Though a monotheistic religion, Catholicism also acknowledges “saints.” Basically, a saint is someone who exemplifies the teachings of Jesus in some capacity. A perfect example of this is Mary, who is the mother of Jesus and has long been recognized as a saint by the church. Though an official number has never been given, theologians and other experts agree that there are currently more than 10,000 different saints recognized by the church. 

Some saints are prayed to when a person is dealing with a specific crisis. Saint Anthony is the Patron Saint of Lost Things. When someone misplaces something important, he or she can invoke the name of Saint Anthony and say a little prayer to him in the hopes of finding the lost item again.

Anyone Can Baptize

Baptisms are typically performed by a priest. However, anyone who has been baptized into Catholicism is allowed to perform a baptism during his or her life. For example, any Catholic can baptize someone who is about to die and wants to convert to the religion. The idea is that anyone can join the religion and receive God’s acceptance without the need for an official representative of the church to be present.

Catholicism Is Shrouded in Mystery

Though it is considered one of the oldest denominations of Christianity, there are plenty of obscured or hidden facts about Catholicism. By learning more about this religious group, you can gain more insight into the history and teachings of this world religion.