The so-called Holy See in the Vatican City is the episcopal seat of the Pope and the center of the Catholic Church. The Pope is said to sit on “Peter’s chair,” an expression of his successor to the apostle as bishop of Rome and God’s deputy on earth. The pope is regarded as infallible when he makes statements about the doctrine and faith of the Church.

The Catholic Church is the world’s largest Christian community with about 1.2 billion members, about one-sixth of the earth’s population. Catholics are found in almost all countries.

In addition to Christianity’s basic belief in a Trinity God – the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost – the Virgin Mary and a number of saints have central roles in the Catholic belief. The Catholics have seven sacraments (sacred documents): baptism, confirmation, communion, confession, anointing of the sick, priesthood and marriage. According to Catholic faith, Christ’s atonement death on the cross becomes real in real time as the communion is consumed during the Mass.

The monasticism is well developed and highly valued within the community. The Catholic Church has a total of about 412,000 priests around the world. Catholic priests should live in celibacy (sexual abstinence). Only men may become priests within Catholicism.

• Countryaah: Population statistics for 2020 and next 30 years in Vatican, covering demographics, population graphs, and official data for growth rates, population density, and death rates.