The Roman Catholic faith is based on sacred scripture, tradition, and the teaching authority of the church. The Church, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, draws from scripture and tradition the truths God has revealed and the laws, such as the Ten Commandments, that he wants people to follow. The Church also makes its own laws. They are called precepts and have to do with such things as when one should fast and attend mass. The Church makes these laws, and so the Church can change them. Roman Catholics believe the Church has the right and duty to make such laws. 
    In exercising its teaching authority, the Church has defined certain truths when the time seemed right. This body of defined truth is called doctrine. It includes truths about God, such as the trinity, and truths about man, such as original sin.
    All Roman Catholics are supposed to live by this law of love of God and love of neighbor. But some people feel that they are called by God to show that love in a special way. These men and women make the decision to devote their lives to the service of God and neighbor by entering religious orders as priests, brothers, or sisters.
    The main points of Christian belief are expressed in the Apostles' Creed, which was in use as early as A.D. 150. The creed shows that Roman Catholics believe in one God, who is in the form of three persons. The Holy Trinity is composed of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is believed that the Father sent his Son, the second person of the Trinity, to teach humanity the truth. Christ was born as a human to the Virgin Mary. He spent his time on earth preaching and then died on the cross for humanities sins. Christians believe that Christ will return again to pass judgement on all people. The Holy Spirit, the third of the Trinity, is believed to dwell in the world, both within the Church and within all Christian souls. Through the beliefs in the communion of saints, each Christian is spiritually united with Christ and with all other faithful Christians. 
    The way God helps people attain eternal salvation is by the gift of grace. Grace is given in many ways. For Roman Catholics, the most important way is through the sacramental system. There are seven sacraments, Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Eucharist, Penance, Sacrament of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony.
    The Roman Catholic Church is composed of the faithful, or laity, and the clergy. It is governed by a hierarchy composed of priests and bishops and headed by the pope. A pope is elected by members of the Sacred College of Cardinals on the death of his predecessor. According to Roman Catholic belief, the bishops are the successors of the Apostles, and the pope is the successor to Saint Peter. The pope is known by various titles that reflect this succession. The popes residence, from which he exercises his spiritual authority over the universal Church, is the Vatican.