Kisantu, East Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo has the largest Catholic population in Africa and the tenth largest Catholic population in the world. It is one of the most important, and most stable, institutions in an otherwise very chaotic region. It is the primary conduit of health and education services to a people largely ignored by their government, and Church … [Read more...]
CATHEDRAL OF NOTRE DAME DE QUEBEC
Quebec City, Canada The Cathedral of Notre Dame de Quebec was one of the first churches in Canada and the first major church of any denomination in non-Latin North America. It is home to the oldest Christian parish in the New World outside of Latin America, and was the first cathedral in North America to be designated as a full basilica by the Roman Catholic Church. Although … [Read more...]
BASILICA OF THE BLACK NAZARENE
Manila, Philippines When it comes to Catholic Icon Shrines, few countries top the Philippines. With nearly two dozen designated shrines dedicated to the Virgin Mary alone, the Philippines boasts the most home-grown Icon sites of any nation outside of Europe. Half of these are considered major shrines, where miraculous events are said to have occurred, the highest number for … [Read more...]
TWENTY-SIX MARTYRS MONUMENT
Nagasaki, Japan As the influence of European colonial powers spread across the globe from the 16th century onwards, few places outside of the Middle East were not exposed to Christianity. Christianity expanded greatly into almost every major country, with the sole major exception of Japan. However, it is not as though early missionaries didn’t try. When the Catholic Church … [Read more...]
CITY OF BASILICAS
Buenos Aires, Argentina No city in the world boasts more basilicas, or other sites of Catholic interest, than Rome. While this probably does not come as a surprise, what might is the city that takes the number two spot. It’s not in Italy, or even in Europe. It’s not even located in the two Catholic giants of the Western Hemisphere, Brazil or Mexico. It is, strangely, … [Read more...]
CHURCHES OF THE PLAZA DES ARMAS
Cuzco, Peru The wealthy land of Peru became a major Spanish colony in the 16th century, and it was from here that Christianity spread out along the western coasts of South America. As such it boasts some of the oldest, largest and most beautiful churches and cathedrals on the continent. The Cathedral of Lima notwithstanding, the churches lining the Plaza des Armas in the … [Read more...]
CHURCH OF OUR LORD IN THE ATTIC
Amsterdam, Netherlands Since the end of the Roman persecutions in the 4th century AD, the open practice of the Christian faith has rarely, if ever, been a problem. This has especially been true for the Catholic Church, which has dominated Christianity for well over a thousand years, especially in the west. However, there have been times when the practice of Catholicism has … [Read more...]
CATHEDRAL OF ST. MARY OF THE SEE
Seville, Spain During the late Middle Ages and Renaissance eras, the Spanish monarchs endeavored to make their country a bastion of the Church, both religiously and politically. During this era, no other major power was as closely tied to Rome as Spain. In recognition of this, the Iberian Peninsula was adorned with countless new churches. The greatest of these, without … [Read more...]
CATHEDRAL OF ST. STEPHEN
Vienna, Austria St. Stephen’s Cathedral is the great church of the city of Vienna. For many centuries it was also the home church of the Hapsburg dynasty, which ruled over much of Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries, making its clergy among the most influential in the world. Many of the city’s bishops are buried within, as are a few members of the Hapsburg royal family, … [Read more...]
CATHEDRAL OF CLERMONT-FERRAND
Clermont, France The city of Clermont-Ferrand in Central France was the site of one of the most important moments in the history of the Church. Prior to the Second Council of Clermont in 1095, Catholicism and the Papacy were purely religious entities, though with enormous influence over Christian Europe. After the council, the Church was transformed into a major world power … [Read more...]