Cecille's Creativity

The Roman Catholic Church has its center at Vatican City, in Italy's capital, Rome. The Vatican Palace is the home of the Pope, the head of the Roman Catholic Church.

The Pope reigns from Rome because Roman Catholics believe that St. Peter made Rome, the center of the early Christan Church. Catholics believe that Christ chose Peter to be the head of the church on earth. They think of St. Peter as the first bishop of Rome, and the popes as St. Peter's successors.

St. Peter is thought to life buried in the Vatican, under St. Peter's Basilica. This is the world's largest church. It is built in the shaped of a cross and crowned by a vast dome. Beneath this, is a huge bronze canopy cover the altar. St. Peter's can hold up to 50,000 people. Huge crowds gather outside, in the immense Square of St. Peter, to hear the Pope speak from a balcony.