This comprehensive book provides a detailed insight into the Roman Catholic Church, its philosophy and practice, a guide to its most significant saints, and a history of the lives and works of each of the 266 popes from St Peter of Galilea to Francis of Argentina. Editor Charles Phillips brings together a group of expert authors to explore the extraordinary life of Christ; the first centuries of the propagation of faith; the essential principles of the Catholic doctrine; the religious and social history of Christian saints; and finally how the pope, as the direct successor of St Peter, has shaped the church's historical course from early Christian times, through the Crusades and the Reformation, and into the modern era. Lavishly illustrated with 1500 photographs and fine-art paintings, this book offers an insightful guide to a complex and rich religion and will fascinate and inform anyone interested in the history of Catholicism.