iSonto lamaKatholika
iSonto lamaKatolika (ngesiLathini: Ecclesia Catholica), futhi ibizwa iSonto lamaKatolika laseRoma, iyibandla lobuKristu elinkulu ukundlula wonke amabandla ngenani lamakholwa (amalunga ayizigidi ezi-1.28 kufika kwezigidi ezi-1.41 ezibhajadisiwe emhlabeni wonke ngezi-2026). Liqukatha amasonto angama-24 azimele: iSonto lesiLathini kanye namaSonto wamaKatolika waseMpumalanga. Iqukatha izifundazwe (ngesiNgisi: diocese (entshonalanga), eparchy (empumalanga)) abuswa ngamabhishobhu. Lelibandla lifeze inxenye enkulu emlandweni wompucuko waseNtshonalanga. Imiphakathi yamaKatolika ikhona emhlabeni wonke ngenxa yabashumayeli, ukuphenduka nabafuduki. Iningi lamaKatolika lihlala eNingizimu loMhlaba, lokhu kwembula ukudlondlobala kwenani labantu e-Afrika, eShiya kanye nase-Melika wesiLathini, kanye nokuncipha kokukholwa enxenyeni yase-Yurophu naseMelika eseNyakatho.
Izimfundiso zenkolo zobuKatolika zihlonye eMvumeni waseNicaea futhi zibika ukuba lelibandla "liyisonto eliyinye, elingcwele, lamapostoli futhi elibuthakonke" elisungulwe nguJesu Kristu. Lifundisa ukuba amabhishobhi bangabalandelamuva abasemthethweni wabapostoli nokuba uPapa - umBhishobhi waseRoma - ungumlandelimuva koNgcwele uPetru umPostoli nokuthi uthenjwe ngendima engqayiveli yokulusa abakholwa. uLeo XIV unguPapa wesimanje, njengomholi webandla lonke; isiFundazwe saseRoma singaphansi kwakhe ngokomthetho kanye isiHlalo esiNgcwele siyinhlangano eyisiphathimandla esingqangi ezhlelo sombusazwe sebandla ngokweCuria Romana (umkhandlu waseRoma). Imfundiso yamapostoli iqondwa ukuba indluliswa ngemibhalo kanye namasiko angcwele, icaciswa yiMajisteriyamu (isiphathimandla sebandla semfundiso). Iminqubo yesiko yobuKatolika ibandakanya i-Rītus Rōmānus kanye namanye "ama-Ritus" webandla lesiLathini kanye namabandla wamaKatolika aseMpumalanga. Izimibumbano yenkolo, Imiphakathi yezindela, neminyakaziso yamakholwa ihlinzeka izimveliso ezahlukene ezibanzi zomchazankolo kanya nokukhonza ebuKatolikini emhlabeni jikelele.
Phakathi kwezingcweliso eziyisikhombisa zesonto, Umthendeleko ubhekwa njengomthombo nesiqongo sokuphila kobuKristu futhi ugujwa eMiseni.AmaKatolika akholelwa ukuthi ngokunikezelwa ngumpristi, isinkwa iwayini kuba umzimba negazi likaKristu. INcasakazi uMariya ihlonishwa njengoNina kaNkulunkulu futhi ihlonishwa ngezimfundiso ezinjenge-Immaculate Conception, Ubumsulwa obuhlala njalo, kanye ne-Assumption, kufaka phakathi imikhuba ukuzinikela.[Imfundiso yezenhlalo yamaKatolika igcizelela ukunakekela abampofu, abagulayo, kanye nalabo abahlukanisiwe. Isonto lisebenzisa amashumi ezinkulungwane zezikhungo imfundo, zezokwelapha, kanye nezinsizakalo emhlabeni wonke, okwenza kube ngumhlinzeki omkhulu wezemfundo nokunakekelwa kwezempilo ongekho ngaphansi kukahulumeni.
Ubuhlobo bayo namanye amasiko obuKristu buye babunjwa ukuhlukana. Ukuhlukaniswa phakathi kwesonto namasonto obu-Orthodox aseMpumalanga ngaphakathi kwesonto laseRoma kwanda kancane kancane futhi kwaqiniswa nguMkhankaso wesiNe, phakathi kwezingxabano zemfundiso yenkolo nezombusazwe, ikakhulukazi mayelana negunya lobupapa. Ukwehlukana kwangaphambili kwenzeka iSonto LaseMpumalanga ngemuva koMkhandlu wase-Efesu kanye namasonto obu-Orthodox aseMpumalanga alandela uMkhandlu waseChalcedon. Inguquko yamaProthestani yekhulu le-16 yaholela emasikweni amasha obuKristu futhi yashukumisela i-Catholic Counter-Reformation. Kusukela ngasekupheleni kwekhulu lama-20, isonto liye labhekana nokugxekwa kwezimfundiso zalo mayelana ubulili, Ukungashadi nabefundisi, ukugcotshwa kwabesifazane, kanye nokusingatha kwalo Ukuhlukunyezwa ngokobulili kwabefundisi.