Tawadros II, head of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt, met with Francis, head of the Catholic Church, in May 2013.
A Coptic Orthodox cross with the text: Jesus Christ, the Son of God
Coptic altar in a Jerusalem church
St. Mark Coptic Cathedral in Alexandria, Egypt
Pope Tawadros II, current Pope of the Coptic Church
Pope Shenouda III, predecessor of Tawadros II, in 2009. White House photo by Chuck Kennedy
Written in 1517, Martin Luther's 95 Theses marked the second dramatic division of Christianity.
White smoke emanating from the Sistine Chapel indicates that the conclave has succeeded at electing a pope.
The unremarkable exterior of the Sistine Chapel, where papal conclaves are held
Canterbury Cathedral, home church of the Archbishop of Canturbury and one of the oldest Christian structures in England
Justin Welby was named Archbishop of Canterbury in November 2012. © Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk
Gene Robinson, openly gay Episcopal bishop of New Hampshire, whose tenure ended in January 2013
Peter Akinola, archbishop of Nigeria from 2002 to 2010, led a boycott of the Anglican Communion over homosexuality issues.
Not all cardinals are bishops. American theologian Avery Dulles is one example of this.
The Coptic Orthodox Hanging Church in Cairo dates from the 3rd or 4th Century.
Pope Francis, Bishop of Rome, elected March 2013
Members of a Pentacostal church practice a healing ritual in Kentucky in the 1940s. National Archives and Records photo by Russell Lee
The interior of a Pentacostal megachurch in Sydney, Australia. Photo by Matt Malone
Young worshippers at a 2011 Pentecostal Christian gathering in Panama
St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City is the largest church in the world and a symbol of the Catholic Church.
Pope Benedict XVI, now pope emeritus, took the nearly unprecedented step in 2013 of retiring before his death.
Henry VIII's break with Rome represented the culmination of a long struggle between the papacy and “secular” rulers over control of church offices and properties.
