Dark History of the Catholic Church: Schisms, wars, inquisitions, witch hunts, scandals, corruption

The world’s largest Christian organization with 1.2 billion members, the Catholic Church is one of the world’s oldest institutions and has played a crucial part in the development of Western civilization. But in its rise from Jewish sect to global faith, it has been both the persecuted and the persecutors; it has become powerful but guilty of corruption; and it has preached moral purity but has been marred by abuse scandals.

From the persecution of the early Christians in ancient Rome, thro...