"I would never say that a Buddhist or a Muslim is going to go to hell if that person lived a good life," claims Omar Paez, a 20 year-old Roman Catholic student at The University of Memphis. "We are all united as human individuals because we have been created by one God."
Omar is a member of the largest Christian denomination in the world. The Roman Catholic Church, with over 1.1 billion followers, represents over 55 percent of the total Christian population on the globe.
With over 65 million followers, Roman Catholicism is also the single largest Christian denomination in America, with three times as many members as the second largest group -- the Baptists.
According to the Roman Catholic tradition, the church was founded by Jesus who named Peter to be its first vicar.
The present day Catholic church is the remnant of the original Christian church after the schisms with the Orthodox faith (1054) and the various Protestant denominations (1517).
Catholics follow a traditional Mass with an elaborate ritual and have developed a special veneration for Mary, the mother of Jesus. In recent decades, the church has changed its focus toward greater outreach, community action, tolerance and ecumenism.
One of the major differences between Catholicism and the various Protestant denominations is that Catholics derive divine authority indirectly though the Pope and the church, instead of deriving it directly through the Scripture.
However, for many modern Catholics, the church and its traditions are a mere construct within which individuals can build their own relationships with God.
"Catholicism is not just about the Pope," said Omar. "I seek to have my own dialogue with God through divine conversation. I want to find truth on my own."
Omar is not afraid of exploring new ideas or taking an alternative look at this own faith.
"The world is my family,"Omar said. "I want to be involved and to get to know other people and their ideas, while still keeping my own faith close to my heart."
But while Omar is strongly committed to his Catholic faith, he does not believe in evangelical conversion.
"I think it is important to share my faith through things I do day to day, being accessible to others and working within the church community," said Omar. "But I don't flaunt religious beliefs by holding up signs on sidewalks."
There are several hundred Roman Catholic students attending The University of Memphis, organized in the Catholic Student Association. The organization meets regularly and is involved in a number of community activities for its members.
The word Catholic comes from the Greek "katholikos," meaning universal or global.
The Roman Catholic church, though steeped in long-standing tradition and ritual, is also a rapidly evolving and diverse living construct that tries to live up to its name.
In that constant state of flux between tradition and change, the direction of the church in the next generation may well be determined by the leadership of open minded, committed and enthusiastic members like Omar Paez.
