Catholic Church

"I have a report. The Spanish have located the Fountain of Youth. I will not have some melancholy Spanish Monarch&mdash;a Catholic&mdash;gain eternal life!"

- King George II

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, was the most prominent sect of Christianity during the Golden Age of Piracy and the predominant faith of the Spanish and Portuguese Empires. It was also the rival of the Church of England, another faith that is most popular in the British Empire.

History
The Age of Discovery saw the expansion of Western Europe's political and cultural influence worldwide. Because of the prominent role the strongly Catholic nations of Spain and Portugal played in Western Colonialism, Catholicism was spread to the Americas, Asia and Oceania by explorers, conquistadors, and missionaries, as well as by the transformation of societies through the socio-political mechanisms of colonial rule.

In 1750, upon gaining possession of the ship's log of Ponce de León, King Ferdinand VI sent The Spaniard and his loyal crew of the Spanish Armada in a quest for the Fountain of Youth. Upon hearing this report, King George II of England did not want Ferdinand, a Catholic, to locate the Fountain so he sent the HMS Providence, captained by privateer Hector Barbossa, to claim the Fountain before the Spanish. Ultimately, the quest was successful for the Spanish, who managed to destroy the Fountain. A Catholic soldier, The Spaniard made the sign of the cross before leaving the ruins.

Notable Members

 * King Ferdinand of Spain
 * The Spaniard

Appearances

 * Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides