What is a Catholic

A friend on Facebook just posted the question: What is a Catholic/ Is a Catholic a Christian? Questions like this have divided the Christian world for years. They say politics and religion should not be brought up in conversation for there is always division.
Where does one start to believe what is authentic or not? I was raised a Catholic, but did not attend church most of my life. As a teen, I attended a Methodist church with my sister and brother in law, but mostly to sing in the choir and socialize. As a young adult, I sent my children to a Catholic school in Virginia to keep them from being bussed to the inner city public schools. As an older adult, I began attending the Catholic church again, but as a member of the worship team band. There, things slowly began to take place in my numskull. I began to realize that God was speaking to me if I took the time to listen. My daily life problems (which were many) began to diminish in intensity by allowing God to take most of the burden on His shoulders.

Back to the question Is a Catholic a Christian? Again, I am slow on the up-take so to speak, but it is my understanding that Christianity started with Jesus Christ, who came to earth, the Son of Man, to die for the forgiveness and salvation of mankind's sins. His immediate followers took the preaching throughout the world. Jesus appointed Peter to be the rock of the church foundation and gave him the keys to heaven. Peter went on to be the first of many Popes. The Pope is the supreme human living leader of the Roman Catholic Church. Wouldn't that make a Catholic a Christian?

Jesus calls us believers to go out into the world and spread the "Good News". Why is there so much division over religion and Christianity? As Christians, we are not doing the right thing by creating divisions among the Christian religions. Jesus taught that a house (meaning the church) divided among itself will not stand. I originally believed Abe Lincoln said that first, but he was talking about our young nation and was quoting bible scripture.

If we spent more time adhering to the word of God, aspiring to do as Jesus asks of us, and less time creating all the division and strife between the Christian religions, would not the world be a better place for the advancement of all Christian alike?