The cultural influence of the Catholic Church has been vast, particularly upon western society. It played a role in ending practices such as human sacrifice, slavery, infanticide and polygamy. Historians note that Catholic missionaries, popes and religious were among the leaders in campaigns against slavery, an institution that has existed in almost every culture. Christianity affected the status of women by condemning infanticide (female infanticide was more common), divorce, incest, polygamy and marital infidelity of both men and women. Some critics say the Church and teachings by St. Paul, the Fathers of the Church and Scholastic theologians perpetuated a notion that female inferiority was divinely ordained. However, official Church teaching considers women and men to be equal, differen