Quote Originally Posted by Polymirize
how big a role do the various saints and demons play for catholic doctrine?

Seems like they're more into them than the protestants. What's behind that?
If there was no devil, there'd be no religion. It's a big part of all christian churches' dogma. The protestants were outraged by the adaptation of various pagan beliefs by the Catholic Church, and many of their teachings were just rewordings of old myths - whether it was about devils or beneficial beings.