The aim of this paper is, through seven chapters, to show what Christian democracy is, on what ground it is based, and in which spheres of society it can be found. I will start with Christian’s conditions and obligations to the authority as defined by Pope. Pope encouraged Christians to be loyal to the established authority because of their own consciousness. Political authority has to guarantee the serene and peaceful life of devotion and dignity. Every man is, by nature, a social and a political being, and hence a political community comes from person`s inborn attitude. Next, I consider the principles of Catholic Social Teaching that include human dignity, the principle of common good, and the subsidiary principle that includes solidarity principle and citizen participation. Closely associated with these principles are the fundamental values of social life: freedom, justice and love. The industrial revolution was a big challenge to the Church. The labor issue was the main concern that the Church had to deal with. In May 1891 Pope Leo XII issued encyclical Rerum novarum. Through this papal encyclical I analyze the relationship between the labor and the capital, the right to work and the workers` rights. In the short overview of the work by French philosopher Jacques Martin, I define his distinction of the term of Christian political acting from the term inspired by the Christian political acting. In the mid 19th century new Democratic and People`s Parties occurred. During the 19th and 20th centuries, representatives of the idea of Christian Democracy dominated in most of the European countries. I also analyze the breakthrough of Christian Democracy in Italy. I propose the fundamental principles in the programs of European Democratic and People's Parties, especially in the programs of French and German parties. Following the history of Christian Democracy with the analysis of the European countries, in the end of my paperI mention Croatian Democratic political parties. With this thesis, I want to give a brief overview of Christian democracy history and its development in Europe as well as to inspire a thought on the question of whether Christian democracy exists today and in what form, and if it does, whether it is sustainable.