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Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church Christian church headed by the pope, the bishop of Rome (see papacy and Peter, Saint ). Its commonest title in official use is Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. "Roman Catholic" is a 19th-century British coinage and merely serves to distinguish that church from other churches that are "Catholic" (see catholic church ). The term "Roman Church," when used officially, means only the archdiocese of Rome. Roman Catholics may be simply defined as Christians in communion with the pope.
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"Roman Catholic Church." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Roman Catholic Church." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-RomanCat.html "Roman Catholic Church." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-RomanCat.html |
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Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church. Those churches in communion with the Church of Rome, recognizing the leadership of the pope. The word ‘Catholic’ means ‘universal’, and thus the addition of ‘Roman’ seems to some contradictory, since they regard the Church under the successor of Peter (see PETRINE TEXTS) as the one, universal Church; other Christians (i.e. those who are baptized and ‘honoured by the name of Christian’, Lumen Gentium, 15) are held to be ‘in a certain, although imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church’ (Unitatis redintegratio, 3). To be in complete communion with the Church of Rome is to belong to the Catholic Church. However, the addition of ‘Roman’ has become more common during the recent decades of ecumenicism, not least in recognition of the status of uniate Churches and of other uses of the world ‘Catholic’; ‘Roman Catholic’ is therefore used in this article and throughout the Dictionary.
Central government is exercised by the pope and curia (usually referred to as ‘the Vatican). It is by far the largest of the Christian denominations, with approaching a billion members. Serving the Church's members are just over 400,000 priests, 68,000 male religious, and just short of one million female religious. There are rather more than 2,000 dioceses or equivalent administrative areas, but a quarter of these are in Europe. The Roman Catholic Church insists on its continuity of belief, liturgy, and structure from the pre-Reformation church, and upon its right, as (in its own view) the one church founded by Christ, to hold councils of its own bishops which are regarded as ecumenical and, doctrinally, of the same standing as the councils of the early church. It has held three since the Reformation, those of Trent, Vatican I, and Vatican II. At Vatican I the bishops asserted the primacy and infallibility of the pope, but at Vatican II the RC Church made an effort to come closer to other Christian churches, and formulated no firm doctrinal statements—setting, for example, Mariological (see MARY) devotion (so typical of Catholicism) firmly within its ecclesial framework. In the subsequent years, Paul VI did much to put into effect the programme of Vatican II, but began also to express a caution which became also a marked feature of the policy of John Paul II—culminating in Catechism of the Catholic Church (1993/4): in this, for example, the Bible is used as though a-historical, as though its embeddedness in history has no effect on the application of the text to current issues. Throughout its history, the Roman Catholic Church has placed great emphasis on the offering of life, through the Church, to God in obedience and holiness. It has thus given special importance to the monastic life, which epitomizes the choice of God rather than the world. At the same time, the radical choice for God has led to a constant acceptance of martyrdom, which the outreach of evangelism (not least in the 20th cent.) has repeatedly brought about; the strong emphasis on being the only Church has equally led Roman Catholics to be zealous in their persecution of others, and evangelism often accompanied conquest, as in the policy of Spain (between the 16th and 18th cents.). In this context, the prayer of the faithful was, until the 15th cent., apt to be of a verbal and repetitive nature. The Latin liturgy and Bible (Vulgate) increased the problems for the laity in understanding the faith. Since Vatican II, the change to vernacular liturgies and Bibles, together with the transformation of the penitential rites (confession) and the move of the altar to the centre of the church, has increased the active participation of all in worship. It remains the case that strict rules govern membership of the Church, e.g. concerning who may communicate at Mass, or the status of divorced people; celibacy is a requirement for priests (even though in some parts of the world this means that the celebration of the Mass is infrequent); and the laity are under obligation not to use artificial contraception (see HUMANAE VITAE). The latter arises from definitions of the meaning of ‘the person’, and of when the life of any particular person begins. The same consideration underlies the absolute opposition to abortion. Control (through licensing) is also exercised over those teaching in Catholic schools and universities, and while many such institutions are now under the direction of lay professionals, publications and lectures may still occasion discipline, which many include the silencing of so-called progressive theologians. Conformity has not in the past meant a repetitive theology: theology and philosophy have had a high place in Roman Catholicism, by no means confined to scholasticism. The central place, both of the Mass in worship, and of the Church in the community, has contributed to the inspiration of enduring art, architecture, and music, as well as many kinds of literature. The Church as patron has had immense consequences for civilization as a whole. So also has the absolute requirement to be generous to those in need (a requirement which goes back to Christ). As a result, schools, hospitals, places where the needy and dying can find refuge, and a wide range of aid programmes have multiplied. This tradition is also expressed in 100 years of teaching on social justice issues, from Rerum Novarum to the Constitution of the Church in the Modern World (Gaudium et Spes) in 1965, and subsequent encyclicals. The financial cost of the Vatican is great and falls heavily on the Church in the USA, where the majority have a vision of the Church in the service of the world which has been increasingly at variance from the official Vatican line (though, they would say, in line with the vision of Vatican II). The resulting tension can be seen particularly in the radical divide over the opportunities open to women to have a voice comparable to that of men in the Church. Roman Catholicism is highly clericalized, and the refusal to allow the possibility that women can be ordained means that they can never be a serious part of the leadership or decision-making of the Church. |
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JOHN BOWKER. "Roman Catholic Church." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN BOWKER. "Roman Catholic Church." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-RomanCatholicChurch.html JOHN BOWKER. "Roman Catholic Church." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-RomanCatholicChurch.html |
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Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic ChurchThe Roman Catholic Church refers to the worldwide assembly of Christians who are in full communion with the pope, the bishop of Rome, who is regarded as the sign and instrument of Catholic unity among bishops and faithful alike. Statistically, Roman Catholics form the largest single Christian body, with close to 1.1 billion members worldwide. The rise of Christian culture in western Europe is virtually synonymous with the history of the Roman Catholic Church. Although other Christians sometimes refer to themselves as catholic (from the Greek word meaning universal or complete), Roman Catholics believe communion with the See of Rome is required for full membership in the Catholic Church. In addition to the Western or Latin Rite Catholics, there are some 20 million Eastern Christians in full communion with Rome (better identified as Eastern Catholics than Roman Catholics). Roman Catholics believe the pope is the successor of Peter, appointed by Jesus Christ as the chief apostle and head of the Church. By the late second century, Irenaeus, the bishop of Lyon (c.130–200), saw agreement with the Church of Rome as necessary for all Christian churches. Following persecutions by various Roman emperors, the Church received legal recognition from Constantine in 313. The move of the imperial capital from Rome to Byzantium (Constantinople) in 330 set the stage for the later split (schism) of the Byzantine Church from the Church of Rome in 1054. The monasteries of the Church preserved learning after the collapse of the Roman Empire. The rise of Islam in the seventh century and the Muslim invasions of Spain and Gaul prompted the pope to form an alliance with Charlemagne and the Franks. The Crusades (1095–1291) failed to maintain Christian control over Jerusalem and stem the eventual spread of Muslim power into Asia Minor (Turkey). During the Middle Ages (c. 800–1400), the Church inspired cultural achievements in art (e.g., Gothic architecture), poetry (e.g., Dante), philosophy (e.g., Thomas Aquinas), and learning (e.g., the universities of Oxford, Paris, Salamanca, and Bologna). During the Renaissance (c.1400–1550), the Church continued its patronage of the arts, but many areas of Europe (e.g., England, Holland, northern Germany, and Scandinavia) broke with papal authority in the sixteenth century following the Protestant Reformation. In the 1500s and 1600s, missionaries and colonial rulers spread Roman Catholicism into the Americas and Asia. Although the Roman Catholic Church contributed much to the cultural achievements of the medieval and Renaissance eras, religious minorities, such as the Jews, often suffered persecutions in countries under Roman Catholic control. Theological ideas were enforced by various inquisitions (Church tribunals) that conducted trials for those accused of heresies (false teachings). Technically, the inquisition only had jurisdiction over the baptized, but after the Jews and Muslims were expelled from Iberia in 1492, the Spanish Inquisition would often target Los Conversos, the Jews and Muslims who had accepted baptism rather than leave the country of their birth. In the 1700s and 1800s, the influence of the Roman Catholic Church over European culture began to fade. The French Revolution (1789–1799) placed the Church in France under virtual state control. In 1870, the Papal States of central Italy were seized from the Church, leaving control only over Vatican City State (according to the Lateran Agreement of 1929). Deprived of secular power, the Roman Catholic Church in the twentieth century tried to exert moral authority. Pope Pius XI (1857–1939), who was pope from 1922 to his death, issued encyclical letters protesting Italian Fascism (1931), German Nazism (1937), and atheistic Communism (1937). His successor, Pius XII (pope from 1939–1958), led the Church through the difficult years of World War II (1939–1945). His policies during this time—especially with regard to helping the Jews— have been praised by some and criticized by others. The Second Vatican Council (1962–1965) urged dialogue with other Christians and non-Christians (most notably Jews and Muslims). In his 1994 apostolic letter, Tertio Millennio Adveniente, John Paul II (pope from 1978–2005) called Catholics to a “spirit of repentance” for practices of past centuries that involved “intolerance and even the use of violence in the service of truth.” Pope Benedict XVI, who succeeded John Paul in 2005, has continued this spirit into the early-twenty-first century, while at the same time condemning secularization and moral relativism. SEE ALSO Christianity; Church, The; Enlightenment; French Revolution; Greek Orthodox Church; Islam, Shia and Sunni; Jesus Christ; Missionaries; Protestantism; Religion; Rituals; Secular, Secularism, Secularization; Vatican, The BIBLIOGRAPHYBunson, Matthew, ed. 2006. Our Sunday Visitor’s 2007 Catholic Almanac. Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor. O’Collins, Gerald, and Mario Farrugia. 2003. Catholicism: The Story of Catholic Christianity. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Woods, Thomas E., Jr. 2005. How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization. Washington, D.C.: Regnery. Robert Fastiggi |
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"Roman Catholic Church." International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Roman Catholic Church." International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3045302303.html "Roman Catholic Church." International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. 2008. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3045302303.html |
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Catholic Church, Roman
Catholic Church, Roman The largest Christian denomination, comprising around 800 million members, which looks to the infallible authority of the Pope in matters of doctrine, and his supreme guidance in all spiritual affairs. Its structure and teaching have been drawn from two sources, the Scriptures on the one hand and on the other the tradition of the Church Fathers, as it developed from the early Christian communities under the guidance of St Paul and St Peter (the first ‘Pope’), the latter being appointed by Christ as his representative on earth.
The history of modern Catholicism goes back to 1860/70, when it faced two major threats. The first was the challenge of industrialization and demographic change, which uprooted many communities and alienated many people from the Church. The second, more immediate, challenge was the loss of the Papal States to a unified Italy. The loss of the Pope's secular powers turned out to be a blessing in disguise, however. Following the First Vatican Council (1869–70), the Church emphasized papal spiritual authority throughout the worldwide Church (ultramontanism). In particular, the Pope's role was strengthened through the declaration of papal infallibility. This claim to worldwide authority, even if it was restricted to spiritual matters, brought about the hostility of liberalism, with its emphasis on the supremacy of state institutions, as well as socialism. Ultimately, this new centralism strengthened the authority of the Church, while the revival of popular forms of religious practice (such as the veneration of saints) further increased its appeal. In contrast to other Christian Churches, Roman Catholics were also relatively quick to respond to the new problems caused by industrialization and urbanization through the establishment of new parishes in working-class areas, and the organization of workers in Catholic trade unions, clubs, and societies. At the same time, Roman Catholics were active in missionary work in Africa and Asia, so that during the first half of the twentieth century the Church did not experience the same decline as many Protestant Churches after World War I. During World War II, under Pope Pius XII the Church was torn between its own mission to be a universal Church and the need to condemn the atrocities of Nazi Germany. In the end, it was heavily criticized for taking the former stance, so that it was left to individual priests and bishops in Germany and Austria and occupied countries to speak out against Hitler, at the risk of their own lives. After World War II, the Church was confronted with the Cold War, and took a confrontational stance with the newly established Communist regimes of Eastern Europe, which led to discrimination against Catholics in most Communist countries except in Poland, where religious observance was so strong as to force the Communist government there to come to an accommodation with the Church. Perhaps the most important event for the Catholic Church in the postwar era was the election of Pope John XXIII, a compromise candidate elected only after twelve electoral rounds. Through his charity and humanity he infused the Catholic Church with a greater desire for unity and harmony, which was institutionalized in the Second Vatican Council (1962–5). Under his successor, Paul VI, the reforms to make the Church more up to date continued, while Pope John Paul II continued to emphasize the Church's progressive and radical positions on social issues and international relations (e.g. through condemning the Gulf War). This was accompanied by a decidedly conservative stance on issues of morality (e.g. on birth control) and theology (rejection of liberation theology). Finally, the Church took a more liberal stance on ecumenism, as it sought reconciliation with Judaism and the Orthodox Churches of Eastern Europe. Since the 1960s, religious observance in Europe, North America, and, more recently, Latin America has declined, while growing in Africa and, especially, Asia. The Church adjusted to its world role only slowly. Under John Paul II the most influential positions in the Vatican were held by cardinals from Europe and North America.
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JAN PALMOWSKI. "Catholic Church, Roman." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JAN PALMOWSKI. "Catholic Church, Roman." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O46-CatholicChurchRoman.html JAN PALMOWSKI. "Catholic Church, Roman." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O46-CatholicChurchRoman.html |
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Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales after the Reformation
Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales after the Reformation. Although there was strong Catholic sentiment in parts of the kingdom, and some notable figures were executed rather than accept the royal supremacy, the majority of the population acquiesced in the Reformation of the Church of England under Henry VIII and Edward VI. Catholicism began to be restored under Mary, but her persecution of the Reformers created a legacy of bitterness. Under Elizabeth I the distinction between RCs and Anglicans was made clear by the 1559 Act of Uniformity's imposition of fines on those who did not attend the services of the C of E. Many Catholics practised their faith in secret, and at first there was little persecution. Later, political events, and the excommunication of Elizabeth in 1570, hardened attitudes. The arrival in 1574 of the first missionary priests from the Continent, followed by Jesuits from 1580 onwards, strengthened the RC community, but was met by penal legislation and executions. In the later years of James I's reign the penal laws against RCs were often not enforced, and their suspension was one of the conditions of Charles I's marriage to Henrietta Maria. Charles II promised toleration and tried to secure it, but was forced to accept legislation which excluded RCs from Parliament and office. Although James II came to the throne in 1685 professing personal allegiance to the RC Church, his attempts to further the interest of his fellow-Catholics led to his replacement by William and Mary. The Bill of Rights 1688 and the Act of Settlement 1700 debarred from the throne any RC or anyone who should marry a RC, and other legislation excluded RCs from the professions.
In 1685 John Leyburn was appointed the first Vicar Apostolic. Three further Vicars were appointed in 1688 and England was divided into four districts. The need to recruit Irish and Scottish clansmen for the American War of Independence led to the first of the Catholic Relief Acts in 1778. By 1829 nearly all disabilities were removed. The sufferings of the RC Church on the Continent in the French Revolution (from 1789) created a degree of sympathy in England, and English religious communities returned from abroad. In the 19th cent. the RC population was also increased by Irish immigrants. In 1850 a hierarchy of 12 suffragan bishops under an archbishop was established; N. P. S. Wiseman became Abp. of Westminster and a cardinal. He introduced into England the Ultramontanism which was fostered by his successor, H. E. Manning. In 1908 England and Wales ceased to be missionary territory and in 1918 ‘missions’ became legally constituted parishes. Card. A. Hinsley became something of a national figure through his broadcasts in the early years of the Second World War. Nevertheless, in 1945, after a century of growth and consolidation, the RC Church was still regarded with hostility. The educational expansion following the 1944 Education Act resulted in an increase in the number of RCs in higher education and the professions. The Second Vatican Council (1961–5) drew the whole RC Church into a new relationship with other Churches and the introduction of the vernacular in the liturgy has made the RC Church seem less ‘foreign’. Membership has increased to c. 4 million and under Card. G. B. Hume the RC Church was drawn into the mainstream of national life. |
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E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales after the Reformation." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales after the Reformation." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-RmnCthlcChrchnnglndndWlsf.html E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales after the Reformation." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-RmnCthlcChrchnnglndndWlsf.html |
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Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church The Christian Church that acknowledges the pope as its head, especially that which has developed since the REFORMATION. It has an elaborately organized hierarchy of bishops and priests. Popes are traditionally regarded as successors to St Peter, to whom Christ entrusted his power. In doctrine the Roman Catholic Church is characterized by strict adherence to tradition combined with acceptance of the living voice of the Church and belief in its infallibility. The classic definition of its position was made in response to the Reformation at the Council of Trent (1545–63). During this period the Catholic Church responded to the challenge of Protestantism by the movement known as the COUNTER-REFORMATION, which brought about various reforms and a draconian tightening of Church discipline (see INQUISITION). During the Enlightenment the Church increasingly saw itself as an embattled defender of ancient truth, a belief that culminated in the proclamation of Papal Infallibility in matters of doctrine in 1870. The 20th century has seen a great change as the Church has become more open to the world, a change given effect in the decrees of the 2nd Vatican Council (1963–65). The papacy of JOHN PAUL II (1978– ), however, has been marked by his resistance to change in the teaching of the Church on the controversial issues of contraception, abortion, divorce, homosexuality, and the celibacy of the priesthood. In all these issues, especially the first, the Church has maintained a position seriously at odds with generally enlightened 20th-century views. For Christians of other denominations and for the members of other religions, the reluctance of the Vatican to accept change has marginalized its moral authority.
A historically significant Catholic order is that of the Jesuits or the Society of Jesus, an order of priests founded in 1534 in Paris by Ignatius LOYOLA, St Francis Xavier, and others. The Society became the spearhead of the Counter-Reformation, though originally intended as a missionary order. The success of Jesuits as missionaries, teachers, scholars, and spiritual directors — as well as the fear they have inspired — manifests how close they have been to their ideal of a disciplined force, effective in the cause of the Roman Church. Another significant Catholic organization is Opus Dei (Latin, ‘work of God’), which was founded in 1928 by the Spanish priest Josemaria Escrivá de Balaguer (1902–75). Members, of whom there are 76,000 worldwide, may be either priests or lay people, in which case they are encouraged to retain their social position and pursue their profession. Particularly active in General Franco's Spain (1939–75), the organization has exercised considerable, but controversial, influence on public affairs. There is a separate branch for women, segregation of the sexes being an important principle. Opus Dei emphasizes the austere and conservative aspects of Catholicism; members follow a range of ascetic and spiritual practices, which include daily ‘mortification’ in the form of brief self-flagellation, and celibacy is encouraged. Its secrecy and authoritarianism has been criticized, but Pope John Paul II is a supporter — he beatified de Balaguer in 1992. |
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"Roman Catholic Church." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Roman Catholic Church." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-RomanCatholicChurch.html "Roman Catholic Church." A Dictionary of World History. 2000. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O48-RomanCatholicChurch.html |
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Roman Catholic Church in America
Roman Catholic Church in America had its beginnings in the legendary connection between the Norse discoveries of the New World and the medieval church in Greenland. Its modern history began with the colonization by Spain and France. Permanent dioceses were established in Santo Domingo, Haiti, and Puerto Rico (1511), and the see of Cuba ruled the mainland churches (1522–45). The first parish within the boundaries of the present U.S. was established at St. Augustine, Fla. (1565). During the ensuing centuries, much missionary work was done by the Capuchins, Jesuits, and Franciscans. In the American territories outside the present U.S., colonization and proselyting have resulted in the dominance of the Catholic faith. In the English colonies, Catholicism was generally attacked, except in Maryland, which was founded by the Catholic Calvert family, and in Rhode Island and Pennsylvania, where there was religious toleration. John Carroll became the first Catholic bishop in the U.S. (1789), when there were approximately 30,000 Catholics in the country. The increase to the millions in the 19th century, owing in large part to immigration from first Ireland and Germany and later from Italy and Eastern Europe, occasioned sharp antagonism in this Protestant‐founded country. Although localized, this feeling resulted in politico‐religious movements like the Know‐Nothings. The change from a priest‐centered to member‐centered service, in English, resulting from decisions of Vatican II in the 1960s, led to further growth, and by 1993 the number of American Roman Catholics was 59,220,723, or 23% of the population.
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James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Roman Catholic Church in America." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Roman Catholic Church in America." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O123-RomanCatholicChurchinAmrc.html James D. Hart and and Phillip W. Leininger. "Roman Catholic Church in America." The Oxford Companion to American Literature. 1995. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O123-RomanCatholicChurchinAmrc.html |
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Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church Christian denomination that acknowledges the supremacy of the Pope (see papacy; Papal infallibility). An important aspect of doctrine is the primacy given to the Virgin Mary, whom Roman Catholics believe to be the only human being born without sin (Immaculate Conception). Before the Reformation in the 16th century, the ‘Catholic Church’ applied to the Western Church as a whole, as distinguished from the Eastern Orthodox Church based at Constantinople. The Reformation led to a tendency for the Roman Catholic Church to be characterized by rigid adherence to doctrinal tradition from the 16th to the early 20th century. The desire for a reunited Christendom led to a more liberal attitude in the mid-20th century. The government of the Church is episcopal, with archbishops and bishops responsible for provinces and dioceses. The priesthood is celibate. The centre of the Roman Catholic liturgical ritual is the Mass or Eucharist. Since the Second Vatican Council (1962–65), the Roman Catholic Church underwent marked changes, notably the replacement of Latin by the vernacular as the language of the liturgy. Today, there are c.600 million Roman Catholics worldwide, with large numbers in s Europe, Latin America and the Philippines.
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"Roman Catholic Church." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Roman Catholic Church." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-RomanCatholicChurch.html "Roman Catholic Church." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-RomanCatholicChurch.html |
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Roman Catholic
Ro·man Cath·o·lic • adj. of or relating to the Roman Catholic Church: a Roman Catholic bishop. • n. a member of this church. DERIVATIVES: Ro·man Ca·thol·i·cism n. |
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"Roman Catholic." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Roman Catholic." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-romancatholic.html "Roman Catholic." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-romancatholic.html |
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