Catholic Church
Rome's Christian headquarters
The Catholic Church is the institution—the worldwide religious body headed by the Pope, encompassing its hierarchy, doctrine, traditions, and 1.3 billion members.
When people speak of the Catholic Church's position on an issue, they mean the official stance of this institution: The Catholic Church opposes abortion.
She converted to the Catholic Church at thirty. (Lowercase catholic church refers to a building.)
Catholic Church's supreme leader
- cardinalsPope-electing prelates or finches
- bishopsHigh-ranking clergy members
- archbishopsHighest-ranking diocesan clergy
- priestsOrdained religious leaders
deacons · monsignor · Vatican · curia · diocese · parish · clergy · laity
Unchallengeable official beliefs
- theologyStudy of the divine
- catechismReligious teaching guide
- creedStatement of belief
- apostolicOf the first disciples
transubstantiation · infallibility · assumption · trinity · encyclical · papal bull · canon law · natural law
Independent papal microstate
- ecumenismMovement toward religious unity
- missionaryReligious outreach worker
- evangelizationSpreading religious doctrine
- synodChurch governing assembly
conclave · canonization · beatification · St. Peter's Basilica · Sistine Chapel · Swiss Guard · diocese · archdiocese
Ritual water purification ceremony
- confirmationEstablishing something as true
- confessionAdmission of wrongdoing
- penanceSelf-mortification for wrongdoing
- matrimonyLegal union of spouses
ordination · anointing · communion · reconciliation · absolution · chrism · holy water · godparent
Quantity of matter
- liturgyFormal worship structure
- vespersEvening devotional service
- complineDay's final liturgy
- rosaryBeaded prayer counter
incense · vestments · cassock · chasuble · stole · lectionary
Monophonic Catholic liturgical music
- pilgrimageReligious journey to shrine
- patron saintsHoly advocates for groups
- relicsPreserved items from antiquity
- iconsRepresentative small images
Advent · Lent · Pentecost · All Saints' Day · Ash Wednesday · holy days · feast days · novena
pope
Catholic Church's supreme leader
- cardinalsPope-electing prelates or finches
- bishopsHigh-ranking clergy members
- archbishopsHighest-ranking diocesan clergy
priests · deacons · monsignor · Vatican · curia · diocese · parish · clergy · laity · pontiff
dogma
Unchallengeable official beliefs
apostolic · transubstantiation · infallibility · assumption · trinity · encyclical · papal bull · canon law · natural law · heresy
Vatican City
Independent papal microstate
- ecumenismMovement toward religious unity
- missionaryReligious outreach worker
- evangelizationSpreading religious doctrine
synod · conclave · canonization · beatification · St. Peter's Basilica · Sistine Chapel · Swiss Guard · diocese · archdiocese · Lourdes
baptism
Ritual water purification ceremony
- confirmationEstablishing something as true
- confessionAdmission of wrongdoing
- penanceSelf-mortification for wrongdoing
matrimony · ordination · anointing · communion · reconciliation · absolution · chrism · holy water · godparent · last rites
mass
Quantity of matter
rosary · incense · vestments · cassock · chasuble · stole · lectionary
Gregorian chant
Monophonic Catholic liturgical music
- pilgrimageReligious journey to shrine
- patron saintsHoly advocates for groups
- relicsPreserved items from antiquity
icons · Advent · Lent · Pentecost · All Saints' Day · Ash Wednesday · holy days · feast days · novena · devotions
- churchesBaptist churches, chapels, Lutheran churches, Methodist churches, mission churches
- church historyapostles, Protestant Reformation, Christian history, baptism, Reformation
- Communist PolandCommunist era, People's Republic, Solidarity, Walesa, state surveillance
- French CatholicismNotre-Dame, Sacre-Coeur, Joan of Arc, Saint Bernadette, Genevieve
- Irish FaithSt. Patrick, St. Brigid, Celtic cross, holy well, patron saint
- Latin American Religionpatron saints, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Holy Week, processions, dioceses
Catholic ChurchProtestantism
Reformation-era Christian movement
Eastern Orthodox Church · Protestant churches · Lutheran Church · Anglican Church · Methodist Church
Catholic Churchatheism
Rejection of deities
secular humanism · antitheism · secularism · anticlericalism · agnosticism
church, catholic, Catholic, Catholicism, Catholics, Roman Catholic, Roman Catholicism