Knowra Catholicism Catholicism Catholicism is the largest Christian tradition, organized around communion with the bishop of Rome and a shared body of doctrine, worship, and practice.
Roman Catholic Church : The largest Catholic church, headed by the pope and composed of Latin and Eastern Catholic churches. It is the central institution most commonly associated with Catholicism.
Magisterium : The teaching authority exercised by the pope and bishops in communion with him. It explains how Catholic teaching is interpreted and authoritatively defined.
Early Christianity : The diverse movement of Jesus's followers from the first century through the formation of enduring church institutions. Catholic institutions and claims of apostolic continuity developed within this movement.
Eastern Orthodoxy : The family of churches sharing Byzantine Christian traditions and communion with the ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople, without papal supremacy. It shares ancient roots with Catholicism but rejects universal papal jurisdiction.
Catholic social teaching : A body of Catholic principles addressing human dignity, work, economic life, solidarity, and political responsibility. It applies Catholic moral reasoning to social and political questions.
Pope : The bishop of Rome, regarded by Catholics as the successor of Saint Peter and head of the worldwide Catholic Church. Communion with the pope is a defining feature of Catholic identity.
Eucharist : The Christian sacrament of bread and wine, which Catholics believe become the body and blood of Christ. It is the central act of Catholic worship and sacramental communion.
Great Schism : The conventional name for the rupture between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, traditionally dated to 1054. It marked a lasting separation between Rome and the Eastern Orthodox churches.
Protestantism : A broad family of Christian traditions that emerged from the Reformation and do not recognize papal authority. Its differing accounts of authority, sacraments, and justification distinguish it from Catholicism.
Canonization : The formal declaration by the Catholic Church that a deceased person is a saint. It gives institutional form to Catholic recognition of exemplary holiness.
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