Catholicism (disambiguation)

Catholicism is a term used especially in the context of Christianity. It comes from the Greek word καθολικος, meaning "general" or "universal." It can mean one of several things:

• Due to the dominant history and current influence of the Roman Catholic Church, "Catholicism" is often used to mean the belief system of that church.

• It often refers to the belief system and practices of the Catholic Communion, the largest communion of Christian churches. This is used to distinguish these beliefs from the beliefs of other denominationss.

• It can be used to refer to those churches which are Catholic in nature, declare that they uphold the Catholic faith, and claim apostolic succession through the Catholic side of the Great Schism. For examples see the Old Catholic Church, or the offical Church of England Site especially on "upholding the Catholic faith".

• It can mean universality. This was the first usage in the early Christian Church to distinguish what was believed to be the universal doctrine as opposed to heresies.