Roman Catholic Church

American  

noun

1. the Christian church of which the pope, or bishop of Rome, is the supreme head.

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Roman Catholic Church British  

noun

1. Also called: Catholic Church.   Church of Rome.  the Christian Church over which the pope presides, with administrative headquarters in the Vatican

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Roman Catholic Church Cultural  

1. The branch of Christianity headed by the pope. The Roman Catholic Church is governed by a hierarchy with the pope at the top and, at the lower levels, bishops and priests. The sacraments of Communion and confession are especially important in the Roman Catholic Church; Catholics also differ from most Protestants in emphasizing veneration of the saints, especially Mary, the mother of Jesus, and seeking the intercession of the saints (praying to them so that they will in turn pray to God). The Roman Catholic Church leadership strongly opposes abortion (see also abortion) and artificial means of birth control.

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Roman Catholicism is the dominant faith in Europe around the Mediterranean Sea, in much of eastern Europe, in Ireland, and in Latin America.

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How does roman-catholic-church compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Eastern Orthodox Church vs. Roman Catholic Church

Example Sentences

The Church of England became the country's state establishment church following King Henry VIII's split from the Roman Catholic Church in the 1530s.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

In 1274, the Roman Catholic Church questioned the order's legitimacy because it had been founded after 1215 and lacked a continuous presence dating back to late antiquity.

From Science Daily • Feb. 2, 2026

Leo, the first-ever American head of the global Roman Catholic Church, has strong connections in Latin America, where he worked for many years as a missionary and a bishop in Peru.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 2, 2025

César Franck and others got a kick out of Alessandro Stradella, the Baroque opera composer who attempted to embezzle the Roman Catholic Church.

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2025

A priest I once heard in a white middle-class parish defended the reformed liturgy by saying that it had become necessary to ‘de-Europeanize’ the Roman Catholic Church.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez