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 Roman Catholic Church operates tribunals that consider spiritual issues and marriage annulments.

From BBC

The door only opens once in 25 years to mark the Roman Catholic Church's jubilee years.

From BBC

On a recent Sunday at Santo Domingo de Guzmán Roman Catholic Church in the capital’s Baruta district, Father Leonardo Marius urged parishioners to ignore the drumbeat of war pounding the airwaves and internet.

From Los Angeles Times

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

After Pope Leo became the first American to lead the Roman Catholic Church earlier this month, it emerged he had previously appeared to make veiled criticisms of Vance and the wider Trump administration's migration stance.

From BBC