Catholicism refers to the beliefs and practices of the Christian denominations that refer to themselves as Catholic.
Generally speaking when references are made to Catholicism, the Roman Catholic Church comes to mind, as it is the largest of the Catholic bodies. The term may also apply to the twenty-three Eastern Catholic Churches that are in full communion with the Holy See of Rome. However, there are other denominations that claim to be Catholic, such as the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox Church, the Assyrian Church of the East, and a number of independent Catholic bodies.
The Anglican Church might be considered Catholic as well, as they present a middle way between Catholicism and Protestantism but, for the purposes of categorization, we will list the Anglicans under Protestantism.
Catholics comprise the largest single religion in the world. A common belief in Catholicism is institutional continuity with the Early Christian Church through a line of succession from the Apostle Peter, who is viewed as the first Pope. The theory of Pentarchy holds that the early undivided Church was organized under the three patriarchs of Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch, to which Constantinople and Jerusalem were later added. Doctrinal disputes were often referred to Rome, as Rome was considered first.
The Assyrian Church separated at the 431 Council of Ephesus, and the Oriental Orthodox left at the 451 Council of Chalcedon. The next rift was in 1054 when the Church was divided between an East and a West and, although some of these churches reconciled with Rome in 1438, others remained separated.
Of course, large segments of the Church left Catholicism as a result of the Protestant and Radical Reformations. After the Roman Catholic Church's First Vatican Council, clusters of Catholics formed the Old Catholic Church. Although most Catholics are Roman Catholics, Roman Catholicism is not synonymous with Catholicism but with the Roman Diocese.
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Recommended Resources
Mike Stapp offers a beginner’s guide to a life of Catholic faith, including the starting points, for those who are thinking of joining the church, as well as answers to common questions, a description of the Catholic faith, Catholic Bible study, Catholic prayers, morality, the sacraments, and instructions on how to pray. Also included is a section of free electronic books on various topics.
http://www.beginningcatholic.com/
Cath is a hierarchical web directory of Catholic web sites, arranged by subject, as well as category of dioceses and parishes which is arranged by country and state. Listed sites may be found by browsing the directory categories or by a keyword search. Popular sites and new sites are highlighted, and a page of recommended sites is included. New sites may be submitted to the directory for consideration.
http://www.cath.com/
Catholic Answers National Conference
Catholic Answers is one of the largest lay-run apostolates of Catholic apologetics and evangelization in the United States. Charged with helping good Catholics become better Catholics, bring former Catholics home, and lead non-Catholics into the fullness of the faith, the organization holds a multi-day conference each year. Scheduled speakers are introduced, along with its location, dates and hours, sponsorships, and video.
http://www.catholicanswersconference.com/
Powered by vBulletin, the online discussion forum may be accessed by anyone, without registering or logging in to an account, but participation in forum discussion requires a (free) membership. Topics include, but are not limited to evangelization, adult catechesis, sacrament preparation, Catholic questions and answers, Catholic art, the Holy Bible, daily Mass readings, converts and reverts, pro life, doctrine, theology and Canon law.
http://www.catholicforum.com/
The Catholic Culture site hopes to provide its users with reliable Catholic editorial oversight, commentary, and direction. Its mission, leadership, and history are discussed, while its content includes Catholic news, commentary, articles on Catholic lifestyles, and other topics of interest to Catholicism. A Catholic dictionary and a collection of writings from the Fathers of the Church are included, along with several other documents.
http://www.catholicculture.org/
Originally launched as a private effort by Daniel Daou, Catholic Exchange became an independent non-profit in 2001, and became part of Sophia Institute Press in 2011. The site features Catholic apologetics and information on a variety of topics, including catechetics, culture, dignity of life, education, faith and spirituality, marriage and family, media and culture, money and economics, orthodoxy, and the saints.
http://www.catholicexchange.com/
Offering electronic evangelization since 1987, CIN offers a free exchange of news, information and discussion related to Catholicism, and is not an official organ of the Roman Catholic Church. Various articles on the Bible, the Saints, and Catholic doctrine are presented, along with the text of Catholic prayers, hymns, devotions, litanies, and other documents, as well as movie trailers and podcasts.
http://www.cin.org/
Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights
Founded in 1973 by the late Father Virgil C. Blum, the Catholic League is the nation’s largest Catholic civil rights organization, defending the rights of lay people and clergy alike to participate in American public life without defamation or discrimination. Its mission is posted, along with board and staff contacts, special reports, essays and white papers, video, publications, and news released.
http://www.catholicleague.org/
Founded by James Mulholland in 1995, and available in English, Spanish, French and German, the site provides information to help Catholics form a Christ-like character. Its content is divided into topical categories, such as bioethics, catechism, family, learning to pray, virtues and values, and Christian humanism, among others. Advertising opportunities are published to the site.
http://catholic.net/
The COL is an online publication established for the purpose of representing the Catholic religion, past and present, featuring millions of pages of content including an historical and biblical database of the Catholic Church that includes details about Catholic saints, online scriptures, and other resources. News from the Vatican and elsewhere are also presented, along with a church locator and online bookstore.
http://www.catholic.org/
This site serves as a portal for information and resources related to Catholicism, featuring a directory of Catholic web sites, categorized by topic. Other resources include a weekly spiritual reading, a daily reflection, and the word of the day from the Scriptures, as well as a liturgy. Also included is a humor section and online store with Catholic books, music, video and other items.
http://www.catholic-pages.com/
Maintained by the Mary Foundation, a Catholic charity in Ohio, the site offers free Catholic CDs, booklets, novels, and other parish-friendly Catholic resources delivered to your door. An introduction to the Mary Foundation and Saint Jude Media are offered, along with a statement of beliefs, principles of conduct, and catalog of available resources, including bulk orders and other products are do require payment.
http://www.catholicity.com/
The Catholic site includes a complete Catholic encyclopedia, the writings of the Fathers of the Church, the entire text of the Bible in Latin, Greek and English, a library of Church documents, arranged alphabetically, and the Summa Theologiae, which was the work of Thomas Aquina. The entire contents of the New Advent web site is available as a digital download, but for a fee.
http://www.newadvent.org/
Founded by Greg and Jennifer Willits, the New Evangelizer offers free tools and resources to help Catholics know their faith, live their faith, and share their faith more effectively, and encourage others to do the same. The program creates digital and physical catechetical and spiritual materials and resources for individual study or mass distribution, including CDs, DVDs, and printed material.
http://newevangelizers.com/
Founded in 2003, Rosary Army has been busy making, praying and giving away all-twine knotted Rosaries and encouraging others to do the same, with thousands given away to anyone who requests one from the web site. Visitors to the site are encouraged to join in the effort. Rosary Army is now part of New Evangelizers, which provides free tools and resources to help Catholic know, live and share their faith more effectively.
http://rosaryarmy.newevangelizers.com/
The Rosary Confraternity of the Catholic Church, administered by Dominican Fathers, Fr. Dismas Sayre. Located next to Holy Rosary Church in Portland, Oregon they strive to pray the entire Rosary each week. Learn the rosary, view their newsletter, find contacts for the community, view its product catalog, or purchase books, booklets, DVDs, CDs, MP3s, confraternity, candles, bumper stickers, calendars, prayer cards, medals, or other items.
http://www.rosary-center.org/
The Hierarchy of the Catholic Church
Offering current and historical information about the Catholic bishops and dioceses, the site is not officially sanctioned or approved by any Catholic Church authority, but is created and maintained by David M. Cheney. Catholic dioceses may be viewed by region or tradition, and Catholic bishops may be sorted alphabetically, living only, deceased only, or by seniority. Catholic events and an overview of Eastern Catholic traditions are included.
http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/
