Topics: Confusion Rocks EP Church, Global Evangelical Over Moves.
The Catholic Church , also known as the Roman Catholic Church , is the largest Christian church , with more than 1.29 billion members worldwide. [4] As one of the oldest religious institutions in the world, it has played a prominent role in the history and development of Western civilisation. [5] Headed by the Bishop of Rome , known as the Pope , the church's doctrines are summarised in the Nicene Creed. Its central administration, the Holy See , is in the Vatican City , enclaved within Rome , Italy.
Since the East–West Schism of 1054, the Eastern Church has taken the adjective "Orthodox" as its distinctive epithet (however, its official name continues to be the "Orthodox Catholic Church" [21] ) and the Western Church in communion with the Holy See has similarly taken "Catholic", keeping that description also after the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century, when those who ceased to be in communion became known as "Protestants". [22] [23]
While the "Roman Church" has been used to describe the pope's Diocese of Rome since the Fall of the Western Roman Empire and into the Early Middle Ages (6th-10th century), the "Roman Catholic Church" has been applied to the whole church in English language since the Protestant Reformation in the late 16th century. [24] "Roman Catholic" has occasionally appeared also in documents produced both by the Holy See, [note 3] notably applied to certain national episcopal conferences , and local dioceses. [note 4]
