Christian Cyclopedia

(Gk. “universal”). 1. Universal as distinct from local. First applied to Christian ch. as a whole in a letter of Ignatius (ca. 110): “Where Christ is, there is the catholic Church” (Ad Smyrnaeos, viii, 2). 2. Orthodox as distinguished from heretical or schismatic. 3. Universal as applied to the ch. before the schism* bet. E and W 4. Used in distinctive names of various ch. bodies: RC Ch., Anglo-Catholic Ch., Old Cath. Ch., Cath. Apostolic Ch. 5. In Luth. theol. (as in early Christendom) the word is often used of the one holy cath. (Christian) and apostolic ch. that transcends temporal, geog., and all other barriers. See also Vincent of Lérins.