Roman Catholic Church

Catholic means "universal" and the phrase Catholic Church refers to the single universal Christian church founded by Peter.

In the United States, the phrase "Catholic church" is often a shortened name for the Roman Catholic church, overwhelmingly the largest of the denominations calling themselves "Catholic." The Roman Catholic Church is, however, only the Western branch of the Catholic Church, which separated from the Eastern branches in the Great Schism. The Eastern branches do not have a single umbrella organization. They include the Eastern Orthodox Church and a number of Eastern Catholic Churches.

Despite important differences in doctrine, the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern churches recognize each other as part of the Catholic Church. For example, each of them accepts each others' Holy Orders (priesthood) as valid.

"Catholic" can be opposed to "Protestant." Protestants regard themselves as Christians, but Catholics do not regard Protestants as authentically within the church established by Peter, and do not regard Protestant ministers as being validly ordained. Protestants would of course challenge this, but nevertheless agree that there is a wide separation between Protestant denominations and the churches that refer to themselves as "Catholic."

The Anglican Church (Episcopalian in the United States) occupies an odd situation, because it encompasses within it factions ("Low Church") that emphasize its Protestant aspects and factions ("High Church") that emphasize its Catholic aspects. Anglo-Catholics regard the Anglican church as part of the Catholic Church, and in the unbroken line of the Apostolic Succession. The Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern branches take a position that could be described as saying that the Anglican Church is almost but not quite Catholic. There have long been unification overtures, and Anglican priests who wish to adopt Catholic Holy Orders are often provided with an abbreviated path to that goal.