Roman Catholicism

altar boy

 noun

a boy who helps a priest in a religious service, especially in the CatholicChurch

Anglo-Catholic

 noun

an Anglican whose beliefs and practices are similar to those of the CatholicChurch

apostolic

 adjective

relating to the Pope (=the leader of the Roman Catholic Church)

bull

 noun

an official statement from a pope

Catholic

 noun

a member of the Roman Catholic Church

Catholic

 adjective

connected with the Roman Catholic Church

Catholicism

 noun

the religion of the Roman Catholic Church

conclave

 noun

formal a secret meeting of cardinals (=senior priests) in the Catholic Church, in which they elect a new Pope

confess

 verb

to tell a priest about the bad things you have done, and ask to be forgiven for them, especially in the Roman Catholic Church

confession

 noun

a statement that you make to a priest, especially in the Roman CatholicChurch, in which you say what bad things you have done and ask to be forgiven

confessional

 noun

a small room in a church, especially a Roman Catholic church, where a person goes to tell a priest about the bad things they have done and ask to be forgiven

confessor

 noun

a priest, especially in the Roman Catholic Church, who listens to someone admit to the bad things that they have done

cross yourself

 phrase

to make the shape of the Christian symbol of the Cross over your body, by moving a hand from the head to the chest and then from shoulder to shoulder, especially in the Roman Catholic religion

encyclical

 noun

an official announcement by the Pope in the form of a letter

excommunicate

 verb

to officially say that someone can no longer be a member of the Roman Catholic Church because they have done something that breaks the rules of the Church

extreme unction

 phrase

a ceremony in the Catholic Church for someone who is dying. The priest putsspecial oil on the sick person’s head while praying for them.

Holy Father

 noun

used as a way of talking to or about the Pope

the Holy See

formal the government and influence of the Pope

imprimatur

 noun

official permission given by the Roman Catholic Church for a book to be printed

interdict

 noun

an order from the Roman Catholic Church that officially prevents someone from taking part in its services

limbo

 noun

in the Roman Catholic religion, the place between heaven and hell where some people who are not Christians go when they die

mortal sin

 noun

according to the Catholic Church something you do that is so bad that you will be punished for ever after death unless you do what is necessary to be forgiven

papacy

 noun

the period during which a particular person is the Pope

the papacy

 noun

the position or power of the Pope

papal

 adjective

relating to the Pope

papist

 noun

offensive an insulting word for someone who is a Roman Catholic

pontiff

 noun

formal the Pope

pontificate

 noun

formal the position of being the Pope

popemobile

 noun

informal a vehicle with high glass sides that the Pope uses on official visitsso that people can see him easily

popery

 noun

old-fashioned an insulting word for Roman Catholicism

popish

 adjective

an insulting word for Roman Catholic

presbytery

 noun

the house where a Roman Catholic priest lives

purgatory

 noun

the place where Roman Catholics believe people suffer after they die for the wrong things that they have done before they can go to heaven

RC

 abbreviation

Roman Catholic

Roman Catholic

 noun

a member of the part of the Christian Church that has the pope as its leader

the Sacrament of the Sick

 noun

a religious ceremony performed by a Roman Catholic priest for someone who is dying

the Vulgate

an early translation of the Bible into Latin that was used in the past by the Roman Catholic Church

Your/His Holiness

 phrase

used for talking to or about an important religious leader, especially the Pope