Western Church

Western Church

n 1. (Roman Catholic Church) the part of Christendom that derives its liturgy, discipline, and traditions principally from the patriarchate of Rome, as contrasted with the part that derives these from the other ancient patriarchates, esp that of Constantinople 2. (Roman Catholic Church) the Roman Catholic Church, sometimes together with the Anglican Communion of Churches

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

Western Church - the Christian Church based in the Vatican and presided over by a pope and an episcopal hierarchyChurch of Rome, Roman Catholic Church, Roman Church, Roman Catholicindulgence - the remission by the pope of the temporal punishment in purgatory that is still due for sins even after absolution; "in the Middle Ages the unrestricted sale of indulgences by pardoners became a widespread abuse"Divine Office - canonical prayers recited daily by priests (e.g. the breviary of the Roman Catholic Church)Little Office - a Roman Catholic office honoring the Virgin Mary; similar to but shorter than the Divine OfficeOffice of the Dead - an office read or sung before a burial mass in the Roman Catholic Churchplacebo - (Roman Catholic Church) vespers of the office for the deadconfession - (Roman Catholic Church) the act of a penitent disclosing his sinfulness before a priest in the sacrament of penance in the hope of absolutionbeatification - (Roman Catholic Church) an act of the Pope who declares that a deceased person lived a holy life and is worthy of public veneration; a first step toward canonizationcanonisation, canonization - (Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Church) the act of admitting a deceased person into the canon of saintsMass - (Roman Catholic Church and Protestant Churches) the celebration of the Eucharistnovena - a Roman Catholic devotion consisting of prayers on nine consecutive daysStations, Stations of the Cross - (Roman Catholic Church) a devotion consisting of fourteen prayers said before a series of fourteen pictures or carvings representing successive incidents during Jesus' passage from Pilate's house to his crucifixion at Calvaryostensorium, monstrance - (Roman Catholic Church) a vessel (usually of gold or silver) in which the consecrated Host is exposed for adorationpallium - (Roman Catholic Church) vestment consisting of a band encircling the shoulders with two lappets hanging in front and backultramontanism - (Roman Catholic Church) the policy that the absolute authority of the church should be vested in the popesursum corda - (Roman Catholic Church) a Latin versicle meaning `lift up your hearts'breviary - (Roman Catholic Church) a book of prayers to be recited daily certain priests and members of religious ordersmissal - (Roman Catholic Church) a book containing all the prayers and responses needed to celebrate Mass throughout the yearVulgate - the Latin edition of the Bible translated from Hebrew and Greek mainly by St. Jerome at the end of the 4th century; as revised in 1592 it was adopted as the official text for the Roman Catholic ChurchPaternoster - (Roman Catholic Church) the Lord's Prayer in Latin; translates as `our father'Mass card - (Roman Catholic Church) a card sent to a bereaved family that says the sender has arranged for a Mass to be said in memory of the deceasedspiritual bouquet - (Roman Catholic Church) a card indicating that the sender will perform certain devotional acts on behalf of anotherkiss of peace, pax - (Roman Catholic Church) a greeting signifying Christian love for those assisting at the EucharistImmaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, Immaculate Conception - (Christianity) the Roman Catholic dogma that God preserved the Virgin Mary from any stain of original sin from the moment she was conceivedgradual - (Roman Catholic Church) an antiphon (usually from the Book of Psalms) immediately after the epistle at MassCatholic Church - any of several churches claiming to have maintained historical continuity with the original Christian ChurchRome - the leadership of the Roman Catholic ChurchCuria - (Roman Catholic Church) the central administration governing the Roman Catholic ChurchCollege of Cardinals, Sacred College - (Roman Catholic Church) the body of cardinals who advise the Pope and elect new PopesRota - (Roman Catholic Church) the supreme ecclesiastical tribunal for cases appealed to the Holy See from diocesan courtsRoman Catholic - a member of the Roman Catholic Churchapostolic delegate - (Roman Catholic Church) a representative of the Holy See in a country that has no formal diplomatic relations with itbishop - a senior member of the Christian clergy having spiritual and administrative authority; appointed in Christian churches to oversee priests or ministers; considered in some churches to be successors of the twelve Apostles of ChristBrother - (Roman Catholic Church) a title given to a monk and used as form of address; "a Benedictine Brother"cardinal - (Roman Catholic Church) one of a group of more than 100 prominent bishops in the Sacred College who advise the Pope and elect new Popesdean - (Roman Catholic Church) the head of the College of CardinalsDoctor of the Church, Doctor - (Roman Catholic Church) a title conferred on 33 saints who distinguished themselves through the orthodoxy of their theological teaching; "the Doctors of the Church greatly influenced Christian thought down to the late Middle Ages"domestic prelate - (Roman Catholic Church) a priest who is an honorary member of the papal householdinternuncio - (Roman Catholic Church) a diplomatic representative of the Pope ranking below a nuncioMonsignor - (Roman Catholic Church) an ecclesiastical title of honor bestowed on some priests