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rops the final vowel, as in catoptric; and is sometimes changed to cath, as in cathartic, catholic.

ms a public religious rite; -- applied particularly to an officiating priest in the Roman Catholic Church, as distinguished from his assistants.

The order for rites and forms in the Roman Catholic church, or the book containing the rules presribed to be observed on solemn occasions.

A string of beads, or part of a string, used by Roman Catholic in praying; a third of a rosary, or fifty beads. Her chaplet of beads and her missal. Longfellow.

The outer vestment worn by the priest in saying Mass, consisting, in the Roman Catholic Church, of a broad, flat, back piece, and a narrower front piece, the two connected over the shoulders only. The back has usually a large cross, the front an upright bar or pillar, designed to be emblematical of Christ's sufferings.…

rites, and acknowledging the same ecclesiastical authority; a denomination; as, the Roman Catholic church; the Presbyterian church.

ommunicants. -- Communion in one kind, participation in but one element, as in the Roman Catholic Church, where the laity partake of the bread only.

The last division of the Roman Catholic breviary; the seventh and last of the canonical hours of the Western church; the last prayer of the day, to be said after sunset. The custom of godly man been to shut up the evening with a compline of prayer at nine of the night. Hammond.

The set of apartments within which the cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church are continuously secluded while engaged in choosing a pope.

laying on of the hands of a bishop, to the full privileges of the church, as in the Roman Catholic, the Episcopal Church, etc. This ordinance is called confirmation, because they who duly receive it are confirmed or strengthened for the fulfillment of their Christian duties, by the grace therein bestowed upon them. Hoo…

ss; as, the Congregation of the Propaganda, which has charge of the missions of the Roman Catholic Church.

or church of Alexandria, which in general organization and doctrines resembles the Roman Catholic Church, except that it holds to the Monophysitic doctrine which was condemned (a. d. 451) by the council of Chalcedon, and allows its priests to marry. The "pope and patriarch" has jurisdiction over the Abyssinian Church.…

The creed, as sung or read in the Roman Catholic church. He repeated Aves and Credos. Macualay.

A wooden rattle sometimes used as a substitute for a bell, in the Roman Catholic church, during the latter part of Holy Week, or the last week of Lent.

ured figure affixed to a real cross of wood, ivory, metal, or the like, used by the Roman Catholics in their devotions. The cross, too, by degrees, become the crucifix. Milman. And kissing oft her crucifix, Unto the block she drew. Warner.

inted to perform certain subordinate duties varying in different communions. In the Roman Catholic and Episcopal churches, a person admitted to the lowest order in the ministry, subordinate to the bishops and priests. In Presbyterian churches, he is subordinate to the minister and elders, and has charge of certain duti…

A service for the dead, in the Roman Catholic Church, being the first antiphon of Matins for the dead, of which Dirige is the first word; a dirge. Evensongs and placebo and dirige. Wyclif. Resort, I pray you, unto my sepulture To sing my dirige with great devotion. Lamentation of Mary Magdalene.

o do something forbidden, or to omit doing something enjoined; specifically, in the Roman Catholic Church, exemption from some ecclesiastical law or obligation to God which a man has incurred of his own free will (oaths, vows, etc.). A dispensation was obtained to enable Dr. Barrow to marry. Ward.

slation of the Scriptures into the English language for the use of English-speaking Roman Catholics; -- done from the Latin Vulgate by English scholars resident in France. The New Testament portion was published at Rheims, A. D. 1582, the Old Testament at Douai, A. D. 1609-10. Various revised editions have since been p…

verted to Christianity by missionaries from them. Its full official title is The Orthodox Catholic Apostolic Eastern Church. It became estranged from the Western, or Roman, Church over the question of papal supremacy and the doctrine of the filioque, and a separation, begun in the latter part of the 9th century, became…