Main Entry: Cath·o·lic
Pronunciation: \ˈkath-lik, ˈka-thə-\
Function: noun
Date: 15th century

1 : a person who belongs to the universal Christian church

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Always in the background is the idea that all Christians SHOULD be 'catholic'... the Catholic church considers there to be an unbroken line of succession from Jesus thru St. Peter down to the present....(never mind the strange conglomeration of alternate Popes in the Middle AGES)