Catholic Church: Meaning and Definition of

Cath'olic Church'

Pronunciation: [key]
— Rom. Cath. Ch. Rom. Cath. Ch.
  1. a visible society of baptized Christians professing the same faith under the authority of the invisible head (Christ) and the authority of the visible head (the pope and the bishops in communion with him).
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.