The term Roman Catholic first appeared in the English language
in the 16th century to differentiate specific groups of
Christians in communion with the Pope from others. It has
continued to be widely used in the English language ever since,
although its usage has changed over the centuries. It is now
even used to distinguish different groups of Catholics who
recognize the Pope, e.g., those who belong to the Western (i.e.,
Latin Rite) Church from those who belong to the Eastern Catholic
Churches. The Catholic Church consists of 23 autonomous Churches
— one "Western" and 22 "Eastern" — governed by two sets of Codes
of Canon Law. To refer to all 23 autonomous Churches together,
official Church documents often use the term "Catholic Church"
or, less frequently, the term "Roman Catholic Church". The usage
that makes the term "Roman Catholic" mean members of the Latin
Rite or Western Church to the exclusion of those who belong to
the Eastern Catholic Churches does not appear in recent
documents of the Holy See. In