A modern dictionary of Catholic terms, both common and obscure.
Find accurate definitions of words and phrases. The Christian
polity insofar as the principles of Christianity governed (and
still govern) the laws and civil institutions of nations. Its
foundations may be traced to the Jewish traditions of a
theocracy, and its history properly began with the liberation of
the Church under Constantine. It developed through more than a
millennium in most of the countries of Europe and with numerous
setbacks remained fairly intact until the Protestant
Reformation. In its best days, Christendom represented the
corporate Christian social life, and its impact on world
civilization through the arts and philosophy, law and the
medieval universities has been great and lasting. With the
changed conditions in the world, the Second Vatican Council
expressed the Church's new role in civil society: "By reason of
her role and competence, the Church is not identified with any
political community nor bound by ties to any politic