Derived from a Greek word meaning universal. When spelled with a capital "C" in current usage Catholic has come to be accepted as a shortened reference to the Roman Catholic Church or to one of its members. When spelled in the lower case "c" catholic means universal. The uses in the Apostles' Creed in the phrase "the holy catholic church" means the entire body of Christian believers or the church universal.
Source: A Dictionary for United Methodists, Alan K. Waltz, Copyright 1991, Abingdon Press. Used by permission.
