Catholic Encyclopedia
 Cover of the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 1 | |
| Publisher | Robert Appleton Company |
|---|---|
Publication date | 1907 |
| Pages | 860 |
| Text | The Catholic Encyclopedia at Wikisource |
The Catholic Encyclopedia[1] is an English-language encyclopedia. It is about Catholicism and the Catholic Church. People also call it the Old Catholic Encyclopedia or the Original Catholic Encyclopedia.[2] It was made to give complete and reliable information about Catholic beliefs, history, and actions.[3]
The first volume came out in March 1907. The last volumes came out in 1912. An index volume was published in 1914.
A company named the Robert Appleton Company published the encyclopedia in New York City. In 1912, the company changed its name to The Encyclopedia Press.[4]
Purpose
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The Catholic Encyclopedia was written for Catholics and other readers who wanted to learn about the Church from a Catholic point of view. It tells about the work of Catholics in art, education, literature, and science. The encyclopedia was designed for the Roman Catholic Church. It does not include information which has nothing to do with the Church. It explains matters from the point of view of the official Catholic doctrine, as it was during the time of Pope Pius X. It tells the accomplishments of Catholics and some others in nearly all intellectual and professional pursuits. These include artists, educators, poets and scientists.
The encyclopedia explains ideas, people, and historical events from a Catholic perspective. It also discusses topics that are different between Catholics and Protestants.
Because it was published a long time ago, some information is now old. For example, it was written before the creation of the Vatican City State (1929) and before the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965). These events changed many Catholic practices.
History
[change | change source]Five editors led the work starting in 1905:
- Charles G. Herbermann, a professor and librarian in New York.
- Edward A. Pace, a philosophy professor at the Catholic University of America.
- Condé B. Pallen, an editor and poet.
- Thomas J. Shahan, a church history professor.
- John J. Wynne, a Catholic editor.
The company published 15 main volumes between 1907 and 1913.[5] Church censor Remy Lafort gave the books a nihil obstat (official approval showing no objections) in 1908. Archbishop John Farley of New York then gave his imprimatur to the volumes. Later, a first supplement was published in 1922, and a second supplement came out between 1950 and 1958.
In 1912, a special illustrated volume was given to people who helped start the project by buying multiple sets early.[6]
In the United States, some groups protested against having the encyclopedia in public libraries. They said it went against the separation of church and state. There was a court case about this problem in Belleville, New Jersey.[7]
The original encyclopedia was updated in the 1960s. The Catholic University of America published the New Catholic Encyclopedia in 1967. They published a revised second edition in 2002.
Controversy on sources
[change | change source]The makers said that the work was completely new and not just a translation.[8] However, some articles from European writers were translated into English and edited. Well-known English writers like Anthony Maas and Herbert Thurston also wrote articles for it.
Online versions
[change | change source]In the United States, books published before 1928 are in the public domain (free to use). In 1993, a man named Kevin Knight decided to put the 1907–1913 edition on the Internet. He did this because Pope John Paul II visited Denver, Colorado for World Youth Day. Knight created the website New Advent. Volunteers from countries like the US, Canada, France, and Brazil typed the text. The website went online in 1995 and the typing finished in 1997.[9]
In 2007, the website Catholic Answers published a version based on this book. Later, in 2025, the website Wikitólica also began using it as a source for its articles.
See also
[change | change source]References
[change | change source]- ↑ The Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference on the Constitution, Doctrine, Discipline, and History of the Catholic Church. Robert Appleton Company. 1907.
- ↑ "The Original Catholic Encyclopedia". Catholic Answers. Retrieved 2011-07-21.
- ↑ Preface to The Catholic Encyclopedia
- ↑ The Catholic Encyclopedia and its Makers. The Encyclopedia Press. 1917.
- ↑ "About". Catholic Answers. Retrieved 2010-09-06.
- ↑ "Celledoor Miscellany: Selected Illustrations from the Catholic Encyclopedia". Celledoor.blogspot.com. 2010-06-07.
- ↑ Separation of Church and State, Hamburger, Philip, Harvard University Press (2002), p. 412.
- ↑ The Catholic Encyclopedia and Its Makers 1917
- ↑ "The Catholic Encyclopedia". New Advent. Retrieved 2010-09-06.
External links
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- Catholic Encyclopedia at Catholic Answers
- Catholic Encyclopedia on New Advent
- Catholic Encyclopedia on Catholicity
- Catholic Encyclopedia full text via HathiTrust