Catholic Encyclopedia
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The Catholic Encyclopedia is an English-language encyclopedia published in 1913 by the Roman Catholic Church, designed to give "authoritative information on the entire cycle of Catholic interests, action and doctrine". Starting in 1993, the encyclopedia (now in the public domain) was placed on the Internet through a world-wide effort of volunteers. A supplement published in 1922 is also in the public domain, but as of 2005 has not been placed on-line.
The writing of the encyclopedia began on January 11, 1905 under the supervision of five editors:
- Charles G. Herbermann, Professor of Latin and Librarian of the College of the City of New York
- Edward A. Pace, then Professor of Philosophy at the Catholic University
- Condé B. Pallen, Editor
- Rt. Rev. Thomas J. Shahan, then Professor of Church History at the Catholic University
- John J. Wynne, S.J., Editor of The Messenger
The editors had their first editorial meeting at the office of The Messenger, in West Sixteenth Street, New York City.
In addition to having frequent informal conferences and constant intercommunication by letters, the editors subsequently held 134 formal meetings to consider the plan, scope and progress of the work, until April 19, 1913.
The encyclopedia was later updated under the auspices of the Catholic University of America and republished as the New Catholic Encyclopedia, first in 1967, and then in 2002.
In 1993, Kevin Knight, a 26-year-old resident of Denver, Colorado, inspired during the visit of Pope John Paul II to that city for World Youth Day, initiated the project to put the 1913 edition of the encyclopedia into cyberspace. Knight founded the website New Advent (http://www.newadvent.org) to house the undertaking. Volunteers from the United States, Canada, France, and Brazil helped in the transcription of the original material. The site went on-line in 1995 and was completed in 1997.
Nota bene
This encyclopedia was designed to serve the Roman Catholic Church. Therefore, it explains matters from the point of view of the official Roman Catholic doctrine. On issues that divide the Roman Catholic from other churches, the text consistently presents matters from the Roman Catholic point of view. Also, because the encyclopedia was undertaken in 1913, some of its entries are not up to date, either with the secular or Roman Catholic ecclesiastical world. In particular, it predates the Second Vatican Council, which introduced significant changes in Roman Catholic practice.
Derived works
Due to its public-domain status, the Catholic Encyclopedia can be incorporated into any work. Text from the Catholic Encyclopedia appears, sometimes in an edited form, in online reference works such as Wikipedia.
External links
- Sites hosting Catholic Encyclopedia material:
- New Advent: Catholic Encyclopedia online (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/)
- Jacques Maritain Center: CE (http://www.nd.edu/Departments/Maritain/etext/encyclop.htm)
- Information on using Catholic Encyclopedia text on Wikipediade:Katholische Enzyklopädie