Catholic Encyclopedia

The Catholic Encyclopedia, as its name implies, is intended to give its readers full and authoritative information across the entire range of Catholic interests, activity, and doctrine. It embraces what the Church teaches and has taught; what she has done and continues to do for the highest welfare of mankind; her methods in past ages and in the present; her struggles and triumphs; and the achievements of her members, not only for the Church’s immediate benefit, but also for the advancement and deepening of true science, literature, and art. It differs from a general encyclopedia by omitting facts that have no meaningful relation to the Church. Yet it is not merely an ecclesiastical encyclopedia, nor is it limited to sacred sciences or to the work of churchmen. It records what Catholics have accomplished in charity and morals, as well as in the intellectual and artistic development of mankind. It chronicles the work of Catholic artists, educators, poets, scientists, scholars, and men and women of action in their respective fields. The editors fully recognized that there is no specifically Catholic mathematics, physiology, or other branch of human knowledge, since such disciplines are not Catholic, Jewish, or Protestant in themselves. Nevertheless, when Catholic principles are accused of obstructing scientific inquiry, it is both proper and necessary to record what Catholics have contributed to every department of knowledge and how extensive those contributions have been.

No one seriously interested in human history, past or present, can ignore the Catholic Church. For nearly two thousand years she has stood as a central institution in the civilized world, profoundly influencing religious, literary, scientific, social, and political development. She also remains a living power whose influence and activity extend throughout the earth. During the century before the original Encyclopedia appeared, the Church grew greatly among English-speaking peoples, both in extent and in depth. Their living interests required reliable means of learning about this vast institution, which affects their history and destiny whether they are Catholic or not. Catholics themselves, by reason of their membership in the Church, are bound to understand her principles more fully. Among Protestants and other inquirers, the desire for a closer and more accurate knowledge of Catholic matters naturally increases as the Church grows in number and importance. Catholic clergy are often expected to direct such inquirers to trustworthy sources, yet they too frequently find that satisfactory answers are difficult to locate in English-language literature. Even the works of well-intentioned authors are sometimes marred by serious errors concerning Catholic subjects, usually because of insufficient knowledge rather than deliberate hostility. It would be unrealistic to expect a complete Catholic English literature capable of correcting every misunderstanding to arise at once. The Encyclopedia therefore provides one of the most practical means of meeting this need, enabling leading Catholic scholars from throughout the world to contribute articles concise enough for the active reader and exact enough to satisfy the serious student.

Designed to place the full body of Catholic teaching before its readers, the Encyclopedia contains not only precise accounts of doctrines defined by the Church, but also fair presentations of differing opinions held by recognized authorities on questions that remain disputed. In all things, its purpose is to present the whole truth without national, political, partisan, or factional prejudice. In the pursuit of truth, the editors intended to employ the most recent and widely accepted scholarly methods available to them, while carefully considering the latest research in theology, philosophy, history, apologetics, archæology, and the other sciences.

The original work was entirely new and was not intended as a mere translation or a patchwork compilation from other encyclopedic sources. The editors required its articles to contain the latest and most accurate information obtainable from the standard authorities then available on each subject. Contributors were selected because of their specialized knowledge and their skill in presenting their material, and each accepted responsibility for what he or she wrote. Since these contributors represented Catholic scholarship in many parts of the world, the Encyclopedia possessed a genuinely international character.

The original Catholic Encyclopedia bore the imprimatur of the Most Reverend Archbishop under whose ecclesiastical jurisdiction it was published. By appointing the editors to serve as ecclesiastical censors, he gave them a notable sign of confidence and showed his desire to assist the publication of the work. His influence, encouragement, and generous cooperation contributed greatly to the undertaking.

With the appearance of the first volume, the original editors expressed their gratitude to everyone who had shared in the enterprise: especially to the hierarchy for its cordial endorsement; to Catholic publishers and editors of the Catholic press for their many courtesies; to the contributors for their ready cooperation; to the original subscribers for their generous support; to the directors of the company established specifically to produce the work; and to the many non-Catholics who offered kind encouragement.