The phrase universal church can refer to:

• the Church Universal:
  • A translation of catholic as in "catholic church".
  • The idea that all Christian churches and sects share certain things in common
  • The idea that all Christians form part of a single body. This idea had more organisational force in pre-Reformation Western Europe, when the Roman Catholic Church dominated the local religious landscape. Note that the original etymological form of the word catholic meant "universal".
• Any one of various churches which have adopted grandiose titles expressing their universal reach or ambitions
• The Roman Catholic Church specifically
  • Part of one of the titles of the Pope of Rome: The Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church.
• An invisible body of believers from all over the world from the beginning of Act 15 up to now who are either on Earth or Heaven, believers are defined as those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their own personal Lord and Saviour.

The precise definition of what constitutes a Christian, though intrinsic to these distinctions, often remains a matter for dispute...your joking your joking Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on Jesus of Nazareth, and on his life and teachings as presented in the New Testament. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... A sect is generally a small religious or political group that has branched off from a larger established group. ... The Protestant Reformation was a movement which began in the 16th century as a series of attempts to reform the Roman Catholic Church, but ended in division and the establishment of new institutions, most importantly Lutheranism, Reformed churches, and Anabaptists. ... The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic Church (see Terminology, below) is the Christian Church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope Benedict XVI. It traces its origins to the original Christian community founded by Jesus, with its traditions first established by the Twelve Apostles and maintained through... Various religious symbols Religion is a system of social coherence based on a common group of beliefs or attitudes concerning an object, person, unseen being, or system of thought considered to be supernatural, sacred, divine or highest truth, and the moral codes, practices, values, institutions, and rituals associated with such... The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic Church (see Terminology, below) is the Christian Church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope Benedict XVI. It traces its origins to the original Christian community founded by Jesus, with its traditions first established by the Twelve Apostles and maintained through... The current Pope is Benedict XVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger), who was elected at the age of 78 on 19 April 2005. ... In Rome, the title of Supreme Pontiff (in Latin, Pontifex Maximus), belongs to the chief religious official of the city. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

See also

• Ecumenism
• Unitarian Universalism
• Universalism

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