The Catholic Encyclopedia is a comprehensive reference work covering all aspects of the Catholic Church. Published in the early 20th century, it draws upon centuries of scholarship to provide a detailed understanding of Catholic theology, history, and religious practices. This work is of interest to scholars of religious studies, as well as anyone seeking to deepen their knowledge of Catholicism. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.