What does catholicizing mean?
Catholicizing is the present participle and gerund of the verb 'catholicize', meaning to make something Catholic in faith, doctrine, or practice. Its primary use is historical and religious: it describes the process by which peoples, regions, or institutions were converted to or brought under the influence of the Roman Catholic Church, as in the catholicizing of indigenous communities by missionaries. The word derives from 'catholic', which comes from the Greek 'katholikos' meaning 'universal' or 'general'. Because of this root, 'catholicizing' can occasionally carry a broader, secular sense of making something universal or all-encompassing in scope, though this usage is rare today. The term belongs mainly to formal registers — academic histories of Christianity, discussions of colonial-era mission work, or theological commentary — rather than everyday conversation. Related forms include 'catholicization' for the noun describing the completed process.
verbThe act or process of making something Catholic in character, doctrine, or practice; more broadly, rendering something universal or worldwide in scope. It is the present participle and gerund of the verb 'catholicize'.
- To make something Catholic in religion, doctrine, or practice; to convert to Catholicism.
- More broadly and rarely, to make something universal, all-embracing, or worldwide in character.
"The missionaries spent decades catholicizing the region's villages."
"Jesuit missionaries were instrumental in catholicizing much of South America during the colonial era."
"In its broader sense, the internet has been catholicizing access to information across the globe."
The word 'catholic' originally meant simply 'universal' — so 'catholicizing' can describe anything spreading worldwide, not just spreading Catholicism.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of catholicizing
Catholicizing derives from the verb 'catholicize', formed from the adjective 'catholic' plus the suffix '-ize'. 'Catholic' traces back through Late Latin 'catholicus' to Greek 'katholikos', meaning 'universal' or 'general', from 'katholou' ('as a whole'). The term was adopted early in Christian history as a self-designation for the universal church before becoming associated specifically with the Roman Catholic tradition. Cognates sharing this Greek root include 'catholicity', referring to the quality of being universal in scope.
Related word forms
How catholicizing is actually used
Primarily a formal or historical term, most often encountered in academic writing about church history, missionary activity, or religious studies. The religious sense (capitalized context) is far more common than the general 'universalizing' sense. The gerund form 'catholicizing' functions as both a progressive verb form and a verbal noun ('the catholicizing of the region').
Easily confused with catholicizing
'Catholic' (capitalized) refers to the Roman Catholic Church itself, while 'catholicizing' describes the action of making something Catholic or universal.
'Ecumenicalizing' implies promoting unity among different Christian denominations, whereas 'catholicizing' specifically means making something Catholic in character.