The earliest Christians were already calling their community the "Catholic Church"—a term first recorded in the 1st and 2nd centuries. From Saint Ignatius of Antioch to early martyrdom accounts, this title signified the universal, apostolic faith. Astonishingly, it's the very same Church that millions still call home today, preserving the same name, mission, and message across nearly 2,000 years. In this article, we’ll uncover the earliest surviving references of the term "Catholic Church".

Category: Historical

From the beginning, Rome was more than the empire’s capital—it was the spiritual center of the Church. Saints Peter and Paul both gave their lives there, anchoring the faith in apostolic witness. As theological disputes arose, Christians turned to Rome for guidance and unity. St. Irenaeus of Lyons affirmed this in the 2nd century: "For it is a matter of necessity that every Church should agree with this Church [Rome], on account of its preeminent authority." In this article, we’ll examine word frequency patterns across early Church writings to uncover just how central Rome and the pope truly were to the minds and hearts of the early Christians.

Category: Historical