
The Catholic Encyclopedia was first published sequentially between 1907 and 1913 by the Robert Appleton Company in New York City, with 15 volumes in total. A first supplement was published in 1922, and a second between 1950 and 1958. The New Catholic Encyclopedia (NCE) was then published in 1967 as an update to the original, with four supplements published between 1972 and 1995. A second edition of the NCE was published in 2002, and a supplement to this edition was published in 2010.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Catholic Encyclopedia |
| Publisher | Robert Appleton Company (RAC) |
| Place of Publication | New York City |
| Publication Dates | 1907–1914 |
| Number of Volumes | 15 |
| Volumes | Volume 1: 1907; Volume 2: 1907; Volume 3: 1908; Volume 4: 1908; Volume 5: 1909; Volume 6: 1909; Volume 7: 1910; Volume 8: 1910; Volume 9: 1910; Volume 10: 1911; Volume 11: 1911; Volume 12: 1911; Volume 13: 1912; Volume 14: 1912; Volume 15: 1912; Supplementary Volume, 1918 |
| Editors | Charles G. Herbermann; Reverend Edward A. Pace; Condé B. Pallen; Reverend Thomas J. Shahan; Reverend John J. Wynne, S.J. |
| New Catholic Encyclopedia (NCE) | First published in 1967 |
| NCE Number of Volumes | 15 |
| NCE Publisher | Published jointly by the Catholic University of America and Gale Publishing |
| NCE Publication Dates | 1967; 2002 |
| NCE Supplements | 1972, 1978, 1988, 1995, 2010, 2011 |
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What You'll Learn

The original Catholic Encyclopedia
The encyclopedia was written under the supervision of five editors: Charles G. Herbermann, Reverend Edward A. Pace, Condé B. Pallen, Reverend Thomas J. Shahan, and Reverend John J. Wynne, S.J. These editors also served as the directors of the Robert Appleton Company, which was incorporated in February 1905 for the express purpose of publishing the encyclopedia. The company changed its name to The Encyclopedia Press in 1912, and during the project's lifetime, the publication of the encyclopedia's volumes was its sole business.
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Published by the Robert Appleton Company
The Catholic Encyclopedia was first published by the Robert Appleton Company (RAC) in New York City. The company was incorporated in February 1905 for the sole purpose of publishing the encyclopedia. The five members of the encyclopedia's editorial board also served as the RAC directors.
The first edition of the Catholic Encyclopedia was published in 15 volumes from 1907 to 1914. The volumes were released sequentially, with the first two published in 1907 and the last three in 1912. The encyclopedia was designed to serve Catholics and other readers who wanted information about the church from a Catholic perspective. It records the accomplishments of Catholics and others in various intellectual and professional pursuits, including the arts, education, and science.
In 1912, the Robert Appleton Company changed its name to The Encyclopedia Press. The publication of the encyclopedia's volumes was the sole business conducted by the company during the project's lifetime.
The New Catholic Encyclopedia (NCE) was first published in 1967 as an update to the original Catholic Encyclopedia. It was published in 15 volumes by McGraw-Hill in New York City. Four supplements to the NCE have been published, with the latest in 1995 or 1996. A second edition of the NCE was published in 2002 by Gale Publishing, incorporating material from the first edition and its supplements, along with further additions and revisions. This edition consists of 14 volumes, with a fifteenth volume being a cumulative index to the entire encyclopedia. Supplemental volumes have also been published for the second edition.
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First released in 1907
The Catholic Encyclopedia was first released in 1907, with the publication of its first two volumes. It was published by the Robert Appleton Company (RAC) in New York City. The writing of the encyclopedia began in 1905 under the supervision of five editors: Charles G. Herbermann, Reverend Edward A. Pace, Condé B. Pallen, Reverend Thomas J. Shahan, and Reverend John J. Wynne. The first volume was published in 1907, covering topics from Aachen to Assize.
The encyclopedia was designed to serve Catholics and other readers interested in the Catholic Church, presenting an impartial record of different views on disputed questions. It also aimed to provide information on the accomplishments of Catholics and others in various intellectual and professional pursuits, including the arts, education, and science.
The Robert Appleton Company was incorporated in February 1905 specifically for the purpose of publishing this encyclopedia. The company changed its name to The Encyclopedia Press in 1912, and the publication of the encyclopedia's volumes was its sole business during the project's lifetime.
The first edition of The Catholic Encyclopedia was released sequentially, with the first two volumes published in 1907 and the final three in 1912. The encyclopedia originally consisted of 15 volumes, with the last volume, covering topics from Tournon to Zwirner, published in 1913.
A first supplement to the encyclopedia was published in 1922, followed by a second supplement in nine loose-leaf sections published between 1950 and 1958. Scanned copies of the original 1907-1913 Encyclopedia are now available on Google Books, the Internet Archive, and Wikimedia Commons.
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The New Catholic Encyclopedia
The NCE's second edition, published in 2002, discarded articles more reminiscent of a general encyclopedia. It incorporated material from the original first edition and its supplements from the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, along with further additions and revisions. It was jointly published by the Catholic University of America and Gale Publishing in 14 volumes, with a 15th volume consisting of a cumulative index. The second edition featured biographies of contemporary religious figures, thousands of photographs, maps, illustrations, and updated bibliographical citations.
Supplements to the NCE have been published in 1972, 1978, 1988, 1995, 2010, and 2011, with the latest in 1996. In 2001, a Jubilee Volume was published, focusing on the pontificate of Pope John Paul II. This volume included thematic essays covering the person, his work, and his pontificate.
The NCE provides a comprehensive reference on Catholicism, including information about persons, institutions, cultural phenomena, religions, philosophies, and social movements that have influenced the Catholic Church. It contains articles on theology, church history, and canon law, as well as discussions on other religions, other forms of Christianity, and various topics such as anarchism, poverty, and prostitution, all viewed through the lens of the Catholic faith and intellectual tradition.
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Published in 1967
The New Catholic Encyclopedia (NCE) was first published in 1967 as an update to the Catholic Encyclopedia, which was first published in 1907. The 1967 edition added more general and expanded articles on science, education, the liberal arts, and ecumenism, reflecting the Second Vatican Council of 1962-65. The NCE is a multi-volume reference work on Roman Catholic history and belief, edited by the faculty of the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. It was originally published in 15 volumes, with four supplements published between 1972 and 1995. The second edition of the NCE, published in 2002, incorporated material from the original 1967 edition and its supplements, along with further additions and revisions.
The New Catholic Encyclopedia is not just an encyclopedia of Catholicism, but it does address Catholic doctrine and the history of the Church. It also includes information about persons, institutions, cultural phenomena, religions, philosophies, and social movements that have impacted the Catholic Church from within and without. The entries are alphabetically arranged and signed by the scholar(s) who wrote or revised them. Each volume begins with a colour plate, and there are black-and-white illustrations and references throughout. The index volume is particularly important as it helps users find the information they are looking for, which may be discussed under different entry terms. For example, information on cloning can be found under the entry for the "Human genome".
The second edition of the New Catholic Encyclopedia builds on the first and includes hundreds of new signed articles on a wide variety of topics. It also features biographies of contemporary religious figures, thousands of photographs, maps, and illustrations, and some updated bibliographical citations. Some entries have been expanded to include more current information, while others have been practically rewritten to reflect changing perspectives. For example, the entry on Homosexuality no longer equates homosexuality with narcissism or considers it a disorder.
Supplements to the New Catholic Encyclopedia have been published periodically, with a focus on specific themes. The 2010 supplement focused on the theme "Church in Modern History", with an emphasis on World War II and the period thereafter. It included around 200 entries on people beatified or canonized since 2003. The 2011 supplement focused on the theme "Church and the Arts and Music", and included articles on the sex abuse crisis and Pope Benedict XVI, as well as new entries on several saints.
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Frequently asked questions
The Catholic Encyclopedia is a comprehensive reference work on Roman Catholic history and belief. It was first published in 1907 by the Robert Appleton Company in New York City and was designed to serve Catholics and other readers who wanted information about the church from a Catholic perspective.
The first edition of the Catholic Encyclopedia was published in 15 volumes from 1907 to 1914. The New Catholic Encyclopedia (NCE) was then published as an updated version in 1967, also in 15 volumes. A second edition of the NCE was published in 2002, incorporating material from the original edition and its supplements.
Yes, there have been several supplements published in addition to the main editions. The first supplement was published in 1922, and a second supplement was published between 1950 and 1958. The NCE also had four supplements published between 1972 and 1995, and there have been additional supplements released in 2010 and 2011.










































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