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broad or wide-ranging in tastes, interests, or the like; having sympathies with all; broad-minded; liberal.
universal in extent; involving all; of interest to all.
pertaining to the whole Christian body or church.
of or relating to a Catholic church, especially the Roman Catholic Church.
Theology.

(among Roman Catholics) claiming to possess exclusively the notes or characteristics of the one, only, true, and universal church having unity, visibility, indefectibility, apostolic succession, universality, and sanctity: used in this sense, with these qualifications, only by the Church of Rome, as applicable only to itself and its adherents and to their faith and organization; often qualified, especially by those not acknowledging these claims, by prefixing the word Roman.
(among Anglo-Catholics) noting or pertaining to the conception of the church as the body representing the ancient undivided Christian witness, comprising all the orthodox churches that have kept the apostolic succession of bishops, and including the Anglican Church, the , the Eastern Orthodox Church, Church of Sweden, the Old (in the Netherlands and elsewhere), etc.

pertaining to the Western Church.
a member of a Catholic church, especially of the .
Contemporary Examples

Santorum leads and should win—deeply conservative, decent-size catholic vote.
Michael Tomasky on Mitt’s Months of Misery in the Primaries to Come Michael Tomasky March 13, 2012

When they finally trusted him, he met the informers who would betray the catholic Church like no one before.
VatiLeaks Exposes Internal Memos of the Catholic Church Barbie Latza Nadeau May 23, 2012

Although the younger Abad went to a private catholic school, his father took him into the poorest barrios.
Hector Abad On “Oblivion: A Memoir,” a Memorial to His Murdered Father Maya Jaggi April 26, 2012

That, he says, is how Pope Francis hopes not just to bring people to the catholic Church, but to bring the Church to the people.
Pope Francis Wins a Battle to Welcome Gays in the Church Barbie Latza Nadeau October 19, 2014

It was Schaeffer who first led evangelicals to mobilize against abortion, for many years ignored as primarily a catholic concern.
The Christian-Right Whistleblower Michelle Goldberg June 23, 2011

The studies are notable because catholic nuns are among the patients, even though the Vatican has condemned stem-cell research.
After Geron, Stem Cells’ New Saviors Sharon Begley November 17, 2011

Provenzano was hardly the first Mafioso to hide behind his catholic faith.
Pope Francis May Be Risking His Life by Taking on the Mafia Barbie Latza Nadeau June 22, 2014

Being a catholic helps in some Midwestern states, but less so in the heavily Protestant communities of South Carolina.
Is Rick Santorum for Real After Strong Iowa Caucuses Finish? Howard Kurtz January 4, 2012

If she is a catholic, she would be the sixth catholic justice on the Supreme Court.
One Tough Judge Scott Horton May 25, 2009

Yet no one ever asked me, “So why does the catholic Church have so many colleges and hospitals and charities in the first place?”
Contraception Debate: Why We’re Asking the Wrong Questions Michael Sean Winters February 10, 2012

adjective
universal; relating to all men; all-inclusive
comprehensive in interests, tastes, etc; broad-minded; liberal
adjective (Christianity)
denoting or relating to the entire body of Christians, esp to the Church before separation into the Greek or Eastern and Latin or Western Churches
denoting or relating to the Latin or Western Church after this separation
denoting or relating to the Roman Catholic Church
denoting or relating to any church, belief, etc, that claims continuity with or originates in the ancient undivided Church
noun
a member of any of the Churches regarded as Catholic, esp the Roman Catholic Church
adj.

mid-14c., “of the doctrines of the ancient Church,” literally “universally accepted,” from French catholique, from Church Latin catholicus “universal, general,” from Greek katholikos, from phrase kath’ holou “on the whole, in general,” from kata “about” + genitive of holos “whole” (see safe (adj.)). Applied to the Church in Rome c.1554, after the Reformation began. General sense of “of interest to all, universal” is from 1550s.
n.

“member of the Roman Catholic church,” 1560s, from Catholic (adj.).

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