The Top-Level Domain (TLD) .CATHOLIC is an internet domain that is used by institutions associated with the Catholic Church. According to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the organization in charge of assigning internet domain names, the .CATHOLIC TLD is a generic-restricted TLD (gTLD) intended to be used exclusively by institutions recognized by the Pontifical Council for Social Communication of the Holy See.
According to the Pontifical Council, the use of the .CATHOLIC TLD is designed to facilitate a more immediate identification of the structures, offices and initiatives related to the Catholic Church in the vast world of digital communication. By being able to identify an initiative or structure as Catholic, individuals seeking information about Catholicism can be assured that the information they encounter is authentic. For example, a website with the domain name of “diocese.CATHOLIC” would signal to users that the Diocese controls this domain and the information found on this website is officially sanctioned by the Catholic Church.
However, there are stringent guidelines on who can use the .CATHOLIC domain name. As per ICANN’s gTLD Applicant Guidebook, “the TLD is reserved for the exclusive use of the Catholic Church and its institutions; therefore, the registration of .CATHOLIC TLD will not be available to the general public.”
So, in conclusion, the significance of the .CATHOLIC TLD is that it is an online space where official Catholic institutions can have their websites. This domain name will provide a clear and unique identity to these institutions in the digital world, thereby reducing the risk of misinformation or misrepresentation.
This information was sourced from the ICANN’s gTLD Applicant Guidebook, and the Official Vatican Network, supported by the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Social Communication.
In the future, this may result in the Catholic Church and its numerous institutions across the world leveraging the .CATHOLIC TLD to create authentic, unique and easy to identify platforms where Catholics worldwide can find pertinent information about the church, its doctrines, teachings, or activities. This denotes a clear and precise move towards leveraging the digital age’s benefits for religious purposes.
Sources:
1. ICANN’s gTLD Applicant Guidebook – https://newgtlds.icann.org/en/applicants/agb/guidebook-full-04jun12-en.pdf
2. Official Vatican Network – https://www.vatican.va/news_services/press/documentazione/documents/councils_docs/gsii_doc_20011122_icann_en.html
3. Pontifical Council for Social Communication: Catholic Church launches .CATHOLIC domain names – https://press.vatican.va/content/salastampa/it/bollettino/pubblico/2013/10/23/0663/01494.html
