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It's just Catholic, not Roman Catholic. Roman is an epithet first commonly used in England after the protestant revolt to describe the Catholic Church. It is never used by the official Catholic Church.
This was once a very simple question to answer, however, since Vatican II, a wave of novelty has rippled through the Church affecting everything, even ecclesiastical architecture. This is no surprise since the architecture of a Church is a reflection of the faith and so when novelties enter the faith, they are reflected in art, music and architecture.
Some features that remain in all Catholic churches:
A Sanctuary
The sanctuary is typically at the center or front of a church. It is distinguished by an altar, usually on an elevation to the rest of the church, though some modern designs wish the people to be on the same level or even slightly above the altar, via a sloping floor. The theological implications of this reversal are on purpose.
A Choir Loft or Accommodation
Typically, especially in pre-Vatican II churches, there is a choir loft or reserved pew section for a choir or schola or organist at the back of the church. A schola was an all male choir that sung the Gregorian chant propers and common of the Mass and sometimes would be in cassock and surplice and stand in the center aisle of the church. Organs were typically in the loft and attended by an organist; the massive organ pipes are often visibly running up the walls. In modern churches, where emphasis is put on participation in liturgical singing and responses, the choir is usually situated at the front, beside the sanctuary, so that the congregation can see them and even watch them play their instruments which now include most anything from guitar to drums, tamberines to flutes, etc. Such instruments were once forbidden in churches.
A Vestibule
Upon first entering a church, there is a lobby section that might have a bookstore, coat room, statues, etc. This is called a vestibule. In older churches, there is an ambiance of the sacred to help elevate the mind before entering the church proper. This is accomplished by a vaulting ceiling, usually with a broad painting on it or featuring a coffered ceiling. Often there is rich and elaborate decoration; there are devotional statues and candles, paintings, stained glass, stalls for holy cards and books and perhaps even a bookstore. Modern churches resemble more of a reception hall atmosphere and have very sparse decor. Sometimes, if the church is very small or poorly designed, there may be a baptismal font in the vestibule. Although no longer stipulated in the modern rite of baptism, baptisms used to begin outside of the church, in a baptistry or vestibule since the child symbolically was not yet ready to enter the church until undergoing pre-baptismal rites that included an exorcism and anointing with holy oils. The priest would then place his stole upon the child, symbolizing the cross, and then all would enter the church to complete the baptism.
A Sacristy
A sacristy contains all the implements, books and vestments for liturgical ceremonies, a sort of antechamber where priests prepare for Mass. Typically there is a tabernacle and an altar in the sacristy against one wall, usually the one that is opposite to the church sanctuary. There are shallow drawers and cabinets for vestments and holy vessels. Supplies such as hosts, candles, incense, etc., are all stored in the sacristy as well. There is a sink called a sacrarium which is used to wash the priests hands and any blessed water; the pipe to this sink goes directly into the earth as is prescribed for the disposing of holy things. Holy oils and other sacred vessels are stored in the sacristy either in the tabernacle there or in a separate vault.
A Cross
A Catholic church must have a cross on it, usually in a prominent place such as atop a steeple or bell tower. The cross is made out of stone or wood.
The Stations of the Cross
Inside a typical church along the walls are the fourteen (fifteen in modern churches) Stations of the Cross, a penitential devotion that invites the faithful to meditate upon the last hours of Christ from His trial to His burial (or resurrection, if allowing for the 15th station that has been added). These are usually carved from wood or painted though they are represented in a variety of mediums. If entering a church from the vestibule, the Stations begin at the front on the left side of the sanctuary and run along the wall to the back and then skip across the aisle and resume along the right wall back to the sanctuary. Usually each wall has seven stations.
Stained Glass
A staple of Catholic architecture, windows are specifically designed to accommodate large panes of stained glass that usually depict a saint or holy event. The rose window, so common to cathedrals and basilicas is a massive circular disc in the back of the church above the vestibule and loft. Smaller churches may just have an intricate stained glass window in this place since rose windows are rare and expensive. Modern stained glass is usually a mishmash of color and formless shapes, which is frankly rather pitiful when compared to the quality, art and color of stained glass of pre-Vatican II times. The glass was meant to show forth the saints through light, a metaphor for Christ illuminating them and their virtues and example and thus the affect was to raise the mind to God, whereas modern stained glass with its abstract shattered shapes just distorts and tints light.
A Pulpit
If entering from the vestibule, a pulpit can usually be seen at the front of the church, left of the sanctuary. It is from here that the priest gives his sermon. In older churches, the pulpit is often of wood or stone with elaborate carvings or statues around it. The pulpit has a short flight of stairs so that the priest is on an elevated level to the congregation to better allow his voice to project. To further aid his voice there may be a wooden disc or board suspended above him or even projecting out of the pulpit itself over him - this is a sounding board which helps bounce sound back towards the congregation. Many modern churches do not bother constructing a pulpit and instead usually have a lectern - a wooden reading stand - or just a microphone stand. Some priests prefer to preach solely via the microphone clipped to their vestments, thus allowing them to walk down the aisles, among the congregation, as they preach.
Things that are traditionally part of church architecture but have been repressed since Vatican II (Note, in any church built before Vatican II, these things can still be seen if the diocesan bishop or parish pastor has not deliberately had them removed or destroyed):
A Communion Rail
Typically made from the same material as the altar or church itself - meaning marble, stone or wood - a Communion rail was built into the floor and was the demarcation between the sanctuary and the congregation. Communion rails are no longer used for two reasons: Communicants used to kneel to receive Holy Communion and so leaned on the railing. Communion is now often received standing, except in the most traditional parishes, and so the railing is redundant. Secondly, Vatican II wished the faithful to participate more in the liturgy and modern theology wishes to emphasize the priesthood of the people. To this effect, the demarcation between the priest and the people, sanctuary and congregation, was removed.
The Raredos
Altars used to be against the front wall of the church sanctuary - save in cathedrals and other massive churches where the altar was centered - as the priest celebrated Mass facing the tabernacle with his back to the people. The raredos was the elaborate front piece that surrounded the tabernacle and spread the length and breadth of the wall. Raredos were usually made out of the same material as the altar and had columns and pillars with platforms for statues. Altars have since been moved out from the wall and the tabernacles taken off them since the priest now celebrates mass facing the people and it is considered important that he has direct contact with them visually. Front walls in modern churches are often just white washed or feature some abstract mosaic or painting.
The Baldicino
In cathedrals and basilicas, where altars were centered and not against the wall, instead of a raredos you would see a baldicino. The baldicino was an immense covering which sat on four pillars over the altar. It was often done in the most resplendent decoration and materials. Modern cathedrals and basilicas, such as that in LA, do not have baldicinos.
Side Altars
Besides the main altar at the front, any church bigger than one with an exceptionally small congregation had side altars, small niches along the church walls that had other altars where a priest could say mass or the faithful kneel to pray their devotions. There could be as many side altars as the church could structurally accommodate; massive cathedrals and monasteries typically had dozens. Each side altar was dedicated to a particular saint or mystery of Our Lord and had its own raredos and tabernacle, though usually these tabernacles where not functional as the Blessed Sacrament was reserved in only one tabernacle, the main one on the altar or Blessed Sacrament chapel. Side altars are now rarely constructed if at all because most parishes, because of the shortage of priests, do not have more than one or two priests that may need to say mass. Further, the new theology makes mass a social event almost requiring a congregation and so side altars, where a priest would say a private mass, are no longer used.
The Crypt
Typically, if a church had a basement, it was reserved for the repose of the dead either above the floor in stone sarcophagi or in the floor itself or in horizontal compartments sealed in the walls. Usually holy personages, rich or famous personages provided they died as faithful Catholics or clergy were buried in such places.
Overall Shape and Organization
Modern churches are notorious for their architectural ugliness. This may seem a very subjective judgment, but truly, modern church architecture has utterly departed from its sacred symbolism. Large churches, such as cathedrals, used to be constructed in the shape of a cross, so that if you were to look down at them they would actually look like a cross. The length of the church - where the main aisle ran down - was called the nave. The crossbar that intersected the nave was called the transept. The point where the nave and transept intersected was called the crossing and usually here was found the sanctuary. In larger churches, like cathedrals, there used to be a dome, such as St. Peter's in Rome, and the outer area in the church around this dome was called the ambulatory and was ringed with side altars. For such massive churches there were needed flying buttresses, these are the huge pillars outside of a church that look as if spider legs jutting out from the body. They are needed to offset the weight so that the walls do not cave in. Churches used to always have depictions of the faith on their walls, either in running paintings or carvings, so that even the most simple soul could absorb the catechism just by looking around the building. Modern churches are remarkably bare of iconography.
Some modern churches, at least in the 1960s and 70s attempted to incorporate the Catholic Faith into their architectural designs with mixed results, although they were formidable attempts. Then things just got silly and then downright insulting. Most modern churches are barren, resembling assembly halls more than anything else and stripped of the decor and symbolism that churches were typically replete with in centuries past. In a huge twist of irony, modern church design is so eccentric and strange that it can be identified by it; often people look at a building and conclude it is a church because it could not possibly be anything else due to its unique malformation. There are two reasons for this architectural dissolution. One is that the modern Church is not concerned with appearances, since the emphasis is on the people, not on the exteriors hence distraction and any form of barrier or separation is avoided. Secondly, modern churches are designed with an eye on being current, trying to reach the world by adapting to modern fringe design and the tastes of the times.
What else can I help you with?
What is Saint Peter's Basilica?
A major Roman Catholic place of worship located in Vatican City.
Where do followers gather to worship in the Catholic religion?
.Catholic AnswerCatholics usually gather in Church to worship at Mass.
What is a Catholic house of worship called?
a catholic church
What type of building do Catholics worship in?
They worship in a Catholic Church.
What are mexicos houses of worship?
Mexico is not a religion, it is a country. Most Mexicans are Catholic and will therefore worship in Catholic Churches.
Who did Henry the eighth worship?
God. But switched from Catholic worship to Protestant.
Who does Catholic people worship first?
Catholics worship God alone.
What were the most important differences between the Catholic and Protestant worship in the 18th century?
Protestant worship was in the local language. Catholic worship was in Latin. The protestant congregations sang hymns. The Catholic congregations did not. Since the Lutheran worship service was a translation of the Roman Catholic one before Trent, little difference existed there.
Is the Catholic a safe church in which to worship God?
Roman Catholic AnswerThere is a big difference between worshipping God in a Catholic Church and worshipping Him in any other Christian ecclesial community. In the Catholic Church we worship God as He specified we should, and not how we want. As it is the worship that God, Himself, has requested, it is the "safest" worship around.
What was the major type of worship used in ancient times?
The major type of worship was Ancestrial Worship...
When did the catholic church ordered to worship Mary mother of Jesus?
The Catholic Church has never worshiped Mary. They worship God alone.
Is Catholic idolatry a common practice within the Catholic Church?
Catholic idolatry, the worship of idols or images, is not a common practice within the Catholic Church. Catholics believe in the veneration of saints and religious images, but they do not worship them as gods. The Church teaches that worship is reserved for God alone.
