A root node is the top node in a tree data structure. (Yes, the root is at the top. Trees grow downward in Computer science.) All data in a tree can be accessed through the root node. In some trees, the root node has special properties (like being allowed a greater or smaller than normal number of child nodes).
... or superstitions are
confined to several passages, viz., the merit of good
works and transubstantiation (iv. 2), purgatory
(iv. 9), and the worship of saints (i. 13, ...