Catholic Identity? What is It?

[trickster]

What is a Catholic Identity? Is that identity monopolized by the historical and cultural circumstances of western civilization? If so, would that be the totality with respect to Catholic identity? Is there room for growth or evolution of that identity as the message of Jesus reaches the entire globe?

 

[Ohana]

What is a Catholic Identity? Is that identity monopolized by the historical and cultural circumstances of western civilization? If so, would that be the totality with respect to Catholic identity? Is there room for growth or evolution of that identity as the message of Jesus reaches the entire globe?

Bruce I think it largely has. We have Catholic communities on every continent and within most cultures. While there are some constants such as the Mass and sacramental rites, there is a lot of “enculturation” in liturgies, teaching etc.

I think a lot of the Europeanization, to coin a word I think, occurred in the early evangelization attempts. I think (hope) that is less true now. I know you have concern for the First Nation peoples of North America where some abuses occurred. I don’t think that is happening now. But how goes the enculturation.

 

[EcceAgnusDei]

Perhaps questions about the identity of specific Churches within the Catholic Church would be better. Eastern Catholicism, for example, has a very different identity. I think what you might be asking about is Latin Rite Catholic identity. If so, then yes, European culture/Western Civilization is the defining culture. The two arose hand-in-hand.

• PAX