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Christian_Sr
Guest
I have noticed under religion some, like me, state Catholic while others state Roman Catholic. I’m still new to this, is there a difference?
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pigtown
Guest
Yes, Roman Catholic is under the leadership of the Pope. There are also Eastern Catholic, Old Catholic and several other denominations with Catholic in the name. I knew a Bishop in the Old Catholic Episcopal Church but he still considered himself to be Catholic but not Roman Catholic.
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Through_Him
Guest
I was told Roman Catholic is Catholic of the Latin Rite, it sounds to simple but that is it. I just put down Catholic as there is not much Latin in anything anymore. It helps with the distinction but most don’t really know what Roman means anymore, it is an old term.
Hope this helps; it helped me, An orthodox actually explained it to me
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dmar198
Guest
Technically, a “Roman Catholic” is a Catholic whose citizenship is in Rome, and an American Catholic is a Catholic who is a citizen of America. EWTN has an article about this:
The Creed which we recite on Sundays and holy days speaks of one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. As everybody knows, however, the Church referred to in this Creed is more commonly called just the Catholic Church. It is not, by the way, properly called the Roman Catholic Church, but simply the Catholic Church.
The term Roman Catholic is not used by the Church herself; it is a relatively modern term, and one, moreover, that is confined largely to the English language. The English-speaking bishops at the First Vatican Council in 1870, in fact, conducted a vigorous and successful campaign to insure that the term Roman Catholic was nowhere included in any of the Council’s official documents about the Church herself, and the term was not included.
Similarly, nowhere in the 16 documents of the Second Vatican Council will you find the term Roman Catholic. Pope Paul VI signed all the documents of the Second Vatican Council as “I, Paul. Bishop of the Catholic Church.” Simply that – Catholic Church. There are references to the Roman curia, the Roman missal, the Roman rite, etc., but when the adjective Roman is applied to the Church herself, it refers to the Diocese of Rome! …
So the proper name for the universal Church is not the Roman Catholic Church. Far from it. That term caught on mostly in English-speaking countries; it was promoted mostly by Anglicans, supporters of the “branch theory” of the Church, namely, that the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church of the creed was supposed to consist of three major branches, the Anglican, the Orthodox and the so-called Roman Catholic. It was to avoid that kind of interpretation that the English-speaking bishops at Vatican I succeeded in warning the Church away from ever using the term officially herself: It too easily could be misunderstood.
Today in an era of widespread dissent in the Church, and of equally widespread confusion regarding what authentic Catholic identity is supposed to consist of, many loyal Catholics have recently taken to using the term Roman Catholic in order to affirm their understanding that the Catholic Church of the Sunday creed is the same Church that is united with the Vicar of Christ in Rome, the Pope. This understanding of theirs is correct, but such Catholics should nevertheless beware of using the term, not only because of its dubious origins in Anglican circles intending to suggest that there just might be some other Catholic Church around somewhere besides the Roman one: but also because it often still is used today to suggest that the Roman Catholic Church is something other and lesser than the Catholic Church of the creed. It is commonly used by some dissenting theologians, for example, who appear to be attempting to categorize the Roman Catholic Church as just another contemporary “Christian denomination”–not the body that is identical with the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church of the creed.
The proper name of the Church, then, is the Catholic Church.
[more at http://www.ewtn.com/faith/teachings/churb3.htm]
God bless!
-Dmar198
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Filioque
Guest
From my reading, it would seem that attaching Roman, to Catholic, was done by Anglican clerics who wished to push the “Branch Theory”. The Branch Theory states that the Catholic Church exists in three branches, The Holy See, Orthodoxy and Anglicanism.
After Pope Leo XIII proclaimed that Anglicans do not posess valid orders, there was a push among some High Church Anglicans who professed a belief in traditional Catholic beliefs looked to the Orthodox and Old Catholics to participate in Consecrations of Anglican Bishops, or went to the Old Catholics in private for ordination or consecration. With the rapid expansion of the Old Catholic and “Independent” Catholic movement, the desire to call oneself Catholic but distance oneself from the Holy See to this end we see them adding Roman to the Catholic Church.
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Sorry All, started this before lunch, and just got back to my computer, and noticed it was not yet sent. Did not see the posting above.*
After Pope Leo XIII proclaimed that Anglicans do not posess valid orders, there was a push among some High Church Anglicans who professed a belief in traditional Catholic beliefs looked to the Orthodox and Old Catholics to participate in Consecrations of Anglican Bishops, or went to the Old Catholics in private for ordination or consecration. With the rapid expansion of the Old Catholic and “Independent” Catholic movement, the desire to call oneself Catholic but distance oneself from the Holy See to this end we see them adding Roman to the Catholic Church.
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Sorry All, started this before lunch, and just got back to my computer, and noticed it was not yet sent. Did not see the posting above.*
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LilyM
Guest
Eastern Catholics are also under the leadership of the Pope, unlike Eastern Orthodox and the other groups you have mentioned. However, within that, Eastern Catholic groups are allowed a certain amount of autonomy and have preserved a good deal of their unique forms of worship and other unique customs and laws
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Cluny
Guest
<< I just put down Catholic as there is not much Latin in anything anymore.>>
Where did you get that idea?
Pope Benedict celebrates in Latin all the time. The daily Mass on EWTN uses a lot of Latin, especially for the sung parts.
Furthermore, the official edition of the liturgical books are issued first in Latin.
Where did you get that idea?
Pope Benedict celebrates in Latin all the time. The daily Mass on EWTN uses a lot of Latin, especially for the sung parts.
Furthermore, the official edition of the liturgical books are issued first in Latin.
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Contra_Mundum_1
Guest
I put ‘Roman’ because of the Latin Rite. There are other rites within the Catholic Church, so for me it is a question of being precise.
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JW10631
Guest
As posted earlier, the term “Roman” before Catholic is used in English speaking counties almost exclusively.
You will not find the term “Roman Catholic” in Colombia, a nation that is approximately 88% Catholic, at least nominally. My wife is from Colombia and from here experience, none of the Catholic parishes there use the term “Roman” at all.
You will not find the term “Roman Catholic” in Colombia, a nation that is approximately 88% Catholic, at least nominally. My wife is from Colombia and from here experience, none of the Catholic parishes there use the term “Roman” at all.
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NeedImprovement
Guest
Hi Christian Sr .
When I joined CAF , I originally listed my religion as Roman Catholic - it’s even what we commonly write on official forms here when asked about our religion.
But after reading some similar explanations as our fellow members have posted here on this thread, I thought it would be more accurate to say simply “Catholic”… So I changed it (my user name allows me to do stuff like that
)
When I joined CAF , I originally listed my religion as Roman Catholic - it’s even what we commonly write on official forms here when asked about our religion.
But after reading some similar explanations as our fellow members have posted here on this thread, I thought it would be more accurate to say simply “Catholic”… So I changed it (my user name allows me to do stuff like that
)- (That doesn’t mean post #9 is not precise, I’m speaking only of my personal opinion as it applies to me).
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Filioque
Guest
Our friend from Canada reminds me that a common appelation in France for Catholics is Practicant, or one who practices. It is assumed that one understands this refers to Catholics, as Protestants are referred to by the sect they follow.
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truevaticanii
Guest
I am a Catholic of the Roman or Latin Rite… I have siblings who are Catholics of the Carapathian-Ruthenian Rite. Basically, most Catholics belong to the Rome Rite, which is the Church of Rome and their head Patriach is the Bishop of Rome who is the Pope, while others belong to other “churches” called sui iuris, which is latin for “of one’s own laws”. a sui iuris is basically a usually more local Church within the Catholic (universal) Church. They have their own Catholic Eparchs (like bishops), Archeparchs (like archbishops), and Patriachs (like Cardinals) who all follow the dogmas of the Catholic Church as taught by the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church.
If you are of the Rome Rite (Latin Rite), then you probably attend the Latin Rite Mass: a Tridentine Mass, a Novus Ordo Mass, a Dominican Mass, a Carmelite Mass, an Ambrosian Mass, etc. You basically follow one the set liturgies of the Mass for those who are apart of the Rome Rite.
If you are of a Byzantine Rite (of the East originating in Byzantium–current Istanbul, Turkey) or of another Eastern Rite, then you would attend the Rite of the Divine Liturgy (Mass) that is set for those of the Eastern Churches (sui iuris).
Also, a Latin or Roman bishop has little to no authority over the Eastern churches that surround his diocese… he would have only as much authority as the Archbishop of Philidelphia would have over a Church in the Archdiocese of Denver.
But, the Latin Rites and Eastern Rites all recognize that the Supreme Pontiff sits in Rome (Pope Benedict XVI), and they all are bound by his authority given to Him by Jesus Christ.
Keep in mind that an Eastern Catholic Sui Iuris is in Communion with the Holy Roman Supreme Pontiff whereas the Orthodox Churches are not in Communino with the Holy Roman Supreme Pontiff (Pope).
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StMonica
Guest
I don’t remember where I read this but the article stated that the term “Roman Catholic” was started by Protestants who want to diminish the Church. Their theory being that the Catholic Church was started in Rome under Constantine, which we know is hogwash. If anyone authoritative can speak to this I sure would love to be reminded where I read this. Anyway, because of that article, I always think of being diminished whenever someone refers to me as a Roman Catholic. I correct them and say that I am a Catholic of the Latin Rite. I am worldwide, Baby!!! 
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NeedImprovement
Guest
Sorry this quote was referring to post # 8 (as quoted below), not # 9
It is also common among the french here to simply say, “Je suis pratiquant” - I’m a practicing Catholic" (as Filioque says, “Catholic” is understood here), or, sadly “Je suis non-pratiquant” - I’m a non practicing Catholic."
(…
Must be true what they say: Practice makes perfect. ; Matt 5:48 ] )
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East_Anglican
Guest
If you adhere to The Nicene Creed then you believe in one holy apostolic catholic church. As all Protestants are creedal Christians they are therefore technically all catholic.
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NeedImprovement
Guest
Indeed, we all (Christians) belong to the one *Church of Christ [832] *as explained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 832-838 ;
vatican.va/archive/catechism/p123a9p3.htm
However, to adhere to the Nicene Creed means believing in the “Apostolic Church” also, as defined in sections 857-862 of the CCC ; which often presents a particular difficlty to some of our (how does one wish we identify them now ?.. non Catholic Roman Rite, non Eastern Catholic and non Orthodox) brethren.
Consequently (and unfortunately) we must admit that the unity of the one Church of Christ is wounded, or, if you prefer, is yet to be perfected.
vatican.va/archive/catechism/p123a9p3.htm
However, to adhere to the Nicene Creed means believing in the “Apostolic Church” also, as defined in sections 857-862 of the CCC ; which often presents a particular difficlty to some of our (how does one wish we identify them now ?.. non Catholic Roman Rite, non Eastern Catholic and non Orthodox) brethren
.Consequently (and unfortunately) we must admit that the unity of the one Church of Christ is wounded, or, if you prefer, is yet to be perfected.
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Ignatius
Guest
The Catholic Church is a communion of 22 Sui Juris Churches. One of those Churches is the Roman Catholic Church. Not all Catholic Churches are Roman Catholic. There is an article in This Rock magazine titled ‘Rite not to be Roman’.
So when speaking of the entire Catholic Church, that is the term which should be used. When speaking of a particular community of the Roman rite, for example Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Church, one may use the term Roman Catholic.
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brigid12
Guest
Sorry, but St Teresa of Avila always referred to herself as a Roman Catholic.
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CaveCreekMommy
Guest
Well, I have always identified myself as a Roman Catholic (meaning part of the Latin Rite from Rome) as opposed to friends that I have who are Melkite Catholic and Byzantine Catholic.
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Traditional_Ang
Guest
Brigid:
I might be a little off on my history, but St. Teresa de Jesus lived at the same time as the Union of Brest (Union which took in the Ukrainian Catholics, Greek Catholics & a couple of other Churches) and 3 or 4 other Catholic Churches were found in India and Africa. Many of the people St. Teresa of Avila knew probably knew & corresponded with Bishops, Priests & other religious from some of these other Catholic Churches. In that case, the woman who was a Doctor of the Church, and who often conversed with Popes and Cardinals, would have been precise about which Rite of the Catholic Church she belonged to.
That would make sense in a situation such as that. Because of that, I think we should make nothing more of it than that.
Your Brother in Christ, Michael
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