Catholic, what do you call yourself?

[Catholic_Nation]

I chose conservative Catholic in the sense I follow the Churches teachings the best I can, but I would say I’m Irish Catholic as well.

 

[Augustine]

Just a Catholic.

More often than not, the adjectives above reek of dissent…

Pax Christi

 

[jeannetherese]

I clicked on other as I self-identify as Catholic.
In my CAF description, I note being cradle Catholic in constant formation as, to me, being Catholic is both an identifier and points to an ongoing process of living and growing in faith.

 

[Peccavi]

In the UK you would need to add Anglo-Catholic - that is those members of the Anglican Communion who hold to all Catholic teachings excepting recognising the Pope. They are usually very Orthodox in Worship but take the social gospel seriously and are often on the Left in politics.

 

[GKC]

In the UK you would need to add Anglo-Catholic - that is those members of the Anglican Communion who hold to all Catholic teachings excepting recognising the Pope. They are usually very Orthodox in Worship but take the social gospel seriously and are often on the Left in politics.

Yep.

 

[Peter_J]

In the UK you would need to add Anglo-Catholic - that is those members of the Anglican Communion who hold to all Catholic teachings excepting recognising the Pope. They are usually very Orthodox in Worship but take the social gospel seriously and are often on the Left in politics.

Peccavi (and GKC),

This may not be the best place to argue this, but doesn’t the word “except” in that sentence mean that you’re saying they aren’t Catholic? (With the usually care to write “Catholic” when I don’t mean to write “catholic”.)

 

[Peccavi]

Since I am neither Roman Catholic or Anglo-Catholic I think I will leave those who choose to call themselves catholic to argue that out. A Nazarene is a pre-Pauline name for early followers of Yeshua (Jesus) who lean more towards Judaism. I consider most who call themselves Christian infected by Greek ideas imposed on the narrative of Yesua the Messiah whom you call “the Christ”.

 

[tee_eff_em]

In the UK you would need to add Anglo-Catholic - that is those members of the Anglican Communion who hold to all Catholic teachings excepting recognising the Pope. They are usually very Orthodox in Worship but take the social gospel seriously and are often on the Left in politics.

Perhaps (and with due respect to [user]GKC[/user]).

But you don’t need the term. nor the unmodified term “Catholic”, in the great state of Missouri, where it just confuses your neighbors when you use it to mean *“I hold to all Catholic teaching except recognizing the pope and – *you know *-- actually joining the Catholic Church” *:twocents:

tee

 

[Peccavi]

Sorry I live in Wales in the UK so not familiar with the ins and outs of Missouri theology.

 

[GKC]

Perhaps (and with due respect to [user]GKC[/user]).

But you don’t need the term. nor the unmodified term “Catholic”, in the great state of Missouri, where it just confuses your neighbors when you use it to mean *“I hold to all Catholic teaching except recognizing the pope and – *you know *-- actually joining the Catholic Church” *:twocents:

tee

Your concern is noted and appreciated. In truth.

That definition would fit more closely Anglo-Papalists, a rare breed, sub species of Anglicanus-Catholicus, primarily found in England, than it would fit the run of the mill AC.

I never worry about confusing my neighbors. I found them in that state, ab initio, all too often.

 

[Peter_J]

That definition would fit more closely Anglo-Papalists, a rare breed,

Maybe I’m just whimsical, but I wish we would hear about the rare breed Anglo-Orthodox as often as we hear about Anglo-Papalists.

Of course, I guess the obvious response that someone could give is “Well, you could arrange so that there would be one more Anglo-Orthodox in the world. ”

 

[GKC]

Maybe I’m just whimsical, but I wish we would hear about the rare breed Anglo-Orthodox as often as we hear about Anglo-Papalists.

Of course, I guess the obvious response that someone could give is “Well, you could arrange so that there would be one more Anglo-Orthodox in the world. ”

Would be fine by me, either eventuality.

But as to A-O posting, 'twould take more than that I know a former Continuum bishop who went Western Rite Antiochian for me to assist.

 

[Mystrx]

If I “had” to choose one I’d say Traditional Catholic but as far as I’m concerned we’re all just Catholic.

 

[Peter_J]

Edit: In an earlier post (below) I mentioned that the term “deliberate Catholic” never caught on much. But it has come to my attention that the term “Catholic by choice” is fairly popular.

One term that I didn’t include, either in the poll or in the OP (I guess I really didn’t even think of it at the time) is “deliberate Catholic”.

This is a term that I’ve heard on occasion, but which never caught on much, AFAICT … And I’m kind of glad, to be honest, because the definition I’ve heard for it [someone who either converted to Catholicism, or who is a cradle Catholic but would

convert to Catholicism had their circumstances been different] seems like a bit of a backhanded compliment (it basically leaves a “I’m a cradle Catholic but I’m okay” or “I’m a cradle Catholic but I’m not …” impression).

 

[steido01]

I never worry about confusing my neighbors. I found them in that state, ab initio, all too often.

 

[Sy_Noe]

Personally, I say I’m “Catholic In Communion With Rome (ICWR)”. (I’ve sometimes said “In the Roman Communion”, but I’ve gotten complaints about that.)

My baptismal certificate says I was baptized “According to the Rite of the Roman Catholic Church”. I have 2. The latest form with my Confirmation also noted on the back side, I requested just about 7 yrs ago and it still said the same thing.

I understand complaints. I’ve gotten them for calling myself a Catholic. So I need an adjective.

 

[Peter_J]

Well I think the poll has gotten pretty much all the votes that it is going to, but I’d still like to discuss.

I’m of the opinion that someone (oh, a Protestant, let’s say ) wanting to be called nothing but “Christian” is more extreme than a Catholic not wanting any adjective in front of “Catholic”. (Could anyone convince me otherwise?)

 

[steido01]

Well I think the poll has gotten pretty much all the votes that it is going to, but I’d still like to discuss.

I’m of the opinion that someone (oh, a Protestant, let’s say ) wanting to be called nothing but “Christian” is more extreme than a Catholic not wanting any adjective in front of “Catholic”. (Could anyone convince me otherwise?)

Probably right. If not more “extreme,” then certainly less educated.

 

[Kliska]

Well I think the poll has gotten pretty much all the votes that it is going to, but I’d still like to discuss.

I’m of the opinion that someone (oh, a Protestant, let’s say ) wanting to be called nothing but “Christian” is more extreme than a Catholic not wanting any adjective in front of “Catholic”. (Could anyone convince me otherwise?)

It depends on what the person’s affiliation is IMO. So, I would actually make me think it was more extreme for a Catholic to insist on only being called “Christian” as opposed to a Protestant insisting on only being called “Christian.” If that makes sense.

Though, I though of this thread as I was reading the signed joint declaration from the Russian Patriarch and the Pope, I was struck by the repeated use of the “simple” descriptor; Christian. Isn’t it a word that does unite most of us Baptized believers? So, perhaps that may become more common, though I don’t think qualifiers should or will disappear.

 

[Zabdi_Premjit]

It depends on what the person’s affiliation is IMO. So, I would actually make me think it was more extreme for a Catholic to insist on only being called “Christian” as opposed to a Protestant insisting on only being called “Christian.” If that makes sense.

I think this helps to actually illustrate Peter J’s point.*** It is not more extreme for a Catholic to insist on being called “Christian.” Catholics are the biggest Christian group and comprise about 50% of all Christians. If you put the names of every Christian in a bowl and randomly pick one out, the most likely result is that you will pick a Catholic’s name. Yet, most people that simply identify as “Christian” see a Catholic identifying as only “Christian” as more extreme, because they have an underlying assumption that Catholicism is not really Christian to the full extent that Protestantism is. There is a certain dismissiveness in that assumption that can be arguably called “extreme.”

From my own personal experience**, when someone insists on just being called “Christian,” the following assumption are accurate most of the time:

• their beliefs fall within the boundaries of what is generally recognised as Evangelical Protestantism;
• they are wary of Catholicism and High Church Protestantism, because those people “don’t seem very Christian;”
• they have a very poor grasp of history, and often care little about it;
• they have a poor understanding of theology, so it probably doesn’t make to sense to claim allegiance to a specific church anyway, because they probably couldn’t be bothered to learn what they are supposed to believe.*

*I suspect this last point is often the real reason most people eschew denominational labels. It means they might need to know something about theology. It is much easy to just say “Christian,” then not have to know anything too difficult for a middle schooler to grasp.

** For the sake of full disclosure, my personal experience consists of about two decades as a Protestant and seven years as an Orthodox Christian.

***It illustrates it because those just identifying as Catholic do necessarily have comparably dismissive and sectarian assumptions.