Do you need the bishop's approval to use Catholic for your website name?

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edjlopez23

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I think I heard somewhere that you need the bishop’s approval to use the word “Catholic” for naming certain things like companies. How about for websites if anyone knows.
 
I don’t believe the “Old Catholics” or “Polish Catholics” or all other pseudo “Catholic” groups ever got permission from the local bishop…

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edjlopez23 said:
I think I heard somewhere that you need the bishop’s approval to use the word “Catholic” for naming certain things like companies. How about for websites if anyone knows.
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Legally, anyone is free to use the word “Catholic” for any purpose they choose provided it is not to defraud (and that is a very, very difficult thing to prove). It is not a trademark, and it is not under any protection. There is nothing the Bishop, or anyone else, can do about it but gripe.

Faithful Catholics, of course, will exercise care when using the term.
 
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It is in the canon law:
Can. 216 Since they participate in the mission of the Church, all the Christian faithful have the right to promote or sustain apostolic action even by their own undertakings, according to their own state and condition. Nevertheless, no undertaking is to claim the name Catholic without the consent of competent ecclesiastical authority.

Can. 300 No association is to assume the name Catholic without the consent of competent ecclesiastical authority according to the norm of can. 312.
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True, they don’t have permission for anything else, from the local RC bishop. Neither does National Catholic Reporter.

But I think the op is asking about practicing Roman or Eastern Catholics. Yes, they do, if they begin any kind of “Catholic” ministry.
 
Technically, the bishop regulates everything in his diocese to one degree or another; as pointed out above, any use of the word “Catholic” is within his purview as well by Canon Law. The question, then, is really a matter of who allows themselves (in their own opinion) to be considered subject to Canon Law, for from the Church’s point of view, everyone is - she just chooses not to be a tyrant about it.
 
Under US civil law, no.

Under Canon Law, in most cases, yes.

That is why Church Militant and Michael Voris cannot use the name “Catholic” .It used to be called “Real Catholic TV” until the Archdiocese of Detroit forbid them from using the name “Catholic”.
 
So I shouldn’t use the name “Catholic” for a website I’m developing according to cannon law since I don’t have ecclesiastical approval. Welp better to know these kinds of things sooner than later. 😐
 
I would think that this only applies to organizations that try to push themselves as official.
 
Canvas said:
That is why Church Militant and Michael Voris cannot use the name “Catholic” .It used to be called “Real Catholic TV” until the Archdiocese of Detroit forbid them from using the name “Catholic”.
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And for all the problems Church Militant has, at least they were obedient to their bishop in this regard. National Catholic Reporter could take a few lessons from them.
 
sallybutler said:
I would think that this only applies to organizations that try to push themselves as official.
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The problem is if you use the word Catholic, people assume your opinion has official approval.

The OP has the option of seeking approval from the diocese. It would help if he had a priest chaplain identified.
 
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