Eastern Catholics and the term Roman Catholic

[BVMFatima]

Maybe this will cause less confusion if anybody is confused. Since the term Roman Church means the Vatican, and Since it is the center of the Church, why is everyone offended when called Roman catholic since Roman isent even a sui Juris, Latin Is. How did the term Roman apply only to the Latin Church?

 

[RyanBlack]

Maybe this will cause less confusion if anybody is confused. Since the term Roman Church means the Vatican, and Since it is the center of the Church, why is everyone offended when called Roman catholic since Roman isent even a sui Juris, Latin Is. How did the term Roman apply only to the Latin Church?

Why is it so important to you to apply the label “Roman” to Eastern Catholics who have no desire to be labeled as “Roman”? We simply aren’t Roman. End of story.

 

[Vico]

One thing that complicates all this is that people often mix up church and rite.

The Roman Rite is one of the rites of the Latin Church (the dominant one as a matter of fact – many Catholics haven’t even heard of the other Western Rites, e.g. the Ambrosian Rite); but you’ll often hear people speak of the “Latin Rite” and the “Roman Church”.

We have some examples from H.H. Pope Benedict XVI, in 2008:

“With this in view I urge you to increase the number of courses of spiritual exercises, formation and theological and pastoral renewal for your priests, if possible also in collaboration with the Latin-rite Bishops, each one respecting its own traditions. It cannot be denied that such cooperation between the two Rites will give rise to greater harmony in the hearts of those who serve the one Church. Moreover, I am sure that with this inner disposition, it will be easier to ease possible misunderstandings, in the knowledge that both Rites belong to the one Catholic Community and both have full and equal citizenship in the one Ukrainian People. In this light, it would seem useful, venerable Brothers, for you to meet regularly, for example, once a year, with the Latin Bishops.”

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2008/february/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20080201_bishops-ucraina_en.html

And in 2009 he said:

“You are the Ordinaries of the Armenian, Chaldean and Latin Rite Churches.”

vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2009/january/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20090116_ad-limina-iran_en.html

Blessed Pope John Paul II said in 1999:

“By their death they confirmed the commitment to Christ of the Catholic Church of Eastern tradition. The same spirit sustained the countless faithful of the Byzantine-Ukrainian Rite, Bishops, priests and lay people, who during forty-five years of persecution remained faithful to Christ, preserving their identity as a Church. In this witness, fidelity to Christ is interwoven with fidelity to the Church and becomes a service of unity.”

vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/homilies/1999/documents/hf_jp-ii_hom_19990610_siedlce_en.html

 

[ConstantineTG]

Maybe this will cause less confusion if anybody is confused. Since the term Roman Church means the Vatican, and Since it is the center of the Church, why is everyone offended when called Roman catholic since Roman isent even a sui Juris, Latin Is. How did the term Roman apply only to the Latin Church?

This will be less confusion for everybody. Never apply the word “Roman” to Eastern Catholics at all. No ifs, no buts, just never.

 

[mardukm]

Maybe this will cause less confusion if anybody is confused. Since the term Roman Church means the Vatican, and Since it is the center of the Church, why is everyone offended when called Roman catholic since Roman isent even a sui Juris, Latin Is. How did the term Roman apply only to the Latin Church?

Then let the term “Roman” be applied to the Vatican alone. Why should the term “Roman” be applied to the Catholic Church as a whole?

Blessings,
Marduk

 

[BVMFatima]

I don’t believe that Eastern Catholics are Roman Catholic, I was just curious why they avoid the term if Rome is the center of the Church. I still don’t understand why Rome only means the Latin Church. That’s why I asked the question so I can learn and get answers, I’m not here to offend anybody.

 

[Peter_J]

Maybe this will cause less confusion if anybody is confused. Since the term Roman Church means the Vatican, and Since it is the center of the Church, why is everyone offended when called Roman catholic since Roman isent even a sui Juris, Latin Is. How did the term Roman apply only to the Latin Church?

At this risk of sounding simplistic, I think when you mean the Vatican you should say the Vatican, not “the Roman Church”.

I don’t believe there is such a thing as “the Roman Church”. There’s the Vatican, the diocese of Rome, the Roman Rite, and the Latin Church; but I wouldn’t call any of them “the Roman Church”. (I also think it acceptable to use the term “the Roman Communion” to mean everyone in communion with Rome, i.e. the Catholic Church.)

That’s my 2 cents anyhow.

 

[ConstantineTG]

I don’t believe that Eastern Catholics are Roman Catholic, I was just curious why they avoid the term if Rome is the center of the Church. I still don’t understand why Rome only means the Latin Church. That’s why I asked the question so I can learn and get answers, I’m not here to offend anybody.

Because we are particular Churches distinct from Rome. Think of this in the same was as the Holy Trinity. Father, Son, Holy Spirit, they are one God. But you don’t call the Son as Father, nor the Holy Spirit as Son. The same way the Ukrainian Church is not Rome, nor Antioch, nor Alexandria, etc. But they are one Church.