How should I respond to people who call the Catholic Church 'European'?

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Nanotwerp

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I feel like this question is going to come up a lot with my family, after I tell all of them about my conversion. These are the type of people who look at the art in places like the Sistine Chapel, says how it looks ‘European’, or ‘Pagan’; on this subject, they would also, look at how Latin, a ‘European’ language. It wouldn’t work if I told them about the many rites. They’ll make a comeback and focus on Rome, since it’s basically the home of the Catholic Church. I like thinking of arguments before I actually have them, so I can be ready. Anyways, how can I prove the universality of the Catholic Church to my family?! :(:(😦
 
The basis of defending the Church, in this case, is simply to ask: “does that really matter?”.

Why should they have the upper hand in arguments about the Church simply because they don’t like the fact that its administration is based on Latin and European? For one, that’s slightly racist. Truth is not less true because it comes from a certain place or people!

For another thing, the Catholic Church fully embraces the fact that its origins are in the Levant, with Judaism. Desert-dwelling men and women are the very foundations of our holy religion. People who spoke Greek, Hebrew, and many other dialects formed the beginnings of the Church. As time changed, the Apostles and bishops moved, and all legal administration was centered in Rome because it was the seat of the Empire. It was the easiest place to exchange messages, and for disagreeing Christians to meet each other. It also contained the bones of Peter and Paul, the two great foundations on which the entire Church is built. The early Church had great reverence and love toward the remains of its Martyrs and Apostles, so Rome was important.

In the end, none of this matters. Ask them if Rome’s doctrines are true, not whether they’re from this part of the world or that part…
 
Praedicare said:
The basis of defending the Church, in this case, is simply to ask: “does that really matter?”.

Why should they have the upper hand in arguments about the Church simply because they don’t like the fact that its administration is based on Latin and European? For one, that’s slightly racist. Truth is not less true because it comes from a certain place or people!

For another thing, the Catholic Church fully embraces the fact that its origins are in the Levant, with Judaism. Desert-dwelling men and women are the very foundations of our holy religion. People who spoke Greek, Hebrew, and many other dialects formed the beginnings of the Church. As time changed, the Apostles and bishops moved, and all legal administration was centered in Rome because it was the seat of the Empire. It was the easiest place to exchange messages, and for disagreeing Christians to meet each other. It also contained the bones of Peter and Paul, the two great foundations on which the entire Church is built. The early Church had great reverence and love toward the remains of its Martyrs and Apostles, so Rome was important.

In the end, none of this matters. Ask them if Rome’s doctrines are true, not whether they’re from this part of the world or that part…
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Good response. Too many times the focus in these debates is disjointed. Technically the Vatican could be relocated if circumstances required. The point is that the teaching of the Church is universal and for all people’s. Even if it appeared that the Church had completely fallen, I do believe that an underground Church would evolve (as has been in the past) and the truth of her teachings would be retained.
 
Praedicare said:
The basis of defending the Church, in this case, is simply to ask: “does that really matter?”.

Why should they have the upper hand in arguments about the Church simply because they don’t like the fact that its administration is based on Latin and European? For one, that’s slightly racist. Truth is not less true because it comes from a certain place or people!

For another thing, the Catholic Church fully embraces the fact that its origins are in the Levant, with Judaism. Desert-dwelling men and women are the very foundations of our holy religion. People who spoke Greek, Hebrew, and many other dialects formed the beginnings of the Church. As time changed, the Apostles and bishops moved, and all legal administration was centered in Rome because it was the seat of the Empire. It was the easiest place to exchange messages, and for disagreeing Christians to meet each other. It also contained the bones of Peter and Paul, the two great foundations on which the entire Church is built. The early Church had great reverence and love toward the remains of its Martyrs and Apostles, so Rome was important.

In the end, none of this matters. Ask them if Rome’s doctrines are true, not whether they’re from this part of the world or that part…
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They wouldn’t listen. 😦
 
If you’re going to carry the cross for Christ and his Catholic Church, one thing you will learn is that regardless of the truth you share and profess, it will be rejected, distorted, mocked and blasphemed no matter how factual you present your case

It’s clear that Catholicism’s main influence has shifted away from the European continent. This started decades ago and is not a short term trend, it’s headed South and East in this century. Some of the least Catholic nations are in Europe, just ask some Scandinavians how Catholic their European nation is. Nevertheless, if the Catholic Church is not universal(which She is) , no other Christian faith can make the claim either.
 
paulrxp said:
If you’re going to carry the cross for Christ and his Catholic Church, one thing you will learn is that regardless of the truth you share and profess, it will be rejected, distorted, mocked and blasphemed no matter how factual you present your case

It’s clear that Catholicism’s main influence has shifted away from the European continent. This started decades ago and is not a short term trend, it’s headed South and East in this century. Some of the least Catholic nations are in Europe, just ask some Scandinavians how Catholic their European nation is. Nevertheless, if the Catholic Church is not universal(which She is) , no other Christian faith can make the claim either.
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Just to clear one point up, most Scandinavians left the Catholic during the protest reformation, not in the 20th century

To the OP - in regards to your family’s “European” comment, is your family Christian? If so what kind?

If they are Protestant, then their religion is “European” too.

The Catholic Church has over 1.2 Billion members (granted not all are good, practicing Catholics) all over the world.
 
phil19034 said:
Just to clear one point up, most Scandinavians left the Catholic during the protest reformation, not in the 20th century
.
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That’s true, still it’s not a Catholic nation now, and hasn’t been for a very long time as you rightly noted, Sweden in particular. The Philippines(Asian Nation) is the 3rd largest Catholic nation in the world with over 70 million Catholics. So much for the European Catholic Church theory 😃
 
Allegra said:
So what if it is?
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Exactly. It never ceased to amaze me the anti-European sentiment of many American Protestants. I just don’t understand that logic at all. I’m Asian and our community has no problem that the Catholic Church is so foreign from Eastern culture. That shouldn’t matter.

If I were you, I’d buy some of the books written by former Protestants who have converted to Catholicism. Those people explain their logic in converting and it’s quite interesting.
 
which of these two is it?
“it aint natural and its un amurkhun!!!”
or
“I say old chap there’s something a bit johnny foreigner about the papists”.

In all seriousness though it is an exceedingly odd attitude to carry around. It is amazing that so many can put regional or national sensibilities over the truth of religious faith. If they are protestants ask them what state luther or calvin were from?
 
Tell them about the Catholic Church in Africa and how it is 140 million members strong today!
 
Latin was on the crucifix of Christ, that is why the language is special.
 
or is your family’s issue that the Pope doesn’t live in America and wear a suit…? 🤷
 
“Latin is a European language” - speaker of a European language.
 
Nanotwerp said:
I feel like this question is going to come up a lot with my family, after I tell all of them about my conversion. These are the type of people who look at the art in places like the Sistine Chapel, says how it looks ‘European’, or ‘Pagan’; on this subject, they would also, look at how Latin, a ‘European’ language. It wouldn’t work if I told them about the many rites. They’ll make a comeback and focus on Rome, since it’s basically the home of the Catholic Church. I like thinking of arguments before I actually have them, so I can be ready. Anyways, how can I prove the universality of the Catholic Church to my family?! :(:(😦
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You could point out that this neither here nor there. Besides, their flavor of protestantism has a home somewhere. If modern evangelical, its 1960s-1990s US; if charismatic, 1960s Canada (Toronto); etc.

The St. Thomas Catholics of India are not Roman or European at all, and are just as Catholic. Why shouldn’t the Church IN ROME, be European/Roman, just as the Church in any land is native to the people?
 
As Praedicare has already said, does it really matter?

Rather than going on the defensive about something which is of no theological or moral importance, why not just say, “So what? It doesn’t matter one way or the other.”

I feel that we shouldn’t get so defensive and over-protective and feel we have to find a defence for anything someone says about our Church. When it comes to trivialities like this an answer of, “So what?” can often be the best response. If a person thinks that the Church is too ‘European’ for them then that’s their problem, and would also suggest that they have issues with things European. That’s their problem, not ours.
 
Brendan_64 said:
As Praedicare has already said, does it really matter?

Rather than going on the defensive about something which is of no theological or moral importance, why not just say, “So what? It doesn’t matter one way or the other.”

I feel that we shouldn’t get so defensive and over-protective and feel we have to find a defence for anything someone says about our Church. When it comes to trivialities like this an answer of, “So what?” can often be the best response. If a person thinks that the Church is too ‘European’ for them then that’s their problem, and would also suggest that they have issues with things European. That’s their problem, not ours.
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My response would be

“Your point being?”

or

“So what?”

I think that people who raise this point are not Protestants per se but part of the Politically Correct crowd.

Or they could be Non-European with an axe to grind.

I have met a Chinese guy who held the view that Filipinos were not Asian because the majority of them were Catholic.
 
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