With all due respect, Jesus never claimed any denomination other than being the Son of God. Jesus founded His church through the apostles, which were first called Christians in Antioch. Later, the early church fathers called the church “catholic”, which translated, means “universal”. They called the Church catholic to differentiate it from the many gnostic factions growing and other heretical beliefs. This was a way for people searching for the church to find the real church and not find themselves going to a heretical place.
This catholic (universal) church, many years later, became the Catholic (upper case “c”) Church. I fully believe that Christ founded the Church, but to say that he must be Catholic is a stretch, conidering the term wasn’t used until over 100 years after His death. The Church He founded became the Catholic Church, but had the early church fathers decided to use any other name, it would be called that. Hope that makes sense.
God Bless
With all due respect, Jesus made a glaring statement of Catholicity. It should be noted that “Catholic” is one of four divine qualities or attributes of the Church He founded. (One Holy, Catholic and Apostolic) All denominations have all or some of these characteristics to some degree, so we need not beat the drum of exclusiveness.
CATHOLIC comes from the Greek word Katholikos, which was later Latinized into Catholicus.
It means ‘Universal’, which in itself means, ‘of or relating to, or affecting the entire world and ALL peoples therein’. It means, ALL encompassing, comprehensibly broad, general, and containing ALL that is neccessary. In summation, it means ALL people in ALL places, having ALL that is necessary, and for ALL time.
It is inferred in Matthew 28:19-20, “Go, therefore and make disciples of ALL nations…teaching them to observe ALL that I have commanded you; And behold, I am with you ALL days, even unto the consummation of the world.”
That is a statement of Universality, Katholicos, Catholicus, Catholic.
Rom. 1:8 ….and you belong to that Church whose faith St. Paul describes as being "proclaimed (KATanggeletai) in the whole universe (en HOLO to kosmo)”
And as thistle pointed out:
Acts 9:31 “the Church throughout all” (Greek: ekklesia kath olos).
Thus the word KATAHOLOS or Catholic in English originated from Scriptures - Romans 1:8, Acts 9:31
They called the Church catholic to differentiate it from the many gnostic factions growing and other heretical beliefs. This was a way for people searching for the church to find the real church and not find themselves going to a heretical place.
Yes. Saint Pacian of Barcelona agrees with you. In 375 A.D. he wrote:
“Christian is my name, and Catholic my surname. The one designates me, while the other makes me specific. Thus am I attested and set apart… When we are called Catholics it is by this appellation that our people are kept apart from any heretical name.”
Lets go back in time from 375 A.D. to 106 A.D., about 10 years after John wrote Revelation:
“Where the Bishop appears, there let the people be, just as where Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church.”
St. Ignatius of Antioch’s letter to the Smyrneans, paragraph 8, of 106 A.D.
I would like to point out that St. Ignatius of Antioch was trained by the Apostle John, ordained by Peter, and the third bishop of Jerusalem.
To summarize:
- we have the words of Jesus that follows the definition of universal (Catholic)found in any dictionary.
- a reference from Luke
- a reference from Paul
- two references from Church Fathers that predate the canon of the Bible.
Jesus promised to be with us all days right after He gave his universal commission to the Apostles. Thus, Jesus is Catholic in the unity He always will share with the Church He founded.
