Roman in Roman Catholicism

  • Thread starter Thread starter CarloMagnus
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
There are 22 Eastern Catholic Churches, all with their own individual names and identities. There is 1 Latin Church of the Roman Rite. In my mind, to say “I am a Roman Catholic” or “We are a Roman Catholic Parish” is shorthand for saying “I am a Catholic of the Latin Church in the Roman Rite.” To call a Byzantine Ruthenian Catholic “Roman” seems insulting, I might as well say “Speak Latin, you fool!”
 
TrueLight said:
Right so then is there the Eastern Catholic Church and the Catholic Church?

Whenever I pass by an Eastern Catholic Church, it says Eastern Catholic or Byzantine Catholic, or Ukrainian Catholic or something.

I really don’t see anything wrong with using the Roman Catholics to describe… well… Roman Catholics!
Click to expand...
Well, there are 22 Eastern Catholic Churches.

And I agree. If the Latin Church wants to refer to itself as the Roman Catholic Church, and its members as Roman Catholics, so be it. In fact, it should be a reminder that there are indeed other kinds of Catholics. But it should not be used to the exclusion of other Catholics as a reference to the entire Catholic faith and union of Churches, which is proper context from the Pontiff’s viewpoint. He teaches all of us!
 
FathersKnowBest said:
This may be true of people in general, but the Catholic Church itself doesn’t refer to herself officially as the “Roman” Catholic Church. We are simply the Catholic Church.

I say officially because in unofficial, common language many DO refer to the Catholic Church that way, but only because it has become commonplace.

The same thing happened in Antioch when pagans invented the name “Christian” as a slur against, well, Christians. They eventually adopted that name for themselves.

Yes, it is not incorrect to say that a part of the Catholic Church is the Catholic Church, Roman Rite, to distinguish the Latin Rite Catholics from, say, the Maronite Rite or the Chaldean Rite (all in union with the Catholic Church).
Click to expand...
The term Christian is a slur? I need to see which document supports this. I was led to believe that the term Christian was first coined in the book of Acts.

-Karl
 
TrueLight said:
Thanks for saving me the trouble. 😃

Also, most Latin Rite Catholic churches have “Roman Catholic” or “RC” as part of their name. Should all these names be changed?
Click to expand...
It’s been around for at least 1000 years, why change now?
 
CarloMagnus said:
So where does the ‘Roman’ in Roman Catholicism come from? We know that Catholic is a really old term. Just like Christian. But where do people get the term Roman? :confused:

I mean, I have yet to find any document which says anything regarding the Catholic Church as Roman.

-Karl
Click to expand...
Hi CarloMagnus,

My understanding is that the “Roman” refers to our submission/fealty/loyalty to the** Diocese **of Rome, (where our Holy Father resides, where the Vatican is found) so that either Roman Catholic or Catholic means that where-ever we happen to live, we submit to the Church whose Diocese is headquartered in Rome, the One Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. This is the universal Church Christ founded, and whose Apostolic Succession began with Peter.

Many use either term, “Catholic” or “Roman Catholic,” interchangeably but often use the latter to express a difference between various Rites.:highprayer: I look to those who have been Catholic longer than I to sort this out, but here is a good Wiki link that should help us all:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic_(term

Kathryn Ann:heaven:
 
CarloMagnus said:
So where does the ‘Roman’ in Roman Catholicism come from? We know that Catholic is a really old term. Just like Christian. But where do people get the term Roman? :confused:

I mean, I have yet to find any document which says anything regarding the Catholic Church as Roman.

-Karl
Click to expand...
‘Catholic’ is the Anglicisation of the Latinisation of Greek καθολικος, ‘of the whole’, i.e. ‘universal’. This is the usage in the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed.

The ‘Roman’ was added to differentiate particularly that part of the Church which was in communion with Rome. See section 792 here: catho.org/9.php?d=bxv#bog
 
chevalier said:
Actually, there’s plenty of “Sancta Romana Ecclesia” without “Catholic” in it.

Personally, I’m no big fan of the “Roman” here. The religion is not Roman, it is universal, does not belong to a single country or nation. It is far more important that we belong to the Christ than that we have anything to do with Rome geographically.
Click to expand...
twf beat me to it with a good answer:
twf said:
Sancta Romana Ecclesia - (Holy Roman Church) refers to the Diocese (See) of Rome, not to the Catholic Church universal. The Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church are called such because they are each assigned a church in Rome and are counted among the clergy of the Roman Church (I.e. the Diocese of Rome).
Click to expand...
 
CarloMagnus said:
The term Christian is a slur? I need to see which document supports this. I was led to believe that the term Christian was first coined in the book of Acts.

-Karl
Click to expand...
Like Rush Limbaugh says: “don’t doubt me.” 😃

From Wikipedia:
All three original New Testament usages verses reflect a derisive element in the term Christian to refer to followers of Christ who did not acknowledge the emperor of Rome.[9] The town Antioch, which is said to have given them the name Christian, had a reputation for coming up with such nicknames.

The footnote cited says:
9.^ #Wuest-1973 p. 19. The word is used three times in the New Testament, and each time as a term of reproach or derision. Here in Antioch, the name Christianos was coined to distinguish the worshippers of the Christ from the Kaisarianos, the worshippers of Caesar.

Which comes from Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament for the English Reader By Kenneth Samuel Wuest
 
FathersKnowBest said:
Like Rush Limbaugh says: “don’t doubt me.” 😃

From Wikipedia:
All three original New Testament usages verses reflect a derisive element in the term Christian to refer to followers of Christ who did not acknowledge the emperor of Rome.[9] The town Antioch, which is said to have given them the name Christian, had a reputation for coming up with such nicknames.

The footnote cited says:
9.^ #Wuest-1973 p. 19. The word is used three times in the New Testament, and each time as a term of reproach or derision. Here in Antioch, the name Christianos was coined to distinguish the worshippers of the Christ from the Kaisarianos, the worshippers of Caesar.

Which comes from Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament for the English Reader By Kenneth Samuel Wuest
Click to expand...
No offense, but if I didn’t ask the questions and have my fair share of doubts, I wouldn’t be here, would I?

Thanks for your reply. 🙂
-Karl
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top