what is the difference?

[JReducation]

So Catholics of the Latin church still continue calling themselves Roman Catholic, or is it now Latin?

I think that people will continue to use the term, because of sheer habit.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, FFV

 

[BVMFatima]

I think that people will continue to use the term, because of sheer habit.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, FFV

So the legal name for the western Church is the Latin Church, so we are called to call ourselves Latin Catholic insted of Roman, Correct?

 

[JReducation]

So the legal name for the western Church is the Latin Church, so we are called to call ourselves Latin Catholic insted of Roman, Correct?

Latin Catholic would be very specific. Roman refers to the rite or to the Diocese of Rome. If you’re a Spaniard who worships in the Mozarabic Rite, you are still Latin. The Mozarabic Rite exists only in the Latin Church, but it’s not the same as the Roman Rite. You certainly do not live in the Diocese of Rome.

It’s not something to make a big deal about either. No one is offended if you call a Latin Catholic a Roman Catholic. If you call an Eastern Catholic a Roman Catholic, you may find yourself at the receiving end of a tongue lashing. Some would rather be called Orthodox than Roman Catholic. They have much more in common with the Orthodox than with Roman Catholics, even though they are 100% Catholic.

The conclusion: when speaking to a Western Catholic you can call him a Roman Catholic or a Latin Catholic. When speaking to an Eastern Catholic, never call him Roman Catholic. Use the correct term.

We have an Indian brother who Nazrani, a Syro-Malabar Catholic. He gets highly offended when he’s called Roman Catholic. I almost ended up wearing a bowl of curry rice on my head . . . and I’m the man’s superior. I learned my lesson really fast. :yup:

Fraternally,

Br. JR, FFV

 

[RPRPsych]

We have an Indian brother who Nazrani, a Syro-Malabar Catholic. He gets highly offended when he’s called Roman Catholic. I almost ended up wearing a bowl of curry rice on my head . . . and I’m the man’s superior. I learned my lesson really fast. :yup:

Fraternally,

Br. JR, FFV

Don’t I know!

I’ve never done that, but that’s because I was warned by wiser heads not to do so! And over here, after the bowl of curry, they’ll lecture you on how they were the original Catholics, personally converted by St. Thomas the Apostle himself, and how we’re all Johnny-come-latelys who converted for a sack of rice!*

And thank you once more for a very informative post!

• A common term of derision here; it refers to the fact that missionaries generally rendered material as well as spiritual aid to the poorest of their converts.

 

[ConstantineTG]

Perhaps that historical baggage exists (like, “those Greeks!”).
Yet, that is the legal and official name of the biggest sui iuris church of in the Catholic communion: The Latin Church.
As Brother JR explained, this name is inscribed in the Canon Law (Canon 1), thus its proper name.

At some point there is acceptance of the derogatory label. Today we are proud to call ourselves Christians, but as I mentioned back in the First Century, you wouldn’t probably be proud of that title. Especially that it was not a normal way to refer the followers of Christ. It wasn’t a denial for a Christian back then to deny that term, because they call themselves simply as the followers of The Way.

 

[ConstantineTG]

Why is it that I remember hearing the actual name of the Church was The Church of Christ? I also seem to remember hearing once that the term Catholic Church was originally created by detractors, yet the Church ended up embracing it and it has stuck after all of these years. Can someone verify or clarify this for me? I truly do not remember either source and have never heard it since, so I haven’t even shared it, but this seems like as good a time and thread as any other

Brother JR, something tells me you can help me with this one,

It is the Restorationists who made this false story that the true Church should be called the “Church of Christ”. Thus you will see a long list of Restorationists today who are fighting over that name. The LDS originally was called “Church of Christ” by Joseph Smith.

As I narrated, it was “Christian” that started as a derogatory term. Catholic wasn’t a name in the First Millennium, it was an adjective that describes the Church. That is why it was one of the 4 marks of the true Church as states in the Creed, it wasn’t a noun.

 

[Alfonsus]

At some point there is acceptance of the derogatory label. Today we are proud to call ourselves Christians, but as I mentioned back in the First Century, you wouldn’t probably be proud of that title. Especially that it was not a normal way to refer the followers of Christ. It wasn’t a denial for a Christian back then to deny that term, because they call themselves simply as the followers of The Way.

Of course. We now proud of the term Roman Catholic, however vague that term definition is.
The Protestants also proud with the term, although in the beginning it was derogatory.
In this part of the world, we almost never heard “Roman Catholic,” always just “Catholic.” I think that is enough.

 

[BVMFatima]

Latin Catholic would be very specific. Roman refers to the rite or to the Diocese of Rome. If you’re a Spaniard who worships in the Mozarabic Rite, you are still Latin. The Mozarabic Rite exists only in the Latin Church, but it’s not the same as the Roman Rite. You certainly do not live in the Diocese of Rome.

It’s not something to make a big deal about either. No one is offended if you call a Latin Catholic a Roman Catholic. If you call an Eastern Catholic a Roman Catholic, you may find yourself at the receiving end of a tongue lashing. Some would rather be called Orthodox than Roman Catholic. They have much more in common with the Orthodox than with Roman Catholics, even though they are 100% Catholic.

The conclusion: when speaking to a Western Catholic you can call him a Roman Catholic or a Latin Catholic. When speaking to an Eastern Catholic, never call him Roman Catholic. Use the correct term.

We have an Indian brother who Nazrani, a Syro-Malabar Catholic. He gets highly offended when he’s called Roman Catholic. I almost ended up wearing a bowl of curry rice on my head . . . and I’m the man’s superior. I learned my lesson really fast. :yup:

Fraternally,

Br. JR, FFV

I know some Maronites classify themselves as Roman Catholics. In Miami FL there is a Maronite Parish called " Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Roman Catholic Church " and here in Connecticut we have a Maronite Parish under the Eparchy of Brooklyn that also identifies itself Roman Catholic. They take the name with pride since they are in communion with Rome. To cause less confussion, I will continue calling myself a Latin Rite Catholic.

God bless!

 

[Elizium23]

To cause less confussion, I will continue calling myself a Latin Rite Catholic.

But that is more confusing. There is no such thing as a Latin Rite. We are Roman Rite of the Latin Church. You could call yourself a Latin Catholic, which is a term nobody uses, or you could say you are a Roman Catholic, which is recognized universally, or you could just say you were Catholic, and everyone would assume you were Roman Rite, and there would be no more confusion.

 

[BVMFatima]

But that is more confusing. There is no such thing as a Latin Rite. We are Roman Rite of the Latin Church. You could call yourself a Latin Catholic, which is a term nobody uses, or you could say you are a Roman Catholic, which is recognized universally, or you could just say you were Catholic, and everyone would assume you were Roman Rite, and there would be no more confusion.

There are many Catholics who call themselves Latin Catholics or Latin Rite Catholics. In my Papal Edition Bible from 1969 of Pope Paul VI it even mentions the term in the dictionary, and it says it is a term used from Catholics who belong to the Latin church. The term Roman Catholic isent really universal as I know of, I hered the term is only used in the english language. A womon I know who is Byzantine Catholic and lives in Europe mentioned that the term " Roman Catholic " is not even mentioned to identify a Latin Catholic Church, it just says Catholic. I found this interesting.

God Bless

 

[BVMFatima]

Here is a example of Catholics of the western Church who identify themselves as Latin Catholics

krlcc.org/index.php