When we say 'Roman Catholic Church, what are we talking about?

[ajpirc]

There are 22 Eastern Catholic Churches that are categorized by the 5 rites they use:

(1)Alexandrian Rite
1.Coptic Catholic Church
2.Ethiopian Catholic Church

(2)Antiochian Rite
3.Maronite Catholic Church
4.Syriac Catholic Church
5.Syro-Malankara Catholic Church

(3)Armenian Rite
6.Armenian Catholic Church

(4)Chaldean Rite
7.Chaldean Catholic Church
8.Syro-Malabar Catholic Church

(5)Byzantine Rite
9.Albanian Catholic Church
10.Belarusian Catholic Church
11.Bulgarian Catholic Church
12.Croatian Catholic Church
13.Greek Catholic Church
14.Hungarian Catholic Church
15.Italo-Greek Catholic Church
16.Macedonian Catholic Church
17.Melkite-Greek Catholic Church
18.Romanian Catholic Church
19.Russian Catholic Church
20.Ruthenian Catholic Church
21.Slovak Catholic Church
22.Ukranian Catholic Church

There is only one Western Catholic Church which is in the Latin Rite. Would this be what we call the Roman Catholic Church or is the Roman Catholic Church the entire Catholic Church, including the 22 Eastern Churches?

 

[The_Old_Medic]

The Roman Catholic Church includes ALL elements f the Catholic Church, which recognizes the Bishop of Rome as the head of the church. This includes the Eastern/Oriental churches that are an integral part of the Catholic faith.

Within the Roman Catholic Church, you have a variety of Rites, including the Latin Rite, The Maronite Catholic Church, etc., etc. This even includes the new Anglican Rite.

Each Rite has its own Charism, its own history and particular form of Liturgy, etc. ALL of them accept the fundamental beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church, including the real presence, the 7 Sacraments, the supremacy of the pope, etc., etc.

 

[Rolltide]

Within the Roman Catholic Church, you have a variety of Rites, including the Latin Rite, The Maronite Catholic Church, etc., etc. This even includes the new Anglican Rite.
.

Just to be precise, there is no new “Anglican Rite” as such. The church has approved a far more permanent version of the “Anglican-Use Mass”, but it is still considered a variant of the Roman Rite, NOT a separate rite in and of itself.

 

[Wesley7]

When we say 'Roman Catholic Church, what are we talking about?

All catholic churches in communion with the holy See (the bishop of Rome) . . .

 

[Ne_OrangeKnight]

There is only one Western Catholic Church which is in the Latin Rite. Would this be what we call the Roman Catholic Church or is the Roman Catholic Church the entire Catholic Church, including the 22 Eastern Churches?

People often use the term “Roman Catholic Church” to mean the entire Church. However, this is an incorrect thing to do, and it is not a term that the Church uses for itself. It is my understanding that the word “Roman” was added by Protestants as a slur. Properly, we are the Catholic Church.

Sam, the Neon Orange Knight

 

[ConstantineTG]

The Roman Catholic Church includes ALL elements f the Catholic Church, which recognizes the Bishop of Rome as the head of the church. This includes the Eastern/Oriental churches that are an integral part of the Catholic faith.

This is 100% wrong. The Roman Catholic Church is the Church of Rome, or the Church who’s Patriarch is in Rome, which also happens to be the Pope. The Pope is the Pope of the Eastern Catholic Churches, but not their Patriarch. We do not belong to the Roman Catholic Church. We belong to the greater Catholic Church.

Within the Roman Catholic Church, you have a variety of Rites, including the Latin Rite, The Maronite Catholic Church, etc., etc. This even includes the new Anglican Rite.

There is no Anglican Rite. The Anglican Use is a third usage of the Roman Rite. The Easter Churches again are not part of the Roman Catholic Church.

Each Rite has its own Charism, its own history and particular form of Liturgy, etc. ALL of them accept the fundamental beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church, including the real presence, the 7 Sacraments, the supremacy of the pope, etc., etc.

Charism? That belongs to religious orders. Each Rite has its own Liturgical tradition. The fundamental beliefs are universal, but the understanding behind it, the theology, is different. So there may be differences in cases like there are no Original Sin or Immaculate Conception in the Eastern faith. Not because we totally do not believe in those, just how it is defined in the East is different and thus defined differently and those terms are not used or not necessary.

Just to be precise, there is no new “Anglican Rite” as such. The church has approved a far more permanent version of the “Anglican-Use Mass”, but it is still considered a variant of the Roman Rite, NOT a separate rite in and of itself.

This is correct. The Anglican Use is a third usage of the Roman Rite.

All catholic churches in communion with the holy See (the bishop of Rome) . . .

Again this is absolutely incorrect. All Churches in Communion with Rome are Catholic Churches, but not Roman. Those who celebrate the Roman Rite Liturgy are the Roman Catholics (the Roman Rite would be the Ordinary Form, Extraordinary Form and the Anglican Use).

People often use the term “Roman Catholic Church” to mean the entire Church. However, this is an incorrect thing to do, and it is not a term that the Church uses for itself. It is my understanding that the word “Roman” was added by Protestants as a slur. Properly, we are the Catholic Church.

Sam, the Neon Orange Knight

I don’t know if its a slang. But its a fair term because the Patriarchate of the Church is in Rome. The character and culture of the faith is Roman. Besides, you will see even in Vatican documents that the Church of Rome refers to itself as the Roman Church.

 

[Corki]

People often use the term “Roman Catholic Church” to mean the entire Church. However, this is an incorrect thing to do, and it is not a term that the Church uses for itself. It is my understanding that the word “Roman” was added by Protestants as a slur. Properly, we are the Catholic Church.

Sam, the Neon Orange Knight

This is my understanding as well. Although with the more modern emergence of other “Catholic” churches such as the Old Catholic Church and the Polish National Catholic Church, the term Roman Catholic has become less of an insult and more of a descriptor.

The Roman Catholic Church includes ALL elements f the Catholic Church, which recognizes the Bishop of Rome as the head of the church. This includes the Eastern/Oriental churches that are an integral part of the Catholic faith.

Within the Roman Catholic Church, you have a variety of Rites, including the Latin Rite, The Maronite Catholic Church, etc., etc. This even includes the new Anglican Rite.

Each Rite has its own Charism, its own history and particular form of Liturgy, etc. ALL of them accept the fundamental beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church, including the real presence, the 7 Sacraments, the supremacy of the pope, etc., etc.

Even given the history of the term “Roman” this is the description that makes the most sense. It is the way it was first explained to me when I was becoming more aware of the Eastern Churches.

 

[Carlan]

People often use the term “Roman Catholic Church” to mean the entire Church. However, this is an incorrect thing to do, and it is not a term that the Church uses for itself. It is my understanding that the word “Roman” was added by Protestants as a slur. Properly, we are the Catholic Church.

Sam, the Neon Orange Knight

you are correct Knight , actually the correct term is the Latin Rite Church, Peace, Carlan

 

[Lauris]

Okay, I find myself more confused then ever. I was under the impression that we have 5 rites all under our Pope Benedict. Further clarification will be greatly appreciated:

 

[Wesley7]

Again this is absolutely incorrect. All Churches in Communion with Rome are Catholic Churches, but not Roman. Those who celebrate the Roman Rite Liturgy are the Roman Catholics (the Roman Rite would be the Ordinary Form, Extraordinary Form and the Anglican Use).

. .

 

[TrueLight]

Wow. I don’t understand why there is so much confusion. How are pre-converts like me ever going to get it right?

 

[runningdude]

Okay, I find myself more confused then ever. I was under the impression that we have 5 rites all under our Pope Benedict. Further clarification will be greatly appreciated:

There are twenty-three “self governing” churches. The so called “Latin Church” has over a billion members, whereas the twenty-two Eastern Catholic Churches (listed above) have a total membership of about 14 million. (This is not to discount the importance of the Eastern Catholic Churches, but to explain their relative lack of exposure to most of the Catholic and non-Catholic world.)

Also, each church celebrates following a certain “Rite” or liturgical tradition. In the Latin Church, we celebrate the “Roman Rite”. Within the Roman rite are several variations or “Uses”, such as the “ordinary form”, “Tridentine/extraordinary form”, and the “Anglican form”. There are also several of rarer liturgies used within the Roman Rite.

The Eastern Catholic Churches celebrate liturgies that are mostly identical to Orthodox Churches that many of ECC’s broke off from to rejoin communion with Rome. There are also some ECC’s that never broke communion with Rome.

When it comes to using the name “Roman Catholic Church” versus simply “Catholic Church”, it mostly comes down to avoiding confusion. An ordinary parish might have “Roman Catholic” on the sign outdoors, but an Eastern Catholic Church probably wouldn’t (at least not on the ones nearby).

When discussing Orthodox-Catholic relations, using the term “Roman Catholic” or “Roman Church” helps avoid confusion, especially if the Eastern Catholic Church’s are being discussed in the same document.

Ultimately though, the “Roman” Catholic Church is the only church that is truly the Catholic Church, as nearly every other Christian denomination broke away from full unity from the true Catholic Church.

 

[Wesley7]

Wow. I don’t understand why there is so much confusion. How are pre-converts like me ever going to get it right?

Regular study of the official Catechism.

 

[Lauris]

Thank you for explaining so fully! I got it

 

[TrueLight]

Regular study of the official Catechism.

Where does it list all the rites/churches?

 

[TrueLight]

There are twenty-three “self governing” churches. The so called “Latin Church” has over a billion members, whereas the twenty-two Eastern Catholic Churches (listed above) have a total membership of about 14 million. (This is not to discount the importance of the Eastern Catholic Churches, but to explain their relative lack of exposure to most of the Catholic and non-Catholic world.)

Also, each church celebrates following a certain “Rite” or liturgical tradition. In the Latin Church, we celebrate the “Roman Rite”. Within the Roman rite are several variations or “Uses”, such as the “ordinary form”, “Tridentine/extraordinary form”, and the “Anglican form”. There are also several of rarer liturgies used within the Roman Rite.

The Eastern Catholic Churches celebrate liturgies that are mostly identical to Orthodox Churches that many of ECC’s broke off from to rejoin communion with Rome. There are also some ECC’s that never broke communion with Rome.

When it comes to using the name “Roman Catholic Church” versus simply “Catholic Church”, it mostly comes down to avoiding confusion. An ordinary parish might have “Roman Catholic” on the sign outdoors, but an Eastern Catholic Church probably wouldn’t (at least not on the ones nearby).

When discussing Orthodox-Catholic relations, using the term “Roman Catholic” or “Roman Church” helps avoid confusion, especially if the Eastern Catholic Church’s are being discussed in the same document.

Ultimately though, the “Roman” Catholic Church is the only church that is truly the Catholic Church, as nearly every other Christian denomination broke away from full unity from the true Catholic Church.

Thanks.

 

[Ignatius]

There are 22 Eastern Catholic Churches that are categorized by the 5 rites they use:

(1)Alexandrian Rite
1.Coptic Catholic Church
2.Ethiopian Catholic Church

(2)Antiochian Rite
3.Maronite Catholic Church
4.Syriac Catholic Church
5.Syro-Malankara Catholic Church

(3)Armenian Rite
6.Armenian Catholic Church

(4)Chaldean Rite
7.Chaldean Catholic Church
8.Syro-Malabar Catholic Church

(5)Byzantine Rite
9.Albanian Catholic Church
10.Belarusian Catholic Church
11.Bulgarian Catholic Church
12.Croatian Catholic Church
13.Greek Catholic Church
14.Hungarian Catholic Church
15.Italo-Greek Catholic Church
16.Macedonian Catholic Church
17.Melkite-Greek Catholic Church
18.Romanian Catholic Church
19.Russian Catholic Church
20.Ruthenian Catholic Church
21.Slovak Catholic Church
22.Ukranian Catholic Church

There is only one Western Catholic Church which is in the Latin Rite. Would this be what we call the Roman Catholic Church or is the Roman Catholic Church the entire Catholic Church, including the 22 Eastern Churches?

When I speak of the Roman Catholic Church, I mean the Latin Rite of The Catholic Church. When I speak of the Ruthenian Catholic Church, I mean the Ruthenian Catholic Church. At a minimum we should have enough respect for each Church Sui Juris to address it by its proper name.

 

[ConstantineTG]

Where does it list all the rites/churches?

The CCC is a Western Catechism. Although it tries its best to introduce some Eastern teachings and disciplines in there, its quite few and far in between. The UGCC is coming out with its own Catechism next month although I don’t know when the English version will be available.

 

[TrueLight]

The CCC is a Western Catechism. Although it tries its best to introduce some Eastern teachings and disciplines in there, its quite few and far in between. The UGCC is coming out with its own Catechism next month although I don’t know when the English version will be available.

The CCC may be more Western, but it is still the Catechism of the Catholic Church is it not? Are we going to have two catechisms now?

 

[ConstantineTG]

The CCC may be more Western, but it is still the Catechism of the Catholic Church is it not? Are we going to have two catechisms now?

Well the UGCC Catechism is meant for Ukrainian Catholics. It would also have value to other Byzantine Catholics. It will present the faith in the Eastern praxis so I don’t think Roman Catholics need to read it unless they want to learn about the Byzantine spirituality.