Why are you called a Catholic "apologist"?

[docavey]

I am a cradle Catholic and have fairly recently discovered Catholic radio and Catholic.com. I am pretty good about attending Mass weekly and I even have a son who is currently discerning religious life. Until the last couple of months, I had never heard the term Catholic “apologist.” Is it a new term? Where does this derive from? I certainly don’t feel that we as Catholics need “apologize” for our faith or the basis of it.

 

[Michelle_Arnold]

In common parlance, an “apology” is an expression of remorse. Originally though, it was a defense or justification for a particular position. Because we at Catholic Answers explain and defend the Catholic faith, we are called Catholic apologists.