Why do people call it the "Roman" Catholic Church?

[CutlerB]

The Church that Christ established was known as The Way. In Acts, it states in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians. Another term recorded is that of being called Nazarenes.

St. Ignatius of Antioch Around 107 made the first written mention of the Catholic Church.
Until the Protestent revolution, it was merely referred to as the Church.

This is a very interesting article on the subject which brings out that the Catholic Church does not refer to itself as Roman.

Very informative article, but I have found something where the Catholic Church speaks of itself (as far as I can see) as the “Roman Catholic Church”.

Joint Declaration on the doctrine of Justification

I note that the title does refer to the “Catholic Church” in contrast with the Lutherans, but in the body it says “Roman Catholic Church” very often. Any explanations?

 

[Aelred_Minor]

Very informative article, but I have found something where the Catholic Church speaks of itself (as far as I can see) as the “Roman Catholic Church”.

Joint Declaration on the doctrine of Justification

I note that the title does refer to the “Catholic Church” in contrast with the Lutherans, but in the body it says “Roman Catholic Church” very often. Any explanations?

There are several such documents that use “Roman Catholic Church” to mean the entire Catholic Church. The encyclical Humani Generis (Pius XII, 1950) is one. Also there have been a couple ecumenical joint declarations between Pope Benedict XVI and someone else (I think one was with the Anglicans and another with the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople) that have used this language.

As I keep maintaining, official Church documents are inconsistent in their use of the term. Sometimes it is used to mean the whole Catholic Church, other times to mean the Latin rite Church specifically. Theoretically it could also be accurately used to describe the diocese of Rome itself, though I am not aware of this being done. Anyway, it appears the Catholic Church is content to use the term rarely and loosely, to mean whatever the context makes clear that it means.

 

[Grace_Seeker]

The Anglican Church is not a part of the Body of Christ, which is the Catholic Church, even though we can say they have a kind of imperfect or partial relationship with the Catholic Church by virtue of their Baptism. To be a member of or fully incorporated into the Catholic Church, one must profess the full faith and be in hierarchical communion:

And as long as this is the teaching of the Catholic Church, I hold that it is Catholic in name only but not catholic in spirit.

 

[LegoGE1947]

Its a very difficult topic, but people forget there are Eastern Catholics or don’t even know, since 98% of Catholics are Roman.

There are about 2 dozen rites of Catholics but the best known one in the West is the Roman rite.

 

[jlkelly]

When I was growing up in the 50’s and 60’s, the good Dominican Sisters in grade school and the Christian Brothers in high school told us that the word preceeding “Catholic” denotes which rite of the Catholic Church is being spoken of, as opposed to saying simply, “Catholic Church,” which refers to the Church Universal. They told us that the word “Roman” in Roman Catholic refers only to the Roman rite within the Catholic Church. They pointed out that there are also Maronite Catholics, Ukranian Catholics, Chaldean Catholics, etc., each using their own respective rites within the Catholic Church. All these rites acknowledged the Roman Pontiff as the head of the Church Universal. They also told us that there was a Latin rite, practiced only in the Vatican. They took some pains to say that “Roman” and “Latin” were not interchangable. It seems that today, for some reason, this rather clear teaching has become a muddle.

Is what I learned incorrect?

 

[steve_b]

The Catholic Church existed. The Pope existed. The Pope and the church hierarchy walled themselves up in what was essentially a new denomination. A very large denomination to be sure, but a denomination. I’m sure they were convinced their denomination was The Catholic Church, but it is not true.

Where’s your evidence for this?

The Catholic Church is the original Church. By definition that isn’t a denomination. Those who broke from her aren’t a denomination of the Catholic Church either… There’s One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church. Denominations is a Protestant notion involving themselves and all their serial divisions.
A:

It isn’t actually clear which theses, if any, the Pope actually condemned. Ask Jimmy Akin.
See? Things were different back then. How could Luther even know where he was right with the Church hierarchy? You can’t transport your modern Catholic worldview back to that time. These things were not defined.

Luther knew exactly how the Church viewed his positions. Exsurge Domine the subject of the link you quote made that clear. Luther in 1520 was still a Catholic when his errors were condemned. papalencyclicals.net/Leo10/l10exdom.htm

That’s Jimmy’s point.

I would just add, that pope Leo X still dealt with Luther with charity inspite of Luther and his nasty disposition.( see link that follows) I suggest you read the entire document (Exsurge Domine) to the end, since you link to Akin, and Akin’s points talk about the papal document.

excerpt from Leo X Exsurge Domine

“As far as Martin himself is concerned, O good God, what have we overlooked or not done? What fatherly charity have we omitted that we might call him back from such errors? For after we had cited him, wishing to deal more kindly with him, we urged him through various conferences with our legate and through our personal letters to abandon these errors. We have even offered him safe conduct and the money necessary for the journey urging him to come without fear or any misgivings, which perfect charity should cast out, and to talk not secretly but openly and face to face after the example of our Savior and the Apostle Paul. If he had done this, we are certain he would have changed in heart, and he would have recognized his errors. He would not have found all these errors in the Roman Curia which he attacks so viciously, ascribing to it more than he should because of the empty rumors of wicked men. We would have shown him clearer than the light of day that the Roman pontiffs, our predecessors, whom he injuriously attacks beyond all decency, never erred in their canons or constitutions which he tries to assail. For, according to the prophet, neither is healing oil nor the doctor lacking in Galaad.
But he always refused to listen and, despising the previous citation and each and every one of the above overtures, disdained to come.” [snip for space]

In 1530 Luther admits to adding “alone” to faith. His justification for doing it was, He’ll have it so because he’s Dr Martin Luther.

iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/wittenberg/wittenberg-luther.html#sw-misc-refink

Now you can see the 2 men Leo X & Luther.

 

[steve_b]

The Church that Christ established was known as The Way. In Acts, it states in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians. Another term recorded is that of being called Nazarenes.

St. Ignatius of Antioch Around 107 made the first written mention of the Catholic Church.
Until the Protestent revolution, it was merely referred to as the Church.

Ignatius was a disciple of St John. So what Ignatius writes, he learned from John. And since Luke wrote Acts, and John and Luke wouldn’t be teaching contrary to each other, and since Ignatius was ordained by apostles, and made bishop of Antioch from ~60 a.d. till ~107 a.d. here’s why Ignatius calls the Church the Catholic Church and NOT the Way or any other term.

Acts 9:31 So the church throughout all κατά kataὅ**λοςholos*] Judea and Galilee and Sama’ria…" iow the Church is the ****Kataholos Church = Catholic Church ****The English word catholic is a transliteration of the Greek katholikos which is a compound word from kata, which means according to, and holos, which means whole. *
http://www.catholic.com/tracts/what-catholic-means

And the ECF’s call the Church the Catholic Church. And it’s why the Nicene Creed makes it an article of faith, to believe in One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church

 

[DavidWJackson]

After reading this entire thread, just to break the tension and put smiles back on faces, I would like to say there really are Roman Catholic Churchs. They are all located in the Diocease of Rome, Itally. And, guess what? Their Bishop just happens to be the Pope of the Catholic Church. Latin rite of course!

 

[mab23]

After reading this entire thread, just to break the tension and put smiles back on faces, I would like to say there really are Roman Catholic Churchs. They are all located in the Diocease of Rome, Itally. And, guess what? Their Bishop just happens to be the Pope of the Catholic Church. Latin rite of course!

:yup: