Are Catholics Christians?

[Michie]

*You are in the Catholic forum*

It seems strange to have to say Catholics are Christian but to a growing number of Evangelical Protestants ( particularly the Anglosphere ) it needs to be pointed out. Catholic Christianity is complete Christianity...

Continued below.
Are Catholics Christians?

 

[anna ~ grace]

Excellent article!

"Members of the Catholic Church are properly called “Catholic Christians” because the word “Catholic” comes from the Greek adjective καθολικός (katholikos). Thus the word “Catholic” is itself an adjective in a proper sense. However, over the centuries, the word “Catholic” has evolved into a noun itself and was used interchangeably with the word “Christian.” It is still used this way today. This the word “Catholic” means “Catholic Christian” which also just means “Christian.” So Catholic and Christian mean essentially the same thing, though to say “Catholic” is to narrow it down to a specific kind of Christian, meaning one who is universal in belief and practice, embracing all things Christian, and in unity with Christians around the world."

 

[Anthony2019]

As a protestant, I have a lot of books written by people of all denominations. The books I am most fond of are those which helped me during the hardest, saddest times during my Christian journey - and those books were written by Catholic authors.

I see Catholics as part of my family - they are true brothers and sisters in Christ.

 

[Halbhh]

*You are in the Catholic forum*

It seems strange to have to say Catholics are Christian but to a growing number of Evangelical Protestants ( particularly the Anglosphere ) it needs to be pointed out. Catholic Christianity is complete Christianity...

Continued below.
Are Catholics Christians?

Though on the internet you can find some ideology of course, I think the majority of Christians not in the Catholic church see Catholics as Christians, as their brothers and sisters in Christ.

And they don't even think about it.

But, those with ideology tend to be the ones that speak up. And this creates a false impression that many protestants don't see Catholics as Christian. But I don't think the ideological doctrinaire arguers represent most Christians at all.

Most Christians would not tend to feel a need to speak up, usually, or at least not at first, so that the more ideological would speak first and last too often. But keeping that in mind, the silent majority I think see Catholics as equally Christian.

One problem is that many protestants are wrongly told that Catholics don't think we are Justified by grace through faith. Even though the Catholic Catechism says clearly we are indeed justified by Grace, because of faith. For instance, one part, together with others, that makes clear that Catholic doctrine is we are justified by the Grace of God (not by our own earning it), because of faith, by the action of God:

1996 Our justification comes from the grace of God. Grace is favor, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call to become children of God, adoptive sons, partakers of the divine nature and of eternal life.
Catechism of the Catholic Church - Grace and justification

So, the normal routine is that on both side there is poor communication. There's a lot of miscommunication and misunderstanding.