Jurisdictions and Catholicism

[RomanRite]

In the Orthodox Churches there are many Orthodox Churches that name themselves after their jurisdiction such as Antiochian, Russian etc.

Do we do this as well, or are we just all Roman because of the leadership of Rome?

 

[Struggling Sinner]

Catholic Rites and Churches

 

[Standing_Ultraviolet]

"Roman Catholic" isn't really the term used by the Church to describe itself. It's a term more commonly used in media, academic publications, and non-Catholic religious works because Protestant groups commonly use the term "catholic" as an adjective simply meaning "universal".

Referring to our Church as the Catholic Church is often perceived as a statement that its claim to universality is accurate, from that angle. Groups or individuals wanting to avoid that potential implication use the term Roman Catholic to make it clear what group is being referred to.

Among the Eastern Catholic Churches, I think that rites often take their names from geographical regions (with exceptions, like the Maronites). If I had to guess, the Latin Rite is probably named for the pre-Vatican II liturgical language used in the West.

 

[RomanRite]

So do I identify as Latin Rite or just Roman Catholic?

 

[MKJ]

So do I identify as Latin Rite or just Roman Catholic?

Either, depending on what you wanted to communicate.


There are rites and various churches within the Catholic Church. Some, like the Latin Catholic Church, have only one rite, the Latin rite. Others may have more than one rite.

I want to say there are 23 Catholic Churches which recognize the Pope as head of the Church, but I may be slightly off there - maybe it is 21? Around that number anyway.

But several Popes have said that Roman can refer to ALL of those churches that recognize the bishop of Rome as head of the Church, because that is what is being acknowledged in that use of the term. All of the Catholic Churches are in communion with the Bishop of Rome. (This becomes important when you realize there are groups who also have Catholic in their name that are not in communion with the Pope. For example, the Orthodox, or the groups that schismed after the first Vatican council. Or for that matter groups from the Reformation who claim to represent the Church in the catholic sense.)

A lot of the time you will have to interpret the meaning of the terms based on the context.

 

[Rhamiel]

So do I identify as Latin Rite or just Roman Catholic?

MKJ gave good advice

one thing, even though the term "Roman Catholic" can be used by all Catholics, I would never call an Eastern Rite Catholic a Roman Catholic because it might offend them.

I normally just refer to myself as a Catholic
I think "Roman" sounds too regional
but if others use the term I do not protest it, it is the normal way of referring to Latin Rite Catholics in the USA

 

[KatherineS]

Many usages were common and even used by Popes in the past, including calling all Catholics "Roman Catholics", calling the Latin rite the "premier rite" and even the use of the "rite."

In the present times, all of these above are consider unhelpful.

The Eastern churches are particular churches, not rites. Rites implies their patrimony is just a matter of liturgy, when in fact it is much more than that.

 

[RomanRite]

MKJ gave good advice

one thing, even though the term "Roman Catholic" can be used by all Catholics, I would never call an Eastern Rite Catholic a Roman Catholic because it might offend them.

I normally just refer to myself as a Catholic
I think "Roman" sounds too regional
but if others use the term I do not protest it, it is the normal way of referring to Latin Rite Catholics in the USA

How exactly is it the normal way? I'm curious, plus why not just identify all Latin Churches as Latin instead of Roman?

 

[Rhamiel]

How exactly is it the normal way? I'm curious, plus why not just identify all Latin Churches as Latin instead of Roman?

it is the "normal way" because if you look at a parish, the sign out front is just as likely to read "St.Leonard's Catholic Church" as it is to read "Holy Redeemer Roman Catholic Church"
Roman Catholic might even be more likely.

the term Roman has been used in the past for many reasons
sometimes it is the Church showing the patrimony of the Pope as heir to the throne of St.Peter, sometimes the word Roman has been emphasized by the enemies of the Church trying to claim that her authority was only regional.
for many reasons, the term "Roman Catholic" is an acceptable term in many English speaking nations.
Also in English speaking nations, the Eastern Catholic Churches are very small, so referring to the Rite of a Church is not needed very often

 

[KatherineS]

... sometimes the word Roman has been emphasized by the enemies of the Church trying to claim that her authority was only regional.

Let's be a little more restrained in sayings things that could lead others to falsely believe that Protestant and Orthodox Christians are "enemies of the Church" rather than brother and sister Christians of which we have sad divisions due to fault on both sides and for whom with we hope and pray that unity may be restored.

 

[Rhamiel]

Let's be a little more restrained in sayings things that could lead others to falsely believe that Protestant and Orthodox Christians are "enemies of the Church" rather than brother and sister Christians of which we have sad divisions due to fault on both sides and for whom with we hope and pray that unity may be restored.

hmm
how about we tell St.Thomas More that Protestants are not enemies of the Church
or St.Edward Campion
or St. John Fisher

now I can not hold to blame the people grew up with these errors being drilled into their skulls
but that first generation was a generation of heretics
they rebelled against the Church and slaughtered the saints and desecrated the holy sites
any history of the Protestant Reformation that does not look like a Hieronymus Bosch painting is propaganda