On the use of the name "Catholic"

[nikephoros_spatharios]

The symbol of our faith states that "We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church." Today, the name Catholic is used by a branch of Western Christianity. I would like to hear your opinions about its use. Do you feel deprived that we cannot call ourselves Catholic, as I believe that most of us think we are?

I realize that names are to some extent just symbols, and they are useful because they help distinguish between entities. But, do you think that the utility of differentiating between the two churches in common speech outweighs our obligation to affirm our belief about what our Church represents?

I'd like to hear your opinions on this subject. Note that this isn't a question about the Roman Catholics, but rather about our own relationship with the name "Catholic", what it means to us, and on whether we should use it or not when referring to ourselves.

 

[Spence06]

Hey, Even though I am Roman Catholic, I will give my two cents.

I think you guys should call yourselfs Catholics. Because you are. I have done even more research, and you are closer then I thought to us in beliefs. Though your services are very different, many of you believe many of the same things.

What good would it be, if you weren't allowed to call yourself Catholics if the meaning of being Catholic is universal.

 

[katherine2001]

We'd rather use Orthodox, which means "right belief".

 

[Spence06]

Okay, I am just saying I consider you all Catholics.

 

[OrthodoxTexan]

I consider myself an Orthodox Catholic.

 

[Matrona]

I wouldn't mind using a translation of the Nicene Creed calling us the "One Holy Universal and Apostolic Church". I know the Fathers (apparently) intended for us to use the specific word "catholic," but I think they would be more concerned about us aligning ourselves with a different faith, than they would about a matter that is, relatively speaking, about semantics.

 

[Moros]

Catholic means "universal." Roman Catholicism isn't universal, it's centralized in Rome and in the Pope. Orthodox have the rightful claim to it, however people automatically associate the word "Catholic" not with universal OR the early church, but rather the "pope" in "rome," the inquisition, molestation, and whatever else. So I stray away from use of the word.

One time I was having coffee with an Orthodox priest; he was decked out in full robe, pectoral cross, beard, everything. The guy serving coffee started talking about how he was raised "Catholic" and left it and all of a sudden the Father goes bug eyed and says "Hey! Don't call ME a Catholic! I'm not a Catholic!" The barista goes "Yeah, me neither. heh heh."

Thought it was funny.

 

[Photini]

The Orthodox Church is the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, and as such, the only truly Catholic Church is the Orthodox Church. I have read many Saints (post-schism as well) who refer to our Church as the Catholic Church. But, like Brun above stated, I also use the word carefully, because of it's immediate association with the RCC.

 

[Sergius_Lucius]

Wise Russian Orthodox managed to avoid this problem. First, 'catholic' in the Creed was translated to Slavonic as 'sobornaya' which means something like 'gathered'. Second, we spell the Greek word in two ways: 'katolicheskaya' means RCC, 'kafolicheskaya' means Orthodox Catholic Church.

 

[nikephoros_spatharios]

Thanks for all your responses. It's a challenge that we must face not to be confused with the Roman Catholics, which are outside the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, while at the same time affirm the "catholicity" of our Church.

Incidentally, Catholic doesn't just mean universal in the sense of encompassing, or trying to encompass the whole world, but also -and more importantly- complete, full, whole, encompassing the entire truth [kath' holou].

 

[MariaRegina]

Wise Russian Orthodox managed to avoid this problem. First, 'catholic' in the Creed was translated to Slavonic as 'sobornaya' which means something like 'gathered'. Second, we spell the Greek word in two ways: 'katolicheskaya' means RCC, 'kafolicheskaya' means Orthodox Catholic Church.

This is interesting - we have a linguistic marker here

kafolicheskaya - Orthoodx Catholic
katolicheskaya - Roman Catholic

the [t] and the [f]


Check my avatar. Notice that I proudly call myself an Orthodox Catholic.

Yours truly in the Risen Lord Jesus Christ,
Elizabeth

 

[nicodemus]

Wise Russian Orthodox managed to avoid this problem. First, 'catholic' in the Creed was translated to Slavonic as 'sobornaya' which means something like 'gathered'. Second, we spell the Greek word in two ways: 'katolicheskaya' means RCC, 'kafolicheskaya' means Orthodox Catholic Church.

Check below my username!

 

[Sergius_Lucius]

Check below my username!

Cool!

But I should note that 'kafolicheskaya' is a feminine adjective since 'tserkov' (church) is a feminine noun in Russian. You can write 'Kafolicheskaya Tserkov' or if you mean 'Catholic' as a noun (i.e. "I am a Catholic") - 'Kafolik' [/boring linguistic details]

 

[Michael G]

I am an Orthodox Christian.

 

[nicodemus]

Cool!

But I should note that 'kafolicheskaya' is a feminine adjective since 'tserkov' (church) is a feminine noun in Russian. You can write 'Kafolicheskaya Tserkov' or if you mean 'Catholic' as a noun (i.e. "I am a Catholic") - 'Kafolik' [/boring linguistic details]

too confusing, I'm going to switch it

 

[Sergius_Lucius]

Well, I realized that since nobody will understand this except few selected, you can tell whatever you want about the meaning of the word

 

[Matthias]

I'm an Orthodox Catholic.

 

[MariaRegina]

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The Orthodox Catholics in Constantine from the earliest times called themselves "Romaioi" (ro-MEH-ee) "Romans" as they saw themselves as the new Christian Roman Empire.

Technically, we could call ourselves ROMAN CATHOLICS, since the Greeks considered that New Rome (Constantinople) replaced Old Rome, especially when Rome was sacked and overridden by the northern Germanic tribes.

However, notice that I'm not going to change my title as the use of "Roman Catholic" would probably infuriate some people over at OBOB, and I don't wish to upset them.

What's interesting is that while same these people over at OBOB don't want me to use the term "Roman Catholic", these very same people refuse to use it themselves, because they claim that the Protestants coined the term "Roman Catholic". Actually it was the Greeks who did that.

Someone has their history wrong.

Yours in Christ our God,
Elizabeth

 

[nikephoros_spatharios]

It's ironic that the church commonly called "Roman Catholic" is actually neither Roman nor Catholic.

 

[MariaRegina]

It's ironic that the church commonly called "Roman Catholic" is actually neither Roman nor Catholic.

You're opening a pandora's box. I wouldn't go there.

Anyone care to explain the origin and meaning of the phrase "pandora's box" for other readers who may be interested? I would but I've got two huge midterms and 2 papers due this week. Some sleepless nights ahead. Please pray for me.

Yours truly in Christ,
Elizabeth