"The word catholic (derived via Late Latin catholicus, from the Greek adjective καθολικός (katholikos), meaning "universal") comes from the Greek phrase καθόλου (kath'holou), meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words κατά meaning "about" and όλος meaning "whole". The word in English can mean either "including a wide variety of things; all-embracing" or "of the Roman Catholic faith" as "relating to the historic doctrine and practice of the Western Church."It was first used to describe the Christian Church in the early 2nd century to emphasize its universal scope. In the context of Christian ecclesiology, it has a rich history and several usages. In non-ecclesiastical use, it derives its English meaning directly from its root, and is currently used to mean
universal or of general interest;
liberal, having broad interests, or wide sympathiesor inclusive, inviting and containing strong evangelism.
All Christians believe in the Catholic Church. Not all believe that the Roman Catholic Church is the totality of the Catholic Church.
“All Christians believe in the Catholic Church. Not all believe that the Roman Catholic Church is the totality of the Catholic Church.”
This is the center of the argument, the term catholic represented the whole early church, but even then there was much disagreement on the meaning and interpretation of early Christian leaders.
The Catholic church we think of now, slowly evolved and represents the western (Latin) influence of Christian thought and structure.
The Eastern Orthodox church, represents the other branch of the early Christian movement, which would remain until the Protestant Reformation.
“All Christians believe in the Catholic Church. Not all believe that the Roman Catholic Church is the totality of the Catholic Church.”
A rather odd pronouncement considering that ALL protestant branches of Christianity believe in less rather than more Catholic Christian teaching, incuding the incarnation, the virgin birth, the immaculate conception, the Trinity, the dual nature of Christ, the primacy and infallibility of the pope, the assumption, the sacraments and means of redemption (good works), celibate priesthood, and the list could go on and on. Those churches that disagree with the Roman church, then, can’t rightly be called catholic because their divergence makes them less than universal.