We even have Roman Catholics on this forum speaking up and wondering why a few RC apologists are taking offense at the correct and accepted term of "Roman Catholic."
I could go on and on, there are scores of cases where a Catholic agency of some sort self identifies itself as Roman Catholic.
So why the issue with the term Roman Catholic on FR?
I believe I used to drive by an Elizabeth Ann Seton Roman Catholic Church near Ocala, Florida. My own Catholic dad, grandparents, and aunts & uncles used to regularly refer to themselves as Roman Catholics. They were from Toronto.
Personally, I get upset when FRiends, of any religious persuasion, refer to me as a “Prod”.
Most likely, your answer lies in your intentions when you use the term. Some protestants consider the “Roman” part to be especially distasteful, in addition to disliking Catholicism in general, and that comes through when you say it, either in your tone or in your choice of phrasing.
I grew up being told we were Roman Catholic (born 1959).
What is a “Prod” ?
In the move toward ecumenism, Rome is leading the way, and if it can call itself The Universal Church, the likelihood of its beliefs being pre-eminent increases.
It’s “Mr. Roman Catholic” to you, sir.
Aw, how sweet.
Roman or Latin Rite Catholic is one rite within the Catholic Church.
This might help you out: http://www.mncuf.org/rites.htm
As you can see calling the Catholic Church “the Roman church” is technically incorrect and is often used as a derogatory to inflame. But it has come into common use to call the Catholic Church (the proper name) the Roman Catholic Church.
When discussing theological differences one who disbelieves what the Catholic Church teaches has disagreements with all the rites of the Catholic Church not just the Roman Rite, since they all attest to what the Magisterium teaches as Truth.
My guess is that it has something to do with distinguishing Anglo Catholics (Anglicans, Church of England, Episcopalians) from Roman Catholics.
It’s mostly terms like, “Romanist,” etc. that have a hate-filled history.
HOWEVER, the name of the communion is the Catholic Church. “Roman” is not in the official name and may refer to many different matters:
1. The Latin Patriarchate. By referring to the entire communion as “Roman,” there is an implicit denial of the universality of the Church, as if the Latin Patriarchate is in isolation, as if the Bishop of Rome is in disunity with the rest of the catholic Church.
2. Headquartered in Rome. The emphasis on “Roman” is often used by Protestants to connect the Catholic Church to the Whore Babylon. This fooled even Martin Luther who claimed to have visited the Vatican as the basis for his innumerable Satanic slanders: The Vatican is not in Rome; it’s across the river in the Vatican City, where the Bishop of Rome has served in exile form the city of worldly power.
3. Because of many duplicitous heretical movements, such as the Polish Catholic Church, the Old Catholic Church, the Ultrecht Catholic Church, etc., the Catholic Church in America frequently identifies itself as the Roman Catholic Church, to signify those individual congregations or diocese which are in faithful union with the Bishop of Rome. This is the reason for most of your exhibits. The qualifier shouldn’t be necessary.
4. Some very early Catholic writers refer to the Roman, Catholic Church. In this instance, the usage is to assert the unity and structural integrity of the Church hierarchy throughout the “Roman world,” which was viewed as synonymous with all of civilization. This is not a name, per se, and reflects a colloquial usage of “Roman,” despite the establishment of Catholic congregations far beyond the borders of Rome.
I don’t know why some Catholics might be upset but the term Roman Catholic does not encompass the full reality of the Catholic Church which is composed of many rites the largest of which is Roman. My friend is a Ruthenian or Byzantine Catholic; there are Maronite Catholics etc. The Church is Roman in a different sense in that it is part of the doctrine of the Church that all Catholic Churches are united with the Bishop of Rome as the Successor of Peter and the center of unity. This unity forms the Catholic Church.
Let me add an additional comment. Some Catholics might be objecting to the use of Roman because of the “branch theory” of Catholicism advanced by some. This theory is that the Catholic Church is formed by three branches the Roman, the Anglican, and the Orthodox. I believe Ven John Henry Newman once held this theory. Of course the Catholic Church has always rejected this explanation and I believe the Orthodox churches as well.
We even have Roman Catholics on this forum speaking up and wondering why a few RC apologists are taking offense at the correct and accepted term of "Roman Catholic."
I refer to myself as “Roman Catholic” to proudly emphasize my union with the Holy Father.