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 personally think that “Roman Catholic” is fine, even though, as many explained, it is not technically correct in a theological discussion. It is sure a fact of life in American usage. Most objections are to various idiomatic usages that avoid saying “Catholic”.
In discussions with the Orthodox “Roman Church” or “Latin Church” are the terms often used to distinguish between the Latin and Eastern liturgical forms, which are different.
More recently, I have noticed Roman Catholic on some of the church signs and bulletins.
Every Catholic church I ever attended had a sign out in front that said it was a Roman Catholic church
Those who are Roman Catholics follow the Catholic Church of Rome. The others, the sister Catholics, are of the Eastern Orthodox version who do not recognize the Pope as head of the Church.
I don’t know any Roman Catholics who get their knickers in a twist about being identified as Roman Catholic.
When I am trying to be offensive, I use the term “Papist” rather than Roman Catholic. I don’t believe that any Papist is really offended when Christians call them Roman Catholics. They like to exclude protestants from being part of the universal body of believers and this is just their way of being jerks.
We protestants should pretend to be offended at being called protestants by the Papists and demand to be called Christians.
From now on, it is offensive for any Papist to refer to Christians as protestants, Lutherans, Calvinists, Baptists etc. We only want to be referred to as “Christians”. If you can do that for us, we will only refer to you as “Catholic”.
I have no objection. Sometimes the mocifier “Roman” is absolutely necessary, especially in areas where there are other denominations present that use the word Catholic in their names — such as in Zion, Illinois where there is a Protestant denomination that calls itself “Christian Catholic”. Actually, I don’t know if they still exist, but they did when I lived there in the early 60s. On hospital admissions we had to differentiate between “Roman” Catholics and “Christian” Catholics so that the hospital could direct the clergymen when they stopped by to visit patients.
A bit of history, I didn't read the whole thread to see if it's been put up yet:
When about the year 1580 certain English Catholics, under stress of grievous persecution, defended the lawfulness of attending Protestant services to escape the fines imposed on recusants, the Jesuit Father Persons published, under the pseudonym of Howlet, a clear exposition of the "Reasons why Catholiques refuse to goe to Church". This was answered in 1801 by a writer of Puritan sympathies, Percival Wiburn, who in his "Checke or Reproofe of M. Howlet" uses the term "Roman Catholic" repeatedly. For example he speaks of "you Romane Catholickes that sue for tolleration" (p. 140) and of the "parlous dilemma or streight which you Romane Catholickes are brought into" (p. 44). Again Robert Crowley, another Anglican controversialist, in his book called "A Deliberat Answere", printed in 1588, though adopting by preference the forms "Romish Catholike" or "Popish Catholike", also writes of those "who wander with the Romane Catholiques in the uncertayne hypathes ofPopish devises" (p. 86). A study of these and other early examples in their context shows plainly enough that the qualification "Romish Catholic" or "Roman Catholic" was introduced by Protestant divines who highly resented the Roman claim to any monopoly of the term Catholic.
This does make one wonder, if the Pope is "infallible" why none of the others follow his lead? Of course I asked this question but did not get a response. See this post.
Also, I was told that even though the Pope is descendant from Peter, so are all the Patriarchs (see above post). So that does make one wonder what is exactly the big deal of being descendant from Peter?
Now, give this discussion on another thread, I think that I'm in a better position to answer your question on this thread. Since the Latin Church is one of five arms of the Catholic Church, it is inappropriate for Protestants to call Roman Catholics, "Catholics". The term "Catholic" would best suit the entire Church-not just the Latin Church. So to avoid confusion, I would recommend the correct term is either "Roman Catholic" or "Latin Catholics".