The term Roman Catholic appeared in the English language at the beginning of the 17th century, to differentiate specific groups of Christians in communion with the Pope from others; comparable terms in other languages already existed. It has continued to be widely used in the English language ever since, although its usage has changed over the centuries.[ "Everyone claimed to be 'catholic' and 'evangelical' and (eventually) 'reformed', but now each of these became a denominational label. The name 'Roman Catholic' conjoined the universality of the church 'over the entire world' with the specificity of 'only one single see'" ([1]) Jaroslav Pelikan, 1985, The Christian Tradition: Volume 4, Reformation of Church and Dogma (1300-1700) (Section on The Roman Catholic Particularity). University of Chicago Press ISBN 0-226-65377-3 pages 245–246]
It's been used BY Roman Catholics for hundreds of years. Why don't you just admit you don't personally like the term instead of declaring it is a derogatory invention of "Protestants"??? History doesn't back you up.
“Roman Catholic” (noun) - 1584 - first instance in English according to Merriam Webster.
“Roman Catholic” (adjective) - 1614 - first instance in English according to Merriam Webster.
“Different variants of the “Roman” insult appeared at different times. The earliest form was the noun “Romanist” (one belonging to the Catholic Church), which appeared in England about 1515-1525. The next to develop was the adjective “Romish” (similar to something done or believed in the Catholic Church), which appeared around 1525-1535. Next came the noun “Roman Catholic” (one belonging to the Catholic Church), which was coined around 1595-1605. Shortly thereafter came the verb “to Romanize” (to make someone a Catholic or to become a Catholic), which appeared around 1600-10. Between 1665 and 1675 we got the noun “Romanism” (the system of Catholic beliefs and practices), and finally we got a latecomer term about 1815-1825, the noun “Roman Catholicism,” a synonym for the earlier “Romanism.”” http://www.catholic.com/quickquestions/when-did-the-term-roman-catholic-church-first-come-into-being
And you say:
“It’s been used BY Roman Catholics for hundreds of years.”
It was invented by Protestants in England. English Catholics grew up hearing it. They did not originally, nor even throughout most of the 16th century, refer to the Church as “Roman Catholic”. They only did so because that was now the standard term in PROTESTANT ENGLAND. This Canisius (catechism) is in Latin, but even the English-Scots version in the 16th/17th century was entitled “Catholic” and not “Roman Catholic”: https://mediatrixpress.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/canisius1.jpg Catholics among themselves usually used the term “Catholic” because they knew the term “Roman Catholic” was not their own. Only after long familiarity AND FORCE OF ENGLISH LAW did the term “Roman Catholic” becomes accepted. Hence, this 1737 edition of Thomas Ward’s famous Errata of the Protestant Bible referring to “Catholic” on the front page: https://archive.org/stream/erratatotheprote00warduoft#page/n5/mode/2up
“Why don’t you just admit you don’t personally like the term instead of declaring it is a derogatory invention of “Protestants”??? History doesn’t back you up.”
It absolutely does. “Romish” is a pejorative. “Popish” is a pejorative. “Roman Catholic”, likewise is a Protestant invention and was not chosen by Catholics freely.
