www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life The Christian East & West Roman or Latin Rite ?

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Fr. Deacon Lance,

Me too!


Thanks once again for clarifying. That is what I was trying to say. It is the common expression used by Catholics to describe themselves.

Yes, Queen Elizabeth had many a Roman Catholic head to roll and before her Bloody Mary had many an Anglican head to roll. Popish was another derogatory term especially used under the Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell.

Oh, and my apologies to you, friends, for getting my 'Irish up' about being Irish Catholic even though I know my dear Dad was cheering from above. When I was a little girl we were considered 'Irish Catholics' but having moved to the Western part of the U.S. in the forties we were not considered nor named such out there even though our church was named St. Patrick's Catholic Church. :p

Porter(Mary Jo)

Neil,

I do not doubt you, but the forum participants are a minority. Being raised Roman Catholic, going to Catholic Elementary School, High School and College Roman Catholic was the term used by myself and everyone else I knew and nobody took exception with to it. Most parishes and institutions identify themselves as such. I would bet those who want to be identified as Catholic only are probably those who think or wish Catholi=Latin Rite.

Fr. Deacon Lance

I had never heard anything else but "Roman Catholic" from childhood. When I first came to this board I wondered who the heck these �Latin� Catholics were?? from South America?? Salsa Catholics??

Back at that time (on this board a few years ago) the term Latin was often used derogatorily. To be �Latinised� seemed to be as bad as contracting scurvy. It is not like that anymore.

Coming from New England where RC and OC have always lived in harmony as far back as memeory serves - I had never run across that type of attitude before.

Somebody here had to convince me that my Church was the Latin Church. From my youth it had never been anything but the Roman Catholic church.

Live and learn

-ray.

This was very cute Ray!!!

Fondly in Christ,
Alice

Dear Mary Jo,

In New York City where I grew up, 'Irish Catholic' to me was synonymous with 'the most devout and committed of all ethnic Catholics that were around'!

Love in Christ,
Alice

My experience has been the opposite of Fr. Deacon Lance's and RayK's experiences. Growing up in California, we never used the term "Roman Catholic". We just called ourselves Catholic. Most other people just say Catholic too. I've rarely seen "Roman Catholic" used by parishes or institutions in the area.

As an adult I usually hear just "Catholic" used in real life by ourselves. When I encounter "Roman Catholic" it's normally being used a non-Catholic. Even so I've heard non-Catholics just say "Catholic" as often as not.

So I find the term "Roman Catholic" akward because in my experience it's never used by ourselves. I don't think of myself that way and non-Catholics don't always use it either. Maybe that explains some of the vehemence about the term observed on the CA forum?

Another explenation could be that they've encountered others who claim the name "Catholic" as their own. I lurk on a board populated mainly by Anglicans and many of them will insist that they are Catholic too and argue if you disagree.

So I think the feelings Neill has encountered on that forum are not unique. Maybe this is a East-Coast/West-Coast thing? And I don't think most people who prefer to call themselves just "Catholic" do so because they believe Catholic=Latin Rite (although there probably are exceptions) unless it's through ignorance.

Honestly, I don't think most regular Roman/Latin/Western Catholics think in those terms nor is it an issue that has primary importance in their lives. I bet many still don't even know that it is an issue.

I never saw the phrase "Latin Catholic" used until I started lurking on this forum. I've never heard it used in real-life (not that any of you on the forum aren't real ) and besides people might find it confusing in a part of the country where so many "Latins" are "Latinos".

I wonder if this is only an issue in English-speaking countries. I've never heard the term "catolico romano" used in Spanish, just "Catolico" or "Catolica". Every once in a long, long while I've heard the phrase "catolico apostolico y romano" but only to make a point about something and not in normal conversation.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by alice:
[QB]
In New York City where I grew up, 'Irish Catholic' to me was synonymous with 'the most devout and committed of all ethnic Catholics that were around'!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Alice, thank you. My dad thanks you as he is cheering from above. All of the relatives too. And even my German Catholic mother(also above) who became grafted on the Irish Catholic vine when she came to the U.S.A. as a young bride in the 1920's.

I must admit although I am now turning East - I will still 'go to the meetin' on St. Paddy's Day.


Mary Jo

Dear Mary Jo,

Here's tippin' a green beer to ye! And it's still six blessed months away!

Many years!

Tammy

Wasn't St. Patrick from EAST Ireland?

Manuel, my experience is similar to yours. I went to a diocesan grade school and later a Christian Brothers high school, which only called itself "Catholic High School", not "Roman" or "Latin".

No churches, even the cathedral in my home town growing up included "Roman" or "Latin" in the title.

The first time I heard "Roman" or "Latin" used growing up were from traditionalist groups who only used the Tridentine Mass.

Originally posted by byzanTN:


Wasn't St. Patrick from East Ireland?
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TN,

I am ROFL.

Not East Ireland, but...

St. Patrick was the son of a minor Roman official who with his wife lived in Britian where the Saint was born in the 5th Century. He was a pagan who later converted to Christianity after he was captured and taken to Ireland as a slave as a young man. He escaped after six years and fled to Europe where he studied in France to become a priest. He returned to Ireland on a papal mission to convert the Irish to Chrisitanity and later was ordained a bishop.

Mary Jo

The first time I heard myself referred to as a "Latin Catholic", I wished I had paid more attention in Spanish class.

[blatant Dan Quayle ripoff!]

And me in Latin class.
Blessings,
Mary Jo

Dear Friends,

This thread is like a pamphlet the Melkite Greek Catholic Church published: "Our Church's Many Names"

My baptisamal certicate says I was baptized according to the Roman Rite.

Generally, I like to be called and I call myself Catholic. When I joined the forum I listed myself as Catholic to be to keep you guessing as to what ritual church I belonged to. I changed my profile to Roman Catholic to be more descriptive.

I used to get ticked at the media for using the name Roman Catholic. I thought the media was taking a swipe at the Pope. I've rethought that and now I think the media uses Roman Catholic to distinguish the Church of Rome from other Churches who call themselves some form of Catholic.

I've heard the media use the term Greek Catholic when speaking of Byzantine Catholics in Eastern Europe.

None of this chatter has anything to do with the official name of the church and her members. This is just my own experience.

Christ is our peace.

Paul