The Democratic advocate., 1908-07-31
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.
The Proper Historical and Authorita-
tive Name of the Church.

tive Name of the Church.
The following letter appeared in the
Christian Advocate Of July 16:
In the Christian Advocate of April
16, 1908, under the title of ''Not Ro-
mish or Romanist, but The Roman
Catholic Church." appeared an article
in which Father Conway, of the Paul
ist Fathers, is quoted as objecting te
the words "Romish," or "Romanist,'
when applied to the Church whose
members acknowledge the primacy o1
the Pope of Rome, and as asserting
that the proper name of said Church
is "The Catholic Church." or "The
Roman Catholic Church"
Passing by all questions as to the
congruity and fitness of the name
''The Catholic Church, "or "The Roman
Catholic Church." as applied to thai
body of Christians who acknowledge
primacy of the Pope of Rome, the
question is pertinent, what is the prop
er historical authoritative name OF the
Church thus indicated?
The answer here given is from un-
questionable Roman Catholic author
ity:
The Council of Trent held A. D
1545-1563, marks the dividing line OF
separation between the adherents OF
the Pope of Rome and those of the
Reformation.
In the Bull of Indiction" of the
Sacred Ecumenical and General Coun-
Gil of Trent, held under Pope Paul III
he wrote:
Meanwhile, as the time fixed for
tIa fhn To1nndc fn wit 0f
May, drew nigh, we did not omit to
send to Vicenza three delegates a
latere, men of the greatest virtues and
authority, chosen from the number OF
the aforesaid our own brethren, the
Cardinals of The Holy Roman
Church."
Again, in the same document, he
wrote:
"But since the hope of peace now
failing we were led to revert to our
former remedy of a General Council,
and by our legates, Cardinals of The
Holy Roman Church. we proposed
this to Emperor Himself
Again in the same document, he
wrote:
Wherefore, relying and resting on
the authority of Almighty God, Faith
er, Son and Holy Ghost, and on the
authority of His Blessed Apostles,
Peter and Paul, which we exercise on
earth, with the advice, also and assent
of our venerable brethren, the Cardi-
nails of The Holy Roman Church. we
proclaim, announce, convOke, appoint
and decree a Sacred Ecumenical and
General Council in the city of Trent" p"
Moreover in the Greed of Plus w,
summarizing the doctrines and de-
crees of the Council of Trent, and
which creed is required of all bishops,
ecclesiastics and teachers in the Ro-
man Catholic (?y Church, we read:
II believe and profess with a firm
faith all and every one of the things
which are contained in the symbol OF
faith which is used in The Holy Ro-
man Church."
In the latter portion of this creed is
found the sentence, Il acknowledge the
Holy Catholic and Apostolic Roman
Church" The late Pope Leo XIII,
writing to Cardinal Gibbons under date
of January %, 1899, on American
ism,' said. "But the true Church is
one, as by unity of doctrine, so by
unity of government, and she is Cath
olic also. Since God has placed the
center foundation of unity in the
Church of Blessed Peter, she is right
ly called The Roman Church. for
where Peter is, there is the Church"
(See Catholic World, Vol. SO, pages
In this letter of Pope Leo
XIII no other name is applied to the
of which he is the head
than that given above, but "The
Church." Pope Plus x, in the Ency-
clical on Modernism" of date Sep
tember 8, 1907, variously uses the
title of "The Church." "The Catholic
"The Holy and Apostolic
and "The Church of Christ"
Cardinal Gibbons, in response to an
inquiry from the writer, wrote under
date of April "a, 1908: "The correct
name of our Church is "The Catholic
Church"
From these various citations it may
be gathered that this body OF Chris
tians may with propriety be called
'The Catholic Church" 1.-THE Roman
Church." "The Holy Roman Church,
or ''The Holy Catholic and Apostolic
Roman Church" Nowhere in the doc
uments cited do we meet with the
name 1.-The Roman Catholic Church,
and yet that is the name most general
[y given to it.
C. HERBERT RICHARDSON,
Westminster, Md, May %, 1908.
D-- -I