The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1916-01-22

10 t7EHE = DIS INC IlONf-bOIF
APPLICABLE ONLY TO THE
TRUE CHURCH OF CHRIST
MISUSE or TERM "RoMAN
CATHOLIC.
From time to time the question
comes up whether Catholics them
selves ought ever to use or to accept
from others the name of Roman
Catholic 1t has recently been raised
again in some quarters, says the ave
Maria the occasion being a passage
in a recent Encyclical Letter of oul
Holy Father Benedict XIV, in which
His Holiness condemned certain
modern designations added in Italy
aud elsewhere to the name "Catho
lie" This fact may perhaps give &C
tuality to the following remarks;
though it should scarcely be necessary
to say that the Pope could not have
been referring to the term Roman, .
which has been used, not only Of. the
local Church of the Roman diocese but
of the Universal Church, for many
centuries.
But we must not anticipate. The
question to be discussed here is
whether we ought ever to call our.
selves Roman Catholics" or allow
others to call us by that name. We
can not discuss terms unless we know
what they mean. What, then, does
Catholic" mean? What do we mean
by the Catholic Church? Does the
addition Roman derogate from the
true significance of Catholic? The
name Catholic was used very early
indeed by Christians to designate the
one true religion and Church of Je.
sus Christ. We find it in the writings
of st. Ignatius, bishop and martyr;
and in a contemporary official docu-
ment describing the glorious martyr
dom of st. Polycarp. Both these
saints belonged to the second century
and were disciples of Apostles.
"cathoIic" a Distinguishing Mark.
Why did the earliest Christians thus
seize upon this name Catholic" and
call themselves and the Church of
Christ by it, putting it into their ear
lest creeds and professions of faith ?
Because Catholicity stood out from
the first as a distinguishing mark of
the religion and Church of Jesus
Christ. Catholic" means worldwide,
all-embracing, UNIVERSAL; adapted to
and embracing all times, all places, all
peoples. Before the coming of Christ,
there has been many religions, mostly
false, but one true, and others con
tanning elements of truth; but none,
not even the Jewish Though it came
by special revelation from God, was
catholics none was adapted to or en-
braccd all times, all places, all peo-
pies; none, like the Church of Christ,
transcribed all limits of nationality
of race, of age, of sex, of social posi-
ton, or of position in the scale OF
civilization; none set itself to gain,
or even thought of trying to gain, a
Worldwide domination over the minds
and hearts of men.
But from the first, from the day
when it was revealed to Peter in a
vision that the Gentiles were to come
into the Church, it was clear that the
Christian religion was to be truly cath,
olic,-wa to embrace people of all
nationalities, according to the words
of the Divine Master, Going, there
fore, teach all nations, preach the
Gospel to every creature" was to be
the Church, too, of all times, accord
ing to the promise, Behold, am with
you all days, even to the consumma
ito of the world" So the Church be-
gan that worldwide conquest of men
which made the Apostles able to say
before they died that the Gospel had
spread throughout the then known
world, that conquest which has car
ried her faith, her worship, and her
sacramentS to the ends of the earth;
and which shall not cease till every
nation and tribe of men shall have
heard the message of salvation, and
the number of Gods elect shall have
been made up.
And what was true at the BEGINNING
is true still. There are many religions
on earth now, but only one is catho
lie, only one is fitted to all humanity
only one, coming from Him Who
knows the heart of man, is adapted
and perfectly adapted, to regenerate
and to satisfy the spiritual needs OF
man wherever he is found, whether he
be a member of the highest civiliza
ton or a poor savage in the heart Of
mid-Africa; only one religion, by ac
tually doing this, has proved her claim
to be the Church which Christ com
missioned to do it; none other than
the Church Catholic has efIicaciousIy
carried out the command of Christ
Teach all nations, ' preach the Cos
pei to every creature"
None of the Sects "catholic."
Nor can any of the numerous re
ligions that use the Christian name
except one only--pretend to catho
licity in respect of time. None but
one can truly say, 4 am the Church
not only Of all places but of all times
the same yesterday and today ant
forever; unchanging, continuous, one
and the same everywhere and al
ways. Every religion today that
calls itself Christian, excepting only
the Catholic religion, had its birth
not from Christ and His Apostles, not
from that Apostolic body to whom
Christ said II am with YOU all DAYS