The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1953-11-06
just Among Ourselves
Psssins Comment Considered or Ineonsidsrsfs

is called Catholic. The troubled clergyman saws
that there has been persistent propaganda" to
apply the word Catholic "to the Roman Church
alone" Further. he says that the Roman Church
has been eager to have the American public believe
that it is the one universal and true Christian
church
Well, and again well! II is both amazing and
highly amusing to read of a modern clergyman
schooed and all that and doubtless trained in the
university mans specially of appreciating the cur
rent moment, and of seeing that all books carry
the copyright Of the present year,-fussing himself
up about controversy that in with the Protest
ant movement in England in the sixteenth century,
and a matter that definitely settled early
as the second century.
Since this ultra-modern minister is so lacking in
upto-dateness, it may be permissible to Gull few
facts for his attention from ancient tome the
Catholic Encyclopedia edition 1908. There is good
article.-pretty timeess too and probably unchang-
ed m current editions of the C.E.,-by Father Her
bert Thurston, under the caption, Catholic.
Says Father Thurston with regard to the mod
ern use of the word Roman Catholic is the desgna
tion employed in the legislative enactments of Prot
estant England but Catholic is that in ordinary
on the Continent Of Europe, especially in Latin
countries"
The minister who thinks that there has been per-
sistent propaganda to apply the word Catholic to
the Catholic Church seems have in mind recent or
contemporary effort OF Catholics to fost something
upon the innocent and undeviOus Protestant bodies
of the world, especially those in America He might
be astonished to discover how long this persistent
propaganda" has been afoot. Let him read-as con-
venienty cited in the Catholic Encycopedias--the
Catechetical Discourses OF st. Cyril of Jerusalem
written about the middle of the fourth century:
'And if ever thou art sojourning in any city, in
4Uavsn lie
merely where the church is, but where is the Ca
tholic Church. For this is the peculiar name of the
holy body, the mother of us all"
Fifty or sixty years after ST. Cyril wrote these
words ST. Augustine said, whether they wish to
no, heretcs have to call the Catholic Church Ca
tholic He also wrote, Although all heretics wish to
be styled Catholic yet If any one ask where is the
Catholic place of worship, of them would
ture to point out his conventcle"
Are we to think that St. Cyril and St Augustine
have been "eager to have the American public be-
lieve" that Catholics really Catholics? The mat
ter discussed and settled thousand years be-
fore anyone knew that such place as America ex-
listed. News OF this thing has finally reached the
ears of our little minister, and has set them
tingIing. He thinks something ought to be done
about it, He thinks Catholics should be called
Roman Catholics.
Catholics are Roman only in the sense that the
visible head of the Church. the Vicar of Christ is
Bishop of Rome. This state of affairs Is not the re-
suit of any human policy political religious. II is
a matter of divine institution The head of the Ca
thoic Church is the Pope the Vicar of Christ the
Bishop OF Rome. Normally he resides in Rome. But
it, as happened in the course of history, the Pope
carried off from Rome his place and his true
title would remain unchanged; he would be Bishop
Of Rome even If he were in Siberia Rome was di-
vinely set the primatial see in the Church. And
that is the whole story of Roman in the title of Ca
tocs. What Protestant bodies love to call the
Roman Catholic Church is simply the Catholic
Church, There is no other Catholic Church.
our minister says that our use of the name
Catholic makes other churches, in the Catholic view,
"mere sects" which teach doctrines only partially
Christian "and probably false" and that all these
sects are 'in rebellion against the true church
founded by Christ" That is a very fair and compact
summing up of facts.
Has not the Church for nearly two thousand
years been preaching these facts2 Is there any
thing hidden, or sly, matter for propaganda in
the claim made before all the world since Chris
tianity came to mankind? OF course Catholics be-
lieve that theirs is the true Christian Church,
founded by Christ, and that there is no other. II
they did not believe that, they would have
son for belonging to that Church.
A person who really believes in Christ,--and
that means that he believes Christ is truly God
we'll as truly man--and believes further that Christ
established Ills true Church earth, cannot be
tent until he knows he is actually member of that
true Church That Church alone is Christs. Others
are not. Others are, to use the minister's words
"mere sects" which teach doctrines only partially
Christian "and probably false"
This is not a matter of feeling, but plain matter
of fact. Churches of varying denominations, and of
varying and even opposing doctrines cannot all be
one Church, and its silly and sentimental busi-
ness that tries TO make them appear so. Nor arc
churches clubs that vie with one another for mem
bership or class One Church Is true. The others
are mere sects teaching false doctrine
II is mans business TO knom that his is the
true Church. II he does not know IT, he must seek
the true Church till he find it, And then he is to get
into that Church and conform his life to its teach
ings You hear a lot about sthe church Of your
choice" The phrase is pridefully human. We need
not the church of our choice, but the church of
Gods choice; the church Of our sure and undertaking
convictions.
Meanwhile LET US recall that Roman is not an eS
aMA4mT IL Al - IL