CATHOLIC AND ROMAN CATHOLIC

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 16, 13 October 1917, Page 8

CATHOLIC AND ROMAN CATHOLIC

Sir,—The statement of a correspondent in your issue of this morning to the effect that the application of the term Catholic to Roman Catholic Churches "is offensive to members of the Church of England" will raise a smile from most readers, but will surely malco others gasp at its audacious originality. How can a term commonly and historically used to designate a single Church bo offensive in any way to members oi a denomination which does not officially or unitedly either claim or use this torin, but which calls itself "Anglican," '•Church of England," "English Church," in America the "I'rotestnnt Eiiisco'iul Church," and which, in Act after Act of the Parliament which broii-lit it into being, it described as "'the Protestant Church of England as by law established"? Your correspondent seeks to reverse the true state of affairs, which is that "Roman Catholic" is the la.st and mildest of a string of Protestantconferred nicknames such as "Romish, "Romanist." "Papist," and "Popery, and that, although' it is used by Catholic* sometimes carelessly and sometimes iu the sense of one word explaining tho other, it is mainly used by Protestants for the purpose of minimising Catholic claims. Tho attempt to foist it upon Catholics at all costs dates from the time »f the Oxford movement, and :"i----parently the Higli Church party of tho Church of England is making a determined effort at the present lime to abolish the exclusive and correct usage, and to annexi it to its own Church; but it is too late now for any creed or section (hereof to attempt to alter tho long-fixed and settled meaning ot this everyday word. Tho immemorial Catholic'("Roman") right to it is borne out by hislorv, by actuality and by custom. Our best.'dictionaries make it clear that the word "Catholic" pertains to tho Roman Catholic Church, and that it is popularly (whether rightly or wrongly) so used.' If you test, the man in the slreet for its universal usage h.V asking him the way io the nearest Catholic Church, he will not quibble, with you, but will direct, you to the one nicknamed "Roman." And even the small boy who calls out "cattle-dog" on his way home from Sunday school, though offensive, in :i way not concerned with this discussion bears his significant testimony. Tho fact'of the. matter is that Hie CatholicChurch is known as "Catholic" the world over for the simple reason that it exists the world over. That is tho nleamng of "Catholic." In this weary worlil thei-o are 272,860,000 Catholics ("Roman ), 120!000.000 Greek Orthodox, and 171,tra0.000 protectant (including, of course, Church of England). When it is. considered (bat of the highly subdivided Proteslant minority only a. small.party in a single sect makes the claim that your correspondent makes, then it is apparent what weight lies in the way of such a claim attaining plausibility, let alone credence. The overwhelming majority of Christians nre a"aiust it.—l am, etc., ' "CATHOLIC AND ROMAN. Wellington, October 10, 1917.