In my mind, this is one time when the use of the word "catholic" in the creed makes it a confessional issue and, perhaps, we ought to capitalize the "C" just to put it in the face of those in Rome who are trying to claim exclusive use. It would be the equivalent of "Lutheran" being claimed as exclusive to the official channels of a jurisdiction and off limits to others.
The Church encourages the Christian faithful to promote or sustain a variety of apostolic undertakings but, nevertheless, prohibits any such undertaking from claiming the name Catholic without the consent of the competent ecclesiastical authority (see canon 216 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law). For some time, the Archdiocese of Detroit has been in communication with Mr. Michael Voris and his media partner at Real Catholic TV regarding their prominent use of the word “Catholic” in identifying and promoting their public activities disseminated from the enterprise’s production facility in Ferndale, Michigan. The Archdiocese has informed Mr. Voris and Real Catholic TV, RealCatholicTV.com, that it does not regard them as being authorized to use the word “Catholic” to identify or promote their public activities. Questions about this matter may be directed to the Archdiocese of Detroit, Department of Communications.
The official letter is here....
This is an intramural Catholic matter with no relevance to us or implications for the use of the word "catholic" (as distinct from "Catholic", a proper adjective) in the creed or anywhere else.
ReplyDeleteThe Archdiocese is simply stating that using the word "Catholic" in the name may give an implication that the station has an official status to speak for the RCC that it does not.
It is an independent organisation of people who consider themselves faithful to the actual teaching of the RCC, but has no commission whatever from the RCC to teach on behalf of the RCC. Just like EWTN.
The Archdiocese is to be commended for its care re what is and is not an official Catholic voice. For that matter, RealCatholicTV is to be commended for its statement on its site that "No materials on this website are intended to speak in the name of the Church." Unlike EWTN.
I guess this won't effect the official name of my jurisdiction: the Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church of America.
ReplyDeleteI remember when I was received into the Orthodox Church in the actual ceremony they asked my if I wanted to join the "Holy Orthodox Catholic Apostolic Church of the East".
Somehow I think Rome will leave us alone about this.
I think they are going after vagante groups that use the term "Catholic" but are not in communion with the Pope.
I like the simple premise you put forth here, Larry.
ReplyDeleteAnd actually, in many and various ways, the Roman Church isn't as catholic as they'd like to think... As well - where the Lutheran confession of the faith has not been corrupted by American Reformed theology and practice - it can be argued that Lutherans are more catholic than Rome.
If one truly confesses the Creeds, one is Catholic, no matter what councils say.
I enjoy your good blog. Thank you, Brother.
It may be worth noting that when Catholics recite the Nicene Creed today they use "catholic", not [C]atholic which is, as noted above, an adjective. The Roman Rite is only one of several of the Catholic church.
ReplyDeleteMaybe they don't like bogus groups like Catholics for Choice. I don't like them either.
ReplyDeletePeople, the Archdiocese's letter has nothing at all to do with what or who is catholic vs what or who is Catholic, and intends no comment whatever about use of the term outside the RCC so it is silly to react to it as if it did. It is simply a jurisdiction of the RCC taking care that an independent entity of Catholics within its jurisdiction not by its name appear they are any official voice of the RCC.
ReplyDeleteAnd FWIW Anonymous (thy name is Christine?) it is not new that when Catholics say the Nicene Creed they mean catholic as catholic. It has ever been so. In preconciliar missals, if catholic is capitalised, as it usually was, that is because so are one, holy and apostolic, which in RC ecclesiology to-gether constitute the Four Marks of the Church that identity the church of Christ, and the RCC is seen therefore as the true church because it displays all four in a way not found in other churches, not at all because "Catholic" is in its name.