Comments on: What is the difference between Catholics and Roman Catholic?

By: komodo

komodo — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 23:03:59 +0000

The difference between Catholics and Roman Catholics is akin to the difference between animals and cats. All cats are animals — they are one of many — but not all animals are cats. Perhaps the simile would work better to say all tabbies are cats but not all cats are tabbies.

Most people don’t know about these distinctions and would probably equivocate between "Catholic" and "Roman Catholic," but "Roman" Catholic actually refers to someone who is a participant in the Western or Latin rites of the Catholic Church. This is the largest rite by far. However, there are many other rites. Most of the rites are in union with the Roman rite and recognize the Pope as the successor to Peter and visible head of the Church on earth, but they have their own unique traditions, history, customs, structures and leadership, and also trace their heritage back to the apostles.
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Masters degree in theology (for whatever that is worth).

By: Adam G

Adam G — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 22:48:59 +0000

Catholic means universal and is a term used by many different groups in Christianity, Roman Catholic means you are a Christian in line with the Bishop of Rome. As for their beliefs a link that I have heard of that is good is Catholic.com
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By: sebastian c

sebastian c — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 22:01:59 +0000

Roman Catholics are Catholics of the Latin rite of the church, as opposed to for example Maronite Rite Catholics or Chaldean Rite Catholics. All are catholics and all are united under the Bishop of Rome.
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By: William I

William I — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 21:46:59 +0000

Yes, both are Christian. Roman Catholic is the largest and most popular Catholic Church. When someone says "I’m Catholic", there is about a 80% chance they are Roman Catholic.
Catholic can be broken down into the following:

1.Roman Catholic (Western Catholic Church under the athority of the Pope aka Bishop of Rome. This Church is also reffered to as the Latin Rite or Western Church)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic

2.Eastern Catholic [includes Byzantine Catholic, Polish Catholic, Greek Catholic, etc.] (Eastern Church in full communion[agreement] with the Pope and the Roman Church, but are also under their own leadership)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Catholic

3.Anglican-Catholic (members of the Anglican Communion who Identify as "Reformed Catholic" or "High Church")
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Catholicism

4. Liberal Catholic (similar to the Unitarian Universalist Church but with Catholic elements and traditions)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_Catholic

5. Old Catholic (Catholics who follow the older teachings of the church, before Vatican II was established. Broke away from the Roman Catholic Church)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Catholic

6.Independant Catholic (Similar in teaching to the Old Catholics, and have a close tie with the Anglican Communion. Operate independantly)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Independent_Catholic

7.Evangelical Catholic (Protestants, such as Lutherans and Methodists, who adhere to a more catholic faith)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evangelical_Catholic
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Christian:Roman Catholic

By: imacatholic2

imacatholic2 — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 21:30:59 +0000

None.

The Catholic Church has consistently referred to itself as the “Catholic Church” at least since 107 C.E., when the term appears in the writings of St. Ignatius of Antioch

The term "Roman" Catholic is rather recent.

The new Anglican Church in England started using the term “Roman” in the 1500s as one of many ways of demeaning and demonizing Catholics.

Catholics accepted this late coming adjective without too much protest. Today “Catholic” and “Roman Catholic” are interchangeable terms. Both terms are even used in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

To add a little more confusion, some apply the term “Roman Catholic Church” only to the Latin Rite Catholic Church, excluding the Eastern Rite Catholic Churches that are in full communion with the Pope, and are part of the same Church, under the Pope.

Eastern Rite Catholic Churches include:

Alexandrian liturgical tradition
• Coptic Catholic Church
• Ethiopic Catholic Church

Antiochian (Antiochene or West-Syrian) liturgical tradition
• Maronite Church
• Syrian Catholic Church
• Syro-Malankara Catholic Church

Armenian liturgical tradition:
• Armenian Catholic Church

Chaldean or East Syrian liturgical tradition:
• Chaldean Catholic Church
• Syro-Malabar Church

Byzantine (Constantinopolitan) liturgical tradition:
• Albanian Byzantine Catholic Church
• Belarusian Greek Catholic Church
• Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church
• Byzantine Church of the Eparchy of Križevci
• Greek Byzantine Catholic Church
• Hungarian Greek Catholic Church
• Italo-Albanian Catholic Church
• Macedonian Greek Catholic Church
• Melkite Greek Catholic Church
• Romanian Church
• Russian Byzantine Catholic Church
• Ruthenian Catholic Church
• Slovak Greek Catholic Church
• Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church

The term “Roman” neither increases nor decreases the faith, hope and love of the Catholic Church.

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13121a.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic

With love in Christ.
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By: Marie

Marie — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 21:01:59 +0000

Roman Catholics are in obedience to the Holy See. They follow the Catechism. All other Catholic Churches are in schism in that they do not obey the Holy See. I think that’s the difference, mostly.
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http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/ccc_toc.htm

By: lawrenceba549

lawrenceba549 — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 20:54:59 +0000

The word Catholic means universal. Roman Catholics are members of the Catholic Church that accepts Rome as its center and gives allegiance to the Pope in spiritual and doctrinal matters.
Orthodox Christian are also Catholics; they see Christ as the universal church. They are not Roman in that they do not accept the hierarchical structure of Rome, they do not believe the Pope is infallible on matters of faith, and essentially do not believe in centralization of earthly Church matters.
Most issues of faith are constant between the two; there is the debate of the clause in the Nicene Creed called "Filioque" by Rome, which asserts that the Holy Spirit flows from the Father AND the Son. Orthodox reject this claim, stating that while the trinity is true, all spirit flows from the Father only.
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By: Dear Dogma

Dear Dogma — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 20:10:59 +0000

The "Roman" suffix is a post reformation tag that most latin rite Catholics still don’t accept.

I am a Catholic, I adhere to the precepts contained in the "Catechism of the Catholic Church"
(no Roman suffix) which are too numerous to mention in this forum, but are freely available to access on-line for the interested student of Catholicism. You may also want to consider enrolling in an RCIA program at your local Catholic church to learn more.
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By: odzookers

odzookers — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:56:59 +0000

"Catholic" is usually shorthand for "Roman Catholic" the "Eastern" branches of the faith are usually referred to as Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, and so forth. All of them are Christian faiths. No one can begin to give you what you have asked for in the tiny space this site provides. Go to the Google and search under Catholic Encyclopedia, there is a "home edition" that contains over 10,000 articles. That ought to hold you for a while.
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By: XAndrewX

XAndrewX — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:26:59 +0000

Catholic is short for Roman Catholic. The are the same.

Peace be with you

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