'Catholic' and 'Orthodox' (Teachings of the Orthodox Church) Christianity. Orthodoxy. Catholicism. Sense of life. Articles for Christians.
If I speak with the languages of men and of angels, but don't have love, I have become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal.                If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but don't have love, I am nothing.                If I dole out all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but don't have love, it profits me nothing.                Love is patient and is kind; love doesn't envy. Love doesn't brag, is not proud, doesn't behave itself inappropriately, doesn't seek its own way, is not provoked, takes no account of evil; doesn't rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will be done away with.               
English versionChristian Portal

Christian Resources

Vote!

 
'Catholic' and 'Orthodox' (Teachings of the Orthodox Church)
   

QUESTION:

Is it correct to use the word "catholic" when we say "we believe in one holy, catholic, and apostolic church"?

I know catholic means also universal, united, etc., but in Romanian (which is my native language), we use something like "council based" instead of catholic, and I think it's less confusing.

ANSWER:

Orthodox Christians understand the word "catholic" word to mean "whole, complete, lacking in nothing." Hence, when we say "one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church," we mean that the one, holy, and apostolic Church is "whole, complete, and lacking in nothing." The word "catholic" with a small "c" has nothing whatsoever to do with Roman "Catholic" with a capital "C". If it were incorrect to use the word "catholic" in the Creed, we wouldn't use it. And every English translation of the Creed that I have ever seen uses the word "catholic."

When "catholic" is defined as "universal," it does not mean in the sense of "found everyplace in the universe."

The word used in Romanian -- like the word sobornyj used in the Slavonic version of the Creed -- also means something like "council based," but not in the sense of "conciliar," but, rather, in the sense of "all parts coming together to form a whole" -- hence "whole, complete, lacking-in-nothing."

Apart from the word "catholic," there really is no English word that implies "all parts coming together to form a unified, complete whole" other than "catholic." Saying "one, holy, conciliar, and apostolic," "one, holy, complete, and apostolic," or "one, holy, all-around-the-world, and apostolic" simply does not work linguistically.

Finally, those united with the Pope of Rome are properly called "Roman Catholics," not "Catholics," just as we are properly called "Orthodox Christians" rather than just "Orthodox." [There are, of course, also Orthodox Jews, Orthodox Presbyterians, etc.]

" Orthodox" is an adjective that modifies the noun that follows it. Hence, what is our faith? "Christian." What kind of Christians are we? "Orthodox Christians" -- "right believing, right glory" Christians.






Published in January 2011.









Read more Christian articles

Recommend this page to your friend!






Read also: