Catholicism is part of the Christian faith. Some people disagree with this statement, within the Catholic Church and outside of her. These groups are both extremist: the first say that if you are not part of the Church (“One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic”) you are not truly Christian; the second say that the Church is not really Christian but Pagan. The former people act against one of the most noble impulses of the contemporary Church: the charitable way in which she recognises a basic, common thread in other Christian denominations (and even in other religious traditions) to foster ecumenical dialogue. The latter people base their view on misunderstandings like the misapprehension of the Catholic devotion to Holy Mary as “the worship of Mary” (stated like this so as to indicate a rivalry between this veneration for the Saint of Saints and the worship of God). Both seem to know very little about the development of Christianity from the early fathers until today.
The Catholic Church is not a monolithic institution. Unity does not mean uniformity. The Church is in fact an association of Churches (Latin and Eastern) who are linked, that is, who are in communion. This communion is actualised through the Bishop of Rome, the Pope.
The Catholic Church is sometimes called, especially in English, the Roman Catholic Church. This is a term that is not very common in other languages and that is not commonly used by the Church herself. The word “Roman” does not suit the Eastern Churches that well. These sui iuris (literally, of one’s own right) Churches have a distinct history and a different discipline, but are part of the Catholic Church. Canon Law establishes that their connection with Rome differs from those of the Western Churches to preserve their particular culture and rites.
Others feel that the Church has hijacked the word “Catholic” which means universal. To understand how important this word is in Christianity we need only to remind ourselves that the official name of the Orthodox Church is the Orthodox Catholic Church. Anglicans, who recite the Nicene Creed, firmly believe “in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church” and they are not willing to let go of that third adjective. They should not. This is said to be one of the marks of the Church who Jesus Christ founded. The Church is one: it is united in the belief in the Lord, Jesus Christ (whether this unity is spiritual or institutional, invisible or visible, is open to debate). The Church is holy: it is sacred, set apart by and for God, because it springs from Christ and it is guided by him (this does not mean that the Church is perfect, for she is made of imperfect men and women capable of good and evil, but the Church as a sacred idea and body that we hold dear persists and resists). The Church is catholic: it is universal, open to all genders, classes, races, nationalities, and cultures. The Church is apostolic: its teachings come from the Apostles and were transmitted throughout history (additionally, the Orthodox and Catholic Churches claim Apostolic Succession, their succession of Bishops is historically traceable, without interruptions , to the original twelve Apostles). One way of looking at the landscape of Christianity is that the Church is divided but not separated. As a historical Church, the Catholic Church has a paramount role to play in this dialogue. Unfortunately, some branches of Christianity are antagonistic and stridently oppose specific Christian denominations. They concentrate on what separate us instead of on what unites us. They reject this brotherhood. And, in doing this, they sadden Christ, who said that “where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matt 18:20).
The Catholic Church is the largest Christian church. It accounts for half of all Christians. It has communities and churches across the globe, particularly in places like Latin America that were colonised by Catholic powers. The head of the Church is not the Pope, but Christ, who directs and guides her. The Church is, in this sense, the mystical body of Christ (see Eph. 4:4-13). The Pope is the visible leader of the Church (hence the Vicar of Christ), who leads the College of Bishops.
