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The catholicity of the church
In modern English, the term ''catholic'' is often confused, especially in non-religious circles, with ''Roman Catholic'' - that is, the branch of Christianity that accepts the authority of the pope, and places particular emphasis on historical and institutional continuity between the present-day church and that of the period of the apostles. Although this confusion is understandable, it must be pointed out that it is not only Roman Catholics who are ''catholic,'' just as it is by no means only Eastern Orthodox writers who are ''orthodox'' in their theology. Indeed, many Protestant churches, more than a little embarrassed by the use of the term ''catholic'' in the creeds, have replaced it with the less Church 127 contentious word ''universal,'' arguing that this brings greater intelligibility to belief in ''one holy universal and apostolic church.'' The term ''catholic'' derives from the Greek phrase kath' holou (''referring to the whole''). The Greek words subsequently found their way into the Latin word catholicus, which came to have the meaning ''universal or general.'' This sense of the word is retained in the English phrase ''catholic taste,'' meaning a ''wide-ranging taste'' rather than a ''taste for things that are Roman Catholic.'' Older versions of the English Bible often refer to some of the New Testament letters (such as those of James and John) as ''catholic epistles,'' meaning that they are directed to all Christians (rather than those of Paul, which are directed to the needs and situations of individual identified churches, such as those at Rome or Corinth). The developed sense of the word is perhaps best seen in the fourth-century catechetical writings of Cyril of Jerusalem (ca. 315-86). In his eighteenth catechetical lecture, Cyril teases out a number of senses of the word ''catholic'': The church is thus called ''catholic'' because it is spread throughout the entire inhabited world, from one end to the other, and because it teaches in its totality (katholikos) and without leaving anything out every doctrine which people need to know relating to things visible and invisible, whether in heaven and earth. It is also called ''catholic'' because it brings to obedience every sort of person - whether rulers or their subjects, the educated and the unlearned. It also makes available a universal (katholikos) remedy and cure to every kind of sin. It will be clear that Cyril is using the term ''catholic'' in four ways, each of which deserves comment. 1. ''Catholic'' is to be understood as ''spread throughout the entire inhabited world.'' Here, Cyril notes the geographical sense of the word. The notion of ''wholeness'' or ''universality'' is thus understood to mandate the church to spread into every region of the world. 128 Church 2. ''Catholic'' means ''without leaving anything out.'' With this phrase, Cyril stresses that the ''catholicity'' of the church involves the complete proclamation and explanation of the Christian faith. It is an invitation to ensure that the totality of the gospel is preached and taught. 3. ''Catholic'' means that the church extends its mission and ministry to ''every sort of person.'' Cyril here makes an essentially sociological point. The gospel and the church are for all kinds of human beings, irrespective of their race, gender, or social status. We can see here a clear echo of St. Paul's famous declaration that ''there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus'' (Galatians 3:28). 4. ''Catholic'' means that the church offers and proclaims ''a universal remedy and cure to every kind of sin.'' Here, Cyril makes a soteriological statement: the gospel, and the church which proclaims that gospel, can meet every human need and distress. Whatever sins there may be, the church is able to offer an antidote. The various senses of the term ''catholic'' are also brought out clearly by Thomas Aquinas, in his discussion of the section of the Apostles' Creed dealing with the doctrine of the church. In this analysis, Aquinas singles out three essential aspects of the idea of ''catholicity.'' The church is catholic, i.e., universal, first with respect to place, because it is throughout the entire world (per totum mundum), against the Donatists. See Romans 1:8: ''Your faith is proclaimed in all the world''; Mark 16:15: ''Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation.'' . . . Secondly, the church is universal with respect to the condition of people, because no one is rejected, whether master or slave, male or female. See Galatians 3:28: ''There is neither male nor female.'' Thirdly, it is universal with respect to time. For some have said that the church should last until a certain time, but this is false, because this church began from the time of Abel and will last to the end of Church 129 the world. See Matthew 28:20: ''And I am with you always, to the close of the age.'' And after the close of the age it will remain in heaven. Note how catholicity is here understood in terms of geographical, anthropological, and chronological universality.