Catholic Christians?

Dear Father Pisut,

I rarely, if ever, hear Protestants referred to as Protestant Christians. Why then, on occasion, are Catholics referred to as Catholic Christians?

Thank you,

Kathleen


Kathleen,

The expression Catholic Christian is perhaps used to emphasize that Catholics are indeed Christians since there are some Protestants who would assert that to be Catholic is not to be Christian. I sometimes use the expression to make the distinction that Catholics have some obligations that Protestants don't. While in the greater sense many Catholic obligations should apply to Protestants since they are called to embrace the fullness of faith in the Catholic Church. An example of this would be the Sunday obligation. However, these obligations do not actually apply until the time that one would embrace the Catholic faith.

Fr. Pisut