THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume XVII, Issue 11, 2 May 1927, Page 16

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

The "Church News" ■ draws attention to the following leaflet drawn up by the Irish Bishops for circulation m Ireland, with the comment that it is just, as appropriate m New Zealand. We would "like to point but that this is not the first leaflet of the kind issued by the authority of. the Irish Bishops: — . "The Archbishop and the Bishops call the attention of members of the Church to the increasing misuse of the term 'Catholic," to describe without any qualifying designation, that body of Christians only who ?cV- owl edge the supremacy of the Bishop of Borne. Members of the Eoman Catholic Church are now commonly designated as 'Catholics,' while members of our own Church, and others, who hold all the doctrines of the Holy Catholic Church as denned m the ancient creeds, Me frequently described as 'non-Cath-olics.'

"This is not a mere question of 'names and words.' The Oacholic character of the Gospel, of Jesus Christ and of Fhe Society which He i'ourded is one great feature which distinguishes Christianity from all othei. religious systems. Christy Church is universal, or cathoiie; m its fullest sense of the term ; its mission is to all; its membership includes persons of 'all nations, and kindreds, and peoples, and tongaos.' "If we now surrender pur title of membership m the Catholic Ghurch and concede it to those only vho accept the authority oi: a- particda^ bishop, we give up an. important print m that faith which was oi».j«? for all delivered to ins rainta.. So important was this point held to be m the early Christian times that belief m 'the Holy Catholic Church' was made 'an article of faith 'by those who compiled our creeds. To be a 'non-Catholic' is to bo outside the Body of Christ; -and to be described as 'not a Catholic' is equivalent to being described as 'not a Christian.' , . " . "It is probable that m many cases these terms are used thoughtlessly, without; ponsidrrving their ' significance and importance, but we cannot consent thus to narrow the Church of Christ, or to accept the position of aliens from the commonwealth of the Israel of God." . .