What comes to your mind when you hear the words 'Roman Catholic Church'?

Question

I'm trying to be OBJECTIVE, if you know what that means.

Answer 1

The screams of the millions that it has killed. Really, the thought makes me shudder.

Answer 2

+ Church +

Church is the assembly of the People that God has called together from the ends of the earth.

In Christian usage, the word "Church" has three inseparable meanings:
+ The People that God gathers in the whole world
+ The local church (diocese)
+ The liturgical (above all Eucharistic) assembly

The Church draws her life from the Word and the Body of Christ, and so herself becomes Christ's Body.

In the Nicene Creed (from 325 A.D.), the Church is professed to be one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.

With love in Christ.

+ Catholic +

The Church has referred to itself as the “Catholic Church” at least since 107 AD, when the term appears in the Letter of St. Ignatius of Antioch to the Smyrnaeans:

"Wherever the bishop appear, there let the multitude be; even as wherever Christ Jesus is, there is the Catholic Church."

http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/ignatius-smyrnaeans-hoole.html

All of this was long before the Council of Nicea and the Nicene Creed from 325 A.D. which states, "We believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church."

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07644a.htm

+ Roman +

The term "Roman" Catholic is rather recent.

The new Anglican Church in England started using the term “Roman” in the 1500s as one of many ways of demeaning and demonizing Catholics.

Catholics accepted this late coming adjective without too much protest. Today “Catholic” and “Roman Catholic” are interchangeable terms. Both terms are even used in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

The term “Roman” neither increases nor decreases the faith, hope and love of the Catholic Church.

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13121a.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic


+ With love in Christ.

Answer 3

Generally speaking, I think of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. I know you're thinking about the entity of the church and not a specific building, but that's still the first thing that comes to mind. If I hear it in the context of an entity, I think of the Pope, various Cardinals in red, kissing rings, and global influence. If I keep thinking about it, I'm reminded of Pope Benedict XVI's comments on Islam, and the subsequent reaction to those comments. Then I start thinking about Islam, and how it's the only religious group that I can think of who commits violence as a reaction to being called violent. Then I think about how absurdly politically correct our society is. How everyone knows that there's a serious problem with Islamic extremism, but we all actively go out of our way to deny it and promote Islam as a "religion of peace." Then I try to re-direct myself to the topic at hand, and I think of the Da Vinci Code. Then I think about how silly the Church is to focus on culture war issues, like abortion, simply because those with any real power and money can buy their way out of social issues, e.g. a rich person can send his pregnant daughter to Sweden to get an abortion if the laws don't allow it here in the U.S. Hope that answers your question.

Answer 4

I know the meaning of OBJECTIVE,but I don't know your personal meaning of it ,The words> "ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH is a big building with sign of a big cross or steeple,that can house as many people to worship their religions belief on friday evening and the whole sunday PERIOD..

Answer 5

This might sound stupid, but I actually think of a Catholic church in Rome. And JFK because I read that he was a Roman Catholic.

Answer 6

The Universal Church of Rome

Answer 7

Simultaneously, the following images:

1. A map of Europe with larges patches taken over by red.
2. An old guy with lots of white, gilded robes, a big staff, and a giant, ridiculous hat.
3. Big stone buildings, like cathedrals and such.

Answer 8

As a RC myself, I think of home. I would love to visit the Vatican, I would love to attend a mass said by the pope, I enjoy talking to priests and nuns, I love visiting the cathedrals and churches and reading inspirational stories about the saints. I think of home and love, since the RC church is the only one that never judged me.

Answer 9

Slight annoyance, because it tends to be her critics that call her the "ROMAN Catholic Church." We who love her usually just call her "the Church."

Answer 10

A religious organization with headquarters in Rome.
It is a splinter group of the original catholic church.

Answer 11

EWTN, Latin masses, nuns, priests, the Pope, the Vatican, the Magisterium, catechism, RCIA, confession, incense, candles... what else would come to mind?

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