The combination “the Catholic Church” (he katholike ekklesia) is found for the first time in the letter of St. Ignatius to the Smyrnaeans, written about the year 110.
newadvent.org – a catholic website
The proper name of the Church, then, is the Catholic Church. It is not ever called “the Christian Church,” either. – Kenneth Whitehead http://www.ewtn.com/faith/teachings/churb3.htm
Catholicdefender2000 AKA Ivatan blogger AKA losav
Ivatan Blogger AKA Wakay AKA Catholicdefender2000 is jealous! Yup. And also furious. Why? Because his beloved church, the Roman Catholic church dropped the ball big time. In his blog post at catholicdefender2000.blogspot.com he’s asking if the name if the church is indeed Church of Christ. Well, that is what is written in the bible.
Acts 20:28 Lamsa version
Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, to feed the church of Christ which he has purchased with his blood.
Why is he jealous and furious? Well, he couldn’t understand why his beloved church, which claims to have compiled the bible named itself the Holy Roman Catholic church which does not appear even remotely in the bible or to put it bluntly, the name is unbiblical. It specially bothers him that some Catholic writers agree with the Iglesia ni Cristo that the name of the church built by Christ is indeed Church of Christ.
When did the Catholic church get its name? Around the year 107 AD, Ignatius of Antioch wrote the following “Where the bishop is present, there is the Catholic Church“. No steadfast follower of the Lord Jesus and the Apostles would allow themselves to be called by any other name than the name of the Lord Jesus himself. It was in the Council of Nicaea, however, that the name of the Catholic church became official.
And another funny thing with the Catholic is the confusion among Catholics themselves. Its simply hilarious. Catholics has a so-called “creed” which they recite every time they go to mass wherein the name they recite is “one holy catholic apostolic church” and some Catholics swear that this, “one holy catholic apostolic church” is the name of their church. But not all call themselves this. They would rather call themselves Catholics. Still others want to be called Roman catholics even if they not even from Rome. It’s a whole bowl of confusion. I’m not going to dwell on the how and when the confusion started but I can tell you it was caused by self-proclaimed infallible Popes (see Second Vatican Council). Still some Catholic writers insist the name of the church is Catholic church. Members of the Catholic church are mostly called Catholics and sometimes Romans.
We all know that church built by Christ is called Church of Christ, emphasis on Christ.