Shalom, I'm Enoch. BOTTOM LINE: Catholics identify themselves as "Catholic" because the term, derived from the Greek "katholikos," signifies universality and encompasses their belief in the church's global presence and comprehensive doctrine.

The term "Catholic" fundamentally means "universal" or "according to the whole." This understanding is rooted in early Christian usage, where "katholikos" described the Church as spread throughout the world, encompassing all believers, and holding to the entirety of the apostolic faith. The Catholic Encyclopedia affirms this etymology, stating that "Catholic" comes from the Greek katholikos, meaning "universal" or "general," from kata holou ("according to the whole") Source 16: CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Catholic.

This self-identification emphasizes several core tenets of Catholic doctrine. First, it points to the Church's geographical spread, believing it to be present in all places and nations, a concept articulated by the early Church Fathers like Cyril of Jerusalem and Gregory Nazianzen, who referred to "Catechesis" as Christian teaching that extended "to the higher interpretation of Holy Scripture, and the exposition of Christian philosophy" [Source 2: Cyril & Gregory — Cyril of Jerusalem & Gregory Nazianzen]. Second, it denotes the completeness of Catholic teaching, holding that it contains the fullness of Christian truth, lacking nothing essential to salvation. As Catholic Answers explains, the term implies that the Church "possesses the fullness of Christ's truth and salvation" [Source 12: What the Early Church Believed: The Meaning of "Catholic"]. Third, it speaks to the Church's inclusivity, welcoming people from all walks of life, which aligns with the historical understanding of catechumens, who were "converts from Paganism and Judaism, or children of Christian parents" receiving instruction in the Christian religion [Source 4: Cyril & Gregory — Cyril of Jerusalem & Gregory Nazianzen]. This comprehensive nature is considered a mark of the true Church, distinguishing it from sectarian groups that are seen as partial or localized.

CITATIONS

1. Cyril & Gregory — Cyril of Jerusalem & Gregory Nazianzen. Catechetical Instruction. (general reference — not among this answer's sources)
2. Cyril & Gregory — Cyril of Jerusalem & Gregory Nazianzen. Philip Schaff: NPNF2-07.
3. CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Catholic. New Advent.
4. What the Early Church Believed: The Meaning of "Catholic". Catholic Answers.

COMMON MISUNDERSTANDINGS

• The term "Catholic" was invented by the Roman Catholic Church to assert its dominance. → The term "katholikos" was in use by early believers, such as Ignatius of Antioch in the 2nd century CE, to describe the universal nature of the church in its earliest forms, long before the establishment of the modern Roman Catholic hierarchy.
• To be "Catholic" means rejecting any Jewish roots of faith. → While modern Catholicism has largely separated from its Jewish roots, the early understanding of universality still encompassed converts from Judaism, as noted by Cyril of Jerusalem regarding catechumens [Source 4: Cyril & Gregory — Cyril of Jerusalem & Gregory Nazianzen], reflecting an original inclusivity that predates later theological divisions.

Catholics call themselves Catholic to affirm their belief in a universal Church with a complete doctrine that extends throughout the world and across all time, drawing on an ancient term that speaks to this encompassing identity.

REPROOF'S POSITION The self-identification of "Catholic" accurately reflects the historical and etymological meaning of the Greek term katholikos, signifying the comprehensive and universal nature of the Church as understood within that tradition, extending globally and possessing what it deems the fullness of Christian truth. This understanding of universality, however, must be critically examined against the backdrop of the original, pre-denominational faith in Yeshua, which was inherently Jewish and Torah-observant, defining universality not as a departure from Israel but as the ingrafting of the nations into Israel's covenant.

• "But the early Church Fathers used 'Catholic' to describe the true Church, indicating its direct lineage to Rome." → The early use of 'catholic' (katholikos) by figures like Ignatius of Antioch meant 'universal' or 'general,' referring to the entire body of believers united around the bishop, not specifically to a centralized Roman See with a papacy, which developed centuries later (Ignatius of Antioch, Epistle to the Smyrnaeans 8).
• "The Catholic Church represents the 'whole' faith, which means adherence to its specific doctrines and traditions." → While Catholic theology defines "the whole" according to its own dogmas, the original "whole" of the faith, as practiced by Yeshua and His talmidim, was Torah-observant, rooted in the Tanakh and the Jewish covenant, which is distinct from later ecclesiastical traditions (Matthew 5:17-19).

The original, pre-denominational faith in Yeshua recognized a universal body of believers, but one universally rooted in Torah and the covenant made with Israel, rather than a separate, supersessionist entity.

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