Where did the name of the Roman Catholic Church come from?
The name “Roman Catholic Church” entered use after the Protestant Reformation. The term is used in English speaking countries; with the advent of Anglicanism, as well as other denominations that began making English converts, there began a dispute over what group had claim over the official title of “The Church”. To distinguish it from themselves, the Anglicans began to call it the Roman Catholic Church to signify its nature, having its head in Rome (the pope) and invoking its unofficial title of being “Catholic” or universal. Over time this title has organically grown into modern usage, however, only among English speakers. The “Roman Catholic” Church continues to refer to itself simply as “The Church” in all its official documents.
