Yes, we may be under the spiritual authority or “seal” of Rome. But would it really be sinful for Catholics in Nigeria to be addressed simply as the Nigerian Catholic Church? Or would such a name immediately be interpreted as a break from Rome—as though we had suddenly become Protestants like the Anglican Church?
If the Catholic Church is truly universal, why must that universality always be expressed through the identity “Roman Catholic”? Why should Catholics in Nigeria, Ghana, India, Brazil, or elsewhere have to carry the geographical identity of Rome in their name?
At what point does legitimate spiritual unity with a central authority become institutional control over what millions of believers must believe and practise?
Are we following Christ because we have personally examined what we believe—or because we inherited a system that had already decided what we must believe?
And if we discover that some things we were taught are later interpretations rather than explicit teachings of Scripture, do we really have the courage to examine the rest?
Perhaps the uncomfortable question is not whether we are willing to defend our faith.
It is whether we are willing to question the foundations upon which we built it.
#CatholicFaith #FaithAndTradition #Christianity #BibleQuestions #jollyonyeka
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