It never fails. Say it’s a Sunday morning when we have a baptism. There is a mixed crowd of long-timers and newcomers. The baby is beautiful, the family is all smiles, the Presbyterians are delighted. And then at the door, one of the newcomers says, “Why in the world did you say, ‘We believe in the catholic church?’”

She is referring to the Apostles’ Creed , of course, and curious why we would say such a thing. With a smile, I usually respond that nobody has a proprietary lock on the word “catholic.” There is Roman Catholic and Polish National Catholic, and people in both camps have assured me that they have little to do with one another. I once heard a Russian Orthodox priest tell me that nobody is catholic – much less orthodox – except for the likes of him and those who agree with him.…