The term
Evangelical Catholic is used by
Christians who consider themselves both "
catholic" and "evangelical" (meaning "gospel-centered").
Evangelical Catholic (
catholic is the noun with
evangelical modifying) can refer variously to: evangelical
Protestant Christians who consider themselves catholic Christians that identify with the historic
Christian Church, who believe that the early
general councils and the
Protestant Reformation were both part of the progressive illumination of the
Holy Spirit;
Roman Catholics who, in continuity with the long tradition of the Church and empowered by
Pope Benedict XVI's proclaimed "New Evangelization" stress the centrality and salvific universality of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the necessity of proclaiming it.