I say No, but it was only ever called a cult [ until certain sects of Protestants in the last few centuries ] by the Roman soldiers and their superiors, in fact the first few century soldiers would also address the first Catholic or Christians as : " those who eat their gods " in reference to the Sacred Eucharist and the Trinity {Neither Trinity nor Eucharist labeled those names yet by the Catholic Church until hundreds of years later } Roman soldiers would readily seek out these members for the price or reward for Catholic/ Christians of the first three or four centuries, a much higher reward was placed on the Bishop of Rome. The majority of Catholics took refuge in underground catacombs, their writings tell the hardship they endured while devoutly practicing and preserving the new Christian Faith of the "Good News" Gospel of Jesus our Lord and Savior. Those Catholic/Christians of the early centuries were the most persecuted Christians in numbers until the last Twentieth and 21ST. Century. More Catholics than any other church members shed their blood trying to preserve the Christian Faith and Holy Bible. Incidentally, the first printed Bible in the vernacular was printed on a German Catholic printing press.
