By Vir Christi On the Solemnity of Ss. Peter and Paul, the Catholic Church honors two seminal leadership figures in the history of the Church. St. Peter as the first pope laid the foundation for the authority of the modern Church. But the authority of the...
“The Catholic Church is apostolic because it was founded by Christ on the apostles and, according to His divine will, has always been governed by their lawful successors.”
That’s a nice, clear-cut definition. Yet why does this mark matter? Of what significance is it for us?
“Catholic” is a tricky term to explain. We use it all the time in describing ourselves or the Church, but what do we really mean when we call it a mark of the Church?
If the Church possessing the mark of “One” seems contentious, how about her claim of a second mark: “Holy?”
Holy? What a bold claim! The Seventh-day Adventist I conversed with would certainly have some questions about this. She was confounded by the idea that…
“One?” an objector might exclaim. “Are you kidding me? Look at you Catholics! You’ve got traditionalists, charismatics, and all these different religious orders, rites, and liturgies. Some Catholics support abortion while others oppose it. You have one Pope saying this and another saying that. And yet you all call yourselves Catholic. How can you all be “One”?
After a religious debate with a Seventh-day Adventist, I wondered: How can someone know that Catholicism is the one true Faith? What unquestionable proofs does Catholicism have to offer that other churches do not?