“They make me feel so welcome!” “The band is awesome”. “The preacher says exactly what I need to hear.” “The people are just soooo nice. Very Godly.” “They really know the bible”. “I agree with what Pastor Jimmy teaches on sex << or insert your doctrinal disagreement with the Catholic Church here>>.”
I’ve had some friends over the years who’ve left our One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church for various destinations. I’m writing this article for any Catholic who is considering leaving our One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic faith.
I was once you. I railed against the teachings of the church on premarital sex (stupid!), birth control (irresponsible!) and even the Sunday Mass requirement (how can missing ONE SUNDAY for the football game or my kids soccer game put me in a state of mortal sin???). I abhor the sexual scandals we’ve endured; those were almost the final straw.
I’m not going to address each of those (or other) objections in this article. I’ve done some of that in other articles on this site.
What I am going to do is refer us to the Catechism of The Catholic Church and the Words Jesus spoke in the Gospels. Because my words are just that: words. You can disagree with my words. I’m going remind you of what Jesus says about His Church. And what His Church says about itself. So, while you are free to disagree with those words, know, that if you do, you are disagreeing with the Word of God made flesh. And if you read any further in this article, you won’t be able to say to Jesus when you meet Him, “I didn’t know. No one told me.” Ready? Here we go.
In Matthew 16: 17-18 we read:
“And Jesus answered him, Blessed are you Simon Bar Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my father who is in Heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.”
Let’s be clear here about what this verse is saying. Jesus is setting Peter above all his other disciples here. (The man) Jesus is astonished that His father has revealed His own divinity to Simon! Jesus’ response to (Simon) Peter’s insight is “OK…I get it Dad, this is our guy.” Jesus is establishing the leader of His Church here on Earth. He’s making Peter the first Pope of His church. You can twist yourself into a pretzel trying to say Jesus’ words here were NOT establishing just one, only, singular Church. There is no translation that that argues for Jesus meaning anything plural about the word Church. Church is singular. The Catholic church is the meaning here.
Fast forward to that first Easter Sunday night, when the Apostles were scared and hiding in the upper room with the doors locked “for fear of the Jews”, Jesus came and stood among them. John 20: 22-23 tells us:
And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them “Receive the Holy Spirit, if you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”
What is this, if not the Sacrament of Reconciliation? He transferred His power to forgive sins on earth, power He reserved for Himself during His time here on earth to His first bishops – the Apostles.
God knows we will sin. He immediately establishes a way for us to stay in communion or return to communion with our brethren in His One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church and Himself. Only the Catholic Church has this efficacious sacrament.
John 6:53 tells us:
So, Jesus said to them, “Truly, Truly I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the son of man and drink his blood, you have no life within you.”
He gives to His church His full Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. During the sacrifice of the Holy Mass what started at the Last Supper has continued throughout history. The sacrifice of the Holy Mass is going on constantly, all around the world without ceasing. Jesus is truly and substantially present in His Catholic church. When Catholics enter into the Mass on Sundays, they are joining an ongoing, unbloody sacrifice to God. Revelation 4: 8 tells us
……and day and night they never cease to sing. “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord god Almighty…..”
Let’s look to the end of the Gospel of Matthew, at Jesus’ ascension to the Right Hand of God. Matthew 28: 18-20 reads,
And Jesus came and said to them , “All Authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the close of the age.”
Again, who is present here? His bishops. He gives them teaching authority. He tells us He is with us and He keeps His promises. He doesn’t say “just go and do whatever.” He gives very specific instructions to a hand selected group of people. The Catholic church draws its authority to teach from this moment.
What does the Catechism of the Catholic Church say about leaving the Church? Well, CCC 845 states, in part
…“outside the church there is no salvation.”
Multiple paragraphs (845-849) of the CCC discuss the Church’s relations with other religions and posits how those outside the Catholic Church might be saved (attain eternal salvation). There are ways. However, it is quite clear about current Catholics in CCC 846, which states (in part):
“……Hence, they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse to enter it, or remain in it.
These are not my words. These are the Words of Jesus and the teachings of the Catholic Church. He established His one true church for our salvation. Everyone is welcome to join. I love to remind people that Katholikos is a Greek adjective meaning “universal” or “according to the whole.” It is the root of the term “catholic,” which refers to the universal nature of the One True Church.
Is the Catholic Church perfect? Of course it is not. However, that is not the proper question to ask. The proper question is, “Is it necessary?” That answer is obvious to me: A resounding Yes!