What is the Church?
- Even considering it only as a visible society, the Church is a perfect religious body.
All members are subject to the same religious authority, possess identical religious doctrines, live a common religious life, and use the same means of grace, the sacraments.
- The Church is divided into the "teaching Church" and the "hearing Church"; for each Christ laid down powers and duties.
The priests, with their bishops and the Pope, compose the "teaching Church"; the faithful, who believe and obey, and are admitted into membership through the Sacrament of Baptism, compose the "hearing Church".
How is the Church enabled to lead men to salvation?
- God the Father and God the Son sent the Holy Ghost to dwell in the Church. The indwelling of the Holy Ghost enables the Church to teach, to sanctify, and to rule the faithful in the name of Christ.
The Holy Ghost came down upon the Apostles to enlighten, strengthen, and sanctify them, so that they could preach the Gospel and spread the Church all over the world. On the Feast of Pentecost, in remembrance of God the Holy Ghost, we celebrate a mystery which is forever renewed in the Church and in our souls: the mystery of the indwelling of God, the reign of the law of love which succeeded the law of bondage and fear (Rom. 8: 15).
- The Holy Ghost guides the rulers of the Church, especially the Pope, and helps them in their duties.
Before the descent of the Holy Ghost, the Apostles had been timid and afraid. After His coming they went forth to teach, whatever hardships carne; they remembered and understood all the teaching of Christ.
- The Holy Ghost preserves the Church from all error in its teaching; in times of danger, He raises up able defenders of its doctrines.
St. Athanasius defended the Church in the time of the Arian heretics; Pope Gregory VII during a period of great disorder; St. Dominic, during the time of the Albigenses; and St. Ignatius of Loyola, after the Protestant outbreak.
- The Holy Ghost raises up Saints in the Church throughout all generations.
The members of the Church strive to imitate its Divine Founder, and in all countries and all times it has produced saints, canonized and uncanonized, martyrs, confessors, hidden souls that burn with the love of God and their fellowmen.
Are not all religions the same?
- God is not divided. He revealed only one religion. We either believe that religion, or do not believe it. There is no middle way. "He who is not with me is against me" (Matt. 12:30)
Anything that is not the whole truth is not truth. Christ said: "I am the way, and the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but through me" (John 14:6).
No one will assert that glass is as good as diamonds, nor that brass is as good as gold. No one claims that an imitation is just as good as the authentic thing. More unreasonable then would it be to claim that a religion established by a man is as good as that founded by the Incarnate God.
- From the very beginning of mankind there has been one true religion. From Adam to the coming of Christ this religion was preserved by the patriarchs, prophets, and others chosen by God to keep the knowledge of the promised Redeemer intact.
Before the coming of Christ, this true religion was not universal, but limited to one people, the Jews, the,"chosen people." All other nations had degenerated and worshipped idols, false gods. In spite of the imperfections of the old religion preserved among the Jews; it was always the true religion, the one true religion. It forshadowed the coming of the perfect religion, that established by the Son of God, Jesus Christ, Who then abrogated the Jewish Faith, the Old Law, in favor of the New Faith, the New Law.
- It is absurd to suppose that God does not care whether men denounce His Son as an impostor and blasphemer, or worship Him as God.
Why should Christ, and after Him the Apostles, and after them a long line of believers, have suffered so much and resisted persecution so firmly, if it were of no importance what a man believed? The Apostle said, "There is no other name under heaven given to men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12)
How can we prove that the only true Church of Christ is the Catholic Church?
- Only the Catholic Church possesses the marks of the Church established by Christ; that is, Unity, holiness, catholicity, and apostolicity. (See Chapter 73 on The Gates of Hell)
As a matter of fact, only the Catholic Church claims to have all these four marks of the True Church, the marks so evidently set by Christ.
- The history of the Catholic Church gives evidence of miraculous strength, permanence, and unchangeableness, so showing the world that it is under the special protection of God. The Catholic Church has proved itself indestructible for almost two thousand years, against every variety and number of formidable enemies. The Church suffered from persecution and outside attacks, and from schism and heresy within its own ranks, yet still lives.
In spite of corruption and persecution, in spite of the combined forces of error and evil, the Catholic Church has continued to live and to carry out its purpose, as its Founder promised. The indestructibility of the Church, as has been proved by history, is alone enough to mark it as divine. God alone could have preserved it so long. The Church is the only institution which has proved itself an exception to the law of decay and death. It has watched the birth and decay of every government on earth for almost 2000 years. After every attack against it, it rises, the Bride of Christ, ever fresh and fair.
