Why Do I Remain Catholic?

This is a question that each of us must ask ourselves during our lifetime.  Are we Catholics because we were baptized into the Church when we were infants and have always identified ourselves this way?  Is it to keep peace in the family?  Is it out of complacency - or is it simply because we don’t know where else to go?  If you can relate to any of these reasons, this article is for you.

The Catholic Church is, in fact, the very same Church that was built by our Lord, Jesus Christ (Matt. 16:16-19).  It is the same Church to whom Jesus granted ALL authority on earth (Matt. 16:18-19, 18:15-18, Luke 10:16, John 16:12-15, 20:21-23).  It is also the same Church with whom Jesus identified his very self (Acts 9:4-5) and the same one that St. Paul called, “the pillar and foundation of truth” (1 Tim. 3:15) and the “fullness” of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23).  No Protestant denomination can make these claims because they were all established by men some 1500 years after the death of the last Apostle and beyond. 

History has shown us that no manmade institution has withstood the test of 2000 years of unchanged doctrine and continuity.  The Catholic Church has for one reason:  It is not a manmade institution but the Mystical Body of Christ of which he is the Head.  The Church of the Apostles is the very same Church that stands today with its Sacraments and valid Apostolic Succession of bishops.  Whereas, doctrine can and does develop over time, those official doctrines and dogmas are beliefs that the Church has always held. The Church does not swap out its doctrines to “fit with the times” as virtually every Christian denomination has over the years – such as in the case with contraception.  Jesus assured the Apostles that the Holy Spirit would guide the Church to ALL truth (John 16:12-15).

Many non-Catholic communities these days are fond of calling themselves “non-denominational” and reject the moniker of “Protestant” because their particular group did not directly break away from the Catholic Church.  The fact is that since Protestantism is so splintered, every single denomination can trace itself all the way back to the “Reformation”.

Once a person understands that the Catholic Church is the Church built by our Lord, they can truly appreciate why they remain in the Church.  Hence, the faith statement of the knowledgeable Catholic should be, “The Church isn’t right because I believe it to be so.  I believe it to be so because it is right.”