Why the Catholic Church?

DISCOVER A BEAUTIFUL FAITH IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.

G.K. Chesterton once wrote, “The difficulty in explaining 'why I am a Catholic' is that there are ten thousand reasons all amounting to one reason: that Catholicism is true.” Nearly 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ founded the Catholic Church to preserve the truth He gave us and hand it down through the centuries, helping people all around the world encounter the love of God in every age and in every corner of the earth.

Over the years, there have been an untold number of questions and objections raised about the Catholic Church’s teachings and practices. The answers are there, and it’s worth your time to find them. As the Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen once said, “There are not even 100 people in this country who hate the Catholic Church, but there are millions who hate what they think the Catholic Church to be.”

The Lord wants us all to know and understand His truth, so we can embrace it wholeheartedly and live by it. Christ reminds us, “The truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).

The word “Catholic” means universal, and that is really what the Catholic Church is—a universal body of believers, united in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Our Catholic family is made up of every race, age, and walk of life. For centuries, the Catholic Church has been the place to turn to for the source of Christian belief, an intimate encounter with Jesus Christ, a welcoming family, and a guiding light to get to heaven.

WHY DOES IT MATTER WHAT CHURCH I BELONG TO?
IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT MAKES THE CATHOLIC CHURCH DIFFERENT?

The Catholic Church is not just one denomination among many. In fact, it is the only faith that can trace its founding roots back to Jesus Christ, who started our Church. For 2,000 years, the Catholic Church has guarded the truth that Jesus has taught, whether in or out of style. In the Church today, one can experience the most personal relationship with Christ through the Holy Eucharist, the gift of Christ’s Body and Blood to us. Since its founding, the Catholic Church has continued to be the largest body of Christians on earth. Though it’s not perfect, nor does it have perfect members, the Church still contains the fullness of truth, which Jesus promised would set us free.

ARE CATHOLIC BELIEFS ROOTED IN THE BIBLE?

Not only are Catholic teachings rooted in the Bible, the Catholic Church, having been given authority by Jesus Christ and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, compiled the Bible in the form that it exists today. The Catholic Church has as its sole rule of faith the entire Word of God, as it is found in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition. It is important to remember that all of the Word of God was at one time (after the death of Christ and before the compilation of the Bible) passed on orally through Sacred Tradition. Catholic beliefs are all rooted in the Word of God—communicated through Scripture and Tradition, and preserved by the Church.

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