Hi, Jim. Welcome.

I had a question. I heard the other day someone on the relative radio was saying something

about Catholic Church and how it's the true church. I just want to know why is the Catholic

Church the true church? Great question. Well, I've made that claim many times, so maybe it was

me you heard. It could have been somebody else. So here's how I make that case.

The Catholic Church, let's do a thought experiment, Jim. So the Catholic Church of today has

certain characteristics that are visible. You know, there's a pope and a body of bishops,

but there are also certain doctrines like we believe in the real presence of Christ

in the Eucharist. We baptize infants because we recognize that baptism actually regenerates the soul.

It's not merely just a symbol or an ordinance. We have sacraments. We believe in the saints in heaven

praying for us. We honor Mary. So those are some distinctive

features of the Catholic faith that are by and large not shared with too many other groups.

Now, it's true the Eastern Orthodox churches do have the same set of beliefs for the most part.

But if we do this thought experiment and consider that in the Bible, in the New Testament,

Jesus gives certain clues about the nature of his church.

So, for example, he says in Matthew 16, 18, he says, on this rock, I will build my church

and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

So a couple things there.

It's Jesus who founded this church, not Peter or Paul or any of the other early apostles. Jesus says, I'm going to build my church. He's the founder of it. So whatever church it is, it's got to be traceable back to him. He talks about how the church will not be overcome even by the gates of hell. Now, that's an odd phraseology because you don't

typically bring gates to a battle. I think maybe it's better understood that the gates of hell

cannot withstand the onslaught of Christ's church. But in any case, this church, he says, is going to

exist in perpetuity. He says that in Matthew chapter 28, 19 and 20, where he says, go into the whole world, baptize, teach them, and behold, I'm with you always, even until the end of the age.

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