Traits and Signs in Summary

When the Catholic Church pronounces on any difficult question, the response is historical, but up to date. It is based on objective principles but applies to specific needs.

The Church’s authority transcends space and time, but it is relevant to a particular place and time.

The response will be intellectually profound, but expressed in a way that is simple enough for anyone to apply.

Finally, it will express truths that are embedded in the human experience, but spring from divine inspiration.

Because it embodies all three signs, all four traits, and preserves the provisions inaugurated by Christ; only the Catholic Church can legitimately claim to be the living, historical embodiment of the Body of Christ on earth.

Start by examining the historical record. There you will see there was only one Christian church that formed under the leadership of the apostles. That church grew and expanded and was centered in the bishop of Rome. From that one church - after over 1,000 years - other churches were founded by men who – in essence - disagreed with the bishop of Rome and choose schism over Christ’s prayer that we all be one.

Abundant Life

Having looked at the signs and the traits that assure us that the Catholic Church is indeed the Church established by Jesus, there is also the abundance of what the Church provides the faithful.

The Catholic Church first and foremost ensures that Christ’s admonition to eat his body and drink his blood can be met through the Sacrament of the Eucharist, that his empowerment of the apostles to forgive sins is preserved and accessible through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, that the gift of the Holy Spirit is shared down through the ages through the Sacrament of Confirmation, and that Jesus’ words from the cross for the apostle John – who represented all those Christ loves – to “behold your mother” are honored for all time, providing us with an eminently approachable role model; the Mother of God, Mary most Holy.

And the list is yet longer but you see the point.  In John 10:10 we hear Jesus say, “I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly.”  That abundance is evident in the sacramental gifts that we have from Jesus provided through his Church.

Human and Divine...

Finally, for the church to speak with authority it must be both human and divine. An authority that speaks only with a divine voice lacks the authenticity that comes with human experience. So Islam and Mormonism, which are both based on a book supposedly dictated by angels, are unsatisfactory because their authority is supernaturally imposed on humanity.

On the other hand, a religion that is purely a construct of the human condition is merely a system of good works, religious techniques, or good ideas. Christian Science or Unitarianism, for example, is developed from human understandings and natural goodness. As such, both lack a supernatural voice of authority.

As Catholics we understand that God’s Word as Scripture was written by human authors and divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit. Christ was the divine embodied in humanity.  And lastly, we have the Church preserved by laity and clergy, and by divine guidance. Human and Divine…

Intellectually Challenging, yet Accessible

Intellectually Challenging . . .

If an authority system is to speak to the complexities of the human situation, then it must be able to hold its own with the philosophical and intellectual experts in every field of human endeavor. What other ecclesial system can marshal experts from every area of human expertise to speak authoritatively in matters of faith and morals?  Time and again, the Catholic Church has been able to speak with authority about the spiritual dimension of economics, ethics, politics, diplomacy, the arts, and philosophy.

… Accessible

Nonetheless, while the authority system must be intellectually vigorous, it must also be accessible to peasants and the illiterate without being in any way condescending. Some denominations appeal to the simple and unlearned, but have trouble keeping the top minds. Others appeal to the educated elite, but lose the masses. Catholicism, on the other hand, is a religion of the greatest minds of history and the religion of illiterate peasants. It is a religion that is complex enough for St. Thomas Aquinas and simple enough for St. Joseph Cupertino. It has room at the manger for both the magi and the shepherds.