The Church of Christ

If anyone feels that there is something wrong in the Catholic Church, he has every right to express himself. He is a part of the family and has every right to criticize it. Members of a family are always calling each other to attention, but they don't feel that they have to leave the house because of the problems present in it. Jesus said: "In my house, there are many mansions". In other words, the Catholic Church is like the columns of Bernini, embracing all the different children who come to her. The intolerance that many accuse the Catholic Church of practicing and protest against, end up being, ironically, the very same intolerance that Evangelicals hold towards others.

Some say that Jesus did not start or is not the founder of the Catholic Church. In the 3rd century, the various communities began to bicker and argue amongst themselves. Each claimed to be authentically founded by Christ, though many held diverse beliefs and divergent thoughts. Some even followed agnosticism or were mixed with oriental religions. No one really knew anymore which communities were the true followers of Christ. St. Cyprian, the bishop of Carthage, resolved the problem when he said that the real Church founded by Jesus had 5 very clear, unconfoundable and sure signs:

1) it was one Church: Jesus did not conceive the idea of starting over 1,500 splinter group churches. It was one in its belief, baptism, unity and charity.

2) it was a holy Church: Its purpose is to sanctify its members by means of the sacraments and grace.

3) it was a Catholic church: St. Cyprian invented the term catholic to refer to the universality of its communities and members. It was a Church found in all cultures, nations and peoples, but not belonging or identifying itself specifically with any of them (like the Anglican Church is connected to England or Mt. Zion to Utica, New York).

4) It is an apostolic church: The Church of Christ has received a mandate from its Founder to go out and preach the gospel to all the nations, thus it has a missionary nature to it.

5) It is a roman church: Many people misinterpret this aspect of the Church thinking that it is necessarily connected to Italians and their culture. That is not true. Roman means that the true Church founded by Jesus has the bishop of Rome, the Pope, as its visible and legitimate head and successor of St. Peter the Apostle. If an atomic bomb were to wipe out the Vatican and the Pope came to live in Rio de Janeiro, he would still be the bishop of Rome and head of the Church (though his residence is elsewhere). He is not obligated to live in Rome, Italy, but he is obligated to be the successor of Peter the Apostle.

Anthony Mellace