Why I am a Catholic

I AM A CATHOLIC ...


1. Because the founder of the Catholic Church is the God-Man Jesus Christ, Who was foretold by the prophets, and Who proved the divine character of His mission and teaching by wonderful miracles, especially by His Own Resurrection from the dead;
   
   
2. Because Christ established upon Peter and the Apostles the Church, one, holy, universal, apostolic, with which He declared He would remain all days to the consummation of the world, and against which the gates of Hell would not prevail;
   
   
3. Because Christ gave this society certain well defined doctrines which all men everywhere must believe under pain of damnation, **1 to which they may not add or from which they may not subtract;
   
   
4. Because Christ the Author of all holiness, promised to guard this society from error and preserve it until the end of time;
   
   
5. Because the Catholic Church possesses all marks of this Church established by Christ:
   
   
   • The Catholic Church is ONE because she everywhere professes the same faith, has the same sacrifice and sacraments, and is governed by one and the same visible head, the Pope. All non-Catholic sects lack unity. Because of the principles of private judgment they are conditionally splitting and subdividing. They have no central authority to hold them together. Their doctrines and practices are changing from day to day.
     
     
   • The Catholic Church is HOLY because its Founder, Jesus Christ, is all-holy; because it doctrines are holy; because its means of sanctification, the sacraments, are holy; because it produces holy, saintly men and women.
     
     
   • The Catholic Church is UNIVERSAL because it subsist throughout the ages, teaches all nations, and maintains all the truths given to it by Christ. The sects are not spread over the whole world but rather localized, nor do they they teach everything that Our Lord taught the Apostles.
     
     
   • The Catholic Church is APOSTOLIC because it was founded on Christ's Apostles, because it is governed by their doctrines through their lawful successors, and because it never ceases to teach their doctrine. The sects cannot trace their origin to Christ or to the Apostles. **2
     
     
6. I am a Catholic, finally, because God Who is Supreme Truth and Holiness could not possibly be the Author of the countless sects with their mutually destructive and contradictory teachings and practices **3
   

1 CCC { 846, in context: 836 - 848 }
** 2 CCC { 857, in context: 857 - 865 }
** 3 CCC { 855, in context: 849 - 856 }


As some of you know, I like browsing for old books once in a while. I came upon this booklet:

" 'The Catholic Layman's Guide' A Brief outline of what he should know and do"

The copyright on the booklet is 1942. At that time Pius XII was the Pope. I wanted to share this because I believe is it a good refresher for practicing Catholics AND may be of interest to non-Catholic's or curious faith seekers