Problems In The Church

Regarding problems in the Catholic Church...

    There has always been problems. Did not Jesus hand pick Judas and he betrayed him deserving the title of devil? (John 6:70) Did not Peter deny Christ three times? (Luke 22:54-62)

You see there have always been problems in the Church. The Church is run by humans and we are all sinners and do the best we can with what we know. And some can be just out right bad! I will not deny that. I will say however that you may have been given some not so true information or information that has been blown out of proportion. I recommend the book Catholicism and Fundamentalism: The Attack on "Romanism" by "Bible Christians" which is a very honest look at all of those claims against the Catholic Church.

Now if you want to say that the Catholic Church is false because of sinners which exist and have always existed in the Church or because of some people in the Church passed or present that did some things they should not have, then not even Protestantism would be true under those criteria! During the reformation was not Catholics also persecuted and killed by other Christians? You see there are sinners everywhere, but that is not a test to how true or holy the Catholic Church is. The Catholic Church is holy because of Christ and not because of you or me or anyone else! Christ is the head of the Church with the Pope who succeeded from Peter as his vicar.

"And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ." (Matt 16:18-20 ESV)

Even if not one person in the Church was saved or holy she (the Church as the Bride of Christ) would still be holy and perfect because Christ is one with his bride! And he sanctifies her with his very own body! The Catholic Church was founded by Christ and this is a historical fact see above quote. The Catholic Church is The Apostolic Church like it or not! She has existed for almost 2,000 years despite the many people throughout history that tried to take her out! Satan has tried, but Christ promised that the gates of hell will not prevail against his Church (Matt 16:18 noted above).

This also implies that Satan will sure try and he has! Only the Catholic Church has stood while others fall! I want to invite you to learn more about the Church with an open mind apart from the anti-Catholicism that you may be accustomed to. There are many awesome people who write openly and honestly about the faith. Steve Ray a convert is one of them, also check out Tim Staples and Jimmy Akin also converts from Protestantism to Catholicism. Go to Catholic.com for more information.

And just learn even if you never agree just learn about the Church from real Catholics who love the faith! I am not asking you to agree just take a look openly and honestly. You can read the Catechism of the Catholic Church for the truth about what the Church actually teaches and stop getting your info about the faith from people who don't know or never really understood in the first place.

God bless!

Sincerely Joanne Utke