Why I Believe in One Holy Catholic church

Why I Believe in One Holy Catholic church

I am a Catholic because I sincerely believe, by virtue of much cumulative evidence, that Catholicism is true, and that the Catholic Church is the visible Church divinely-established by our Lord Jesus, against which the gates of hell cannot and will not prevail (Mt 16:18), thereby possessing an authority to which I feel bound in Christian duty to submit. I am convinced that the Catholic Church conforms much more closely to all of the biblical data, offers the only coherent view of the history of Christianity (i.e., Christian, apostolic Tradition), and possesses the most profound and sublime Christian morality, spirituality, social ethic, and philosophy. We Roman Catholics believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God, and worship the God of Abraham. The Roman Catholic Church has a single leader, the Pope, who is also the Bishop of Rome. Present day governance of the Church is divided hierarchically into Dioceses overseen by a Diocesan Bishop, who in turn oversees Diocesan priests and deacons on the level of the individual Church. The original Christian community was founded by Jesus Christ and led by the Apostles. The Roman Catholic Church considers itself to be the sole and uninterrupted continuation of the first-century Church. The Church has always been pro-life.

The term "Catholic" is frequently used as an adjective meaning, "pertaining to the Roman Catholic Church." is "universal" The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with 1.2 billion members. It is among the oldest institutions in the world and has played a prominent role in the history of Western civilisation. The Roman Catholic Church asserts that the Pope is the divinely-chosen successor of St. Peter, believing him to be the 'rock' (Matthew 16:18) upon whom Jesus built his Church. The Roman Catholic Church has suffered several schisms over its history. Most notable are those involving the Church of the East following the First Ephesian Council, the Oriental Orthodox churches following the Council of Chalcedon, the Eastern Orthodox Church following the Great Schism of 1054, and the several Reformations of the 16th century leading to the development of Protestantism. The Pope and the  international leadership of the Church are based in Vatican City, a sovereign elective monarchy and an enclave of Rome established by the 1929 Lateran Treaty. The Catholic Church has a complex hierarchy of clergy, including (in descending order of rank):

 

1. The Pope 2. Cardinals 3. Archbishops 4. Bishops 5. Abbots 6. Monsignors 7. Arch priests 8. Priests 9. Deacons

 

The Roman Catholic Church stresses that since the members, living and dead, share in each other’s merits, the Virgin Mary and other saints and the dead in Purgatory are never forgotten, may be addressed in prayer, and intercedes with God on the behalf of the living. The very physical and spiritual body and blood of Christ are believed to be present in the Eucharist, the bread and wine being Jesus himself, replacing the material of bread and wine. The principal sources for the essential beliefs of the Catholic Church are the Sacred Scriptures (the Bible), Sacred Tradition, and the Living Magisterium of the Church.

The Roman Catholic Church teaches respect for all human life. It opposes the practices of contraception, abortion, euthanasia and (in most cases) capital punishment. The Church is in favour of social justice and "the common good.

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