I need prayer, suffering from a lot of doubts. I frequent the sacraments and have been talking to my spiritual director about my doubts but I have increasing intrusive doubts about the authority of the Church.
I need prayer because I am beginning to wonder if by not examining these doubts I am rejecting my conscience.
What are your doubts about, specifically? You said about the authority of the Church, right?
Well, I think the Catholic Church has a very good argument as to why it is the true Church. If you believe in scripture, Christ breathed on the disciples, told them to receive the Holy Spirit, that what sins they forgave were forgiven. So, at that moment, Christ gave the disciples divine authority to forgive sin!
Now, with Simon, Christ renamed him “Peter”, the “rock” on which Christ would build his Church and that the gates of hell would not prevail against it!
Peter was further given the “keys to the kingdom”, a symbol of authority, told what he held bound on earth would be bound in heaven! What he loosed on earth would be loosed in heaven!
Then, read the Bible. Peter was the foremost apostle, always listed first. He spoke for the apostles. In the absence of Christ, he was their clear leader. What Peter said was considered final.
Peter had the first miracle of the apostles. Christ told him to go back later and strengthen his bretheren.
Now, like with Judas, when he committed suicide, he was replaced with Matthew. These positions would now be referred to as “offices”. When Peter was martyred, he was likewise replaced.
Christ left the Church with Peter as its head, in his absence. Christ asked Peter, and him alone, to shepherd his sheep…3 TIMES!
The Catholic Church is a system that was started by Christ, himself. It is the longest running formal institution in the world, having endured some 2,000 years, through persecutions, etc. We don’t think it’s by any accident.
In fact, I’ve heard of even non-Catholics who study it to try to determine the secrets to its longevity. Christ left the Church with leadership, never leaving it as an orphan.
Some other churches have since split off. There was one where Henry VIII headed his own, because he couldn’t get an annulment, also wanted more power.
Some 35,000 or so other denominations have since cropped up. Yet, Christ said he established his “Church”, not “churches”.
The Catholic Church is the original.
Others have tried to improve upon it, not wanting to obey the pope. They’ve gotten their own “popes”, but they just don’t use that word. Some have just man-made authority rather than divine at the root.
Some people now reject the pope, priests, and Church. However, when one rejects the representatives Christ gave by divine authority, one is rejecting Christ. When one rejects Christ, he rejects the one who sent him.
Explore your doubts. Ask your questions, but I think if you do, you’ll see the Catholic Church is well based in scripture, tradition and the rest.
