If the Catholic Church had never existed! That is nonsensical. This is like saying, “What would plants be like if the sun never existed?” or “What would cars be like today if no one ever invented them?” If the Catholic Church never existed, then Jesus never came! God’s people would still be exclusively the Jews, waiting for their Messiah to come. The Catholic Church is Christ’s Church and His continuing presence on this earth until the end of time. It doesn’t matter if it ended up being called “The Way” Church or “The Messiah’s” Church or whatever else, instead of “The Catholic Church.” That Church is Jesus’ Church, the one He said He was founding and the one that He, in fact, founded. That Church wrote the Bible. The Gospels consist of the Catholic Matthew’s, the Catholic Mark’s, the Catholic Luke’s, and the Catholic John’s recording of the words and deeds of Jesus, and most of the rest of the NT consists of the Catholic St. Paul’s letters to the newly-founded Catholic churches in various parts of the world, his letters to the Catholic Bishops Timothy and Titus, and six letters written by the Catholic James, the Catholic John, and the Catholic Peter, who is the one whom Jesus founded His Church upon. The same Catholic Church who wrote the Scriptures, which are nothing more than (granted, very special) Church documents written for the edification and instruction of other Catholics, recognized these writings, and these alone, as her inspired writings when a few centuries later she collected them into our Church’s book which came to be known as “the Bible.” Why were dozens of other writings rejected? Because the same Church who collected the Scriptures, wrote the Scriptures. She recognized her own writings, that is, her own Holy Faith, and rejected the false gospels of the Gnostics and other groups, which she recognized as not coming from her, because these writings had things in them that were contrary to the Faith she was practicing at that time, and had always practiced. No Jesus, no Church. No Church, no Bible. Jesus’ sending of the Catholic Apostles out to preach the Gospel IS the Church. The only way Jesus could’ve come but that there be no Church is if he said to His Apostles, “What I have taught you is for you and you alone. Teach no one the things I have taught you. My teachings are to die with you.” Would we have had the Bible then? Of course not! Of course, this is utter nonsense! These Apostles were commanded to go into the world and to proclaim the Gospel, converting the world to Christ, which is identical with making these first hearers of the Gospel, and, subsequently, the rest of the world with them until the end of time, Catholic, that is, members of Christ’s mystical and “Universal” - that is, “Catholic” - body. Is the Gospel for all the world, and all who dwell therein? Did Jesus die for all men? Therefore, there is the Catholic Church, most aptly named. Whew!
Why do I care? Triumphalism? No, on the contrary. Because it is only there, through His Body, that the fullness of His Graces flow! Groups that separate themselves from this vine are like dead branches, good to be thrown into the fire and burned, if the break is big enough (e.g. the Arians), or, if the break is not complete, sick branches through which the sap trickles through (Protestantism). I only want others to have what Jesus Himself has given to His Church, which they have a right to possess, being Christians. And what has Jesus given to His Church? Himself, and, therefore, everything! Because His Church IS Himself, as it is His Body and His Bride. As St. Paul says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.”
