Is the Catholic Church the One True Church?

[palmas85]

Is the Catholic Church the One True Church?

I have heard many opinions on this and would like to hear what people say on the issue.

AND

Is the official Church teaching that All religions have value and that God can be found in them?

Is so, then why practice Catholicism?

 

[buffalo]

palmas85:

Is the Catholic Church the One True Church?

I have heard many opinions on this and would like to hear what people say on the issue.

AND

Is the official Church teaching that All religions have value and that God can be found in them?

Is so, then why practice Catholicism?

Yup, the Catholic Church is the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic.

All religions have some truths that can be discovered by reason alone. God through His Creation has left tons of evidence. The Catholic Church possesses the fullness of truth in her teachings.

So why would anyone only stay with partial truths when they can go with the whole truth?

 

[Della]

palmas85:

Is the Catholic Church the One True Church?

I have heard many opinions on this and would like to hear what people say on the issue.

Yes, it is the one, true Church because it was founded by Christ on Peter and the Apostles, whose successors are the pope and bishops of the Catholic Church.

Is the official Church teaching that All religions have value and that God can be found in them?

Is so, then why practice Catholicism?

Whatever is true in any religion has value because the faith is the truth. However, they do not have the baptism that Christ established for the initial reception of saving grace. Only within Christianity do people receive the trinitarian baptism (in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit).

Those who may be saved who have not had the trinitarian baptism may be saved because they did what they knew to do according to the grace that God gave them, which for them, is a baptism of desire, which the Church accepts as a true form of baptism.

Of course, we cannot possibly know who would fall into the category of baptism of desire nor is it easy to live a life pleasing to God without the sacraments of the Church to help us, so missionary work is not only right to do, it is necessary to reach as many people as possible with the Gospel preached in and through the Church so that they can be saved without a doubt.

 

[Christus_Rex]

This is a bad poll because it is not a multiple choice poll.

Catholics would tick 3 out of those 4 choices:

1. The Catholic Church is the one true Church.
2. All faiths have some value in them (but still no. 1)
3. Salvation CAN be found outside the Church.

**Michael :bounce: **

 

[Anima_Christi]

Absolutely, the Catholicism is the one and only true religion; someone who is not actually a member of the Catholic Church could be saved, but only just barely!

 

[palmas85]

This is a bad poll because it is not a multiple choice poll.

Catholics would tick 3 out of those 4 choices:

1. The Catholic Church is the one true Church.
2. All faiths have some value in them (but still no. 1)
3. Salvation CAN be found outside the Church.

**Michael :bounce: **

Yeah, after posting it I saw that it wasn’t what I wanted but I didn’t know how to change it so I left it as it was. Sorry about that.

 

[Genesis315]

This is a bad poll because it is not a multiple choice poll.

Catholics would tick 3 out of those 4 choices:

1. The Catholic Church is the one true Church.
2. All faiths have some value in them (but still no. 1)
3. Salvation CAN be found outside the Church.

**Michael :bounce: **

Actually number 3 isn’t technically true and the one about there only being salvation in the Catholic Church is true. There is only salvation in the Catholic Church, as it is the universal instrument of salvation. Even people of other religions who are saved, are saved by Christ through the Catholic Church. So these people of other religions who may be saved are not actually outside the Church:thumbsup: . Those who at death are outside the bosom of the Church, will not be saved.

Here’s a good discussion of this topic:
Dominus****Iesus

 

[David_Paul]

Yes. And I’m not Catholic.

 

[BarbaraTherese]

Is the Catholic Church the One True Church?

Hi there Palmas85…incidentally in the Poll I did not realize it was only one vote. I would have voted Yes Catholicism is the one true Church…and also that salvation can be found outside Catholicism in other Churches.
Christianity is based on The Bible and so I quote the words of Jesus: “thou art Peter The Rock and on This Rock I shall build my Church and the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it”
Catholicism can trace back through our Popes to Peter our first Pope in an unbroken line. No other Christian Church can do this - they all appear later in history. The Catholic Church goes back in an unbroken line to the time of Jesus and his appointment of Peter as first leader of His Church (Pope as we now title our leader).
The second point to consider is that Jesus stated on appointing Peter as first leader that Hell would never dominate His Church. Hence Catholicisms claim that her teachings on Faith and Morals are never incorrect flows from the words of Jesus that Hell would NEVER dominate His Church.
Hence reason tells one that Catholicism is the one and true Church started by Jesus who was actually our very first leader, and he then appointed Peter.

Is the official Church teaching that All religions have value and that God can be found in them?

Yes potentially. The Catholic Church teaches that salvation can be found outside Catholicism. In fact the criteria Jesus as Saviour and Judge will apply for those he claims as his own is laid out in The Gospels. Hence to be a baptized Catholic is not the only criteria he intends to appply because he stated “Not all who say Lord! Lord! shall enter into My Kingdom”. There are duties and responsibilities asked of a Catholic by The Church and of course Jesus. I belive and I think it is a teaching of The Church that all people of goodwill are potentially anyway saved whether they belong to Catholicism or not.

Is so, then why practice Catholicism?

Although salvation can be found outside Catholicism, the reason we practise Catholicism is because we experience it in some way as a call from Jesus to Catholicism. “In some way” is meant to cover a very broad spectrum of reasons for faithfully practising Catholicism. For example some may have been born and raised into a Catholic home, education etc. etc. and just never questioned that belonging. I was born and raised in a Catholic home and educated all my life by nuns…but in my teens the choice to practise Catholicsm became quite personal to me and disconnected I feel from having been raised Catholic.

Thats pretty much as I see it. Good questions though!

Regards, Barb

 

[TNT]

Anima Christi:

Absolutely, the Catholicism is the one and only true religion; someone who is not actually a member of the Catholic Church could be saved, but only just barely!

You are either saved or not. There is no “barely” that I am aware of. One is not “barely” pregnant, barley dead, or barely saved.
You is or you ain’t.
The church OBJECTIVELY teaches “no salvation outside the catholic church”.
People (theologians, etc.) SUBJECTIVELY SPECULATE on any salvation otherwise.

Mixing these 2 together is the start of dogmatic spaghetti , and only leads to dilution of dogma and the overthrow of the Apostolic Faith.
Leave SUBJECTIVITY to God who is Perfect Justice and Mercy.
The Church teaches OBJECTIVELY, not subjectively. Witness, No one has ever been canonized a Saint outside the Catholic Church. Witness, the Church did not have requiem Masses for any unbaptised person. Witness, the Church offers no sacrament to an unbaptised person. Witness, the Church exercises no authority over an unbaptised person or any in a baptizing sect.
These are all based on OBJECTIVE dogma, not on subjective speculation.
The answer to the question is yes, the Catholic Church is the ONLY true Church, since ALL sects are in constant protest to one or more of Her Teachings that go back to the early Church which was Catholic. No sect exists because it protests the “Assumption” being declared a Dogma in 1950.

Now, IF the Catholic Church is the ONE true Church, by that very statement, ALL others must be UNTRUE since the statement says “ONE”.

Embracing “UNTRUE” does not lead to salvation.

 

[Ignatius]

David_Paul:

Yes. And I’m not Catholic.

Come on home?

Pax Christi.

 

[Anima_Christi]

TNT:

You are either saved or not. There is no “barely” that I am aware of. One is not “barely” pregnant, barley dead, or barely saved.
You is or you ain’t.
The church OBJECTIVELY teaches “no salvation outside the catholic church”.
People (theologians, etc.) SUBJECTIVELY SPECULATE on any salvation otherwise.

Mixing these 2 together is the start of dogmatic spaghetti , and only leads to dilution of dogma and the overthrow of the Apostolic Faith.
Leave SUBJECTIVITY to God who is Perfect Justice and Mercy.
The Church teaches OBJECTIVELY, not subjectively. Witness, No one has ever been canonized a Saint outside the Catholic Church. Witness, the Church did not have requiem Masses for any unbaptised person. Witness, the Church offers no sacrament to an unbaptised person. Witness, the Church exercises no authority over an unbaptised person or any in a baptizing sect.
These are all based on OBJECTIVE dogma, not on subjective speculation.
The answer to the question is yes, the Catholic Church is the ONLY true Church, since ALL sects are in constant protest to one or more of Her Teachings that go back to the early Church which was Catholic. No sect exists because it protests the “Assumption” being declared a Dogma in 1950.

Now, IF the Catholic Church is the ONE true Church, by that very statement, ALL others must be UNTRUE since the statement says “ONE”.

Embracing “UNTRUE” does not lead to salvation.

What I meant is that is is more difficult to be saved if you are not Catholic or Catholic but not practicing, TNT. Here is an example: Brother John is a very holy monk who loves Jesus and Mary with his whole heart and took care of the poor and sick and was not attached to material posessions. When he dies he only spends a couple days in purgatory, if not straight to heaven. Fred on the other hand lived a life of sin and debauchery, loving no one as much as himself. On his deathbed, he had a change of heart and made a good confession and died immediately after the absolution. Because of this, God had mercy on him and he too was saved, though he had to spend many centuries in purgatory before he could enter heaven. So both men were saved, but Fred was just barely saved.

 

[Robert_in_SD]

The Catholic Church is the one true church, but other christian churches may have some truth. They just do not have the complete truth. So your choices are not necessarily mutually exclusive.

Peace,

 

[palmas85]

Robert in SD:

The Catholic Church is the one true church, but other christian churches may have some truth. They just do not have the complete truth. So your choices are not necessarily mutually exclusive.

Peace,

What about Non-Christian Religions, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddist, Shinto, etc. Can they be saved? If so, how?

 

[Genesis315]

palmas85:

What about Non-Christian Religions, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddist, Shinto, etc. Can they be saved? If so, how?

If they are non-Catholic through no fault of their own, they may be saved if they obey the law written on all our hearts and search for truth with an open heart following the graces they are given. If they are saved, it will still be by Christ through the Catholic Church as the Church is the universal instrument of Salvation. Baptism by desire probably works for those in this invincibly ignorant state. If they knew Baptism was necessary, they would desire it.

 

[palmas85]

Genesis315:

If they are non-Catholic through no fault of their own, they may be saved if they obey the law written on all our hearts and search for truth with an open heart following the graces they are given. If they are saved, it will still be by Christ through the Catholic Church as the Church is the universal instrument of Salvation. Baptism by desire probably works for those in this invincibly ignorant state. If they knew Baptism was necessary, they would desire it.

Religions such as Judaism and Islam expressly reject the truth that Jesus Christ is the only begotten son of God and instead see him as a minor prophet. A holy man to be sure, but a mortal man and nothing more. Since they expressly reject Jesus Christ, and since Jesus said “No man comes to the Father except through me”, how is it possible that they can be saved?

 

[Genesis315]

palmas85:

Religions such as Judaism and Islam expressly reject the truth that Jesus Christ is the only begotten son of God and instead see him as a minor prophet. A holy man to be sure, but a mortal man and nothing more. Since they expressly reject Jesus Christ, and since Jesus said “No man comes to the Father except through me”, how is it possible that they can be saved?

Because God is merciful and He’s not going to damn someone if it’s not their fault. Even Muslims and Jews, who are so through no fault of their own, that may be saved, are still saved by Jesus Christ. They still go through Him, unknowingly as it may be.

 

[palmas85]

Genesis315:

Because God is merciful and He’s not going to damn someone if it’s not their fault. Even Muslims and Jews, who are so through no fault of their own, that may be saved, are still saved by Jesus Christ. They still go through Him, unknowingly as it may be.

If they expressly reject Jesus, as a tenet of their faith how is it not their fault? If I knowingly accept that faith and it’s beliefs, it would seem to me it was my choice, So I repeat my question, if Jesus is rejected, the how will they be saved? And to take it step further, if God is going to forgive everyone anyway as long as they live a good life, why did Jesus have to suffer and die the agonizing death that he did?

 

[stbruno]

No one can judge God’s mercy. We can make a good guess…but God’s mercy is not something anyone can predict or know for sure. Just remember the story about the vineyard’s owner who go out to hire laborers…those hired first are paid the same wage as those hired out later…God is free to do with each and everyone of us his will.

But for sure, as in our Apostolic and Nicene Creed, we believe in the One holy Catholic and Apostolic church.

 

[itsjustdave1988]

palmas85:

Is the Catholic Church the One True Church?

Yes, universally speaking. Yet, every particular Church which celebrates a valid Sacrament of Holy Eucharist is a true particular Church.

Is the official Church teaching that All religions have value and that God can be found in them?

No. Some religions have a ray of truth, not all.

Is so, then why practice Catholicism?

Because it’s the Church established by God’s only begotten Son, which has the fullness of truth. It’s hard enough knowing the truth and following it. To accept a “ray of truth” mixed with damnable error can lead to eternal damnation.