Four Marks Of The Church

Dear Parishioners, friends and family in Christ,

 

We live in a pluralistic society. And some believe that one religion is as good as another. Even among Catholics, many do not realize that the Catholic Church is different from the Protestant Church. Let us look at how the Catholic Church is different from any other church. We can also address the question: Why does the Catholic Church alone claim to be the true Church?

 

There are over 38,000 denominations of Protestant churches around the world. Jesus Christ didn’t leave behind a Bible. In fact, Jesus Christ didn’t leave behind any written material. Jesus Christ left us a living Church. The Church is One: it is the Church Jesus Christ founded.

 

Members of the Catholic Church are not necessarily holy people. But strengthened and healed by the Sacraments of the Church, we are on the way to holiness. It is because holiness is not attained by our own efforts but by God's grace. The Church can be seen as a hospital for broken and sick people, but the Church is holy because of God's presence.

 

Catholic means universal. Our Catholic faith is observed in many different languages all around the world, but we celebrate one and the same Holy Sacrifice of Jesus Christ. 

 

Jesus Christ called 12 apostles, and the apostles chose their successors, who in turn chose their successors to carry out the Apostolic mission and ministry of the Catholic Church. That Apostolic succession continues to this day. The Catholic Church is blessed with over 2,000 years of history in its unbroken line of Apostolic Succession. Pope Benedict XVI is the 265th Pope in the history of the Catholic Church.

 

Yours in Christ!

 

Fr. Peter Jae Choi