By RAYMOND DE SOUZA, KM
From the 15th century onward, there have been some novel doctrines about the nature of the Church of Christ. In order to avoid obedience to the pastors of the Church, especially the Pope in Rome, those creative little minds came up with the idea that the Church is not visible: That is, she has no organization as a society, but exists in the souls of the believers, spiritually united by Baptism. It is an individualistic understanding of Christianity, whereby it consists of the personal relationship between God and the individual, and everything else can be disposed of.
Unfortunately for those minds afflicted with itchy creativity, Jesus established His Church very much visible: The people worshipped publicly, were initiated into the Church by a rite celebrated in public — Baptism — the apostles made laws affecting people’s behavior, etc., etc. And the faithful were expected to acknowledge Him publicly, so that He might acknowledge them before His Father in Heaven (Matt. 10:32-33). He also pointed out that those who — because of cowardice, lukewarmness, or political correctness, as we’d say today — did not acknowledge Him in public, would not be acknowledged by Him before the Father in Heaven.
If there were so many thousands of martyrs in the early Church, it is because the Church was very much visible. Otherwise, Christians would have remained quietly at home reading the Bible — if there was one at the time — and avoid the hassle of having to acknowledge Him before men.
The Church of Christ is also imperishable — she will never cease to exist. As we have already seen in a previous article, the Church of Christ was not to exist only in the time of the apostles. Jesus’ words are crystal clear in this regard: “Going, therefore, teach ye all nations, and behold, I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world” (Matt. 28:19-20). It is evident that the world did not end with the death of the last apostle. They died, but the Church lived on….He founded her upon the Rock of Peter and sent the Holy Spirit to be with them and within them! Surely, that is enough guarantee that His Church will never cease to exist.
The Church of Christ is also infallible, that is, she is unable to teach any wrong doctrine in matters related to men’s salvation. Infallibility is a negative concept, as it refers to something she cannot do. Just as independence is also a negative concept, meaning no dependence. Many of her members may be bad news and have been bad news, even bishops and Popes, as we have had in the past, but never was a wrong teaching taught as if it were an infallible truth. Never.
It is simple to prove it: If the Church of Christ could fail in matters of doctrine and morals necessary for salvation, that is, if she had said anything like Luther did, such as “pecca fortiter, sed crede fortius” (sin strongly, but believe even more bravely), she would be leading people to eternal damnation.
So, if she did that, then Christ failed in His promise to be with her till the consummation of the world, and sending the Holy Spirit did no noticeable good to the generations after the apostles. Because if only the apostles were infallible in their teaching, how would anyone, after his death, be sure of the truth, since there was no Bible as we know it? The original writings having been lost, who would guarantee the accuracy of copies and translations? And who would know which interpretation would be correct?
It would have been the same chaos into which Luther brought his church, breaking apart into myriads of conflicting views. No, it does not make sense: If the Church failed, Christ failed in His promise to be with her. If Christ failed, his religion is useless….But since He cannot fail, neither can His Church, because of His promise. We can’t have it both ways.
But we also have an explicit promise of infallibility given to the Church by Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself: Read in St. Luke’s Gospel, chapter 22, how Jesus uses the very word that deals with infallibility: “Simon, Simon, behold Satan has desired to have you [plural] that he may sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for thee [singular] that thy faith may not fail; and thou, being once converted, confirm thy brethren.”
A faith that does not fail is infallible. Both words have the very same root. All the early fathers of the Church saw in this a privilege given to Peter and his Successors in the government of the Church.
But in giving the apostles authority over His Church, Christ did not make them independent of one another: He made them a united body with St. Peter at their head.
1) He built His Church on St. Peter as its supporting rock (Matt. 16:18). From St. Peter, therefore, the other apostles derived their strength; they belonged to the Church by being in communion with St. Peter.
2) To St. Peter He gave the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, which means that St. Peter is master of the gate to that Kingdom, and that only through him could the other apostles obtain admittance and authority.
3) He gave St. Peter His own office of Good Shepherd: “Feed my lambs,” He said to him. “Tend my sheep” (John 21:15-7), which shows that as He, Christ, had been the one and only Shepherd, so now St. Peter was to be the one and only shepherd in His place, with authority over all, including his brother apostles, the one supreme pastor to whom all should listen and whom all should obey.
Loyalty to St. Peter and his lawful Successors was therefore an outstanding characteristic of the Church founded by Christ. The authority which He gave the apostles and their successors He will never give to any others. The mission of the apostles is final and perpetual.
Next article: “Identifying the Church of Christ.”
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(Raymond de Souza is an EWTN program host; regional coordinator for Portuguese-speaking countries for Human Life International [HLI]; president of the Sacred Heart Institute, and a member of the Sovereign, Military, and Hospitaller Order of the Knights of Malta. His website is: www.RaymonddeSouza.com.)
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