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How Do We Know It’s the True Church?
Catholic Answers ^ | Fr. Dwight Longenecker

Posted on 08/14/2016 2:49:24 PM PDT by ADSUM

What are the twelve traits of authority, and how do they work?

First of all, it seems clear that their decision would have to be made from a historical perspective. It was not good enough to decide complex moral, social, or doctrinal issues based on popularity polls or yesterday’s newspaper. To decide difficult questions, a valid authority has to be historical.

(Excerpt) Read more at catholic.com ...


TOPICS: Apologetics; Catholic; History
KEYWORDS: authority; catholic; easternorthodox
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To: HarleyLady27

You need koinonia as well as theosis, and you can’t get the former by standing in front of the lake. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a church building, but the ambiance is conducive to both.


21 posted on 08/14/2016 4:37:39 PM PDT by chajin ("There is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12)
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To: HomerBohn
The fact is that an entirely new religion was created due to and subsequent to Vatican II and those 'popes' following that heresy will have a rough time explaining to their Maker the necessity for allowing change after change after change to be enacted.

Nonsense...the changes made by Vatican II were in rubrics,ceremonies, church layouts....there were no changes to Dogma nor anything of real consequence....I didn't like many of them, but in a 2,016 year old institution, they were basically pretty minor.

22 posted on 08/14/2016 4:51:55 PM PDT by terycarl (COMMON SENSE PREVAILS OVERALL)
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To: ThisLittleLightofMine

Your comment: “It is also disinegenous to believe that there are not doctrinal differences/practices among local Catholic churches.”

It is possible that some Catholics (including priests)do not fully believe or practice all doctrines of our faith. While there may be small differences (and language differences) the Sacrifice of the Mass is the same throughout the World. For example, some parishes offer the Cup while others do not. The consecrated Host contains both the Body and Blood of Christ.

There was an incident in 1257 at Regensburg, Germany at St Savior’s Chapel a priest offering the Sacrifice of the Mass wondered about the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. A hand from the altar crucifix, detached itself and removed the chalice from the hands of the priest. The priest with shock and fear, stepped back and fervently repented his doubt. It was only then that the chalice was restored to him.

However, the Catholic Church has a policy that deals with heretics or schismatics.For those who knowingly and deliberately (that is, not out of innocent ignorance) commit the sins of heresy (rejecting divinely revealed doctrine) or schism (separating from the Catholic Church and/or joining a schismatic church), no salvation would be possible until they repented and returned to live in Catholic unity.


23 posted on 08/14/2016 5:11:12 PM PDT by ADSUM
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To: LukeL

Do you remember Matthew 16?

18k And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church,* and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. 19l I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.* Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”


24 posted on 08/14/2016 5:21:14 PM PDT by ADSUM
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To: AC Beach Patrol

What did he say about Trump?


25 posted on 08/14/2016 5:21:21 PM PDT by Bigg Red (Go away, Satan! -- Fr.Jacques Hamel (R.I.P., martyr))
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To: bike800

“Can you point out the verse that states that only scripture is the only source of the truths of the church?”

Wrong question.

Can you justify ignoring the Word of God while claiming your church is the only true one??


26 posted on 08/14/2016 5:32:45 PM PDT by aMorePerfectUnion
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To: AC Beach Patrol

I am sorry you feel that way.

A very liberal mentor helped me think on how to solve problems beyond what I knew.

Perhaps you are not as conservative a Catholic as you think!

The homily this week to speak out about our faith even if people oppose the message.


27 posted on 08/14/2016 5:35:06 PM PDT by ADSUM
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To: ADSUM
This is an interesting glimpse into the mind of someone who does not understand authority. Authority does not come from tradition, it does not come from history, certainly it is not adaptable, authority does not have to be objective, authority is not adaptable, it either is or isn't, authority is for sure universal but that precludes it being local, authority has nothing to do with education in either the source of the authority or the people to whom the authority applies, in my finite mind authority is not human, it is however divine though it may have a human voice. If authority is not divine it is not authority it is simply the mingling of scripture with human philosophy.

Fr. Dwight Longenecker has given us interesting thoughts but they are incompatible with authority. Authority comes from God and yes His designated servants. Just because a council does not like what God has put in place does not give them authority to change it. I suspect that most people would like women to be ordained to the priesthood but if God says no, then no amount of discussion can make the answer “Yes” come from God.

While the Protestant world at least most of it claims scripture as their authority there are so many interpretations of scripture that in only the rarest of cases can the scripture be claimed as authority. Only the persons serving in their divinely appointed positions can say that “the scripture says this”!

Either the Pope is the conduit to Heaven or he is not if he is then nothing any other group has to say really matters, if he is not then the same holds true, then we are just making it up as we go along.

28 posted on 08/14/2016 5:46:57 PM PDT by JAKraig (my religion is at least as good as yours)
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To: HarleyLady27

Your comment: “You don’t need a ‘Church’ to believe in God...”

The mission of the Catholic Church is to lead us to eternal life with God. Membership is voluntary.

Then why did Jesus say this in Matthew 16?

18k And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church,* and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. 19l I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.* Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

or John Chapter 6:

Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. 54Whoever eats* my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. 55For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. 57Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me.b 58This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.”

Jesus provided His graces and His Sacraments through the Catholic Church.


29 posted on 08/14/2016 5:49:56 PM PDT by ADSUM
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To: Lurkinanloomin
Catholicism has a real problem, a number of people, including some Catholics, are not even sure this Pope is not a fake Pope. Is the Pope Catholic? used to be used as a rhetorical, of course. It’s not rhetorical anymore. Is the Pope Catholic?

come on, if he was elected by the college of Cardinals, then he is the Pope....The Catholic church has gone through a lot of Popes, some better than others, but ALL have fulfilled their obligation to NEVER challenge the dogmas of the church. Infallibility was ordained by Christ, and so far it has worked just fine!!!

30 posted on 08/14/2016 5:53:09 PM PDT by terycarl (COMMON SENSE PREVAILS OVERALL)
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To: ThisLittleLightofMine
It is also disinegenous to believe that there are not doctrinal differences/practices among local Catholic churches.

there aren't.

31 posted on 08/14/2016 5:54:50 PM PDT by terycarl (COMMON SENSE PREVAILS OVERALL)
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To: Gamecock
Of course that would mean that Roman Catholics agree on everything, yet we see constant warring factions inside of Rome.

seldom, if any, are there debates over anything important...rubrics, methodology, female authority, male authority, semantics are the usual discussions...but every Catholic church, in every country in the world conduct basically the same Mass.

32 posted on 08/14/2016 6:03:28 PM PDT by terycarl (COMMON SENSE PREVAILS OVERALL)
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To: AC Beach Patrol
Conservative and active practicing Roman Catholic here. Fr. Dwight Longenecker has nothing to teach me and I have no use for what this Trump-bashing POS has to say.

where on Earth, and why, did he ever bash Trump??????????

33 posted on 08/14/2016 6:05:02 PM PDT by terycarl (COMMON SENSE PREVAILS OVERALL)
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To: aMorePerfectUnion

Christ’s words: “I am the Truth, the Way and the Life.”

I’ll take his words above anyone else’s words.


34 posted on 08/14/2016 6:05:46 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: aMorePerfectUnion
All of the points are 100% made up and are simply an opinion of a former Anglican.

No they aren't...pay attention.

35 posted on 08/14/2016 6:06:51 PM PDT by terycarl (COMMON SENSE PREVAILS OVERALL)
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To: JAKraig

Authority comes from God and yes His designated servants.

So Jesus said:

18k And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church,* and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. 19l I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.* Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

I am not clear on “what council does not like what God has put in place”? Please explain.

How is the author’s analysis incorrect?

I am not aware of anything that the Catholic Church has changed of the teachings of Jesus or the Apostles.

The Pope is a human and a sinner and each of has a different perspective on things, but I sense that the Pope is trying his best to lead the Catholic church inspired by the Holy Spirit. He can be wrong and make mistakes.

The Catholic Church needs to be strong in moral values so that we can do God’s will and join Him in Heaven.

How are we just making it up?


36 posted on 08/14/2016 6:10:49 PM PDT by ADSUM
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To: HarleyLady27
First of all, God’s Word is in the Bible, not the ‘Church’

And yet the Bible itself shows that the Church teaches with the authority of the Holy Spirit (See the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15).

37 posted on 08/14/2016 6:11:41 PM PDT by Petrosius
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To: HarleyLady27
You don’t need a ‘Church’ to believe in God...

true, on the other hand, if you believe in God, why wouldn't you belong to the church that He founded???

Jesus personally founded, on the Apostles, what is known as the Catholic church...He instituted sacraments to guide us through His church....Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist, Confirmation, Matrimony, Holy Orders, Extreme Unction...all of which show His never ending love for His chosen people.

38 posted on 08/14/2016 6:14:41 PM PDT by terycarl (COMMON SENSE PREVAILS OVERALL)
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To: Bigg Red
Longenecker has written much calumnious BS about Trump. Too much to list here. But I'll post just one line below (NB: he's said much worse). I have no time for some pseudo-intellectual Anglophile who doesn't work a real job dismissing the opinion of the vast majority who do.

This election season has forced me to reassess my allies. I've had to write off quite a few writers I formerly admired because of their anti-Trump snipes (e.g., Peter Kreeft). But it's been beneficial, it's made me return to the real Catholic greats (Aquinas, Chesterton, Belloc, Ronald Knox, et al.).

Fr. Dwight Longenecker: "Putting a braying windbag like Donald Trump up as a candidate for President?" Patheos blog

39 posted on 08/14/2016 6:18:50 PM PDT by AC Beach Patrol
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To: terycarl

Bro, I read the article. Not a single verse from the +30,000 in the Scriptures to justify any of the made up “proof.”


40 posted on 08/14/2016 6:19:22 PM PDT by aMorePerfectUnion
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