Why Catholicism? Answering the Most Common Protestant Response to Conversions.

Daniel Currie

Whenever I speak to Protestants, one of the most common question's I get when asked about my conversion to the Catholic Church is why I chose Catholicism over any other denomination. And I see where they're coming from, if myself from 5 years ago saw me joining the Catholic Church now I would've probably had a stroke at just the idea of it. Living in the American South, many people (including myself) were raised with very anti-Catholic views. I remember my reaction to people around me in high-school who would tell me they were Catholic with utter disgust at times. Even in World History, we would talk about Martin Luther with great favor when discussing the Reformation.

The Protest in Protestant literally refers to the Protest against the Catholic Church. Many Protestants entire foundation of their faith is centered around defying the Holy Church.

Biblical Proofs

One of the most common objections Protestants have to the church, "Where does it say that in The Bible?". If we look in Matthew 16:18, we see one of the most blatant example of there being a Church since the very beginning of Christ's ministry:

"And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it."

The wording is very important here, up until this point Peter's name has been Simon, but suddenly, Jesus refers to him at Peter. So why is this? Cephas in greek means both Peter AND Rock. So when Jesus says that upon THIS Rock he is referring to Peter, and not some vague metaphorical invisible church that isn't actually a governing body. This quite literally refers to a Church that Christ has appointed St. Peter to lead and represent. Which through Apostolic Succession has continued until today through the existance of the Papacy. Also known as the Chair of St. Peter.

So why do we even have a Church? What's the point when we can just believe in the gospel?

The Magisterium of the Church is crucial to understanding EVERYTHING else in the Bible and within the Catholic Church. As St. Paul writes in 1 Timothy 3:15 that the Church is the:

“the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth”

So does this mean we self-interpret? That Christianity is just whatever you want to believe and that the Church isn't an actual entity on Earth? No. We were given a Church to help guide us, to help guide our interpretation, and without it we'd be even more fractured and divided as we are now thanks to the Protestant Reformation.

Ok, so where does it say that we cannot self-interpret?

Read Acts 8:30-31:

“So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and asked, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’ And he said, ‘How can I, unless some one guides me?’ And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him”

It's important to see that instead of the man, saying, "Of course I understand it!" it's made very clear that there would be no way for him to understand scripture without some guiding authority.

A lot of what Protestants believe is purely misguided, especially in the United States, this nation has gone through centuries of anti-Catholic propaganda and many people just don't know better. Only through the divine infallibility of the Catholic Church and the destruction of this propaganda may we be able to end this great heresy once and for all, and unite under One Church, One Lord. God Bless you all.