My next door neighbor, a life long reprobate has just become a Christian.  He said that I, because I am a Catholic, am not a Christian.  I didn't know how to respond.  Have you any suggestions?

Sincerely,

Ann T. Thetical

I am reminded of the old saying, “The sinner can repent, but stupid is forever.” 

I would have responded to your neighbor, “I belong to the first Christian church, the Catholic Church."

Let's look at the facts.  If you are a member of the Assembly of God Church, you belong to a church founded about a century ago by the followers of Charles Parham. 

If you are an Anglican or Episcopalian you belong to a church founded by Henry the Eighth about 500 years ago, the same for the churches founded by Luther and Calvin.

If you go to a so called non denominational church, you are a member of a church founded by who knows who and who knows when.  They are phenomena of the seventies. 

If you are Eastern Orthodox, you belong to a church whose leader is the patriarch of Constantinople.  There was no Constantinople before Monday, May 11th 330 AD. 

If, however you are a Catholic, you belong to a church founded by Jesus through the ministry of Saints Peter and Paul and the other apostles.  Jesus charged Peter with the care of the church and finally came to Rome where his bones rest under the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica. 

The first Christians believed at a very early date that the bishop of Rome was responsible for the whole church.  About 90 AD St. Ignatius, bishop of Antioch said that the Church of Rome, presided over the whole church.  Around 180 AD St. Irenaeus the bishop of Lyon, France points out that all churches must agree with the Church of Rome if they are to preach and teach what Jesus preached and taught.  Just look in his Adversus Haereses, 3:3:2. 

Catholic is a Greek word that means universal. 

There were lots of little churches springing in the first days of Christianity, there were the Nicolaitans and the Cerinthians and the Ebionites and on and on, little sects that tried to reconcile the message of Jesus with Greek philosophy or eastern Gnosticism and so on.  Pretty soon people started talking about the church of the bishops, a Greek word that meant supervisor, and this church of the bishops or supervisors appointed by the first apostles, was soon referred to as the universal, or Catholic Church.

So, dear Ann, no other church has the historical right to claim that it was founded by Jesus through his first disciples. 

Though this argument will probably not mean much to most modern people, who are about as deep as a puddle, it is still the truth.  You, Ann, as a Catholic, belong to the very first Christian Church.

Remember Christ means Messiah, or anointed one.  You are a follower of Christ not of Wesley or Calvin or Luther or Parham, nor any other purely human organization. 

If your neighbor persists in heckling you, I would simply say, “You worship God in your way, and I'll worship Him in His.”

Sincerely,

Rev. Know-It-All