DEFENSE OF THE CATHOLIC FAITH

TO THE NON-CATHOLIC (PROTESTANT OR HEBREW)

If your views are non-Catholic (1) and whatever is your faith (if you have one of course), then you are wrong if you try to apply the Enlightenment philosophy to criticize or try to disproof the faith in Jesus Christ.

The mistake lies precisely in trying to use the two-way logic of true and false – which is characteristic of Enlightenment philosophy and Modernism theology – to the unrevealed trascendent which exists even in the Cathoilic faith in Jesus Christ.

The Bible, Old and New Testament, is full of powerful examples in which the undecidable trascendent appears. Thus all the miracles of faith, in particular those performed by Jesus Christ and described in the Gospel, are such because they are rationally beyond our understanding (and remain therefore undecidable to reason). However we have to believe that they are true! (“At least believe in my works” John 10:31-42).

A second example is provided by the Gospel of John 1:12-13 which states “to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.” So the elects (of heaven) are those who are chosen by the God Father. However, at the the same time they are saved because: 1) they have decided to believe in Jesus Christ! 2) they have acted consequently (performing also the works of good!) 3) because they carried their cross as Jesus Christ asked us to do! 4) because, some of them, gave their lives for the others. So Luther and Calvin (and you!) are completely wrong!

Finally, as a third example, Jesus Christ appointed Peter in the Gospel of Matth16:18-19) as the head of his only Church stating: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven”. But, among the followers of Peter, there have been and still are unworthy and sinful popes. However, still the Church existence and uniqueness remains unaffected. Because the Church isthe mystical body of Jesus Christ which cannot be destroyed by the gates of hell!