Phoenix, AZ. One of the more common encounters our evangelists have are with Evangelicals, some of which are former Catholics. These encounters are often very positive. Most times, they hadn’t had the Catholic faith passed on to them very well, and just ended up finding Christ elsewhere. So what they find in our evangelists are fellow servants of Christ. Our evangelists, for their part, also find servants of Christ in Evangelicals, just servants needing to be brought up to speed on a few matters.
The Phoenix North team was recently approached by Robert, a former Catholic, and non-denominational Christian. They had a good encounter! Both Robert, and our team, have a special love for the homeless. Here is a report from the team leader, Susan:
“Robert said he still thinks Catholics and other Christians share the same core beliefs. Evangelist Erin talked to him about returning to the Church Christ founded and receiving the Sacraments. He accepted two SPSE pamphlets, including ‘Reasons to Return.’ He also explained that he wears a big bold cross so people will engage him about his faith. He said the homeless often speak with him, and Robert commended the Phoenix North team for giving lunches to the homeless near the downtown library where they set up twice a month.”
“Two people stopped by and asked for Bibles, which this team keeps on hand and can afford by purchasing used Catholic Bibles at secondhand stores. While most people of means have easy access to Bibles, the homeless often do not.”
Encounters with Evangelicals and other Christians are great opportunities to build up trust and fellowship across divisions, and to clear up misunderstandings. Join us! We pray that one day all Christians will be reunited in the one Church that Christ founded. Thanks, team Phoenix North!
The cause of all the problems –The Reformation–the solution return to The Holy Catholic Faith. Catholics are the first and only Christians-others (including Muslims) only believe parts of Catholic Doctrine and that is defined as a heretic-only believing parts of a whole doctrine. Of a common Christianity there has never been and never can be a definition, for it has never existed. There is no essential doctrine such that if we can agree upon it we can differ about the rest: as for instance, to accept immortality but deny the Trinity. A man will call himself a Christian though he denies the unity of the Christian Church; he will call himself a Christian though he denies the presence of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament; he will cheerfully call himself a Christian though he denies the Incarnation.
No; the quarrel is between the Church and the anti-Church. The Holy Catholic Church of God and The anti-God, The Church of Christ and The anti-Christ. There never has been and never can be or will be a general Christian religion professed by men who all accept some central important doctrines, while agreeing to differ about others. There has always been, from the beginning, and will always be, the Church, and sundry heresies either doomed to decay, or, like Mohammedanism, to grow into a separate religion.
The reconversion of our world to the Holy Catholic faith is the only hope for our future!
It was the faith that gradually and indirectly turned the slave into the peasant serf and then into the free peasant. It was the faith which took the guild and made it the foundation for our modern world. It was the faith with is morality stopped usury from retuning us to slavery. The same usury that is today turning us into slavery.
“Our profession of faith begins with God, for God is the First and the Last, the beginning and the end of everything. The Credo begins with God the Father, for the Father is the first divine person of the Most Holy Trinity; our Creed begins with the creation of heaven and earth, for creation is the beginning and the foundation of all God’s works.”
—the Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 198
Catholic belief is succinctly expressed in the profession of faith or credo called the Nicene Creed:
The Nicene Creed
I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come. Amen.