The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-10-04
POPULAR APOLOGET|CS
Adapted from the German of Rev.
Peter Mikes, S. j., by Rev. James
Watcher.
q. Why a Catholic?

OpJGCtions why dFc you SdII-
Ollie? Just because you were born So.
Answer: That alone would not be
sufficient | am a Catholic by the
grace of God and remain so because
l am convinced of the truth of the
Catholic Church. This conviction is
founded on the following facts:
1. The Catholic Church, founded by
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, presents
in its inner constitution and outward
spread such an overwhelmingly grand
and unique spectacle of victories over
all earthly and internal hostile pow
ers, which clearly proves that she is
the work of God.
The words of Gamaliel of old are
the real test: eff this work be of men,
it will come to nought. But if it be
of God, you cannot overthrow it,
(Acts 5:3S, 39).
AS creation has the stamp of it's
Creator SO the Catholic Church car
of its divine Founder. That is still
clearer if we compare her with other
Christian denominations.
The Greek-Russian Church is an old
fossil, a state church. There was not
a trace of the liberty of the Catholic
Church. Now that the state support
has gone to pieces, the church which
it supported will go the way of all
human institutions. 1t will split up
into warning factions more SO than
heretofore and the good will seek sal
walton where alone it can be found, in
the Catholic Church.
We need not say much about Prot
estanism with it's hundreds of contra
dictory sects. That this confusion
worse COMPOUNDED" cannot be from
God nor according to the will of God
is self-evident to any reasoning being
Truth is but one, as God, the author
of truth, is but one. Therefore two
contradictory doctrines cannot be
true. Hence, for example, it cannot
be true that baptism is necessary and
is not necessary for salvation; that
Christ is God and that He is not God,
etc. Well has the great convert, ''the
Master Mind of America" DR.. Brown.
son (1876) said that Professionalism
is a negative religion. That there is
very little positive faith in it is well
known. A great many who still call
themselves Christians, contradictory
as it is, deny the very foundation of
Christianity, the Divinity of Christ.
2. Of all religions no one has been
exposed so much to attacks and per.
H~ \,
Against Rome and the Catholics in
general RACES the longest storm known
to history. Thus it must be. The true
Church of Christ, being the bride of
Christ, must be like her bridegroom
and must hence experience the truth
of His words: IF they have perse,
cuted me, they will also persecute
you" John 1920. With cross and
crown of thorns she must walk the
way of the cross of her divine Bride
groom and Founder.
8. only to the Catholic Church be
long all those many and wonderful in
situations, which were founded by
God, to prove the manifest credibility
of Christianity. Yea, the Church is
In itself, on account of its wonderful
spread, it's superior sanctity and in
exhaustible fruitfulness of all good, or
account of it's Catholic unity and in
vincible perpetuity, grand perpetual
proof of it's credibility and an incon
trovertible witness of its divine mis-
sion. So it happens that, like dis
tinguished mark among the nations, il
invites on the one hand those who
have not yet attained to the faith, anG
on the other gives her children the
certainty that the faith which they
confess rests on unsuitable ground.
(The Vatican Council, sess. 3, char
81.
For a further development of these
proofs we must refer the reader tt
works on apologetics.