The Catholic Church Examined

This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

— Matthew 15:8–9

A Fair Assessment

The Catholic Church is the oldest continuously operating Christian institution. It preserves much of value — a reverence for the sacred, centuries of scholarship, genuine acts of charity, and sincere faith among its members. This examination is not of Catholic people — it is of the institutional claims and historical record.

The question is simple: Does the Catholic Church represent the true church of Jesus Christ, with legitimate priesthood authority and continuing revelation?

The evidence says no.

The Apostolic Succession Problem

The Catholic Church’s primary claim to authority is apostolic succession — an unbroken chain from Peter to the current Pope.

Historical Problems

1. The first and second century record is incomplete. The earliest documented “succession lists” were written well after the period they describe. Irenaeus (writing ~180 AD) is one of the first to list early popes — writing about events 150 years earlier.

2. Multiple simultaneous popes.Between 687 and 1417 AD, the church experienced numerous antipope controversies — periods where two or more individuals simultaneously claimed to be the legitimate Pope. Which line represents the valid succession?

3. The Western Schism (1378–1417 AD).Three simultaneous claimants to the papacy existed simultaneously. The Council of Constance resolved this — but a council of men, not God, determined which line was legitimate.

4. Morally disqualified leaders. Several popes engaged in conduct so extreme that even Catholic historians describe it as disqualifying:

• Pope Alexander VI (1492–1503): Known for nepotism, corruption, alleged murder, and fathering children while serving as pope
• Pope John XII (955–964): Reportedly ordained deacons in a stable, was accused of murder and sexual immorality
• The “pornocracy” period (904–963 AD): Papacy dominated by corrupt secular interests

Changes to Doctrine

The Nicene Creed — 325 AD

The doctrine of the Trinity as the Catholic Church teaches it — Father, Son, and Holy Ghost as three persons of one substance — was formalized by a council of men at Nicaea in 325 AD, under political pressure from Emperor Constantine.

The specific language — homoousios(“of one substance”) — is not found in the Bible. It was compromise language designed to settle a political dispute, not revealed truth.

The original biblical understanding — Father and Son as separate beings — is better supported by scripture. See Chapter 16 for full treatment.

Indulgences — Selling Forgiveness

The Catholic Church developed the practice of selling indulgences— certificates promising remission of sins, or release of deceased relatives from purgatory — for monetary payment.

Johann Tetzel, selling indulgences in Germany, famously marketed them with the phrase: “As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs.”

Martin Luther was absolutely right to call this out in his 95 Theses (1517).

Infant Baptism

The Catholic Church teaches that infants must be baptized. This contradicts the clear scriptural requirement that baptism follows faith and repentance:

Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.

— Acts 2:38

An infant cannot repent. An infant cannot exercise faith. The Book of Mormon addresses this directly:

And their little children need no repentance, neither baptism... little children are alive in Christ, even from the foundation of the world.

— Moroni 8:11–12

Papal Infallibility — Defined 1870

The doctrine that the Pope speaks without error on matters of faith and morals when speaking ex cathedra was formally defined at the First Vatican Council in 1870— not in scripture, not in the early church.

Popes have contradicted each other on matters of doctrine throughout history. The doctrine of infallibility applied retroactively creates logical impossibilities.

Suppression of Scripture

The Catholic Church actively suppressed Bible translation into common languages for centuries:

• William Tyndale— translated the Bible into English. Captured, strangled, and burned at the stake in 1536 at the Church’s instigation.
• John Wycliffe— translated the Bible into English in the 14th century. So hated by the Church that 44 years after his natural death, his body was exhumed and burned.
• Jan Huss— burned at the Council of Constance (1415) for criticizing Church practices.

The Verdict

The Catholic Church cannot be the true church of God because:

1. Its apostolic succession is historically incomplete and disputed
2. Core doctrines were determined by councils of men, not revelation
3. It sold forgiveness — an explicit corruption of the Atonement
4. It suppressed scripture and executed those who shared it
5. It has no mechanism for continuing revelation through a living prophet
6. It lacks the specific organizational structure Paul described
7. Papal infallibility contradicts the consistent record of papal error