What is so good about being Catholics?

Sense of Awe and Holiness at Mass Celebration at Westminster Cathedral with the Pope and priests in the Eastern Rites (wearing black)

Here's is a blog entirely dedicated to the Papal UK Trip. One of the fascinating questions being asked is What’s so good about being Catholic? (Part One).

I wonder what’s on the head of the 1.9 billion Catholics worldwide and why they are Catholics?

In response to this blog intended for the Papal UK Trip (the first EVER State Visit by a Pope), let me rephrase the comment I’ve posted there:

I am so proud that I belong to the TRUE CHURCH of CHRIST founded upon Cephas (Simon Peter- the First Pope). And because Christ promised “hell shall NOT prevail” (Mt. 16) so SHALL it be.

For more than 2,000 years now, the Catholic Church has stood many wars and schisms. The Church survived attacks from all sides – from non-Christians, non-Catholics and Catholics themselves, the Universal Church has never wavered and is now 2,010 years old as we all see in our calendars (see Catholic Church Timeline).

I must admit I really love the Catholic Church and I love the Pope. I haven’t been so proud for being part of this Universal Church.

Among the many good reasons why I love Catholicism is that WE HAVE IT ALL!

We have variations of worship. We have what the Pentecostal Christians have—the Catholic Charismatic groups in various name but belonging to the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of Christ. We praise God in dance, trumpets, lyre, lutes, harps, drums, guitar, piano, bass – we have great Charismatic preachers in good numbers in different tongues and races.

We have the contemplatives where we can praise God in total silence and solitude. We have the monks, the hermits, the monateries, convents, retreat houses etc.

But the focal and highest form of worship is the Holy Mass where we all meet as one Church. Said in different rites richly coming from the 21 Eastern Catholic Tradition Rites and the Latin Rite, and the soon-to-be Anglican Catholic Rite in the making.

We have the Sacraments COMPLETE. Other Christians have 4 or 5 or 3 but in the Catholic Church we have the 7 Sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Communion, Penance or Reconciliation, Matrimony or Marriage, Holy Orders, Last Rite or the Anointing of the Sick.

We recognize three VOCATIONS: Married Life, Consecrated Life, and Single Blessedness.

We have a COMPLETE BIBLE which includes the Deuterocanonicals as CANONICAL. Protestants consider these books "less important" so that you cannot find them in any Protestant versions of the Bible.

We believe in Jesus Christ BOTH GOD and MAN as oppose to some Protestants who believed Jesus as God ONLY and to some who believed he’s a Man ONLY.

We accept all the 21 Ecumenical Councils (see Summary here) which our separated brethren in the Orthrodox Church recognized only some. In the Protestant Church, some totally recognized none of them.

We stand on what is TRUE. We do not succumb to secularism or political correctness.

We stand on what the Apostles stood for. We do not conform to modern cultures. We do not exist on popularity.

We promote UNITY. We initiate dialogue to other faiths. We promoted Ecumenism among Christian communities and Religious Dialogue among non-Christian faiths.

We meddle between the growing hatred between our elder brethren, the JEWS and our younger brethren, the MUSLIMS even at some point some infringe groups hated us most.

We promote PEACE. We build bridges to UNDERSTANDING. We unite cultures. We unite peoples. We heal wounds of division. We promote friendship. We let them walk inside our “houses of worship” even some religions do not allow us to enter theirs.

We LOVE LIFE. We PROTECT it. We detest abortion. We fight for the rights of every unborn child. We detest euthanasia. We care our elderly. We DO NOT agree on Capital Punishment. We stand for the promotion of HUMAN PERSON’S DIGNITY. We give and share Life, NOT to take it away. Only God can. We see the SANCTITY of Life.

We promote FAMILY VALUES. We oppose against unnatural family planning. We condemn the use of condoms, abortificient pills. We oppose against masturbation, same sex “marriage”, adoption of children by gay “couples” and promotion of sex. We view sex as something sacred that we promote celibacy, self-control, purity and virginity and marital respect for copulation. (see THE CHURCH TEACHINGS ABOUT BIRTH CONTROL)

We oppose DIVORCE, “what God has joined, no man can separate” thus making the Sacrament of Marriage SACRED and INDISOLUBLE.

We hated sin but not the sinner. We forgive repentant sinners (and apply justice to everyone who sinned) and give them a chance to amend their lives just as God has given us again and again the needed opportunity to correct our mistakes. We also elevate virtuous people who lived a saintly life. We promote emulating the saints who are heroes of the Church—friends of Christ whom they all looked up to.

We promote ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION. We see the grave sin of destroying nature which God created it so “good.” We are stewards of Creation.

We stand on what is true and what is moral. We don’t change our teachings; we stick to what is TRUE according to Holy Scripture and Sacred Tradition.

We celebrate the Holy Eucharist as our common and highest form of worship. We have the same readings all over the world everyday in the Mass. We celebrate the life of Jesus from Conception to Resurrection until he comes again.

We are united under the leadership of the Pope, the successor of Peter, our Central authoritative figure. There are no dissenters. When you say you are a Catholic you should adhere to what the Catholic Church teaches. If you don’t then you ceased to bear the name.

I thank God for I am a Catholic.