Are You Sure You Are Catholic?

And this is love, that we follow his commandments; this is the commandment, as you have heard from the beginning, that you follow love. For many deceivers have gone out into the world, men who will not acknowledge the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh; such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. | 1 John 5:3-5

Advent is a time to pause and refocus our hearts on God. It’s a season to seek His grace and stay aware of the promise of Jesus Christ’s return. Advent is an opportunity to reflect on our spiritual lives, looking to the example of the saints and Christ Himself, so we can welcome Him with a pure heart, mind, body, and soul.

But first - Christ the King!

Who is Jesus? What is Jesus' identity? He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. He is 'I am', God. He is the Good Shepherd. He is the Bread of Life. He is... the King of the Universe! He wants us to share in his identity.

Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” St Matthew 16:16

For the Son of God became man so that we might become God. St. Athanasius.

The Catholic Church includes Catholics of the Latin Rite, commonly called Roman Catholics, and Ukrainian Greek Catholics, Chaldean Catholics, Maronite Catholics, Melkite Catholics, Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankar Catholics, and some 17 additional sui iuris churches.

Sui iuris, also spelled sui juris, is a Latin phrase that literally means "of one's own right". It is used in both the Catholic Church's canon law and in secular law. The term church sui iuris is used in the Catholic Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches (CCEO) to denote the autonomous churches in Catholic communion.

The term 'Catholic' is used by various groups that aren’t actually in communion with the Church. While they might identify as 'Catholic', simply saying so doesn’t necessarily make them truly Catholic.

"I’m a raccoon," Pat declared.

“Seriously?!” Jean, Pat’s mom, blurted out. “And how do you even know that?” 

"Because I said so," Pat growled.

Catholic Identity in Christ

For starters, a Catholic is one who is in communion with Jesus Christ and the Church he founded on the shoulders of Saint Peter. Since the beginning, Catholics have asserted that the one true Church is that which is headed by Jesus Christ and entrusted to his earthly supreme shepherd - the Bishop of Rome of the See of Peter and Saint Paul, the Holy See, the Apostolic See.

180 AD | St. Irenaeus, Against Heresies

It is a matter of necessity that every Church should agree with this Church, on account of its preeminent authority.

St. Irenaeus was a disciple of St. Polycarp who was a disciple of St. John the Apostle.

A Tree Is A Tree Is A Tree

The Catholic Church isn’t just one branch among many; it’s the trunk and roots. Legitimate churches, like the Greek and Slavic national churches, split off and to this day, often drift in and out of communion with each other. These national churches lack the Petrine Office that Jesus gave to preserve unity in the truth. Too often, our brethren have been divided by political conflicts, as we’re seeing now between the Russian and Ukrainian national churches and the Patriarch of Constantinople.

The 2018 Moscow–Constantinople schism is an ongoing split between the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC, also called the Moscow Patriarchate) and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. It started on October 15, 2018, when the ROC unilaterally broke off full communion with Constantinople.

The resolution came as a response to the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople’s decision on October 11, 2018, which confirmed plans to grant autocephaly to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in the future. The decision also mentioned that the Holy Synod would immediately reestablish a stauropegion in Kyiv, meaning a church body directly under the ecumenical patriarch; revoke the 1686 “Letter of Issue” that had allowed the patriarch of Moscow to ordain the metropolitan of Kyiv; and lift the excommunications affecting the clergy and members of two unrecognized Ukrainian Eastern Orthodox churches.The two unrecognized churches, the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church (UAOC) and the Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kyiv Patriarchate (UOC-KP), were rivals of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) (UOC-MP) and were labeled as “schismatics” (illegally separated groups) by the Moscow Patriarchate and other Eastern Orthodox churches.

1. Meyendorff, John. "Eastern Orthodoxy." Encyclopædia Britannica Online. May 4, 2015.
2. Statement from the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church regarding the Patriarchate of Constantinople’s encroachment on the Russian Church’s canonical territory. 15 October 2018.
3. Minutes of the meeting of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church of 15 October 2018.
4. MacFarquhar, Neil (15 October 2018). Russia Takes Further Step Toward Major Schism in Orthodox Church. The New York Times.

Groups like the Anglican Catholic Church and the Old Catholic Church may share many similarities with the Catholic Church, especially its Latin patrimony, but they are not in communion with the See of Peter. They don’t have the Petrine Office, which serves as the Office of Unity, and to varying extents have embraced societal practices like divorce and remarriage. Allowing bishops to marry is a clear departure from the Apostolic tradition upheld by both the Catholic Church and the national Eastern churches.

For a Catholic, communion is to be in communion with Jesus. One must also be in communion with His Church headed by the successor of Peter. Some clergy may be daft and devious but that does not detract from the fact that Christ promised to protect his Church (St Matthew 16:18).

St Matthew 16:13-20 | Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesare′a Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do men say that the Son of man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Eli′jah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter,[c] and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Then he strictly charged the disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.

Benedict IX - yikes!

There have been some horrifyingly bad popes - Theophylact of Tusculum, aka Benedict IX, for one, and the Office of Peter has been rent by multiple claimants to the Papal throne. And yet - here we are, one and alive with opportunities to thrive and, yes, still there are conniving clergy and laity.

These days there are some prominent - infamous? - Catholics who are in grave danger of losing their souls. Father James Martin, for one. Nancy Pelosi, for another, and many many others in the political sphere who are dancing with the devil. They are the one's we can see and acknowledge the difficulties they are creating for themselves and others. Errant Catholics who are not in the public eye and known to God need our prayers as much as Catholic politicians, businessmen and women, celebrities, etc.

The mission to save souls is greatly helped when people are given the information to help them compare their lives to a clear standard, a clear identity rooted in the truth that we are created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26). The bad news is that our likeness to God was lost through the Fall of Adam and Eve. Everyone is in need of redemption. The good news is the Gospel: Jesus Christ rescues us from sin and death and restores in us likeness to God. To cooperate with grace to accept Jesus as Lord of our lives and be baptized is a necessary beginning in our salvation in Christ.

To life!

To live is to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. To be alive is to be in communion with Jesus and His Church. To live and share the hope of eternal life is to be baptized and keep Jesus commandments (St John 14:15). A faithful disciple of Jesus cannot enable the culture of death. To remain idle or to willfully cooperate with the culture of death is to commit mortal sin. Indifference or ignorance to suffering is not an option for the Catholic Christian.

Society and culture are saturated with lukewarm Catholics and those whose active participation in morally corrupt agendas casts a deep shadow over the Church and the world. Thankfully, with access to the internet, people in diverse countries and circumstances are discovering the beauty of the Catholic Faith and coming home to the Church. That fact is a threat to those who are aligned with deadly ideologies that rob people of their identity and lives. Many individuals recovering from crises are sharing on social media their agonizing stories of massive suffering, exposing deception and manipulation by health professionals. Every day we hear about Christians in Nigeria, the Congo, and other places being targeted by violent men driven by a corrupt ideology, resulting in dozens of deaths daily. An estimated 7000 Christians have lost their lives just this year.

Between 2010 and October 10, 2025, at least 185,000 people were killed in Nigeria on account of their faith , including 125,000 Christians.

Nearly 100 Christians have been killed in Nigeria between November 9-11, 2025, including coordinated attacks in the Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba state that left 20 Christians dead. SOURCE

19,100 churches have been burned to the ground and 1,100 entire Christian communities seized and occupied by jihadist forces allegedly backed or protected by the government. The crisis has led to the displacement of an estimated 15 million people, mainly Christians.

Our martyred brothers and sisters remind us of the cost of true discipleship. Where is our courage to live the Gospel without compromise?

So then, how might we be better Catholics?

As mentioned, by keeping the commandments of Jesus. We need the grace of God to live authentic lives of truth and charity required by the Gospel. All authentic relationships depend on truth and love. A loving and truthful disposition necessarily relies on the grace of God to sustain one in communion with God and neighbour.

We practice the corporal and spiritual works of mercy, tangible ways to cooperate with the mercy of God for the salvation of souls. Let's review.

Corporal works of mercy.

To feed the hungry

To give drink to the thirsty

To clothe the naked

To harbour the harbourless

To visit the sick

To ransom the captive

To bury the dead

Spiritual works of mercy.

To instruct the ignorant

To counsel the doubtful

To admonish sinners

To bear wrongs patiently

To forgive offences willingly

To comfort the afflicted

To pray for the living and the dead

St Matthew 25:40-45 | And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.’