Why the Church Is Necessary
Introduction
Many people say:
“I believe in Christ, but not in organised religion.”
“I follow Jesus, not the Church.”
“The Church is a human institution.”
These statements are common, even among baptised Catholics.
But they raise a fundamental question:
Did Christ intend to leave behind a visible, authoritative Church — or merely a collection of individual believers?
The answer shapes everything.
1. What Christ Established
The Gospels do not present Jesus as forming a loose spiritual movement.
He chose twelve apostles.
He gave them authority.
He entrusted them with teaching and sacramental power.
To Peter He said:
“You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church.”
He did not say, “I will inspire individuals privately.”
He spoke of building something.
A Church.
A visible body.
After the Resurrection, He commanded:
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations… teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
Teaching implies authority.
Authority implies continuity.
If Christ is Lord, and if He entrusted authority to the apostles, then His intention was not temporary organisation but enduring structure.
2. Apostolic Succession
The apostles did not believe their authority ended with their deaths.
From the earliest centuries, bishops were appointed as successors.
This is called apostolic succession.
It means that the Church’s teaching authority does not arise from popular opinion, academic debate, or democratic vote.
It arises from Christ’s commission.
Without apostolic succession:
There is no stable transmission of doctrine.
No authoritative resolution of disputes.
No guarantee of sacramental continuity.
The canon of Scripture itself was discerned and preserved within this apostolic Church.
The Bible did not descend complete from heaven.
It was recognised, protected, and transmitted by the Church.
To accept the New Testament while rejecting the Church that preserved it is historically inconsistent.
3. Authority and Freedom
Modern culture often associates authority with oppression.
Authority is seen as limitation.
But authority is not inherently tyrannical.
Parents exercise authority to guide children.
Teachers exercise authority to transmit knowledge.
Judges exercise authority to preserve justice.
Authority exists for order and truth.
If Christ is Lord, His authority is real.
If He entrusted that authority to His Church in matters of faith and morals, then obedience is not servility.
It is alignment with truth.
The Church does not claim infallibility in every statement.
She claims protection from error in essential matters of faith and morals.
That claim rests not on human perfection but on Christ’s promise:
“I am with you always.”
4. The Problem of Scandal
One of the most serious objections to the Church is the sin of her members.
History includes:
Abuse of power.
Moral failure.
Scandal and corruption.
These wounds are real and grievous.
But the existence of sin within the Church does not negate her divine origin.
The Church never claimed that her members would be sinless.
She claims that Christ preserves her essential teaching.
There is a difference between:
The holiness of the Church’s source
and
The weakness of her members.
If corruption disproved divine mission,
Christ would never have chosen fallible apostles.
The presence of weakness does not eliminate the need for authority.
It makes divine guidance more necessary.
5. Why Private Religion Fails
Without a visible, authoritative Church:
Doctrine fragments.
Interpretation becomes individual.
Moral teaching shifts with opinion.
Christian history demonstrates this reality.
When authority is rejected, division multiplies.
The Church’s visible unity — despite centuries of challenge — is itself evidence of something deeper than human organisation.
Faith was never meant to be purely private.
It is personal, but not individualistic.
The sacraments require community.
The Eucharist requires priesthood.
Confession requires authority to absolve.
A purely private faith cannot sustain sacramental life.
6. Why This Matters
If Christ founded the Church:
Her teaching carries weight.
Her sacraments carry grace.
Her moral instruction carries authority.
If the Church is merely human,
then doctrine is advisory and optional.
But if she is the body of Christ in history,
to belong to Christ is to belong to His Church.
Not because the Church is flawless.
But because Christ is faithful.
Conclusion
The Catholic Church is not a spiritual association formed by consensus.
She claims to be founded by Christ, sustained by the Holy Spirit, and guided in essential truth.
This claim must be examined seriously.
If it is true, it demands loyalty.
If it is false, it must be rejected entirely.
Indifference is not a coherent position.
The question is not whether the Church has human weaknesses.
It is whether Christ truly established her.
Reflection Questions
Do I treat the Church’s teaching as binding or optional?
Have I separated Christ from the Church in my thinking?
Do I understand the historical reality of apostolic succession?
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ,
You founded Your Church
and promised to remain with her.
Strengthen my trust in Your authority.
Guard me from pride and isolation.
Keep me faithful to the body
You established for our salvation.
Amen.
St. Mary's, St. John Bosco and St. Edward's 