Anyone who has ever dipped a toe into the world of Catholic apologetics knows that there are some 30,000 so-called “Christian” denominations. That figure has been cited so many times, by so many people, for so long, it simply must be true, right?
On closer examination, the actual number is much smaller. According to some analysts, the correct figure is likely somewhere in the couple-of-hundred range here in the United States.
Now, don’t get me wrong, that’s still a staggering number of denominations, each having its own particular ethos, in some cases, with the personality and politics of the community’s leader serving as its most noteworthy defining characteristic.
At a certain point, however, it doesn’t really matter.
What matters a great deal is that there is but one true faith entrusted to the one true Church of Jesus Christ, the pillar and ground of truth (1 Tim. 3:15) that enjoys perfect and perpetual immunity from error and heresy (cf. Pope Pius XI, Quas Primas). This solitary religious society is eminently independent and above all others (cf Pope Leo XIII, Officio Sanctissimo), and Christ has endowed it with the power to teach, govern, and administer the Sacraments in His name (cf. Pope Pius XII, Mystici Corporis).
That Church, of course, is the Holy Roman Catholic Church. Period.
Provided one views the “Christian” religious landscape through this lens, as one must, the field isn’t nearly as crowded as it might otherwise seem. To boil it down to basics:
There is the one true Church and there are a bunch of imposters, each of which is mired in varying degrees of falsehood.
About the false societies, the Roman Catechism states:
All other societies arrogating to themselves the name of church, must necessarily, because guided by the spirit of the devil, be sunk in the most pernicious errors, both doctrinal and moral.
With this in mind, consider for a moment what it must be like for a non-Catholic who, by the grace of God, is searching for truth in this allegedly “Christian” marketplace littered with hundreds of different brands, with only one of them being the real deal.
I suspect that, like me, many readers have met, or at least read about, persons who found themselves in exactly this position, moving from one heretical community to the next, then to another, and perhaps to even more still, before finally “coming home” and finding rest in the Holy Roman Catholic Church.
Very often, these sincere seekers of truth will say that they felt compelled to leave a given “Christian” congregation because of its false teaching on this point or that, only to join another that likewise failed to teach the true faith, and on and on it went, until…
As such stories suggest, finding the true religion can sometimes be, in part, a process of elimination.
In the words of Pope Leo XIII:
It cannot be difficult to find out which is the true religion, if only it be sought with an earnest and unbiased mind … The only true religion is the one established by Jesus Christ Himself, and which He committed to His Church to protect and to propagate. (cf. Immortale Dei 7).
In other words, let the seeker beware that any so-called “church” that fails to protect and to propagate the true religion cannot be the Church established by Christ. As Catholics, this seems entirely obvious. For the sincere seeker, however, it’s a lesson to be learned, and it’s every Catholic’s duty – whether a sacred minister or simply a well-formed layman – to aid those in search of truth, however and whenever possible.
Imagine, for example, just such a seeker, a neighbor perhaps, telling you that he thinks he has finally found the one true Church of Christ, but he isn’t quite sure. Or maybe he is rather sure, but you want to help him see clearly just the same.
So, you take a closer look at the “Christian” enterprise upon which your neighbor has landed to find out what it propagates. For the sake of expedience, you limit yourself to a review of its doctrine concerning the non-Christian world at large. Among its statements of belief, you find the following:
- We, the baptized in Christ, are one in Him along with the Jews, even though “they please not God and are adversaries to all men” (1 Thessalonians 2:15).
- We believe that the Jews are neither rejected nor accursed by God, even though “all who rely on works of the law are under a curse” (Gal. 3:10).
- We believe it to be a fact that while Israel has rejected the New Covenant, the Old Covenant from God continues to be in force.
- As such, we neither conduct nor support any mission work directed towards Jews, even though the Apostles acted on a most urgent need to call them to conversion (see Acts 2).
- We regard the Muslims, followers of the false prophet Muhammad, with esteem.
- We further attest that we adore the one true God along with the Muslims, even though they do not acknowledge Our Lord Jesus Christ who said, “He who rejects me rejects him who sent me” (Luke 10:16).
- We believe that Hinduism, with its false gods, contemplates and expresses the divine mystery, even though Jesus Christ whom they reject is the fulness of divine revelation.
- We believe that Buddhism teaches a way by which men may be able to devoutly and confidently acquire the state of perfect liberation, and this apart from Jesus Christ who alone is “the Truth” that sets men free.
At this, you’ve seen more than enough. You have no choice. It’s time to warn your neighbor, letting him know that, despite his sincerity, he has landed in a society that merely arrogates to itself the name of church, one that is guided by the spirit of the devil and is sunk in errors both doctrinal and moral.
Perhaps you’ll sit him down and show him what you’ve discovered about this imposter church. At the very least, you’ll encourage him to continue seeking, as charity alone demands that you do no less.
Simple enough, agreed?
I should hope so, because this is not just a hypothetical situation, it’s real life.
On April 22, for example, Candace Owens made the following announcement on social media.
The “home” to which Owens refers, of course, is the conciliar counterfeit church presently in occupation of the Vatican, the same false church that authoritatively teaches, believes, and propagates every one of the grave errors listed in the bullet points above.
Be that as it may, countless Catholic commentators immediately erupted with jubilation upon reading Owens’ announcement:
Deo Gratias! Alleluia! Praise God! Welcome Home!
Many of these exuberant expressions of Christian joy and hospitality came from salt-of-the-earth folks who, although well meaning, evidently don’t know what they don’t know. In some cases, it may be that they don’t really want to know.
In other cases, some of these good-hearted persons are wallowing in ignorance, in part, because they put too much trust in certain self-appointed captains of “traditional” Catholic media who are throwing Candace Owens a homecoming party, despite the putrid doctrines taught by her brand of choice.
Case in point, Michael J. Matt.
On Easter Sunday, as readers may recall, Matt made a video praising Candace Owens for supposedly “teaching what the Church has always taught” regarding the Kingship of Christ.
Of course, she had done no such thing, she merely invoked the phrase, “Christ is King.” Full stop.
Rather than calling Owens’ attention to the rich fullness of Catholic doctrine on the matter, the same having been soundly rejected by the conciliar counterfeit church, Matt offered her and everyone else foolish enough to listen solid assurance that the Social Kingship of Jesus Christ has “nothing to do with the Jews!”
As I indicated in a previous post on this topic (see HERE), it was patently obvious then that Matt’s primary concern had little to do with defending Catholic tradition, rather his aspirations appeared to go no further than seeking favor with Candace Owens and her considerable fanbase.
Well, mission accomplished. Not the Church’s mission, mind you, but his own.
The day before Owens’ public declaration that she had gone “home,” Michael posted a video announcing (as sappy cinematic music welled up in the background):
I’m thrilled to announce that Candice Owens will speak live and in person at this year’s Catholic Identity Conference, and you know why? It’s because she’s right, time is running out, and it’s running out for all of us. It’s time for us to take the Social Kingship of Jesus Christ out into the highways and the byways and to unite with anyone who’s willing to stand with us and stand with Christ the King. So, please, this is big, sign up at the link below…
Make no mistake about it, by “anyone who’s willing to stand with us” Michael means to “unite” among the “clans” (i.e., the dupes that fund his operation) every “Christian conservative” heretic willing to merely repeat the slogan “Christ is King,” even as they flatly reject His Kingdom on earth, the Holy Roman Catholic Church.
As he spoke, did Michael Matt already know that Owens had gone “home,” as she would publicly announce the following day?
Probably, but either way, think about it:
Owens is a neophyte, a newcomer, who obviously still has much to learn. And yet, Michael Matt is using her – literally, using her, like a tool taken out his shed – not to edify conference goers (most of whom likely have more knowledge of the faith than she does) – but rather to fill the seats and increase the size of his enterprise.
In response to her public conversion announcement, Michael never broke character, rather, he used the occasion to once again plug his conference:
And please join the throngs of Catholics who are welcoming her to the one, true Faith!
The one true faith? Really?
Matt is referring, of course, to the heretical Vatican II sect in Rome, the same false church that clearly has no interest whatsoever in carrying out the mission that Christ the King gave to His Church.
How ironic.
Recall that Candace Owens inadvertently started the recent “Christ is King” social media craze several months ago after some highfalutin Jews accused her of being an antisemite, mainly for the capital crime of refusing to wave the Zionist flag while Israel Defense Forces were busy carrying out their blatant genocidal attack against Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
Now we have this alleged defender of Catholic tradition, Michael J. Matt, “welcoming her to the one, true Faith” when every indication is that she’s just entered into communion with a false church that cannot bend over backwards far enough to placate the perfidious Jews, reassuring them at every turn that they remain in a salvific covenant with God, despite their rejection of Christ the King.
Who knows, maybe Owens will make an announcement soon letting it be known that she adamantly rejects the grievous errors listed above, as well as the Second Vatican Council in which they are rooted, right along with the ersatz church that teaches them.
Until then, you won’t find any shouts of Welcome Home, Candace! in this space, and for the simple reason that Owens, despite sincerely believing that she has found her way home, has really just undertaken the religious equivalent of checking into a Motel 6 while mistaking it for the Ritz.
NOTE: As I am completing work on the present article, Russell Brand just announced on social media that he is going to be baptized this upcoming Sunday in the River Thames.
To be precise, provided valid matter, form and intent are present, Brand will emerge from the waters of baptism a member of the Mystical Body of Christ (unlike Jorge Bergoglio), and he will remain a member until such time as he (God forbid!) severs himself from the unity of faith, charity, and governance that binds all of the faithful to Holy Mother Church, to her Head, and to one another.
While it remains unclear what Brand’s intentions are moving forward, mark my words:
Should he hitch his cart to the conciliar counterfeit church, to some Protestant sect, or perhaps even declare his “Christian” independence, certain “resist-the-pope” hucksters like Michael Matt will applaud the man with little or no reservation, just as with Candace Owens, all in a transparent attempt to feed off his fame.
In conclusion, God bless Candace Owens and Russell Brand and others like them, they are to be commended for making the effort to discover the true faith. Even so, all indications are that they have a long way to go.
May Christ grant them the grace to continue searching for truth, the faith to recognize where it does not exist, and the wisdom to avoid those who seek only to use them to their own advantage.
