True Statements about the Church Often Misrepresented by Others

It's a great tool of door-to-door ministers or anyone who wishes to damage the Catholic Church and draw its members away. Sometimes, you don't have to out and out lie; you can just bend the truth. Many times, Catholics find themselves faced with not a lie about their Church, but a truth that is hard to explain. The enemies of the Church have a habit of putting these true statements in a way that makes them seem ludicrous. Below are some of these statements and explanations of why these are legitimate.

Catholics pray to saints: Usually, this practice is attacked by Protestants who say, "I pray straight to God." However, the practice of seeking the intercession of saints is biblical, as Fr. Mitch Pacwa, SJ, points out in this article. Furthermore, in no way does praying to a saint connote worship of that saint, which is usually how this practice is perceived.

Many of the Church's teachings are based on tradition: The word "tradition" is usually said with a sneer. If something is from tradition, it is not deemed as authoritative as the Bible, which many Protestant churches hold to be the only source of authority. However, as Fr. Mitch Pacwa points out, we're called in the Bible to maintain our traditions. Furthermore, the accusation of Protestants is that the Catholic Church's teachings contradict Scripture. They do not.

The Catholic Church claims to be the one true Church: Very true. As Fr. Mitch Pacwa, SJ, points out, the Catholic Church is the only Church founded directly by Jesus. Tradition plays another role here.