One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church…

The first thought and impression that comes to mind whenever the word church is being mentioned is holiness, godliness, and prayer. These thoughts may not necessarily be wrong because the stereo-typed idea and mind set we have growing up about the church, is that the church is holy, godly and a house of prayer. But weather these hallmarks are true with what the church is has raised and is still raising concerns if truly the church is holy. Such mindset is seen expressed and professed in the church’s article of faith ‘…I believe in One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church…’ For so many reasons, the sincerity behind these words have been questioned given the activities the church has embarked on and indulged in since time immemorial.

This sounds ironical, but it is a reality we’ll have to deal with. Why do we profess we believe in One church when in the real sense it is divided, and her common unity is by the day shrinking? Why do we believe in a church that we profess to be holy but in the real sense of the word she is not holy? Capturing the words of Pope Francis, he asked, “how can we say that the Church is holy, if we see that the Church throughout history, during her long journey through the centuries, has experienced many moments of darkness? How can a Church be holy if she is made up of human beings, of sinners? Of men who are sinners, women who are sinners, priests who are sinners, nuns who are sinners, bishops who are sinners, cardinals who are sinners, popes who are sinners?” yet this is the church we believe in.

Given the veracity of attacks of attacks and oppositions, the church has encountered especially from the reformation period to the recent scandals rocking its wave, I have set out to do an evaluation of the Catholic Church in the twenty first century using one of its mark (Holy) as a tool to establish her holiness amidst the crisis and challenges experienced. This is an issue, and this is what I intend to address.

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