Why Catholics Have a Pope

Did Judas think he was actually helping Jesus fulfill His mission by betraying Him? Was Judas pre-destined to become the traitor of the Lord? Fr. Mike Schmitz asks these bold questions and unpacks what Scripture says about the person of Judas Iscariot. By evaluating his motivatio ...  Show more

Why do Catholics baptize their babies? Is it even biblical? At first glance, infant baptism can seem unbiblical. But Fr. Mike points to several instances in Scripture that support the practice and reveal God’s desire to bring children into His covenant family from the very beginn ...  Show more

Who is the Pope? Today, we focus on the role of the Pope in the Catholic Church as the Vicar of Christ and pastor of the entire Church. The Catechism teaches us that the institution of the papacy dates back to that powerful moment in the Gospel when Jesus changed Simon’s name to ...  Show more

Did the early Church understand the words of Christ to Peter as giving unique powers or special privileges to Peter? How, when and why did the Roman Church develop its theology of papal supremacy? What did the early Fathers say about the keys to the kingdom of heaven? 

Peter's acknowledgment of the true identity of Jesus, led to him receiving a new name and a blessing. The Catholic Church has used this verse to support its papal supremacy doctrine. Is Peter the Rock on which the Church is built, or is it something or someone else? 

Fr. Mike explores Jesus’ mission of establishing the kingdom of God on earth, and who belongs in the kingdom of Heaven: all people. We see how Jesus identifies himself with the poor, lowly, and those who the world says are not important. If we do not welcome them, we cannot enter ...  Show more