1 The Catholic Church teaches that it is the true Church of Christ, directly founded by Christ and upheld by His divine authority. To understand this truth, we refer to the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CIC), which provide a solid foundation for this assertion.
In Matthew 16:18-19, Jesus declares: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church; the gates of hell will not overcome it.” Here, Christ gives Peter a special leadership role, establishing him as the visible foundation of the Church. The name “Peter” means “rock” and symbolizes the solidity and eternity of the Catholic Church. The Catechism of CIC 816 states that the one true Church of Christ exists in the Catholic Church.
At the same time, it must be recognized that Christ is the primary cornerstone of the church. In Ephesians 2:19-20, Saint Paul says: “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.” Therefore, Christ is the spiritual foundation of the Church, the center of its authority, and He is the one who sustains it. The Catechism, in CIC 830, confirms this reality by stating that the Catholic Church is universal because Christ “is present in it” and in it subsists the fullness of the means of salvation.
Peter and Christ play complementary roles. Peter is the visible rock upon which Christ builds His Church on Earth, and Christ is the spiritual foundation and invisible head of the Church. This is reaffirmed in Colossians 1:18: “He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead.” Peter visibly leads the Church, while Christ spiritually sustains it as the true foundation.
The Catholic Church is a visible and spiritual reality. It is the body of Christ, as taught in Ephesians 4:4-5: “There is one body and one Spirit.” This unity is seen in the popes from Peter to today and is spiritually assured by Christ. The Catechism of CIC 846 teaches that the Church is “necessary for salvation” because through it, Christ distributes the sacraments and means of grace to humanity.
