WHAT DOES THE UNBROKEN HISTORY OF CATHOLIC CHURCH PROVE?

As Catholics, we may share the truth of the unbroken history of the Catholic Church to many people. However, not everyone knows its significance. What does it prove? Why is it important? Perhaps, it is important to know first that Jesus intends His Church to be a visible organization. As what He revealed in Matthew 5:14,

Matthew 5:14

14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid.

Because His Church cannot be hid and will be a light to the world, it has characteristics that will distinguish it from other religions. At the same time, He promises to protect the whole Church from the evil one.  

Matthew 16:18

18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it.

The powers of death signify the evil spirits who want to destroy His Church by tempting its leaders to promote wrong teachings and stop it from preaching the gospel. This means that Jesus will protect the Church and prevent it from teaching false doctrines. The Church will also continue to exist even after the second coming of Jesus. This meant that Jesus established the Catholic Church because it was the only Church that could be traced back to exist for almost 2,000 years starting from the time of Christ and the apostles. According to the Catholic apologist Karl Keating,

"The Eastern Orthodox churches broke away from unity with the pope in 1054. The Protestant churches were established during the Reformation, which began in 1517. (Most of today’s Protestant churches are actually offshoots of the original Protestant offshoots.) [1]"

This means that the Protestant denominations which send door-to-door missionaries are young compared to the Catholic Church. Unfortunately, even some churches are of the same age as some of us, if not even younger. As such, the competing denominations and "Christian Churches" cannot claim to be the Church that Christ instituted.

For almost 2,000 years, the Catholic Church has defended the teachings of Christ amidst opposition from the different sectors of the world throughout the history. Some critics of the Church cite the bad examples of some Catholics, but at the same time, there were numerous people who lived saintly and holy lives in the history of the Catholic Church. No merely human organization can replicate what the Catholic Church has accomplished. What can only explain the unbroken history of the Catholic Church is that this is the Church established by Jesus. After all, Jesus said,

Matthew 18:19-20

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.”

Reference:

[1]https://www.catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth