Catholic Apologetics
Unit Four: The Search for Christ’s Church
Directions: Respond the following questions as you read through the assignment. Each number is worth
two points. Write your responses in complete sentences using dark blue or black ink. Please record the question
on one line, and the response on the following lines. In most instances the response will require about two to three sentences. Don’t forget to write the complete heading (full name, row number, date, period, description) in the top, right corner.
Catholicism & Reason, Hayes, Hayes, Drummey
Review Questions for chapter 9 The Church and the Rock
Focus: Christ planned for the future of his Church by establishing a hierarchy and authority.
1. Explain the three steps in planning for an organization to carry on after the death of its leader relative to Christ.
2. What things can we learn from Christ about the Church?
3. Why does Christ’s Church need a visible head?
4. What question does Peter answer at Caesarea Philippi? What is Jesus’ reply to Peter?
5. What do Jesus’ words about the keys mean? How was it understood by Jesus’ hearers?
6. Explain the meaning of Jesus’ words about binding and loosing.
7. How are we to understand the passage from John 21:15-17 relative to Peter?
8. Was Peter’s special role of leadership meant to continue after him? Explain.
9. Where is Peter’s successor today? Explain.
Review Questions for chapter 10 Where Is Christ’s Church Today
Focus: The Church of Christ can be found today in her unity/oneness and holiness.
1. Explain the four marks of the Church founded by Christ and their corresponding characteristics. (hint: see chart)
2. Contrast the diversity of the Catholic Church with its unity. (That is, what makes it diverse? United?)
3. Describe the disunity among other churches today.
4. Why do Catholics possess a feeling of security in her unity?
5. In what three ways does the Catholic Church fulfill the requirements of holiness demanded by Christ for his Church? Explain each.
6. In what respect do the millions of Catholic martyrs attest to the genuineness of the Catholic Church?
7. Did Christ promise that miracles would be realized through the Church? Explain.
8. What are five of the conditions that need to be met before the Church is willing to declare a miracle?
9. Why is a cure from cancer the most stunning cure of all?
10. What do we need to keep in mind when speaking of the holiness of the Catholic Church? Explain.
Review Questions for chapter 11 Christ’s Church – Catholic and Apostolic
Focus: Without Catholicism there would be no Bible, no Protestantism, no Christianity.
1. What two commissions did Christ give to his Church? How are these fulfilled by the Church?
2. What claim is unique to the Catholic Church alone?
3. What does St. Ignatius of Antioch declare about the Catholic Church? Iranaeus?
4. What does it mean to say that the true Church of Christ must be apostolic?
5. In his address to the WCC (World Council of Churches) in 1984, how did Pope John Paul II describe the Church’s conviction about the importance of being in communion with the Bishop of Rome?
6. What is the clearest evidence of the Church’s claim to be the Church founded by Christ?
7. What will one discover in doing a historical analysis of other Christian churches now in existence?
8. In what sense is Catholicism the cornerstone of Christianity?
9. How might we respond to those who say that Protestantism is the church of Christ purified from error?
10. What are ten “credentials” of the one Church founded by Christ?
Review Questions for chapter 12 The Authority of the Church
Focus: God gives the Church the gift of infallibility for assurance of divine truth.
1. What are false notions of infallibility?
2. What is the true meaning of infallibility?
3. What are the four conditions that the Pope must fulfill in order to teach infallibly?
4. In what ways is the relation of the Supreme Court like the relation between the Pope and the Church?
5. Why is the Church infallible when the Supreme Court is not?
6-7. Write four scriptural references supporting the Church’s claim to infallibility?
8. How can we be certain that Jesus wanted to pass on Peter’s authority to his successors? What did Jesus say?
9. Write three scripture passages disputing the claim the Catholic Church was the true church until it fell into error?
10. Give a historical example of a time when the Church has had to revoke a decree of faith and morals. (careful!)
11. Why should Catholics accept the Pope’s non-infallible teachings such as encyclicals?
12. What do the concepts of authority and infallibility safeguard?