(This is the first in a four-part series on what are usually termed the “marks” of the Church.  These are signs that one can use to find the one true Church founded by Jesus Christ.  Based on the Gospel narrative (which is objective history) these signs will apply only to the true Church and all four must be present to indicate the true Church.)

The unexpected resignation of one pope and the election of another has caused the world media to focus on the Catholic Church.  The Catholic Church always seems to be big news that whets the appetite of the media far more than any other Church or religion.  But the media is selective in its coverage.  It likes to cover the external pageantry but has little use for anything of real substance such as doctrine and morals.

One important Catholic doctrine that I did not hear mentioned by the media is the doctrine that the Catholic Church is the one and only true Church.  Contemporary philosophy and attitudes which claim that there is no objective truth would not be the least amenable to such a discussion.

The doctrine of the one true Church is of eternal importance because, if the Catholic Church is the only true Church, then it means that all the others are not true to some degree, i.e. not completely true.  Since eternity looms before us all, it would seem only sensible and reasonable to find and join that one true Church.

Catholicism’s claim to being the only Church founded by the Divine Christ is not mere boasting or cheerleading; the claim can be proven rationally.  Then it behooves everyone who is aware of this truth to become a member of the only true Church because, if you are called by Divine grace to embrace the Catholic Church and you refuse to do so, your future may be bleak.

There are four marks or signs of the true Church based on Scripture, reason and history.  These signs have certain necessary characteristics; they are easily understood by the average mind and they are unchangeable so as to avoid confusion, dispute and instability.