1 - The Catholic Church — What It Is and Why It Matters Steve John 5/21/25 1 - The Catholic Church — What It Is and Why It Matters Steve John 5/21/25 1.6. Can the Catholic Church ever fail or teach heresy? Read More 2 - Doctrine Heresy and the Preservation of the Faith Steve John 12/29/23 2 - Doctrine Heresy and the Preservation of the Faith Steve John 12/29/23 2.2. Who has the authority to interpret Scripture and determine what is Apostolic Tradition? Read More 2 - Doctrine Heresy and the Preservation of the Faith Steve John 12/28/23 2 - Doctrine Heresy and the Preservation of the Faith Steve John 12/28/23 2.3. Can doctrine develop over time, as Cardinal Newman wrote? Read More 2 - Doctrine Heresy and the Preservation of the Faith Steve John 12/27/23 2 - Doctrine Heresy and the Preservation of the Faith Steve John 12/27/23 2.4. Can Catholic doctrine or dogma change over time? Read More 2 - Doctrine Heresy and the Preservation of the Faith Steve John 12/23/23 2 - Doctrine Heresy and the Preservation of the Faith Steve John 12/23/23 2.7. What happens to a person who becomes a formal heretic? Are they still part of the Church? Read More 3 - Church Councils and Vatican II — Purpose, Errors, and Consequences Steve John 9/16/23 3 - Church Councils and Vatican II — Purpose, Errors, and Consequences Steve John 9/16/23 3.15. But the Church is guided by the Holy Spirit—how could Vatican II be wrong? Read More 3 - Church Councils and Vatican II — Purpose, Errors, and Consequences Steve John 9/15/23 3 - Church Councils and Vatican II — Purpose, Errors, and Consequences Steve John 9/15/23 3.16. Isn’t the Church infallible in her doctrine, liturgy, and discipline? How can she produce errors? Read More 4 - Recognizing the Church Today in the Midst of Crisis Steve John 3/30/23 4 - Recognizing the Church Today in the Midst of Crisis Steve John 3/30/23 4.2. How can you claim there's no pope? Didn't Christ promise the gates of hell would not prevail? Read More 4 - Recognizing the Church Today in the Midst of Crisis Steve John 3/29/23 4 - Recognizing the Church Today in the Midst of Crisis Steve John 3/29/23 4.3. Are you saying the Catholic Church defected? That’s impossible. Read More 4 - Recognizing the Church Today in the Midst of Crisis Steve John 3/23/23 4 - Recognizing the Church Today in the Midst of Crisis Steve John 3/23/23 4.11. Can the Church be without a pope for decades? Read More 6 - What Must I Do to Remain Faithful Today? Steve John 8/18/22 6 - What Must I Do to Remain Faithful Today? Steve John 8/18/22 6.13. How can the Church be so wrong for so long? Isn’t that a contradiction of the indefectibility of the Church? Read More 8 - Objections, Clarifications, and Theological Challenges Steve John 6/7/21 8 - Objections, Clarifications, and Theological Challenges Steve John 6/7/21 8.22. Doesn’t the Holy Spirit guarantee the Church will not teach error? So how can a council like Vatican II go wrong? Read More 8 - Objections, Clarifications, and Theological Challenges Steve John 5/23/21 8 - Objections, Clarifications, and Theological Challenges Steve John 5/23/21 8.37. If post-Vatican II popes aren't true successors of St. Peter, who holds the keys? Where does the Church you follow get its authority and guidance? Read More 8 - Objections, Clarifications, and Theological Challenges Steve John 5/17/21 8 - Objections, Clarifications, and Theological Challenges Steve John 5/17/21 8.42. Doesn’t the Vatican II Church still have the Four Marks of the true Church: One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic? Read More 8 - Objections, Clarifications, and Theological Challenges Steve John 1/20/21 8 - Objections, Clarifications, and Theological Challenges Steve John 1/20/21 8.158. Didn’t Pope Francis say not to obsess over abortion, gay marriage, and contraception? Shouldn’t the Church focus more on mercy and inclusion instead? Read More Steve John 11/4/20 Steve John 11/4/20 8.235. Is there a contradiction between Vatican II’s teaching that the Church of Christ “subsists in” the Catholic Church (Lumen Gentium) and the traditional doctrine that it is the Catholic Church? Read More Steve John 11/3/20 Steve John 11/3/20 8.236. Is there a contradiction between Vatican II’s teaching on salvation outside the Church (Lumen Gentium; Unitatis Redintegratio) and traditional Catholic doctrine (e.g., Cantate Domino)? Read More Steve John 11/2/20 Steve John 11/2/20 8.237. Is there a contradiction between Vatican II’s teaching on interreligious dialogue (Nostra Aetate) and traditional Catholic doctrine on non-Christian religions? Read More Steve John 11/1/20 Steve John 11/1/20 8.238. Is there a contradiction between Vatican II’s teaching on episcopal collegiality (Lumen Gentium §22) and the traditional Catholic doctrine of papal primacy (Pastor Aeternus, Vatican I)? Read More
1 - The Catholic Church — What It Is and Why It Matters Steve John 5/21/25 1 - The Catholic Church — What It Is and Why It Matters Steve John 5/21/25 1.6. Can the Catholic Church ever fail or teach heresy? Read More
2 - Doctrine Heresy and the Preservation of the Faith Steve John 12/29/23 2 - Doctrine Heresy and the Preservation of the Faith Steve John 12/29/23 2.2. Who has the authority to interpret Scripture and determine what is Apostolic Tradition? Read More
2 - Doctrine Heresy and the Preservation of the Faith Steve John 12/28/23 2 - Doctrine Heresy and the Preservation of the Faith Steve John 12/28/23 2.3. Can doctrine develop over time, as Cardinal Newman wrote? Read More
2 - Doctrine Heresy and the Preservation of the Faith Steve John 12/27/23 2 - Doctrine Heresy and the Preservation of the Faith Steve John 12/27/23 2.4. Can Catholic doctrine or dogma change over time? Read More
2 - Doctrine Heresy and the Preservation of the Faith Steve John 12/23/23 2 - Doctrine Heresy and the Preservation of the Faith Steve John 12/23/23 2.7. What happens to a person who becomes a formal heretic? Are they still part of the Church? Read More
3 - Church Councils and Vatican II — Purpose, Errors, and Consequences Steve John 9/16/23 3 - Church Councils and Vatican II — Purpose, Errors, and Consequences Steve John 9/16/23 3.15. But the Church is guided by the Holy Spirit—how could Vatican II be wrong? Read More
3 - Church Councils and Vatican II — Purpose, Errors, and Consequences Steve John 9/15/23 3 - Church Councils and Vatican II — Purpose, Errors, and Consequences Steve John 9/15/23 3.16. Isn’t the Church infallible in her doctrine, liturgy, and discipline? How can she produce errors? Read More
4 - Recognizing the Church Today in the Midst of Crisis Steve John 3/30/23 4 - Recognizing the Church Today in the Midst of Crisis Steve John 3/30/23 4.2. How can you claim there's no pope? Didn't Christ promise the gates of hell would not prevail? Read More
4 - Recognizing the Church Today in the Midst of Crisis Steve John 3/29/23 4 - Recognizing the Church Today in the Midst of Crisis Steve John 3/29/23 4.3. Are you saying the Catholic Church defected? That’s impossible. Read More
4 - Recognizing the Church Today in the Midst of Crisis Steve John 3/23/23 4 - Recognizing the Church Today in the Midst of Crisis Steve John 3/23/23 4.11. Can the Church be without a pope for decades? Read More
6 - What Must I Do to Remain Faithful Today? Steve John 8/18/22 6 - What Must I Do to Remain Faithful Today? Steve John 8/18/22 6.13. How can the Church be so wrong for so long? Isn’t that a contradiction of the indefectibility of the Church? Read More
8 - Objections, Clarifications, and Theological Challenges Steve John 6/7/21 8 - Objections, Clarifications, and Theological Challenges Steve John 6/7/21 8.22. Doesn’t the Holy Spirit guarantee the Church will not teach error? So how can a council like Vatican II go wrong? Read More
8 - Objections, Clarifications, and Theological Challenges Steve John 5/23/21 8 - Objections, Clarifications, and Theological Challenges Steve John 5/23/21 8.37. If post-Vatican II popes aren't true successors of St. Peter, who holds the keys? Where does the Church you follow get its authority and guidance? Read More
8 - Objections, Clarifications, and Theological Challenges Steve John 5/17/21 8 - Objections, Clarifications, and Theological Challenges Steve John 5/17/21 8.42. Doesn’t the Vatican II Church still have the Four Marks of the true Church: One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic? Read More
8 - Objections, Clarifications, and Theological Challenges Steve John 1/20/21 8 - Objections, Clarifications, and Theological Challenges Steve John 1/20/21 8.158. Didn’t Pope Francis say not to obsess over abortion, gay marriage, and contraception? Shouldn’t the Church focus more on mercy and inclusion instead? Read More
Steve John 11/4/20 Steve John 11/4/20 8.235. Is there a contradiction between Vatican II’s teaching that the Church of Christ “subsists in” the Catholic Church (Lumen Gentium) and the traditional doctrine that it is the Catholic Church? Read More
Steve John 11/3/20 Steve John 11/3/20 8.236. Is there a contradiction between Vatican II’s teaching on salvation outside the Church (Lumen Gentium; Unitatis Redintegratio) and traditional Catholic doctrine (e.g., Cantate Domino)? Read More
Steve John 11/2/20 Steve John 11/2/20 8.237. Is there a contradiction between Vatican II’s teaching on interreligious dialogue (Nostra Aetate) and traditional Catholic doctrine on non-Christian religions? Read More
Steve John 11/1/20 Steve John 11/1/20 8.238. Is there a contradiction between Vatican II’s teaching on episcopal collegiality (Lumen Gentium §22) and the traditional Catholic doctrine of papal primacy (Pastor Aeternus, Vatican I)? Read More