St Anthony Mary Claret~"When we say, I believe in the Holy Catholic Church[...]"

[Dawn Marie]

St Anthony Mary Claret (died A.D. 1870):

"When we say, I believe in the Holy Catholic Church, we are not speaking of the material church, the place in which we faithful unite to pay God that tribute of love, honour, and attention which we owe to Him, and which is called religion. In this sense "church" means temple, house of God, or house of prayer. But by those words of the Creed, we affirm belief in the Church as the society or congregation of the faithful, united by the profession of one and the same Faith, united also by participation in the same Sacraments, and by submission to the legitimate prelates, principally to the Roman Pontiff. [...] In the first place He made it One. Not having more than One God, nor been given more than One Faith, as Saint Paul says, and One Baptism, which is the door of His Church and of the other Sacraments, neither can there be more than One True Religion in which men can please God and accomplish His most holy will. [...] By this the true Church is distinguished from the synagogues of Satan or heretical sects, of which some teach one thing, others another. [...] And, actually, there have been, there are now, and there always will be saints in the Catholic Church. But heretical sects can count not even one, nor will they ever have them. Do you know how they evade this argument? They make fun of the saints and even of the Most Holy Virgin Mary. But they will stop laughing when they are presented to the tribunal of God, where they will find that those Catholics who observed the laws and doctrine taught by our Holy Church are saved ‑ while heretics, even though they observed their own laws, are condemned! [...]

She is Catholic also with respect to places, or to Her reach and diffusion throughout all the world, clasping to Her breast all groups of people without distinction of nations, classes, ages, or sexes. In all times, in all countries, and in all groups of people where She is found, She has held, and will continue to hold, one and the same Faith, one and the same doctrine or morality, and one and the same form of government under the Roman Pontiff.

And Her members, wherever they are found, will always be united by the same beliefs, by the same hope, and by charity, being alive by grace. Thus, She embraces all those who are to be saved. For She is another ark of Noah. Outside of the ark everyone drowned in the flood; and so also will everyone drown or be damned who does not choose to enter into this mystical ark, the Church of Jesus Christ. "Who does not have the Church for a mother," says Saint Cyprian, "cannot have God for a father." [...] Here you have explained for you, my son, the four marks which I told you God left us in order that we may know the true Church. By these we cannot confuse Her with the many synagogues of Satan, which also pretend to be the Church of God. We can see that none are in peace or unity except ours. Furthermore, we can conclude that ours is the only truth, in which and with which we must live and die united in order to be able to go to heaven. [...] Consequently, the evasions of the heretics are futile. For this reason you cannot doubt that the only true Church is our Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman Church, in which you must persevere, inwardly and outwardly. And with all preciseness must you observe Her holy laws if you want to save your soul. Otherwise, you will be lost forever." (The Catechism Explained)