Why I’m Catholic (Reason 20)
From Dave Armstrong’s list:
Catholicism retains apostolic succession, necessary to know what is true Christian apostolic Tradition. It was the criterion of Christian truth used by the early Christians.
The historical continuity of the Church — and of her authority — is paramount. Indeed, as Armstrong himself notes in a later reason, “Christianity must have historic continuity or it is not Christianity.” Without that continuity, there is no valid means of confirming the authority of the teachings of any particular Christian or Christian denomination.
Simply cracking open the Bible does not confer, on any person, the right to speak with authority about who or what a true Christian is; if one stands apart from those who have gone before in Christ, one will inevitably fall into grave error.
