Benedict who?

Actually you are mistaken on a few points. The Catholic Church as a Faith dates from the Last Supper- When you eat this body and drink this blood. It may not have been called the Roman Catholic Church, but all believers were one. The Church became institutionalized to keep the faith secure, united, and unwavering. The Tthen Bishop of Rome, with his curia formed the Catholic Church as it is today for uniformity. Otherwise it would be as it is in Protestant denominations: This Christian Church believes and teaches this, this one that, and still another something totally differnent. As for calling no man Father, Jesus was referring to a heavenly father, not an earthly father. Otherwise He would have been negating the father/son family. And the Bishops are equal- the pope is simply one among equals. But since he holds the episcopy of Rome, the foundation of the Church, he is the one that leads the church. And as for Mary- Is it wrong to ask others for prayer? Doesn't evry Christian Church ask it's members to pray for so and so who is sick or has a need. It's no different. But people make a big deal out of Catholics asking for the Saints to interceed. If asking the Saints for prayers is wrong, then every Christian Church should stop asking others to pray for them.

Thank you for your response, whilst it is true that originally all Churches were united and called Catholic, the Roman Catholic Church broke away from this Church in the 11th century. So although it retains the name Catholic, it is the Orthodox Church, confusingly, that is the remains of that Church that was originally called Catholic. No, Jesus clearly states call no man father. Read the scripture and it is quite undeniable that he is issuing a direct instruction that we should not call any man Rabbi or Father. Again, re Mary you have missed the point, it is not the asking of others to pray for you but the Praying to anyone other than God, which is strictly forbidden. Yet in order to ask Mary to pray for them Catholics pray to Mary. all the best urban

Originally all Christians were united by a single set of doctrine, maintained first by the authority of the Apostles, then by their successors, and bound by the keys to the kingdom of Heaven. It is still maintained in the Catholic Church, by the successors of the Apostles, and bound by the keys to the kingdom of Heaven. The Orthodox Church in separating from the rock upon which Jesus built His Church, also separated from the keys to the kingdom of Heaven. The context of Matthew 23 shows that Jesus is instructing the crowds and his disciples not to take the glory and honor for themselves, as the hypocrites do, but to be humble servants who put God first. Any other meaning and the Word of God contradicts the words of Jesus...well,God. Can God contradict Himself? In 1 Corinthians 4:14ff, St. Paul writes to his "beloved sons". He tells them that he has become their father in Christ Jesus through preaching the gospel. In Phil2:22, St. Paul describes his relationship to Timothy as a father/son relationship. We know from Acts 16:1-3 that Paul is not Timothy's biological father. The use of the word "father" is used many times in the Gospels to define genealogy, so it seems Matthew 23 wouldn't refer to biological fathers either. To pray means to request earnestly. Catholics request intercessory prayers from Mary and the Saints. Mary and the Saints are members of the Body of Christ. Where does Scripture forbid us to make earnest requests for prayers from members of the Body of Christ?

That may be the Church's teaching but where is the scriptural authority for that claim? all the best urban

We are saved by Jesus(Acts 4:12). Jesus tells us that we must be born again of water and Spirit in order to see the kingdom of God (John 3:3-5). Jesus builds a Church(matthew 16:18). Jesus instructs His Church to go forth, make disciples, and baptize(Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:15-16). The prison keeper asks Paul and Silas (leaders of the Church) how to be saved. They respond by telling him to believe in Jesus, and upon hearing the word of the Lord spoken to them by the leaders of the Church, they are baptized by the leaders of the Church (Acts 16:30-33). John calls people outside the Church antichrist(1John 2:18-19). He goes further to say that these antichrists are not saved, but those remaining in the Church(holding to what they were taught from the beginning) will be(1John 2:22-25). Paul emphasizes unity in the Church (1Cor 1:10-11, 1Tim 1:3-7). Peter warns about false teachers(2Peter 2). Clearly, the Apostles believed that there was one Church, that they were the leaders of, through which believers receive salvation. The Apostles, in making disciples and choosing their successors, maintained the unity of the Church. The only churches who can trace back to the Apostles through valid ordination are the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church. The Orthodox Church separated itself from the keys to the kingdom of Heaven(they no longer have a successor to Peter), leaving only the Catholic Church.

Actually, the Orthodox have a better claim to originality than the Roman Church, who have added many innovations to faith. Paul may warn of those that cause division but Jesus warns of those that corrupt faith. all the best urban