Msgr. Pope on Who Needs the Church

“I was asked to go to a neighboring parish and address some fundamental questions related to the necessity of the Church. Many today question the need for a church or The Church and claim they can have Jesus without the Church. And thus the fundamental question ‘Who needs the Church?’ ought to be addressed. . . .

“[T]he fundamental answer I offer to “Who needs the Church?” is that everyone does, because the Church is the Body of Christ.

“To the related questions ‘Why do I need to come to Church?’ and ‘How can the Church possibly be relevant to me?’ the fundamental answer is because it is in the Church that Jesus is first and foremost to be found.”

In a recent commentary, Monsignor Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on how we can better experiencing Jesus in our parishes through, among other ways, conviction in preaching, the cultivation of expectation, and appropriate catechetical focus.

To access Msgr. Pope’s complete post, please visit:

Msgr. Charles Pope: Who Needs the Church? You might as well ask, “Who needs Jesus?” (17 MAR 14)