Fr. Longenecker on the Deep Roots of the Catholic Church

"[The recently celebrated] memorial for Sts Timothy and Titus is a lesson in apostolic succession. St Paul ordains the next generation and hands his apostolic authority on to Timothy and Titus. This should remind us of the astonishing fact of the continued existence of the Catholic Church. Apart from the survival of the Jews, the survival of the Catholic Church is one of history's most amazing realities.

"Of course I realize that there are other ancient religions. Buddhism goes back to the sixth century BC and Hinduism is even older, but both religions have existed at a cultural level rather than a formal institutional level. Catholicism is not just a cultural and spiritual entity, but is also an institutional entity. It has buildings and canon law, a hierarchy, a formal structure and is composed of a whole integrated system of philosophy, morals, liturgy, spirituality, economics and ethics."

In a recent commentary, Father Dwight Longenecker (parish priest at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church, Greenville, SC) reflected on the blessing of the deep roots of the Catholic tradition.

To access Fr. Longenecker's complete post, please visit:

Fr. Dwight Longenecker: Deep Roots in a Whirlwind World (26 JAN 21)

Background information:

Dwight Longenecker - Catholic priest and author