Feast Day: Pope St. Damasus I

Pope St. Damasus I fought against the Arian heresy as well as fighting succesfully to preserve the primacy of the Apostolic See.  With his suggestion and assistance, St. Jerome finished his Vulgate translation of the Bible.  St. Damasus also worked to restore the Catacombs ... still preserved to this day. 

[note:  the above image of St. Damasus is from St. Peter's Basilica, a place every Catholic should visit at least once in their lifetime!]

Pope St. Damasus, you worked tirelessly for the Truth.  Pray for me ... help me to always work for the Truth ... doing the good and avoiding the evil!  

 

Review: We Have a Pope: 2000 Years of Preserving the Faith

First, let me say that I really enjoy Steve Ray's apologetics books and videos.  This booklet, We Have a Pope: 2000 Years of Preserving the Faith, is a great example of what I like best about Ray's work:  he has a quirky sense of humor and a way with words that is only excelled by his deep love and understanding of the Catholic faith. 

We Have a Pope is a short booklet ... only 32 pages ... but each page gives a clear and concise (often with just a touch of humor) explanation for the question asked.  The topics discussed include:

• why do we need a pope
• who instituted the papacy
• why Peter
• what's so important about a name change
• what authority did Peter have
• who actually led the early Church
• Rome, not Jerusalem or Antioch
• how do we know that Peter had successors
• how were successors chosen
• what does "papal primacy" mean
• did the early Church think the pope had primacy
• what about the pope's titles
• what does the pope do
• do Catholics always have to agree with the pope
• infallibility
• if popes sin, how can we trust what they say
• should the pope matter to non-Catholics
• why the pope should matter to you

These questions are all clearly answered, making this a great booklet to have on hand for answering Catholics and non-Catholics alike when they question the papacy.  Ray (and his co-writer, R. Dennis Walters) quotes scripture extensively to prove their arguments when answering the above questions.  It's hard to refute scripture and Ray is a master as using the Bible to elucidate Catholic truths.

This is one of those booklets that should be in every home and Catholic classroom.  Many people (both Catholic and non-) just really don't understand who the Pope is and why we must follow his teachings on faith and morals, why we have a Pope at all. 

Boy, 32 pages sure can pack a punch!

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Disclaimer:  This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from The Catholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on We Have a Pope and be sure to check out their great selection of baptism gifts while you are there.