Sharing My Catholic Journey—Part 2, Are Catholics Christian?

I remember the first time someone asked me, “Are Catholics even Christian?”

It wasn’t said harshly—just honestly. And I understood the question, because I once wondered similar things myself.

Over time, I realized something important: it’s actually a false-logic kind of question. It’s a bit like asking,

“Are Protestants Christian?” “Are Baptists Christian?”, or, “Are Orthodox Christian?”

But Scripture invites us deeper than labels.

Jesus tells us plainly what eternal life is:

“This is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” — John 17:3

Knowing God. Knowing Jesus. That’s the heart of the Christian faith. Anyone can claim a faith tradition, a title, or a label—but only God sees the heart:

“Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” — 1 Samuel 16:7

So perhaps the more honest question isn’t, “Are Catholics Christian?” But rather:

“What does the Catholic Church actually believe about Jesus Christ?”

“Who does the Church say he is?”

“What does she teach about his life, death, and resurrection?”

Those were some of the questions I began exploring. And the most important takeaway came early on—right from the prologue of the Catechism, which set the tone for everything that followed.

The Catechism begins not with rules, but with relationship:

“God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life.” — CCC 1

If you’d like to explore this more, the Catechism clearly lays out what the Catholic Church believes about Jesus Christ and the Christian faith. Some helpful starting points include:

• CCC 430–451 — Who Jesus is: Son of God and Savior
• CCC 454–460 — Why the Word became flesh
• CCC 461–469 — Jesus Christ: fully God and fully man
• CCC 599–618 — Christ’s saving death
• CCC 654–655 — The Resurrection
• CCC 748–750, 781, 789–796 — The Church as the Body of Christ

Of course, the whole Catechism tells one unified story—but these sections offer a gentle place to begin.

Peace be with you,