04/07/2004: "What makes a person Catholic"

With all that has been in the news about John Kerry's Catholicism, I keep coming back to the question of what makes us Catholic?

-Is it following all the teachings of the Catholic Church? No, we all fail at this at times.
-Is it desiring to follow all the teachings of the Catholic Church? If yes, always? We all have times where we don't know if we agree with our Church.
-Is it believing in the Nicene Creed? No, that's clearly not enough.
-Is it the Creed and faithfully attending the Catholic Church? Getting closer, but what about important teachings like Eucharist?
-Is it believing some key set of teachings and attending the Catholic Church? OK, but what are those teachings exactly? Canon Law is so confusing. And what about attending other Churches? And taking communion there? I know good Catholics who would even though I'm sure Canon law disallows it. I dare not deny them their Catholicism.

So what is it?