“I pray not only for them, but also for those who believe in me because of their message. I pray that they may all be one. Father! May they be in us, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they be one, so that the world will believe that you sent me. I gave them the same glory you gave me, so that they may be one, just as you and I are one: I in them and you in me, so that they may be completely one, in order that the world may know that you sent me and that you love them as you love me.” (John 17:20-23)

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Unity in Christianity is one of the most fundamental aspects of life as a Christian; however, over time Christianity has become very divided. Jesus knew this would happen; yet, he still prays to His Father that one day Christians would be united once again, in one physical Church as it is in Heaven. There is one faith, one baptism, one Lord, (see Ephesians 4:5). Jesus desires us to be one.

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From early on in Christianity, there were disagreements with how things should be done in terms of worship. The first major schism occurred in 1054 when the Eastern Church spilt from the Western Church, and the Orthodox Church was established. However, since the Protestant Reformation in 1517, there has been an overwhelming number of different Protestant Churches developing various views and beliefs. Martin Luther noticed this even a few years after he started the reformation, and notes:

"There are almost as many sects and beliefs as there are heads; this one will not admit Baptism; that one rejects the Sacrament of the altar; another places another world between the present one and the day of judgment; some teach that Jesus Christ is not God. There is not an individual, however clownish he may be, who does not claim to be inspired by the Holy Ghost, and who does not put forth as prophecies his ravings and dreams."- Martin Luther.

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Christ founded one Church, and not just on Himself, but on Peter, to instruct the other disciples and authority to teach what is right and wrong. As soon as we remove this power of authority from the one true Church and allow people to decide how they want to worship or interpret the Bible, we divide.

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“You must teach and preach these things. Whoever teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the true words of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the teaching of our religion is swollen with pride and knows nothing. He has an unhealthy desire to argue and quarrel about words, and this brings on jealousy, disputes, insults, evil suspicions” (1 Timothy 1:3-7)

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The word "catholic" means universal. Jesus established both a physical and spiritual Church. The Catholic Church is a Christian Church as it follows and reflects the teachings of Jesus Christ. The church is referred to ‘Roman Catholic’ because it is a universal church that is based in Rome, which is where its head, the Pope, resides. However, Catholicism has spread all around the world. In almost every country you will find a group of Catholics. So the name Roman Catholic in some ways contradicts itself because even though all Catholic Churches are connected to Rome, we are connected through times and places to each other, and in the universal body of Christ.

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"(The Church) is called catholic then because it extends over all the world, from one end of the earth to the other; and because it teaches universally, and completely the doctrines that ought to come to men's knowledge, concerning things visible and invisible, heavenly and earthly; and because it brings into subjection to godliness the whole race of mankind, governors and governed, learned and unlearned,; and because it universally treats and heals the whole class of sins that are commited by soul or body, and possesses in itself every form of virture that is named, both in deeds and words, and in every kind of spiritual gift" St Cyril of Jerusalem [Catechetical Lectures 18:23 (c. A.D 350)]

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Some people may comment that the above quotation from St Cyril is referring to the spiritual Church rather than the physical Church. This is a good point because it is referring to both. Since the spiritual Church is united as one in Christ, it is catholic, because people from all races and tribes are brought together. However, it is also referring to the physical Church because the quotation uses the word "it" when it explains that the Church teaches universally. We notice that it is the Church that is teaching its members through Christ.

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The earliest surviving mention of the term "Catholic" is from St Ignatius of Antioch in 110 AD. However, considering the casual and unexplained use of the word suggests that the term Catholic was used sometime earlier in the history of Christianity.

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We as Christians are the Church, we are the Body of Christ. When Jesus meets Saul (now known as Paul) on the road to Damascas, what does Jesus ask him? He doesn't say "Why are you persecuting my followers?" Jesus asks "Why are you persecuting me?" (see Acts 9:4). We see here that Christians and God are in union with each other. 

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Jesus only started one physical and spiritual Church, not 30,000 as we would see today. He prayed that we would be united as one (John 17). However, we must understand that the Church is not holy because of the people. When we hear in the creed that the Church is holy, it's because Christ is Holy, and He reigns as the cornerstone of the faith. 

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Catholics all over the world unite in one Baptism, one Eucharist and one Christian body. The Church teaches the same doctrine universally. When we look into the early Church and the Early Church Fathers, we notice that much of the worship is similar to the Catholic Church way of worship. Sacred Traditions were handed down through the faithful apostles. 

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The leadership and authority of the Church are seen in Matthew 18:15-17, where the author underlines that the Church has a final say on matters. In early Christianity, the Church consisted of the disciples who taught their successors all that they learnt. As there was no physical New Testament written down so far, the people had to rely on the disciples to teach them about Jesus Christ's teachings. However, The Church still shares the highest authority next to Scripture, below Jesus Christ. 

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"But if I am delayed, this letter will let you know how we should conduct ourselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth." (1 Timothy 3:15)

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The Holy Spirit works through the Church to keep the tradition and the teachings that the first apostles taught the Church. Without the authority of the Church, we would not have the New Testament of the Bible; as someone had to come up with the canon of the Bible. We need the Catholic Church to safeguard the correct interpretation that was believed in the Early Church.

The Church, with the power from the Holy Spirit and authority from Christ, determined the list of Sacred books of the Bible. We need to be aware to follow Scripture the way the Early Church taught us, and holdfast to the doctrine that the apostles passed down to us. (see 2 Timothy 4:3)

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"[The] judgment [concerning Athanasius] ought to have been made, not as it was, but according to the ecclesiastical canon. It behooved all of you to write to us so that the justice of it might be seen as emanating from all. Are you ignorant that the custom has been to write first to us and then for a just decision to be passed from this place [Rome]? If, then, any such suspicion rested upon the bishop there [Athanasius of Alexandria], notice of it ought to have been written to the Church here. But now, after having done as they pleased, they want to obtain our concurrence, although we never condemned him. Not thus are the constitutions of Paul, not thus the traditions of the Fathers. This is another form of procedure, and a novel practice. What I write about this is for the common good. For what we have heard from the blessed apostle Peter, these things I signify to you". Pope Julius I A.D. 341