St. Augustine, writing against the Manichean sect to which in his youth he had been a member, says that what appealed to him and most strongly led him to the true Church was the name “Catholic,” which no sect has ever been able to appropriate. “For,” he says, “though all claim to the title of Catholic, yet not one among them is called by that name, nor is there a heretic, who, if you met him in the street and asked him: ‘Where is the Catholic Church?’ would dare to direct you to his own assembly.” These words are as true of the world today as they were written by the saintly bishop of Hippo. The word “Catholic” means worldwide or universal; universal means all in one, and hence no sect or Protestant church can claim such a title.
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