Episode 3141: Protestants must first convert before they can be convinced

My daughter Gina asked me how to answer a Protestant that says “We worship Mary as idols”. I responded you should never feel compelled to answer a protestant and never refer to them as Christians because they are not. They reject the Mystical Body of Christ (His Church) and therefore reject him and therefore can not assign his name to themselves. A protestant is a heretic and when they say "as a fellow Christian" I need you to explain why this or that you need not explain until the convert. I will explain.
Today we confront a very real and pressing issue in our world of confusion: how should Catholics relate to Protestants when it comes to explaining the Faith?
Should we enter into endless theological debates? Should we try to help them “better understand” Catholicism? Or are we missing the deeper truth that until they first convert, until they are catechized and baptized into the One True Church, they are not yet properly disposed to receive the treasures of Divine Revelation?

This episode is not about harshness, but clarity. Not arrogance, but truth. And the truth is this: Protestants are not Christians in the full sense of the word, and they will never fully understand Catholic doctrine until they submit to the authority of the Church Christ founded.
Segment 1: The Error of Treating Protestants as “Partial Christians”
Let’s begin by defining terms. Today’s religious climate, shaped by ecumenism and modernism, promotes the idea that Protestants are merely “separated brethren,” part of the Church “in some mysterious way.”
This is not the Catholic position. As Pope Leo XIII taught in Satis Cognitum:
“The practice of the Church has always been the same, as is shown by the unanimous teaching of the Fathers, who were accustomed to consider as separated from Catholic communion, and alien to the Church, whoever would recede in the least degree from any point of doctrine proposed by her authoritative Magisterium.”
That means a single heresy, a single rejection of Catholic truth, separates one from the Church. And this is exactly what Protestantism is a system of heresies, born out of rebellion, perpetuated by pride, and nurtured by error.
In his 16th-century writings, St. Robert Bellarmine made it clear that:
“It is impossible for anyone to be saved without the true faith; and without the Catholic faith, no one can have the true faith.”
So while Protestants may believe in Jesus in a certain vague way, their denial of the Church He established renders their belief incomplete, distorted, and ultimately void of salvific grace.
Segment 2: Christ Established One Church: Not Many Denominations
Our Lord was not ambiguous. In Matthew 16:18, He said:
“Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church.”
Not churches. Not spiritual communities. But His Church singular, visible, hierarchical, sacramental, and united under the successor of Peter.
The Protestant mindset, inherited from Martin Luther and John Calvin, rejects this. They claim the Church is invisible, or merely symbolic, or found in “all believers.” But such views were condemned repeatedly by the Magisterium.
Pope Pius XII, in his encyclical Mystici Corporis Christi (1943), declared:
“Only those are to be considered members of the Church who have received the laver of regeneration and profess the true faith, and who have not, to their misfortune, separated themselves from the unity of the body.”
Therefore, Protestants are not members of Christ’s Mystical Body. Until they accept baptism validly and the entirety of the Catholic faith, they are not Christian in the full sense.
Segment 3: The Uselessness of Explaining What They Cannot Yet Understand
So what happens when we attempt to explain the Rosary, the Real Presence, or Marian devotion to Protestants?
It typically ends in confusion or mockery. Why? Because they are not disposed to receive these truths.
As St. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:14:
“The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
The “natural man” is the unconverted soul the one not yet formed by grace and catechesis. And until that soul submits to the Church and is properly instructed, the great mysteries of the faith will appear absurd, idolatrous, or foreign.
When Our Lord spoke to the crowds in parables, many did not understand. But He revealed the deeper truths only to the apostles to those who followed Him.
Likewise, Catholics must realize: truth must be preceded by conversion. Protestants must be evangelized, not debated. They need to be catechized, not convinced by apologetic cleverness.
Segment 4: The Saints Knew the Path: Conversion First, Then Instruction
Let’s look to the saints who dealt with heresy and unbelief:
• St. Peter Canisius spent his life in post-Reformation Europe. He did not treat Protestants as brothers in Christ, but as sheep separated from the fold. His efforts were aimed at bringing them back into the Church, not dialoguing about shared beliefs.
• St. Francis Xavier did not begin by explaining the Mass to pagans in India. He baptized, catechized, and brought them into the Church.
• St. Vincent Ferrer, the “Angel of the Apocalypse,” traveled across Europe preaching repentance and conversion warning that outside the Church there is no salvation.
• Even St. Augustine, when confronting Donatists, made it clear that truth is found only in the Catholic Church, and that even apparent piety outside the Church is ultimately sterile.
These saints did not waste words on interfaith forums. They sought the salvation of souls through conversion to the One True Faith.
Segment 5: What Should the Faithful Do?
So what should we do when we encounter Protestants? Here are some guiding principles:
1. Pray and fast for their conversion. The Blessed Virgin Mary is the Mediatrix of all Graces. Offer Rosaries and sacrifices for them.
2. Live your faith with conviction. A soul on fire for the Eucharist and the Sacraments speaks louder than debate. Let your life be a sermon.
3. Do not argue theology unless the person is sincerely seeking truth. Otherwise, you may commit the sin of casting pearls before swine.
4. Refer to the authority of the Church. Don’t try to sell Catholicism. Proclaim the truth and let the Holy Ghost work.
5. Avoid false ecumenism. Never say things like “We’re all Christians” or “We all love Jesus.” Instead, say, “We want you to share in the fullness of the Truth Christ gave to His Church.”
6. Use traditional catechisms. Offer the Baltimore Catechism or Catechism of the Council of Trent as gifts.
Remember what St. John Vianney said:
“There is only one path to Heaven. All the rest are paths that lead to Hell.”

Segment 6: What the Modern Church Has Forgotten
Let us not be confused by the modern Church's “ecumenical efforts.” As Pope Pius XI warned in Mortalium Animos:
“The union of Christians can only be promoted by promoting the return to the one true Church of Christ.”
This was the constant teaching of the Church until the Second Vatican Council introduced ambiguous language about “elements of sanctification” and “separated brethren.” But ambiguity saves no one.
The Protestant world is in rebellion against the authority of Christ and must be called to repentance and return, not patted on the back.
Why This Matters Now More Than Ever
We live in a time of apostasy, confusion, and a false sense of religious unity. But God does not bless compromise.
The first act of love we owe Protestants is truth. Not flattery. Not shared worship. But a bold, clear call to come home to Rome. To come home to the Eucharist. To come home to Our Lady, the Saints, and the full deposit of Faith.
Let us be missionaries, not diplomats. Let us be warriors, not appeasers.
Here is a Traditional Catholic Q&A framework you can use in conversation with Protestants. The purpose is not to engage in theological debate on their terms, but to gently expose their errors, avoid getting trapped in their assumptions, and lead them to realize the foundational issue: they are outside the Church established by Christ.
Each Q&A entry includes:
• The typical Protestant objection
• The traditional Catholic response
• A question to redirect the conversation toward conversion
Traditional Catholic Q&A for Conversations with Protestants
1. Protestant: “We’re all Christians, just in different denominations.”
Catholic Answer:
If that were true, Christ would have lied when He said “I will build My Church” (Matt. 16:18) not churches. The Early Church had one Faith, one Baptism, one Lord (Eph. 4:5), and that Faith was visibly united under the apostles, especially Peter.
Redirecting Question:
If Christ wanted one Church, with one doctrine and one authority, why do you belong to a denomination founded by a man, not by Christ Himself?
2. Protestant: “The Bible is my only authority.”
Catholic Answer:
But the Bible itself says the Church is the pillar and foundation of truth (1 Tim. 3:15). The Bible didn’t fall from the sky it was compiled and preserved by the Catholic Church, centuries after Christ ascended into Heaven.
Redirecting Question:
If the Bible is your only authority, can you show me where Scripture gives a list of inspired books or does that authority come from outside the Bible?
3. Protestant: “Catholics worship Mary and the saints. That’s idolatry.”
Catholic Answer:
We do not worship Mary we honor her as the Mother of God, just as Elizabeth did: “Blessed art thou among women” (Luke 1:42). Worship is reserved for God alone. We ask saints to pray for us, just as you might ask a friend to pray for you.
Redirecting Question:
If the angels and saints in Heaven are alive in Christ, why would asking for their intercession be more offensive to God than asking your pastor or friend to pray for you?
4. Protestant: “You don’t need the Church just a personal relationship with Jesus.”
Catholic Answer:
But Jesus founded a visible Church and gave it real authority (Matt. 18:17–18). He said, “If they will not listen to the Church, let them be as a heathen.” That’s not just personal it’s ecclesial.
Redirecting Question:
If your “personal relationship” contradicts 2,000 years of Christian doctrine, how can you be sure you’re not following a personal opinion instead of the truth Christ gave His Church?

5. Protestant: “Catholics added to the Gospel with traditions and sacraments.”
Catholic Answer:
Sacred Tradition isn’t man-made. St. Paul himself said, “Hold fast to the traditions you were taught, whether by word or by epistle” (2 Thess. 2:15). The sacraments were instituted by Christ not invented by popes.
Redirecting Question:
Do you believe the apostles passed down anything orally that wasn’t written in the Bible? If so, why reject it today when the Church preserved it?
6. Protestant: “Catholics believe in works salvation, not grace.”
Catholic Answer:
No. The Church teaches we are saved by grace, through faith but that true faith must be alive through charity (Gal. 5:6). Even Martin Luther admitted that “faith alone” was not in Scripture he added the word “alone” to Romans 3:28 in his German translation.

Redirecting Question:
If Jesus says, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15), then doesn’t obedience matter for salvation?
7. Protestant: “You’re just being religious. What matters is loving Jesus.”
Catholic Answer:
Loving Jesus means obeying Him (John 14:21). He said, “Unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man... you have no life in you” (John 6:53). That’s not vague spirituality it’s liturgical and sacramental.
Redirecting Question:
If Jesus meant what He said about His Body and Blood, where do you go to receive that grace today if your church rejects the Real Presence?
8. Protestant: “I don’t need a pope. Jesus is my only head.”
Catholic Answer:
Jesus is the Head of the Church but He gave Peter the keys of the Kingdom (Matt. 16:19). The early Church always recognized Peter’s primacy. The pope is Christ’s vicar on earth, not His replacement.

Redirecting Question:
If Jesus gave Peter the keys and told him to feed His sheep, why would Christ give that authority just to let it die out?
9. Protestant: “Catholics just follow man-made rules and rituals.”
Catholic Answer:
True worship is not invented by man. The Mass is rooted in the Last Supper, the Temple sacrifices, and apostolic worship. It’s not emotional experience it’s the unbloody re-presentation of Calvary.
Redirecting Question:
If God gave Israel detailed rituals in the Old Testament, why would He suddenly abandon liturgical worship in the New?
10. Protestant: “Are you saying I’m not saved?”
Catholic Answer:
I’m saying that salvation is found only in Jesus Christ and He established only one Church to administer His grace and truth. Outside of her, there is no ordinary means of salvation.

Redirecting Question:
Would you be willing to honestly ask God if you’re outside the Church He established and if so, would you follow the truth wherever it leads?
Closing Advice for the Catholic Engager
- Don’t get trapped defending details until they accept the foundation: the authority of the Catholic Church.
- Avoid “ecumenical language.” Stick to clarity, not compromise.
- Offer charity but never back down from truth.
- Invite them to Mass (Latin if possible) and to read a traditional catechism (like Baltimore or St. Pius X).
- Most importantly pray and sacrifice for their conversion.
Would you like this in a printable PDF or brochure format titled something like “Questions for Protestants: A Catholic’s Guide to Evangelization with Clarity and Charity”?
You said:
can you provide many more?

11. Protestant: “I don’t need confession I go straight to God.”
Catholic: Christ told the apostles: “Whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven” (John 20:23). This was the institution of the sacrament of Penance.
Redirecting Question:
Why would Jesus give His apostles the power to forgive sins if it weren’t meant to be used?
________________________________________
12. Protestant: “The Mass is just a symbolic meal.”
Catholic: The Mass is a re-presentation of Calvary. Jesus said, “This is My Body,” not “This represents My Body” (Matt. 26:26).
Redirecting Question:
If Jesus meant it as a symbol, why did so many disciples leave Him in John 6 when He said they must eat His flesh?
13. Protestant: “You make too much of Mary.”
Catholic: God made much of Mary. She is the Mother of God, full of grace, chosen from all eternity. “From henceforth all generations shall call me blessed” (Luke 1:48).
Redirecting Question:
If you truly love Jesus, wouldn’t you honor His mother as He did?
14. Protestant: “Purgatory isn’t in the Bible.”
Catholic: 2 Maccabees 12:46 says, “It is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.” Even St. Paul prayed for the dead in 2 Timothy 1:18.
Redirecting Question:
If the saved go straight to heaven, and the damned go to hell, why pray for the dead at all?
15. Protestant: “Calling a priest ‘Father’ is unbiblical Matthew 23:9 says ‘Call no man father.’”
Catholic: The Bible also calls Abraham “our father” (Romans 4:16) and St. Paul refers to himself as a father in 1 Corinthians 4:15.
Redirecting Question:
Is Jesus forbidding all titles or warning against pride and false authority?
16. Protestant: “You’re saved once and for all when you accept Jesus.”
Catholic: St. Paul said, “Work out your salvation in fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12). Salvation is a process, not a one-time event.
Redirecting Question:
If once saved, always saved why did St. Paul say he could be “disqualified” after preaching (1 Cor. 9:27)?
17. Protestant: “Why do Catholics baptize babies? They can’t believe.”
Catholic: Baptism is a sacrament of regeneration, not merely a profession of faith (John 3:5). The Church has always baptized infants, as seen in household baptisms in Acts 16.
Redirecting Question:
If circumcision done on infants was the Old Covenant entry, why wouldn’t Christ extend that grace in the New?
18. Protestant: “Your rituals are dead works.”
Catholic: Christ gave us sacraments as means of grace. The Mass, Confession, Baptism, etc., are not man-made, but instituted by Christ.
Redirecting Question:
If faith without works is dead (James 2:26), then what exactly are the “living” works you're doing?
19. Protestant: “There’s no need for saints we go to Jesus alone.”
Catholic: We ask saints to pray for us, not to replace Jesus. Revelation 5:8 shows the saints in heaven offering our prayers to God.
Redirecting Question:
If your church has a prayer chain, why can’t God’s closest friends in Heaven pray for us too?
20. Protestant: “You put man’s authority above Scripture.”
Catholic: The Magisterium (teaching authority) and Sacred Tradition were both entrusted by Christ to the apostles. Scripture doesn’t interpret itself.
Redirecting Question:
Without an authoritative interpreter, who decides what Scripture means every individual? Isn’t that what caused 40,000+ denominations?

21. Protestant: “But Jesus never wore vestments or burned incense!”
Catholic: Jesus kept the Jewish liturgical customs (Luke 2:22–27). Incense, candles, vestments all prefigure the heavenly worship in Revelation 8:3–4.
Redirecting Question:
If the angels in Heaven use incense and chant, why wouldn’t the Church mirror Heaven on earth in her worship?
22. Protestant: “You claim Peter was the first pope, but the word ‘pope’ isn’t in the Bible.”
Catholic: The title “pope” is historical, but the office is biblical. Christ gave Peter alone the keys (Matt. 16:19) and told him to “feed My sheep” (John 21:17).
Redirecting Question:
If Peter wasn’t given primacy, why is he always listed first in the Gospels and given unique authority?
23. Protestant: “Your church became corrupt during the Middle Ages.”
Catholic: The Church is made of sinners and saints. Christ promised the gates of hell would not prevail (Matt. 16:18). Individual failings don’t disprove divine origin.
Redirecting Question:
If the early Church became corrupt, why trust your own denomination, founded 1,500 years later by a man?
24. Protestant: “Catholics can’t read the Bible for themselves.”
Catholic: The Church encourages Bible reading but under the guidance of her teaching authority. Private interpretation leads to contradiction.
Redirecting Question:
If Scripture alone is enough, why do so many Bible-believing Protestants disagree on basic doctrine like baptism or communion?
25. Protestant: “Faith alone saves!”
Catholic: James 2:24 says explicitly: “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.”
Redirecting Question:
If Scripture says ‘not by faith alone,’ who added the word ‘alone’ to salvation?
26. Protestant: “Your church worships statues!”
Catholic: We do not worship statues they remind us of heavenly realities, just as photos remind us of loved ones. Worship is for God alone.
Redirecting Question:
Do you destroy family photos because they “distract” from loving your family? Then why accuse us for having images of the saints?
27. Protestant: “Catholicism is just religion. I have a relationship with Jesus.”
Catholic: Religion isn’t opposed to relationship it’s how we rightly worship God. The Church is Christ’s Body; you can’t have a relationship with the Head and ignore the Body.
Redirecting Question:
If your relationship with Christ contradicts His Church, how can you be sure it's really with Him?

28. Protestant: “The early Church didn’t have popes, cardinals, or elaborate liturgy.”
Catholic: The early Church had bishops, hierarchy, and the Real Presence. St. Ignatius of Antioch (A.D. 107) spoke of the bishop as essential to valid worship.
Redirecting Question:
If the early Church already had bishops and Eucharistic worship, why reject the very structure handed down from the apostles?
29. Protestant: “Jesus came to abolish religion.”
Catholic: He came to fulfill, not abolish (Matt. 5:17). The New Covenant includes sacraments, a priesthood, and a visible Church.
Redirecting Question:
If Jesus abolished all outward religion, why did He institute baptism, the Eucharist, and tell His apostles to forgive sins?
30. Protestant: “All that matters is believing in Jesus.”
Catholic: Even the demons believe and tremble (James 2:19). Belief must be joined to obedience and sacramental life.
Redirecting Question:
If belief is enough, why does Jesus say, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven”? (Matt. 7:21)
Closing Prayer:
O Lord Jesus Christ, Good Shepherd and Head of the Church, have mercy on those who wander in error. Bring home those who have been led astray by heresy. Send forth Thy light into their darkness. May they come to see that Thou hast built Thy Church upon Peter, and that outside of Her there is no salvation.
Our Lady of Conversion, pray for them.
Saint Peter the Apostle, pray for them.
Saint Robert Bellarmine, hammer of heretics, pray for us.
St. Francis de Sales, gentle defender of the Faith, pray for us.
St. Thomas Aquinas, illuminate our minds with truth.
And may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.