The Church on Earth: The Nature and Authority of the Catholic Church, and the Place of the Pope Within

With clarity and verve, Ronald Knox here shows that by the very terms of its commission from Christ, the Catholic Church cannot become a democracy. Unlike Protestant congregations, the Church on earth is not just an assembly of Christians, pledged to keep in tact a set of dogmatic truths and moral principles. It is directly God's handiwork, deliberately designed by Him as a hierarchical institution headed by the Pope.

Knox explains that although the Church is not inerrant in its policies, it is infallible in its doctrines; and it rightly serves as the living interpreter of Scripture and of its own teachings. He shows that despite the faults of its members (and even many of its leaders), the Church on earth has a higher claim on our loyalty than country, party, or even family.