Yes, Jesus Really Established the Catholic Church

Yes. The best sources to testify to that reality are the Bible and the early Church Fathers. Here are several Catholic Answers resources to aid you in demonstrating that historical reality: our booklet Pillar of Fire, Pillar of Truth; our tracts on Peter and the Papacy and The Origins of Peter as Pope; and also our tract on Peter’s Primacy as affirmed by the Church Fathers.

In addition, examine any reputable secular history of the early Church. Even if the historian doesn’t like the Catholic Church, they’ll affirm the historical realities of the existence of the papacy, belief in the Eucharist, etc. You won’t see distinctive Protestant doctrines affirmed as existing in the early Church.