In an exclusive interview with The Brody File, Sen. Marco Rubio explains how he transitioned from being part of the Mormon Church to Catholicism along with a healthy dose of evangelical Christianity along the way, too.
It is a fascinating look from someone who could be the next vice president of the United States or even president of the United States someday.
Watch below with the full transcription.
Mandatory Courtesy: CBN News/The Brody File
David Brody: I was reading the book, so you’re what is it second grade, third grade you’re reading church doctrine for goodness sake in third grade. What’s that about? Who reads church doctrine?
Marco Rubio: You know what happened, I was always interested in religion. I was always interested in my spiritual life and from a very young age was attending the Catholic Church. And then, when we moved to Las Vegas my mom was looking for a family friendly environment to raise us in. I know that sounds funny to say that Las Vegas is family friendly. But back then it was a much smaller place, certainly much smaller than Miami was.
So we were living there, and I had three aunts living there. One of them was very much involved in the LDS Church. And my mom just kind of loved the family friendly environment that the church created for her and her kids and that’s why we started going. My dad never really bought in, but my mom, and I understood the church’s doctrine about as well as an 8-year-old can, an 8 or 9-year-old.
And then about around the time I was in sixth grade, I had a friend of mine who was a Catholic, and I don’t know why, but I started researching Catholicism again and just got called back to it and felt called back to it and got back to the church, and that’s where I was for much of my life.
And then in my early-to-mid 30’s, I got really busy with politics and my wife found this fantastic church down in Miami called Christ Fellowship. At that time it was First Baptist Church, and then she started going, and my sister was going, my parents were going. My kids loved to go. And not only did I lose spiritual leadership in my home, but beyond it we found this really great church home and it became kind of our church home, and it’s still the place that we have a very strong relationship with. They’re great teachers of the written Word, I mean just a fantastic job that they do, and their Children’s ministry is A+, and that’s really important to me.
But then about 2006, 2005, once again, felt called back to Catholicism. I started reading again. I remember during one break, I don’t remember the exact year I read the entire catechism of the entire church which was a thick document. I just felt called back to the church, and reinvigorated my faith.
So I am glad for that journey. It strengthened me and my reliance on God. More importantly, I think what it has done is given me an extra, increased appreciation for my brother and sisters in Christ and the tremendous job they do, in bringing people to the truth.
Brody: So there is a balancer there, …fellowship and the Catholic church?
Rubio: We still very much enjoy the sermons there. They have a great children’s ministry, a great online ministry and we try to attend in person as often as we can. We are fully aligned with the Catholic church, in terms of the doctrine and its teachings. We are very at home there. We are very happy with it.
I am not sure. Some people think that is a big deal. I don’t understand why people make it such a big deal of it. But anytime someone is talking about the gospel of Jesus and the truth that is so far based on the truth and solid theology, that is something we should listen and take in.
I listen to a podcast by a pastor called Greg Laurie. He is fantastic. I listen to, obviously there are other lay preachers. I read a Catholic author who is a lay author who writes a tremendous number of books. So there are all kinds of people that are doing a fantastic job.
Brody: What is it about the Catholic Church that interested you?
Rubio: There are a lot of things. Obviously, the Sacraments and the one thing I particularly miss and I talked about in the book is the Eucharist. The actual body and blood of Jesus and how powerful that is and just the whole symbolism behind that. How that became the new Lamb and Supper, and how Jesus became the new Passover Lamb for us.
And in so many ways, all of this was pre-scene by the original Passover where God’s chosen people were brought from slavery into freedom. And they commemorated where they celebrate the Passover, where an unblemished Lamb is sacrificed in commemoration of that.
Now we have the Ultimate unblemished lamb of Jesus, the God-made man and that is what the Eucharist is all about. And obviously from that, I also have tremendous respect for what I think is the teaching authority of the church that goes all the way back to the apostles.
But for all the churches… One of beautiful things is that what is not told enough is how the Catholic Church and the catechism recognizes how the elements of salvation can be found in multiple faith traditions within Christianity. That we are all at the end of the day part of the same body of Christ.
We are not in communion so to speak. We are not. Many churches for example don’t accept the leadership of the Pope in Rome and some of the teachings of the Catholic Church but we are all Christians. And I think that is the one thing that is most amazing.
How Christianity has found its way in every part of the world. And nothing to me is more touching than to see someone that is lost in the world, come to Christ and have a transformed moment. You see that so often in the evangelical churches and Christ Fellowship. I have tremendous appreciation for that and I celebrate it.