THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
What is a mystery?
The word
mystery is used by the Church and theologians in a different way
than it is used by the world. The name mystery is given to
“revealed truths that surpass the powers of natural reason”
(Catholic Encyclopedia). An example would be the Trinity. It is
a truth that God revealed to us, that we could not have ever
known simply with the powers of our reason. He had to tell us.
As well, mysteries are truths that can be partially understood
by us, but not fully understood. Some, we can understand and
explain only with the use of analogies (the Trinity), and some
we cannot understand at their inmost depths (the attributes of
God).
Why is the Church important? (CCC 758-769, 772)
From the
beginning of the Church, Christians have realized that God
created the world for the sake of the Church. The Church is
God’s final “goal” for mankind. The Church brings about man’s
salvation so that he can be united with God, sharing in His life
forever. God made man for the intention of sharing His life with
him. The Church is the sharing of God’s life with Him.
The Church is the Body of Christ, and we receive the Eucharist
each week, making us united to Him. It we are part of the
Church, we are part of the Body of Christ. This means we are
united with Him, and this is the goal of our existence – to
share in His life. On earth, we lack full union with Him. We are
still too attached to earthly things. The goal of our life is to
become more deeply united to the Church and hence to Christ;
this is the process of sanctification. As we become more and
more sanctified and holy through the Church (for it is
also the means by which we are sanctified), we enter more
deeply into its reality, and hence share in a fuller way in the
life of the Trinity.
Is the Church a physical or spiritual reality? (CCC 771)
Unequivocally both. Equally both. It is both a visible society
with visible hierarchy and the mystical Body of Christ.
It is both a visible society made of visible people and a
spiritual community with unseen members (saints and angels). It
exists both on earth and in Heaven. It is endowed with
physical means and gifts and heavenly and spiritual means
and gifts. Since the Church is the Body of Christ, it mimics
Jesus who was both fully God and fully man. This is an
extremely important truth, and many heresies have resulted (and
still exist today) from trying to give one reality more
importance than the other or simply eradicating one all
together.
Is there more than one true Church? (CCC 813-822)
No, there is
only one true Church. The Church of Christ, in its complete
fullness, subsists in the Catholic Church. The Church of Christ
is a reality beyond the physical, just like Jesus, who is God,
is more than the human body to which He is united. (The same is
true for us as well. Possessing immortal souls, we are more than
simply a body.) However, the fullness of God the Son
resides in and is united to His humanity, His Body. The same is
true of the Catholic Church. The fullness of God subsists
and is present in the Catholic Church. The Church is the Body of
Christ so it makes sense that He would be completely present in
His own Body. What does this mean about other religions,
especially Christian ones? The Church teaches that there are
elements of truth in other religions. When another religion or
Christian community shares in any amount of that truth, they are
united to and even a part of the Church of Christ. The more
truth they share, the more they are united to the Catholic
Church. But these other Christian communities and religions do
not possess the full truth, the totality of the presence of
Christ. In what they share with the Church, we rejoice and
celebrate. In fact, this makes them our brothers and sisters. In
what they are missing, the Church laments this loss, and prays
and desires earnestly for them to possess all and hence be
completely reunited to the Body of Christ. But there is only
one Christ, one Body, and hence only one
Church.
Is the Church perfect and without faults? (CCC 823-829)
This is
question that cannot be answered with a simple yes or no. To
begin, the Church is “unfailingly” holy because the Church is
the Body of Christ, and Christ is perfectly holy. However, her
members on earth are in pursuit of holiness and are in constant
need of purification. Each member of the Church is a sinner and
is constantly being purified. The more a person lives within the
graces and the life of the Church, the more they will progress
in their own sanctity. If they fall away from the life of the
Church, they will fall into a life of increasing sin because the
Church is the source of all grace to humanity. To summarize, we
end with a quotation from the Second Vatican Council. "Christ,
'holy, innocent, and undefiled,' knew nothing of sin, but came
only to expiate the sins of the people. The Church, however,
clasping sinners to her bosom, at once holy and always in
need of purification, follows constantly the path of penance
and renewal” (Lumen gentium 8).
What does “catholic” mean? (CCC 830-835)
“The word
‘catholic’ means ‘universal,’ in the sense of ‘according to the
totality’ or ‘in keeping with the whole’” (CCC 830). Calling the
Church catholic means two things. First, it means that
the Christ is fully present in the Catholic Church. The Church
is the Body of Christ, and therefore, if Christ is present so is
His Body. Christ does not reside less in the body than He does
in the Head. Where Christ is the Church is. Consequently, the
Catholic Church possesses the fullness of Christ and the
full means for the salvation for all man. There is
nothing of God missing in the Church. Secondly, the Church is
catholic because it is for all mankind, and is meant to include
all mankind. Her mission is the union of the entire human race
in Christ. There are no exclusions.
Who belongs to the Catholic Church? (CCC 836-838)
All mankind
is called to belong to the one, united Church of Christ.
Fully incorporated to the Church are those that accept all
the means of salvation that the Church offers and that accept
her entire organization; they are all those that are joined to
the visible structure of the Church through the
sacraments, the profession of faith, the Church government, and
communion with one another; they are all those who willingly put
themselves under the leaderships of the bishops and pope. This
is what comprises being fully incorporated into the Church.
However, there are many people that partially belong of the
Church, and they belong to the extent that they share in these
things. All men are ordered to the Church, meaning
they are created to belong to it; all share the same desires of
happiness and fulfillment that are promised (and given) to those
belonging to Christ and His Church.
What does the Church think about non-Christian religions? (CCC
839-845)
First of
all, the Church recognizes whatever is true and good in other
religions. In other words, if another religion says that God is
good and loving, the Church wholly agrees and accepts this part
of their belief. However, if this same religion were to claim
that this love God wants us to sacrifice our firstborn children
to Him, the Church would not accept this tenant of this
religion’s beliefs. The Church recognizes that all men are
seeking God and the happiness that comes from knowing Him.
Unfortunately, it also realizes that many people and religions
have been deceived by the Evil One as to who God really
is and what He desires for us and from us. The Church considers
these common desires and the goodness and truth present in other
religions as preparation for the Good News of Christ that brings
all men life, peace and truth. Dialogue with people of
other religions and beliefs necessarily begins with these basic
desires and truths that are shared by all men.
Can a person go to Heaven if they are not part of the Church, in
other words, if they are not Catholic? (CCC 846-848)
“Outside the
Church there is no salvation.” This statement is a truth of our
faith. It is also highly misunderstood and misinterpreted. Many
people believe that this means there is no salvation to anyone
except Catholics. This is not true. How do we interpret this
statement?
The Church
is the Body of Christ, and Christ’s presence in the world is
through His Body the Church. “Christ dwells on earth in his
Church” (CCC 669). All grace given to the world comes from
Christ, and more specifically His Body. Therefore, all grace
comes to the world through the Church. In order to attain
salvation, one needs to be baptized and proclaim the faith.
Baptism is the door through which we enter the Church.
Therefore, anyone who understands this necessity of the Church
and Baptism, and who refuses to enter it or remain in it, will
not be saved.
However,
there are many, through no fault of their own, that do not know
the Gospel of Christ of His Church. Nevertheless, these people
can achieve eternal salvation if, moved by grace, they seek God
with a sincere heart and try with their actions to do the will
of God as they know it through the dictates of their conscience.
In
simplicity, God judges each man according to what he has been
given. We all have a conscience that speaks to us in our hearts
as to what is right and what is wrong. Therefore, regardless of
what a person knows about the Church, he is able to lead a life
pleasing to God. However, those who deny their consciences, and
know the Church, but reject it willingly are responsible for
what they have known and what they have been given.
Only God
knows the inmost intentions of men. In order to know our own
standing before the Lord, it is essential to be a person of
prayer, honesty, humility, and pure intention. We need to be
open to the truth, confident in God’s mercy when we are
confronted with our sins, and willing to change ourselves in
conformation with His will. If we have this attitude of heart,
we have little to be worried about.
How does the Church want us to act toward those who are
non-Catholics? (CCC 849-856)
The Lord has
called us to go to all nations, preaching the Gospel, and
baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit
(Mt 28:19-20). He calls all men to Himself, to salvation,
and to be part of His Body the Church. Therefore, the Church and
each of its members are necessarily missionaries. This makes
perfect sense if we believe with our hearts that only God and
His ways are the perfect fulfillment of all human desires. If we
truly love our fellow man, we want everyone to be as peaceful
and happy as possible. We know this is possible only through the
presence of God and the way of life he dictates to us through
the tenets of the Church. Therefore, we must be missionaries of
this truth to all men. How are we missionaries, especially to
non-Catholics?
God calls
some people to far away lands to preach His Gospel. However,
these people are few. Most people he calls to be missionaries in
their daily lives to the people they encounter, live with, and
work with each day. This witness to truth is first and foremost
in our actions. We need to live what we believe so that
people can see the effects in our lives. If we do not live what
we preach, it is obvious to others that we don’t believe what we
say – otherwise, we would be living it. The words we say are
important, but secondary to our actions. As well, it is
essential to pray for those that lack the fullness of life in
Christ because in this way, we bring grace to their hearts and
lives.
What does it mean to say that the Church is “apostolic”? (CCC
857-860, 863)
The Church
is apostolic because she is founded on the Apostles, which means
three things. First, she was built on the foundation of the
Apostles, whom Christ entrusted with the mission of leading,
sanctifying, and teaching His Church. Second, because the Holy
Spirit dwelling in her, the Church continues to keep and hand on
the same deposit of faith given to her by the Apostles. Third,
she continues to be lead, sanctified, and taught by the Apostles
by their successors the bishops. Finally, all the faithful share
in the mission of the Apostles and their successors (though we
do not possess in its fullness like the bishops), in that we are
called to be missionaries of the faith to the world by our words
and deeds.
Who are considered to be the successors of the Apostles? (CCC
861-862)
The bishops
are the direct successors of the Apostles. They have been
anointed with the same Holy Spirit in an unbroken line from the
time of the Apostles until today. The Cardinals and the Pope are
also bishops. Though priests share in many of the sacred
ministries as the bishops, they are not considered successors of
the Apostles.
What are the different roles to play in the life of the Church?
Is one more important than the others? (CCC 871-873)
To begin,
all people are called to participate in the priestly, prophetic
and kingly missions of Christ. All are called to individual
holiness, to be missionaries by their words and deed; all are
called to participate in building up the Body of Christ – the
mission of all is singular. However, each person has a unique
role or ministry within the Body as a whole. God calls each
individual to build up the Body in a special way. There are
three main groups in the Church in which the faithful can be a
part.
The
Hierarchy
– These are the ordained ministers entrusted in a special way
with teaching, governing, and sanctifying the members of the
Church. It includes the Pope, cardinals, bishops, priests, and
deacons.
Consecrated
Life
– those who are consecrated to God and serve His mission in a
special way by their profession of the evangelical counsels of
chastity, poverty and obedience. Some common titles of the
consecrated life are nuns, monks, religious
brothers, and religious sisters.
The Laity
– all other members of the Church not part of the hierarchy or
consecrated life.
Who are the members of the hierarchy of the Church?
The
hierarchy includes the Pope, cardinals, bishops, priests, and
deacons.
Why do we need a hierarchy in the Church? (CCC 874-879)
To begin,
"Faith comes from what is heard” (Rom 10:17). Our faith is not
something that we can acquire on our own. Faith is a gift that
is offered and then received. This presupposes a need for a
minister of grace, one who proclaims the faith. Someone only has
the authority to do this because has been given this authority
of Christ. In the Gospels, we see that Christ would send out the
Twelve or the seventy-two to preach the coming of the Kingdom.
Giving the Church a hierarchy, or people that have been anointed
with the Holy Spirit, is a safeguard for the people of the
Church. It is very easy to distort truth – human beings are
experts. The existence of many religions in the world shows us
the variety of truth which we have managed to invent. Knowing
that the hierarchy of the Church has been given the specific
grace of Christ to perform the actions of teaching, leading and
governing gives us the comfort of knowing we can trust in their
judgments. This gift that Christ gives to His ministers is more
a gift for our own security and protection than a gift to the
ministers themselves. God loves us so much that He wants us to
be assured of knowing the truth always. He does this by
promising the presence of His Holy Spirit to the Church and her
ordained ministers.
Second, on
the natural level, we can see that no community can exist
without organization. No company, group, or organization exists
without some hierarchal structure of its members. It is
necessary for its function. God is a God of order and He always
works and builds on our nature. He is not out to destroy it. His
Church is human, which means it will have natural
characteristics. However, it is always fully divine, which means
this humanity is fully elevated with supernatural grace. This is
the reason we can look to our leaders (bishops, Pope, etc), not
as mere leaders, but those entrusted with a supernatural grace
to be able to lead the Church and its members. The key to
understanding this more is to understand that this grace is
primary for our benefit, and it is not an issue of who possesses
the power. The hierarchy is first a servant of the
people, in imitation of Christ, whom each one represents.
Is the office of the Pope a human invention or is it an office
that Christ mandated? (CCC 880-882)
The office
of the papacy was directly instituted by Christ. In the Gospel
of Matthew we hear Jesus’ words, “you are Peter, and upon this
rock I will build my church… I will give you the keys to the
kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in
heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in
heaven” (Mt 16:18-19). As well, in the Gospel of John, Jesus
asks Peter to feed His flock. Jesus established the Twelve in a
special way to lead His Church, but among these, He designates
Peter as the head. Just like all bishops are successors of the
Apostles, the Pope is the successor of Peter, and he is the head
of the bishops and the whole Church. His supremacy is not a
human invention, but a Christ-given mandate that will continue
until the end of time. This understanding allows us to have
trust in the Pope as our head because we understand that His
authority and his office are not due to his own initiative or
ability, but instead come directly from heaven. Because of this,
we are able to trust him and his leadership with divine trust
instead of human trust.
Is it possible for any one person or group of people to
contradict or overturn a decision of the Pope? (882-887)
No. The Pope
is the Vicar of Christ, meaning he represents Christ on earth.
Because they represent Christ, Jesus has given His Vicars a
share in His own infallibility. Therefore, he is
infallible in his declarations on faith and morals.
He has supreme and universal power over the entire Church, and
he can exercise this office unhindered. The college of bishops
(the bishops as a group) only share the same infallibility if
they are in union with the Pope and one another.
Should we really put so much trust in the infallibility of the
Pope? Doesn’t this put too much power into the hands of one man?
Again, with
the wisdom of men, this cannot be understood. We must see his
infallibility with the eyes of God. It is a safeguard for our
protection. Christ gives the Pope infallibility because He wants
to give us the surety that we will always know the truth about
God. Through the Pope, the Lord is promising that His Vicars
will represent His truths accurately, and we will always be sure
that we are following His truths and mandates. We cannot look at
the papacy as a position of “power,” but one of divine service.
Most truly good Popes have embraced the office because they
believed it is God’s will for them, not because they were
seeking to be infallible or powerful. These men understand the
burden and responsibility with which they have been entrusted.
It is easy
to see that human beings give many interpretations to events, to
Scripture, to the life of Christ, to history, etc. How are we to
know what to believe? This is why God grants infallibility to
His Vicars, the Popes. He wants to make sure we, the faithful,
always have access to the truth. Infallibility is not a gift He
gives the Pope because of the pope’s unique holiness. In fact,
there have been Popes that have not been very holy at all.
Despite this however, God is so powerful that His Spirit has
never allowed a Pope to teach something untrue in regards to
faith and morals. This is truly amazing. They key to this
concept is understanding that infallibility is a gift of God to
His Church because of His love for us; it is not a matter of
power or personal holiness.
What does it mean to be infallible? (CCC 889-890, 2035)
It is a gift
that Jesus grants its successors to be able to teach the true
faith free from error. Infallibility extends to matters on faith
and morals.
What people in the Church are infallible? (CCC 891-892)
The Pope,
when teaching as supreme pastor of all the faithful on matters
of faith and morals, is infallible. The body of bishops, when
united together with the Pope (above all in an Ecumenical
Council), are also infallible.
Does infallibility mean that the Pope is sinless? (CCC 891)
No. There
are no men, including the Pope, who are sinless. There have
saintly Popes and, unfortunately, un-saintly Popes. All of them,
however, have been infallible. Again, infallibility is a gift to
the Church more than a gift for the Pope himself.
What are the responsibilities of the bishops and priests? (CCC
888-896)
They have
three primary duties – to teach, to govern, and to sanctify.
They are responsible for teaching the faith to the
people. They are responsible for sanctifying
themselves and the people to whom they minister. They do this by
their prayer and work, by their ministry of the word and the
sacraments, and finally by their example. Last, they are
responsible for governing their particular
churches under their care by their counsels, exhortations and
example. Their authority is sacred and from Christ, and they are
govern as to edify and serve, just like their divine Master.
They should govern in union with one another and the Pope.
Who makes up the laity? (CCC 897)
The laity
includes all the faithful, baptized into Christ,
except those included in Holy Orders (deacons, priests and
bishops) or part of a religious institution approved by the
Church.
What are the primary duties of the laity? (CCC 898-913)
The laity
have a special vocation in the Church, as they are able to reach
and be part of sectors of society that are often not accessible
to priests and religious. In fact, it is in these places where
they have the greatest obligation to bring the message of
Christ. The primary duty of the laity is to take temporal
matters and affairs and direct them toward Christ and the will
of God. Simply, they are to take their ordinary, everyday
affairs and divininize them, directing all to Christ. They are
to bring the Kingdom of God and the love of Christ to everything
they do and everyone they meet. This means they are to conduct
all of their affairs according to the love of Christ and the
principles of the Catholic faith. Most of the time, this is very
simple. Some examples will be helpful: Restraining anger and
holding back unkind words, and acting with patience instead.
Offering up everyday sufferings and inconveniences and uniting
them with the sufferings of Christ. Not cheating or overcharging
in business affairs. Giving someone who displeases us a kind and
genuine smile instead of a scowl. Working hard and ethically
without complaint. Performing the duties of our lives with love,
joy and simplicity. In these ways and many more, we bring the
love of Christ into the world and into the lives of others.
Essential to understanding the role of the laity is
understanding that they do not simply belong to the
Church, but that they are the Church. They are the
presence of Christ – His hands, feet, and face – to all those in
the world.
What are the evangelical counsels and who professes them? (CCC
914-927)
The three
evangelical counsels are poverty, chastity and
obedience. All people are called to be poor, chaste and
obedient according to their state in life. However, there are
some people who Christ calls to “sell everything and follow
Him.” This is the core or the consecrated or religious life.
Consecrated religious (commonly called religious brothers,
religious sisters, monks, nuns, hermits, and consecrated virgins
or widows) take these vows, professing to completely devote
themselves to living out poverty, chastity and obedience to
their perfection.
Poverty
– The vow of poverty means to give up the right to possessions.
Everything they use is the property of the institute to which
they belong.
Chastity
– This vow is a promise of celibacy of body, mind and soul.
Those that profess this vow promise that their love will not be
divided. God alone will suffice; their hearts, minds, bodies and
souls are His and His alone.
Obedience
– Obedience is always due to God, but with the vow, one is
professing obedience to the superiors and the rule of his of her
institute. They consider the rule of the community and direction
of their superiors to be the will of God for them on earth. In
taking this vow, they pledge to follow the rule of the community
and the mandates of their superiors.
What do we mean when we profess belief in the “communion of
saints”? (CCC 946-953)
The
communion of saints refers to two things. First, it refers to
the common goods and graces we share because we are part of one
Body. The good of one is the good of all. Second, it refers to a
communion of people, in other words, a family. We are all united
into one family, in which we can communicate with one another,
pray for one another, and help one another along on our journey.
There are three “states” in the communion of saints, but it is
important to realize that we are all connected and we can always
intermingle and serve one another regardless of where we are.
The exchange of spiritual goods crosses over and is in constant
interchange among the three states of the Church.
Church
militant
– These are the members of the Church still on earth. It is
called militant because we are still engaged in the
battle for salvation. We are not finished fighting and
struggling yet.
Church
suffering
– These are the souls in Purgatory. They are being purified in
order to enter Heaven. These souls need our constant prayers.
Not only does it help them, but it also makes their intercession
for us more effective. They will intercede for us greatly when
they reach Heaven due to our prayers.
Church
glorified
– These are the souls in Heaven who see God exactly as He is.
They are in the state of perfect happiness, communing with God
in Heaven. However, this does not separate them from those still
suffering on earth and in Purgatory. In fact, these men and
women are constantly interceding for us before the throne of
God. They are some of our greatest advocates and friends. St.
Therese (the Little Flower) said that she wished to spend her
Heaven doing good on earth. We should constantly beg the saints
in Heaven for their intercession and aid.
Are those who have died also a part of the Church? (CCC 954-959)
Yes. As we
see in the previous question, those who have died in God’s
grace, whether in Purgatory or Heaven, are part of the Body of
Christ, the Church. Therefore, they, along with those on earth,
share in the common goods and graces that Christ bestows on His
beloved Bride, the Church.
