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THEOLOGY 3 | Q1
I. Chapter 1: Introduction to Ecclesiology
 ECCLESIOLOGY
 The Ecclesiology is the branch of theology
that studies an in-depth scriptural and
historical examination of the mystery of the
Church covering the nature, structure, and
constitution of the Catholic Church itself on a
metaphysical and revealed level.
 ETYMOLOGY
⁃ “Church” came from the Latin translation
of Ecclesia
⁃ "ekklesia" was frequently used in the
Greek text in the Old Testament which
means assembly and to designate the
chosen people of God
⁃ A compound of the Greek prepositions ek
which means origin and kalo which means
to call or to meet
 Formal treatises appeared late in the history
of the Church, however, the writers of the
New Testament, the Fathers, and scholastics
reflected deeply on the mystery of the
Church especially in relation to Christological
and Soteriological themes.
 UNDERSTANDING THE HISTORY
History can be defined as:
⁃ an inicident
⁃ Information about an incident
⁃ Inquiry or research to check as well as
find data about the past
⁃ an interpretation
 VALUE OF CHURCH HISTORY
- The Church history:
⁃ links the past factual data of the
Christian gospel with the future
proclamation and application of that
gospel in a present synthesis that creates
understanding of our great heritage and
inspiration for its further proclamation
and application.
⁃ an Aid to Understanding the Present.
⁃ as a Guide.
⁃ as a Motivating Force.
⁃ as a Practical Tool
⁃ as a Stabilizing Force
 THEMES OF CHURCH HISTORY
 POLITICAL ELEMENTS
- Involve relations between the
church and the state/secular
environment.
 PROPAGATION OF THE CHURCH
THROUGH MISSIONS
- These cannot be ignored.
 PERSECUTION OF THE CHURCH
- It is important because it is usually
during or right after these times that
the church makes it greatest
advances.
 POLITY
- The government of the church,
which is also important.
 POLEMICS
- Church's struggle against heresy
and analysis of its own position
 PRAXIS
- The practical outworking in life of
the Christian faith.
 PRESENTATION OF TRUTH
- Also important to church history.
 PERIODS IN CHURCH HISTORY
 ANCIENT CHURCH HISTORY (5 B.C.-
A.D.590)
1. The Spread of Christianity to 100 AD.
2. The Struggle of the Old Catholic Imperial
Church for survival. (100-313 AD)
3. The Supremacy of the Old Catholic
Imperial Church. (313-590 AD)
 MEDIEVAL CHURCH HISTORY (590-1517
AD)
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1. The Rise of the Empire and Latin- - PEOPLE OF GOD

Teutonic Christianity. (590-800 AD)
God’s chosen or elect
2. Changes in Relationships between the
Church and the state. (800-1054 AD) - COMMUNITY/COMMUNION

3. The Supremacy of the Papacy. (1054- Is demonstrated by sharing goods in

1305 AD) common use

4. Medieval Sunset and Modern Sunrise. - BODY OF CHRIST

(1305-1517 AD) As a community of different members
 MODERN CHURCH HISTORY (1517-) with different gifts and ministries united in
the same Spirit by baptism and the
1. Reformation and Counter Reformation. Eucharist and employ the same
(1517-1648 AD) metaphor, but add that Christ is the head
of the body.
2. Rationalism, Revivalism and
Denominationalism. (1648-1789 AD) - SAINTS
3. Revivalism, Missions, and Modernism. To denote outstanding Christians
(1789-1914 AD) publicly recognized for their exemplary
lives.
4. Tension. (1914-Vatican II)
- THE WAY
 BACKGROUND OF THE CHURCH
Specifically refers to individuals
 OLD TESTAMENT following Jesus
- The community of Israel foreshadows the - BRIDE OF CHRIST
Church.
The church is the bride of Christ.
- God’s special relationship with Israel was
not just about Israel: it had a deeper - CHILDREN OF ABRAHAM / NEW
meaning for the rest of the world as well. ISRAEL / NEW JERUSALEM
 NEW TESTAMENT  POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE
ROMANS
- In the NT, the Church designates the
community of Christian disciples who - The Romans, as no other people up to their
gathered at least weekly for common time, developed a sense of unity of
liturgy and prayer. mankind under a universal law.
- SYNAGOGUE a. They stressed application of a
universal law to all of their citizens.
Usually refers to a local assembly of
Jews b. In the 5th century B.C. they codified the
12 Tables and taught them to every
- TEMPLE/SANCTUARY schoolboy.
Paul uses "Temple of God" as a c. In 212 B.C. under Caracalla, all
metaphor for the Christian community, in freemen in the empire were given
that the community is the "sanctuary" Roman citizenship, thus all were under
where the Spirit dwells one system of law and citizens of one
- HOUSE / FIELD / VINEYARD / OLIVE kingdom.
TREE d. This laid a foundation for the
The church is sometimes described proclamation of our heavenly
using other architectural or agricultural citizenship.
images: as God's house or household
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- The Romans developed an excellent
system of roads that were built of concrete.
- The Roman religions provided little comfort
as well when they expressed their
hospitality to foreign beliefs.
 INTELLECTUAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE
GREEKS
- Greek philosophy prepared for the coming
of Christianity by destroying the older
religions.
a. This intellectual discipline made the
polytheistic religions unintelligible, so
many turned to philosophy.
b. Philosophy failed to satisfy spiritual
needs.
- The Greek people also contributed in a
religious way to making the world ready to
accept the new Christian religion when it
appeared.
 RELIGIOUS CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE
JEWS
- Where Rome set the political climate and
Athens set the philosophical climate for the
early church, Judaism set the relational
climate.
- Jewish people did not seek to discover God
by processes of human reason, instead
they assumed His existence and granted
Him the worship they felt was His due.
- Monotheism was a striking contrast to the
polytheism of the pagan religions.
- The Jews offered to the world the hope of
a coming Messiah who would bring
righteousness to the earth.
- Judaism also to the world the purest ethical
system in existence.
- Only Judaism and Christianity have been
successful in surviving and changing the
course of human history.
II. Chapter 2: Ecclesiology in the Patristic Age
 PATROLOGY
 The door through which we can enter into the
Church and attain her spirit, which affects our
inner life, conduct and behavior. Through
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Patrology, the acts of the Fathers are
transferred into living thoughts and concepts
which are based on a sound foundation,
without ignoring the world around us.
 Includes the following:
- THE LIFE OF THE FATHERS
In order to understand their writings
and sayings, their lives and the environment
in which they lived, must be considered.
- THEIR ACTS
The writings, sermons, dialogues,
letters, etc. of the Fathers
- A DISCOVERY OF THEIR THOUGHTS
Their dogma, doctrines, and
concepts concerning God, man, church,
salvation, worship, creation, the body, the
heavenly life, etc.
 CHURCH FATHERS
- “Early Church Father” is a title that gradually
came to be applied to certain Christian
leaders distinguished by four characteristics:
1. Antiquity
2. Holiness
3. Orthodoxy
4. Church approval
- A better clue to understanding what the title
“Church Father” means is provided by St.
Clement of Alexandria: “Words are the
progeny of the soul. Since the principal
teacher of any Christian community is its
bishop, the title “Father” was first applied to
bishops. In fact, the bishops who gather in
church councils have been from early times
referred to as “council fathers.”
- So the term “Father of the Church” finally
came to refer to important Christian writers
after the New Testament era who, because
of closeness to that era, witness to the
authentically apostolic way of interpreting the
Scriptures handed on to them by the Catholic
Tradition.
 DIVERSITY OF CHURCH FATHERS
- APOSTOLIC FATHERS
(A.D. 90 – 150) who edified the
church.
- APOLOGISTS
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(A.D. 130 – 180) Defended the
Church against Roman persecution
- POLEMICISTS
(A.D. 180 – 225) led the Church
against internal heresy
- THEOLOGIANS
(A.D. 225- 460) attempted to
harmonize Christianity with popular
philosophy
 APOSTOLIC FATHERS
 ST. CLEMENT OF ROME
- A DIVINELY ORDERED WHOLE
God has set up the church in
an ordered hierarchical.
- THE CHURCH: A LIVING BODY
All work harmoniously
together. And are under one
common rule for the preservation of
the whole body.
 ST. IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH
- For the sole purpose of salvation of
Christ.
- The primary characteristics of
Christians is their corporate and
selfless spirit of love and they
complete unanimity of faith.
 ST. PAPIAS OF HIERAPOLIS
- Wrote the stated purpose of
presenting an accurate teaching
and works of the apostles
- Bishop of Hierapolis in Asia Minor
 ST. POLICARP OF SMYRNA
- ON PRESBYTERS
Let the presbyters to be
compassionate and merciful.
- JESUS CHRIST
The shepherd of the Catholic
Church.
 THE SHEPHERD OF HERMAS
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- Repentance and penancing in
preparation for the end times
 ST. JUSTIN MARTYR
- His writings represent the first
positive encounter of Christian
revelation with Greek philosophy
and laid the basis for a theology of
history.
 ST. IRENAEUS OF LYONS
- Systematic Theology
- AGAINST GNOSTIC DUALISM
Claimed the original holiness
of matter, of the body, of the flesh
no less than of the spirit.
 TERTULLIAN
- Quintus Septimus Florens
Tertullianus
- THE CHURCH : OUR MOTHER
The repository of true faith
and doctrine
 ST. CYPRIAN OF CARTHAGE
- THREE CLEAR BASES OF
AUTHORITY:
1. His divinely appointed
responsibility as the leader of
the Church.
2. He utilized the scriptures to
support his conclusions in his
strict view expressed in De
Lapsis.
3. He had repeatedly been
praised for his dutiful protection
of the strictness of gospel
discipline, yet he recognized
the need to shelter the lapsi
currently outside of the grace
and security of the Church.
- ECCLESIA SUPER EPISCOPOS
CONSTITUATUR
Also known as “The Authority
Derived from Episcopal
Consensus.”
It left no doubt concerning
who would resolve this controversy
THEOLOGY 3 (Q1) | 12S1

and on whose word the lapsed
were to depend.
 ST. CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA
- Also known as Titus Flavius
Clemens
- He wrote the majority of his works,
in which he covered almost every
aspect of Christian conduct.
- THE VIRGIN MOTHER
St. Clement of Alexandria
speaks of the Church as the Virgin
Mother of the Christians, her
motherhood is correlated to God's
fatherhood, through her loving
kindness she feeds her children on
the Logos as holy milk.
- A COMMUNITY OF JOY
The Church is the
"Community of Joy." The Church
was symbolized by Rebecca which
means "laughter."
The Church is the body of
Christ, nourished on His Body and
Blood.
- A NEW CREATION
The Church is the holy vine,
or the holy tree, where the saints,
who became a new creation in
Christ, together with the heavenly
creatures, dwell on its branches.
- THE FIRST-BORN CHURCH
For this is the first-born
Church composed of many good
children; these are the first born
enrolled in Heaven, and hold high
festival with so many myriads of
angels.
We too are first-born sons,
who are reared by God, who are
genuine friends of the first-born,
who first and foremost attained to
the knowledge of God.
- THE CHURCH, OLD AND NEW
He proclaims the Church as a
continuation of the old one,
confirms that she is new in Christ.
He asserts that she never become
old, for the Holy Spirit always
renews her youthfulness.
- THE HEAVENLY CHURCH
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The earthly Church is usually
described as the image of the
heavenly one, and that it is this
ideal Church, "the church on high,"
which is more often the subject of
Clement's thought in the Stromata.
- ONE CHURCH AND ONE FAITH
Refers to the unity as a
natural characteristic of the Church,
who is united with one God, has
one Bible and one Faith. He
stresses on the Church unity based
on the "One Faith," asking us to
avoid the heretics for they cause
schism.
 ORIGEN
- HEXAPLA
An enormous edition of the
Bible arranged in six columns. It
contained the text from the Hebrew
scriptures, a Greek translation of
the Hebrew, the Septuagint, and
the Greek versions by Symmachus,
Aquila, and Theodotian.
- He referred to the Church mostly in
his exegetical writings.
- He built his ecclesiological concept
on the insights of Irenaeus and
Clement.
- Origen demonstrated the ecclesial
perfectionists, saying that: “it is
impossible for the Church to be
entirely purified while it is on earth.”
 ST. JEROME
- VULGATE
His translation of the
Scriptures, which was in Latin.
It became the only official
Bible of the Roman Catholic Church
from the Council of Trent until
recent times.
- He wrote many commentaries on
the Bible and biographies of the
leading Christian writers and their
works.
 ST. AMBROSE OF MILAN
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- He wrote many commentaries on the
Bible and biographies of the leading
Christian writers and their works.
- He introduced congregational singing
of hymns and antiphonal psalmody to
the Western church.
- MYSTERIUM LUNAE
“The moon is in fact the
Church… [she] shines not with her
own light. But with the light of Christ,
She draws her brightness from the
Sun of Justice, and so she can sa :’It
is no longer I who live, but Christ who
lives in me’” (Hexaemeron, IV, 8, 32).
 ST. AGUSTINE OF HIPPO
- THE CONFESSIONS
His’ autobiography which was
viewed as one of the great ones of all
times.
1. It describes his life before
conversion.
2. The events surrounding his
conversion.
3. The events after his
conversion.
4. He also includes a the nature of the Church in her deepest identity,
commentary on the first
chapters of Genesis which he
often allegorized.
- OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS:
1. RETRACTATIONES OR
REVISIONS
Discusses his works in
chronological order and points
out the changes he had made
through the years.
2. CONTRA ACADEMICOS
A philosophical work that tried
to demonstrate that probably
truth through philosophical
study may be achieved, but that
certainty comes only through
Biblical revelation.
3. DE DOCTRINA CHRISTIANA
The most important
exegetical work. It deals with
hermeneutics. In it he develops
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the principle of the "analogy of
faith." This means that no
teaching contrary to the general
tenor of scripture should be
developed from any particular
passage.
4. DE TRINITATE
The most significant
theological work. De
Haeresibus is a history of
heresies. He also wrote many
letters which deal with the
practical problems a pastor will
face in his ministry.
5. DE CIVITATE DEI (THE CITY
OF GOD)
An apologetic work designed
to refute the idea that disaster
had come to Rome because
they had forsaken the old
classical Roman ways.
III. Chapter 3: Vatican II's Lumen Gentium
The third document issued by the Second
Vatican Council, on November 21, 1964, is
undoubtedly the crown jewel—the impressive
Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen
Gentium). It is one of the Council's two major
documents on the Church, the other being the
Constitution on the Church in the Modern World. The
former document is clearly devoted to describing
while the latter is pastorally oriented toward her
specific situation in the modern age, and her mode
of action in contemporary circumstances.
 WHY IS IT IMPORTANT WE KNOW WHAT THE
CHURCH IS?
Knowing the Church influences how the Church
understands itself and its relation with the world such
as:
 the nature of salvation outside the
Church;
 the approach towards other religions or
ecumenism
 the college of bishops
 the purpose of the liturgy
 the role of the laity
 BACKGROUND TO VATICAN II DOCUMENT
LUMEN GENTIUM
In preparation, 9000 documents were received
by John XXIII to know what the Church is. Major
themes of the draft documents, prepared by the
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committees, were composed of the cardinal from
the Roman Curia:
 Nature of the Church Militant
 Authority of Bishops & Obedience
 Need of the Church for salvation
 Highest office of the Church was the
Ordinary (bishops)
 Religious tolerance
However, these were rejected by the Council
Fathers because:
 Lacks organic unity & ignored the living
structure of the Church
 Bishops wanted emphasis on
“communion” & not on the hierarchical
structure of the Church
 Focus on outward role of the Church;
rejected inward looking
 Corporate Nature of the Church as Light to
the World
 Rejection of clericalism & legalism
approach
 LUMEN GENTIUM KEYSTONE OF VATICAN II:
 Deals with Nature and Purpose of the
Church
Communion, meaning fellowship is
central & fundamental foundation of the
Church
“I no longer call you servants, but friends”
John 15:15
Communion with God through the
Scriptures & Sacraments
Mystery of the Church not fully
comprehended by humans as founded by
God & work of God’s grace
 THEMES OF LUMEN GENTIUM
 What is the Church?
 Church is organic as it continues to grow
 Church reflects the Light of Christ
 Church exists to bring people into
communion with God & each other
 Church is the source of union & rallying
point for humanity
 All are called to belong to the Church
 Art 6 gives different images of Church
 Sign and instrument of communion with
God & unity of all – the Church is Sacrament
makes visible invisible & visible structure
communicates the Truth
 Visible & Invisible elements show Divine
& human nature of the Church
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 The Church is the People of God, chosen
by God, called to salvation & to proclaim
Gospel for the salvation of the World
 CHAPTERS IN LUMEN GENTIUM
 CHAPTER I, THE MYSTERY OF THE
CHURCH
- The Church is found in the Old
Testament
- Jesus carries out the Will of the Father &
the Church
- Origin & growth of Church were
symbolizes by blood and water
- The Father sends the Holy Spirit on
Pentecost to sanctify the Church
 CHAPTER II, THE PEOPLE OF GOD
- Reformation & Council of Trent
o bishops, laws, and creeds
- Catholic Church is a “pilgrim”
- Salvation to those who fully incorporated
into the Church yet without charity, no
salvation
- As the matter of the Church, disciples of
Christ have the obligation to evangelize
the faith to the best of their ability
- Graces forms us into a community, The
People of God
- Love as Christ loved
 CHAPTER III, THE CHURCH IS
HIERARCHAL
- The hierarchy of the Catholic Church is
firmly established in Scripture and
Tradition.
- Pope is vital to this hierarchal order
- The bishop is responsible for the souls of
those given to him by Christ
- Priest and deacon are the help
established by God for bishop to carry out
the mission of the Church
o Priest effort is pastoral in nature
o Deacon is ordained to the
ministry of service
o They are committed to serve in
the ministry of word, liturgy, and
charity
 CHAPTER IV: THE LAITY
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- The laity is most responsible for bringing
holy order to the world. The laity
profoundly evangelize by how they live
their everyday lives.
- The laity will certainly be attacked
throughout time, and a lay person, just
like the ordained and religious, has an
obligation to develop their faith so they
can gain the spiritual necessities to fend
off that which is evil.
 CHAPTER V: THE UNIVERSAL CALL TO
HOLINESS IN THE CHURCH
- Holiness is only possible through the
grace of God. We must always
remember that the People of God are
never as holy as God would like them to
be.
- The key to holiness rests in love – love of
God. This call to holiness is from Christ
himself. It is the Holy Spirit who moves us
closer to God’s holiness.
 CHAPTER VI: RELIGIOUS
- The vast majority of those called to live
out holiness in religious orders must
practice poverty, chastity, and
obedience.
- These vows allow a community to be set
free from certain obstacles that can get in
the way of them specifically worshipping
God.
- Religious orders must cooperate with the
bishop, in serving in ministries needed in
the diocese.
- The calling to religious life is to be praised
for its rightful place, and those in religious
life are significantly useful to society.
They are to be an inspiration and model
for others to follow.
 CHAPTER VII: THE ESCHATOLOGICAL
NATURE OF THE CHURCH
- The reality is we are all travelling through
time and place and on-the-way to the
reign of God. We are to realize that we
must live for the One who died for us if
there is to be hope for us. To be wide-
awake to the realization that heaven is
but a breath away.
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- Our union in the Mystical Body of Christ
is never more real than when we
participate in the Sacred Liturgy/the
Mass. Celebrating the Eucharist closely
unites us to the Church in heaven.
- We are together in communion with
those in heaven and we worship God
together, through Christ, in the Spirit.
 CHAPTER VIII: THE BLESSED VIRGIN
MARY IN THE MYSTERY OF CHRIST
AND THE CHURCH
- Initially at the Council, there was a call for
a separate document on Mary, the
Mother of God, But the Council Fathers
recognized Mary, the Mother of God as
an example for the Church, the People of
God in her fellowship with us!
- Our devotion to Mary is out of love and
respect to God and His plan. It does not
and is not intended to diminish the truth
that Christ alone is our mediator.
- Mary is a great helper to us as we seek
the road to holiness. She was human and
as such was forced to face temptation.
She did not cave in to temptation but
endured in all things. She is the model of
virtue.
 ECCLESIOLOGY OF VATICAN II
 THE CHURCH, THE BODY OF CHRIST
- The Church is much more than an
organization: it is the organism of the
Holy Spirit, something that is alive, that
takes hold of our inmost being.
- The Church grows from within and
moves outwards, not vice-versa. Above
all, she is the sign of the most intimate
communion with Christ. She is formed
primarily in a life of prayer, the
sacraments and the fundamental
attitudes of faith, hope and love.
- The communitarian nature of the Church
necessarily entails its character as "we".
The Church is not somewhere apart from
us, it is we who constitute the Church.
- Further research led to a fresh
awareness. Above all, more than anyone
else, the great French theologian Henri
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de Lubac in his magnificent and learned
studies made it clear that in the beginning
the term "corpus mysticum" referred to
the Eucharist.
 THE CHURCH, AS THE PEOPLE OF
GOD
- The Church has not yet reached her goal.
Her true and proper hope still lies ahead
of her. The "eschatological" import of the
concept of Church became clear.
- The expression 'People of God'
describes the relationship with God, the
connection with God, the link between
God and those designated as the People
of God, it is therefore a 'vertical
relationship'.
- The Church does not exist for herself;
rather, she is God's instrument to gather
mankind in Himself and to prepare for
that time when "God will be all in all" (I
Cor 15,28).
- It expresses the ecumenical dimension,
that is the variety of ways in which
communion and ordering to the Church
can and do exist, even beyond the
boundaries of the Catholic Church.
 THE CHURCH, AS COMMUNIO
- The point of departure of communio is
clearly evident in this passage: the union
with the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who
comes to mankind through the
proclamation of the Church.
- To meet Christ creates communion with
Him and therefore with the Father in the
Holy Spirit.
- The Fathers recognized the internal
theology of creation. Beginning with
Christology this image was amplified and
deepened: they explained history—under
the influence of the Old Testament—as a
story of love between God and man.
 THE CHURCH OF VATICAN II
- To understand the ecclesiology of
Vatican II one cannot ignore chapters 4
to 7 of the Constitution Lumen Gentium.
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- There must exist in the world space for
God, where he can dwell freely so that
the world becomes His "Kingdom".
Holiness is something greater than a
moral quality.
- In any event I believe it was appropriate
to insert the Marian element directly into
the doctrine on the Church. In this way
the point of departure for our
consideration is once more apparent: the
Church is not an apparatus, nor a social
institution, nor one social institution
among many others.
IV. Chapter 4: The Four Marks of the Church
 THE CHURCH IS ONE
 The Church is unique and singular. Christ
has instituted one Church rather than
multiple churches.
 Extension: One way of understanding
this is that Jesus Christ has not forged
multiple paths to salvation but one way
only.
 Second meaning: The unity and solidarity
of the Church.
 THREE VISIBLE WAYS OF THE UNITY
OF THE MYSTICAL BODY OF CHRIST:
1. Unity of faith
2. Worship
3. Leadership
 Three types of ruptures that wound the
unity of Christ’s Body:
- APOSTASY
Total rejection of the Christian
Faith by someone who has been
baptized.
- HERESY
Deliberate and persistent
denial by one who has been baptized
of a truth of the Faith taught by the
Church.
- SCHISM
Refusal by one who has been
baptized of unity with the Pope or the
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refusal of communion with the
members of the Church.
 THE CHURCH IS HOLY
 The Church receives her holiness from
Christ her Founder through the indwelling
of the Holy Spirit.
 The Church’s holiness is not defiled by
the presence of sinners; rather, her
holiness transforms sinners into saints if
they live her life.
 ANTIDOTE TO THE SINS:
1. Purification
2. Penance
3. Renewal
 The Church has the Holy Spirit active in
Her existence, gaining for us holy people
like the saints as examples of how we are
to be holy.
 The Church is holy because God created
her, Jesus loves and gave up His life for
her, and the Holy Spirit dwells in her so
she may have life.
 The Church is also holy because God has
made the Church an instrument of
salvation, allowing her to sanctify through
Holy Scripture, the Sacraments, models of
holiness, and the leadership of the
Apostles and their successors.
 Different types of grace that are given by
the Holy Spirit:
- SANCTIFYING GRACE
Heals our human nature
wounded by sin and restores us to
friendship with God, infused into our
souls by the Holy Spirit that help us to
continually make us holy.
- HABITUAL GRACE
A stable and supernatural
disposition.
- SACRAMENTAL GRACE
Gifts that are associated with
each of the Sacraments.
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 THE CHURCH IS CATHOLIC
 When we say the Catholic Church is
“catholic,” we are actually referring to
meaning of the word catholic, which
means “universal.”
 The Church is present around the
world, in communion with the bishops
and the Pope, making it universal.
 The Church is Catholic because she
has a universal authority to fulfill her
universal mission.
 The word catholic comes from the
Greek word katholikos, which means
“universal.”
 The Church is catholic in TWO
SENSES by:
- THE CHURCH HAS IT ALL
Because Christ is
present in her.
- THE CHURCH CALLS TO
ALL
She has been sent on
a mission by Christ to all
people of the world to gather
all into the People of God.
 Therefore, the Catholic Church is
“catholic,” or universal, because she
possesses the total means of
salvation for all people.
 THE CHURCH IS APOSTOLIC
 The Church is apostolic because she
was founded on the Apostles.
 The bishops of the world are the
successors of the Apostles and the
Pope is the head of the Church.
 CHRIST GAVE HIS APOSTLES THE
AUTHORITY OF THESE TASKS TO
CARRY OUT:
- Teach
- Sanctify
- Govern His Church
THEOLOGY 3 (Q1) | 12S1