What is the Catholic Church?

Catholics believe that the Church was founded by Jesus Christ as part of the Father’s plan for the salvation of the world. Christ’s proclamation and inauguration of the kingdom of God led to the gathering of disciples. His death, resurrection and sending of the Holy Spirit established the church, with which he promised to remain until the end of time (Matt. 28:20). Jesus entrusted to this community the mission of preaching the gospel and of “making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19). Paul describes the Church as a body. Bodies have many members, or many different parts, that make up the whole (1 Corinthians 12:14-18). Without the blood, the veins can’t function. Without the veins, the heart cannot function. Without the heart, the body as a whole cannot survive. The Church works in a similar way as it is composed of many members, all of whom fulfill their different roles (Corinthians 12:28-30). The Pope is the visible head, the bishops and the priests are ministers, the consecrated and religious men and women serve the Church and the laity fulfill their own mission while pursuing temporal affairs.  The Church is described as having four essential features: one, holy, catholic, and apostolic ( CCC 811). What are these four essential features, and what do they mean?

THE CHURCH IS DESCRIBED AS HAVING FOUR ESSENTIAL FEATURES: ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC, AND APOSTOLIC ( CCC 811). WHAT ARE THESE FOUR ESSENTIAL FEATURES, AND WHAT DO THEY MEAN?

The Church is one because her founder is Christ himself: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:5). In Christ, we are united by the bonds of unity: our profession of one faith, our common celebration of worship, and apostolic succession (see below for more information) (CCC 813 ff ).

Because Christ alone is all-holy, and Christ is the head of the Church, the Church is therefore also holy. The Second Vatican Council document Lumen Gentium explains this idea well: “The Church on earth is endowed already with a sanctity that is real though imperfect” (CCC 825). The Church here on earth is pilgrimaging toward heaven, where she will be made perfect. Therefore, while the Church possesses sanctity here on earth, for she has Christ as her head, she is still on a journey toward perfect sanctity, which will be found in Heaven. (823 ff)

The word “catholic” means “universal”. The Church is universal in two ways. First, Christ is her head, such that his presence also indicates the presence of the Church. Second, the Church is universal in that she is meant to preach the Gospel to all nations: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). Christ gave the universal command that all the members of his Body are meant to spread his Gospel throughout the world. Through her internal and external works, the Church reveals to the world the Gospel of Christ, which means that the Church reveals the new law of love.(CCC 830 ff.)

The Church is apostolic because of the apostles. We can say she is apostolic in three ways: she remains built on the foundation of the apostles through apostolic succession; through the Holy Spirit, she continues to pass on the faith; and she continue to be sanctified through the successors to the apostles, namely, the priests, the college of bishops, and the Pope as her head. (CCC857 ff.)