Defining “The Church” and What Membership Means

Establishing a Foundation: Built on Rock

Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 that Simon, son of John, is to be called Peter (Petros in Greek) and that upon this rock (petra in Greek), Jesus will build His church (ekklesia). Here is the passage from Matthew 16:18–19:

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death (some versions of the Bible read “gates of hell”) shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

This passage makes clear that Christ founded the Church; the Church belongs to Christ. However, Christ gave Peter the authority to care for it. For Catholics, this passage is extremely important because the pope is the successor of St. Peter and the Vicar (representative) of Christ on earth. The pope does not replace Christ; he represents Him much like an ambassador represents the president or prime minister who sends him to a foreign nation.

Notice in the Scripture that Jesus gives Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven. These keys are symbolized in the papal flag, which shows silver and gold keys crossing each other. In the time of Christ, keys were given to chancellors (similar to prime ministers) by the king. The gold key provided access to the treasury where the prime minister kept the king’s gold (levied by taxes). The silver key offered access to the royal prison where the enemies of the king were kept. The keys not only protected what was inside, they also allowed access so that money could be dispersed and prisoners could be freed.

While Jesus did not give Peter actual, physical keys, He gave him the same authority any king would give his prime minister. That authority is full, supreme, immediate, and universal, as expressed in the phrase “whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Immediately following the death of Peter, the Holy Spirit guided the Church in the election of the next pope, Linus, followed by Cletus, Clement, and so on. Since then, 266 popes have sat in the Chair of St. Peter — an unbroken line of apostolic succession. Read more about the pope in Chapter 6.

Seeing the Church as the Body of Christ and Communion of Saints

The Church is sometimes called the Mystical Body of Christ, and that analogy comes from the writings of St. Paul. He writes in 1 Corinthians 12:12–13, “Just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.” It is in Baptism that unity of the Body of Christ is most expressed under the head, Jesus Christ. The Church is one Body, the Church has Christ as her head, and the Church is the Bride of Christ.

Paul refers to Christ as the head of the Church and to the baptized members as the body of the Church. Think of your own body: While you have eyes, ears, hands, and feet, there is only one of you; you’re the sum of your parts. Likewise, the Church is the union of all her members, who have unique roles but work together to make a complete whole.

If you’re a baptized member of the Church, you have a part to play in the Body of Christ. Here are some examples:

The laity preach the good news of salvation by the way they witness to Christ in the workplace, marketplace, school, and society. Also, through Holy Matrimony (see Chapter 9) they become supporters of their spouses to become saints and bring forth children to populate heaven.
The consecrated religious give witness to the Kingdom of God by living their religious vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. These vows are a visible sign for people on earth of the Lord they hope to meet at the end of their lives.
The clergy, by virtue of Holy Orders (see Chapter 9), share in the task of Christ in dispensing the mysteries of God, the sacraments, to fortify the pilgrim. Through teaching and preaching they instruct the wayfarer toward the correct path to heaven.

The Mystical Body of Christ is also called the communion of saints (read more in Chapter 2). Like Paul’s body analogy, the communion of saints model of the Church indicates an organic unity of parts working together — the Church Militant, the Church Suffering, and the Church Triumphant:

Militant refers to the Church’s living members on earth who are in a daily battle against the world, flesh, and devil; the war is against evil, not other religions.
Suffering refers to the holy souls in purgatory, who died in the state of grace with no mortal sin on their souls but still had some attachments to their venial sins and to previously forgiven mortal sins. The soul realizes that it is in need of further purification before it can enter into the glories of heaven.
Triumphant refers to the angels and saints in heaven around the banquet table of God. They were victorious in the good fight against sin and evil and are now experiencing the joys of Paradise.

Understanding the Four Marks of the Church

In Chapter 2, we walk you through the Nicene Creed, which is professed every Sunday and holy day. It speaks of four essential marks, or identifiers, of the Church: “I believe in one, holy, Catholic and apostolic church.” These four elements are the foundation of Catholic Christianity. They are signs to the world that the Church is the work of God and that the Church is of divine origin. Here’s what each mark means:

One (unity): As we explain in the preceding section, the Church is one body with many members, each of whom plays a vital role, and all of whom are united. The Church is an organic unity and not artificial, synthetic, or man-made. The pope is the visible head of the global Church, which has more than 1 billion members worldwide. He appoints the local bishops, who in turn assign the local pastors and parish priests and deacons. The Church has one governing authority (hierarchy) and one teaching authority (Magisterium). The Church has one body of truths she teaches (found in the Catechism) and one body of divine worship (the seven sacraments).
Holy (sanctity): The Church is holy because her founder is Jesus Christ, the Son of God and second person of the Holy Trinity. She is also the Bride of Christ and is considered the Mystical Body of Christ as well. That association and union with divinity itself makes the Church holy. But she also has been given by God Himself all the necessary divine revealed truths and all the necessary divine grace to save souls (help people get to heaven). This does not mean that members have it made and need to do nothing else except belong. It does mean that holiness is possible and promoted by the Church at the will and command of her founder, Jesus Christ. One becomes a saint through, with, and in the Church.
Catholic (universality): The word Catholic derives from the Greek katholikos, which means universal. The Church’s mission is universal. It is to spread the good news about Jesus (also called the gospel) to all men and women all over the world. The Church is not confined to any one nation or country. That’s why it’s not called the Church of Italy, the Church of England, the Church of America, or the Church of Europe. It is the Catholic Church, which belongs to Christ and is found everywhere around the world. Embracing all languages, continents, cultures, and races, the Church is universal and promotes universality. Human beings belong to the same human race even though they live in different parts of the world and speak different tongues.
Apostolic (continuity): The last mark refers to the fact that the Catholic Church can trace its foundations to Christ Himself and to the 12 apostles. Also, every deacon, priest, and bishop can trace his ordination lineage back to one of the original apostles; this is called apostolic succession. A verifiable and direct connection exists between the apostles whom Jesus handpicked and their direct successors, the bishops. Also, there is direct succession of all the popes, from Saint Peter to his 265th successor, Pope Benedict XVI.

Fulfilling Its Mission

The mission of the Church is the continuation of Christ’s mission: to proclaim the Gospel to the entire world for all generations. Christ gave the mission to His church when He said, “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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19–20). Evangelization is the mission, and all baptized Christians are involved. So if you’re a member of the Church, your life’s work is intertwined with the salvific duty of the Savior: to reconcile fellow people with God.

Christ won salvation for humanity on the cross, on Good Friday, by shedding His precious blood. He is the great mediator between the Father and mankind. The Church, as the bride of Christ, continues this work through proclaiming the Word of God, teaching revealed truths, dispensing grace through the sacraments, and gathering the multitude into unity.

As we explain in Chapter 19, all members of the Church are commissioned to perform the Corporal Works of Mercy which are to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, give shelter to the homeless, visit the sick, ransom the captive, and bury the dead. The baptized also continue the mission of Christ by exercising the Spiritual Works of Mercy, which are to instruct the ignorant, counsel the doubtful, admonish the sinner, bear wrongs patiently, forgive offenses willingly, comfort the afflicted, and pray for the living and the dead.

The mission of the Church is the mission of Christ. Christ Himself was a priest, a prophet, and a king. The priestly office of Christ’s mission was to sanctify the world. The prophetic office of His mission was to teach the truth to the world. His kingly office was to be the Good Shepherd and provide governance and leadership. He used all three aspects to achieve the one mission: proclaiming the Good News. The Church, which is an extension of Christ on earth, fulfills that same work via the same three aspects, which we detail next.

Jesus chose 12 apostles and 70 disciples to help continue His mission after He died, rose, and ascended to heaven. Before being able to evangelize, His men needed to be taught the message, sanctified so they could receive the message worthily, and organized to effectively achieve success in the mission. Christ the priest, prophet, and king therefore sanctified, taught, and shepherded His disciples and apostles. The Church continues that process today.

The priestly office: Sanctifying through the sacraments

Jesus Christ the priest instituted the seven sacraments (see Chapters 8 and 9) in order for the faithful to become holy, to receive His divine life, and to become stronger on earth in their journey to heaven. Sanctifying grace makes the soul holy and pleasing to God; given at Baptism, this grace is the indwelling of the Triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) in the soul of the individual person. The priestly (sanctifying) office of Christ and His Church makes the human soul disposed to the gift of divine grace, which makes one holy in the eyes of God.

The sacraments are the visible signs instituted by Christ to confer grace. For the faithful, the sacraments are the necessary vehicles of grace for the sole purpose of salvation. In an analogous way, the Church is what theologians call the primordial sacrament, that is, the sacred institution where the seven sacraments are bestowed. The Church and the sacraments both continue the sacred work of Christ’s redemption. The effects of the sacraments on the faithful create a bond of unity that is most visible in the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church.

The prophetic office: Teaching through the Magisterium

The official term for the teaching (prophetic) office of the Church is the Magisterium (from the Latin magister, meaning teacher). The Magisterium is made up of the pope and all the bishops around the world in communion with Him. When the Church teaches on matters of faith and morals, she is infallible (free from error). But on matters of science, economics, astronomy, athletics, and so on, she has no charism (gift) of infallibility.

The Church’s teachings are infallible, but that doesn’t mean the Church never updates or refines the explanations of dogmas and doctrines so Catholics can understand them better. Scripture never changes (though the translations do), but teachings can be put in a better context or shown in a different perspective.

As we detail in Chapter 6, there are two levels of infallibility — ordinary and extraordinary — and the same levels apply to the Magisterium. Therefore, we have an Ordinary Magisterium and an Extraordinary Magisterium. Both are infallible in content, but here’s how they differ:

Ordinary Magisterium: These teachings deal with the consistent and perennial common teaching of all the popes and bishops (in union with the pope) throughout history. Examples from this office include papal teachings on birth control or the ordination of women; these are just retellings of guidelines that have always been taught by popes and bishops throughout Catholic history.
Extraordinary Magisterium: The name says it all; these teachings are rare. This level proclaims the Church’s stance on doctrines formulated by ecumenical councils, after meetings of all Church bishops, or after the pope has made an ex cathedra decree. There have been only 21 ecumenical councils and two ex cathedra decrees.

Church history buffs: Turn to Chapter 6 for the lowdown on what kind of teachings you can expect to come from the pope. Suffice it to say that the Church has a responsibility to its members to make sense out of the faith, and the Ordinary and Extraordinary Magisteria help Catholics get the word straight from the Vatican’s mouth.

The kingly office: Shepherding and governing through the hierarchy

Christ the King provided governance and leadership to his followers. The kingly office of the Church is to make sure that the Church stays organized with the right people in charge, just like Jesus set it up. The Catholic Church is an institution, and as with any organization, it has rules, procedures, and a hierarchy of authority.

The basic structure of the Church was given by the Lord when He formed His Church by calling the 12 apostles, who became the first bishops. Out of the 12, he chose a leader, Peter, the first pope (flip to the section “Establishing a Foundation: Built on Rock” for more details). That’s still the example the Church follows.

Bishops and presbyters or priests (successors to the 70 disciples) are ordained to celebrate the sacraments (especially the Mass), to preach, to teach, and to minister in a local church (known as a parish). A collection of parishes in a geographical location is known as a diocese. The Catholic Church is made up of many different dioceses and archdioceses throughout the world. In addition to priests, there are ordained deacons who assist priests and bishops in their local parishes and dioceses.

The pope is the head of the Church and the bishop of Rome; as such, his seat of authority (cathedra) is the Basilica of St. John Lateran. He is also the head of the Universal Church, and his seat of authority is the Basilica of St. Peter, Vatican City. Cardinals are appointed by the pope and make up the College of Cardinals. As a body, this college advises the pope and, on his death, elects a new pope.

Because the structure of the Catholic Church is such a complex subject, we devote an entire chapter of this book to the subject: Chapter 6. For the whole scoop on the many people and departments that carry on the work of Christ’s kingly office, be sure to check out that chapter.

Membership Has Its Benefits

An old axiom states that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Belonging to the Church — being a member of the Mystical Body of Christ — has benefits beyond the imagination. Scripture says that eye has not seen and ear has not heard what God has in store for us (1 Corinthians 2:9). While we may not be able to comprehend fully what total union with God fully means, because we are united together, as brothers and sisters, our joy will be more full and intense than if we were all by ourselves.

Although the Church is sometimes called the societas perfecta (perfect society), members of the Catholic Church are not in any way perfect or sinless. They are not better than people who do not belong to the Church. Instead, the phrase means that the Church is the source of all necessary divine truth and of all necessary divine grace. It’s one-stop spiritual shopping, you could say.

The Church provides for all the spiritual needs of a believer. For spiritual food, there is Holy Communion (also called the Holy Eucharist). For knowledge, there is Divine Revelation as found in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition, entrusted to the Magisterium (teaching authority of the Church). For spiritual healing, there is the sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation, as well as the sacrament of Anointing the Sick. The Church hierarchy provides necessary leadership, and canon law is the source of justice and discipline. The needs of the individual and the needs of the community are perfectly fulfilled, meaning that members do not need to go anywhere else to fulfill their spiritual requirements.

If all this sounds pretty good to you, and you’re not yet a baptized Catholic, we encourage you to check out your local parish’s RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) process. It’ll give you ample opportunity to learn more about the faith, help find a sponsor for the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, and perform all the necessary rites so you can officially join the Church. The process usually takes about nine months, from early fall to spring (Easter), but in some cases can be done privately as well. Baptized Protestants aren’t re-baptized, but after instruction are brought into full communion by professing the faith, going to confession, being confirmed, and then receiving their First Communion. Only unbaptized persons can be baptized.