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Marks of the church

ONEHOLYCATHOLICAPOSTOLIC

ONE

UNITY of Church super important, even since the 1st century.

Jesus prays @ Last Supper that they “be one.”

Ultimately, our faith in the Trinity is the source of our unity.

United, but DiverseOne example:

The Catholic Church used to, as a sign of UNITY, speak Latin in EVERY in the world.

Now, DIVERSITY is appreciated, and the VERNACULAR is spoken at Mass.So UNITY is not UNIFORMITY.

How diverse is the Church?

The Brooklyn Diocese (Bklyn. and Qns.) has • 1.5 million Catholics• From 170 countries• Offering Mass in 26 languages.

Mass

Throughout the world, same readings are read, same prayers said

Different languages, music styles, sometimes even liturgical dance

Sources of Unity

• Faith

• Worship

• Leadership (pope, bishops)

DISUNITY

HERESY refers to a false teaching, or a rejection of Church dogma.

(Obviously, those who believe it do not consider it heresy.)

In the Early Church, there were many heresies, some denying Jesus’ humanity, His divinity, the divinity of the Holy Spirit,

SCHISM

A SCHISM is a division in the Church.

• Assyrian Church of the East split after the Council of Ephesus (381 AD)

• Oriental Orthodox Churches split after the Council of Chalcedon (451 AD)

THE GREAT SCHISM

For a long time, there were cultural (i.e. Greek vs. Latin speaking) and theological differences between the Eastern and Western parts of Christianity.

East/West Differences

Filioque: The Holy Spirit proceeded from the Father AND THE SON

Eucharist: Leavened vs. Unleavened bread

Authority: complete Roman authority vs. conciliar leadership (councils of bishops)

Split

1054: Mutual excommunications, official split between Catholic and Orthodox Churches

Greeks massacred some Latins in Constaninople (1182)

Latins then sacked the city of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade (1204)

Councils in 1272 and 1439 attempted reunion, but failed.

Reunion?

More recently, popes and

patriarchs have said the split is

regrettable, taken back the

excommunications from the 11th

century, and even celebrated

Mass together.

Protestant Reformation – 1500s

The BIGGEST issue at the time of the Reformation was NOT Church corruption: it was the idea of how one gets to heaven.

Luther and Calvin taught that God PREDESTINED some to heaven, others to hell. Catholics taught faith and good works get one to heaven, Protestants said faith alone.

(Although Luther believed in predestination, Lutherans did not.)

“Justification [by faith alone] is the article by which the Church stands or falls.” – M.L.

1999 – Catholics and Lutherans sign a statement saying they agree on the essentials of justification. (Lutherans teach that true faith includes good works.)

Problem solved?

Not exactly, but it’s improving.

LEADERSHIP – most Protestants no longer refer to the pope as Satan.

Many would like some connection to Rome, but none like TOO much authority in the hands of one person.

There are still a bunch of other differences, some of which are not easily settled:

Eucharist

Catholics say it IS the body and blood of Christ.

Many Protestants believe in REAL PRESENCE, but will say Jesus is with it, in

it, there in some mysterious way, etc.

Churches that come from John Calvin, however, say it is ONLY a sign.

Priests

Protestants have married and women priests.

Catholics had married priests in the past, and recent popes have said this could happen again.

Popes have said we could never have women priests, but many disagree.

Scriptures

• Protestant Bible slightly smaller (66 vs. 73)• SCRIPTURE ALONE, rather

than Scripture and Tradition• Some are FUNDAMENTALIST

Purgatory

Protestants don’t believe it exists

Intercession of Saints

Protestants don’t like it, statues of saints, religious art, etc.

SACRAMENTS

Catholics have 7.

Protestants defined sacraments as things

necessary for salvation, so only Baptism

and Eucharist fit that definition.

Many times, the others were kept as religious rites, but not considered sacraments.

The Church is Holy

It is both Divine and Human

• The Church is a community of people, both full of and led by sinners.

• The Church exists for the purpose of sanctifying sinners.

The Church is holy in the gifts it gives (grace – God’s life) through Scriptures, Sacraments, models of leadership, etc.

Parables of weeds among wheat: farmer will not pull up weeds, afraid he will kill the wheat.

“In everyone, the weeds of sin will still be mixed with the good wheat of the Gospel until the end of time.” (CCC)

Mary and the Saints

Our examples of holiness

The Church is Catholic

Meaning “universal”, it has a mission to ALL.

“Go out and baptize all nations…” (Mt. 28)

The Church is in ALL places and rejects NO ONE.

The Church is Apostolic

Apostolic Succession – priests are ordained by bishops, who were ordained by bishops, going back to the Twelve Apostles

John Cardinal Newman

Anglican – led the Oxford Movement – moved the Anglican Church closer to the Catholic Church.

Researched the idea of whose Church is most like the Early Church. He found it was the Catholic Church, became Catholic, made Cardinal, most influential thinker for Vatican Council II.

Apostle – one who is sent

The Church is APOSTOLIC in its

1. Apostolic succession

2. Carrying on the faith of the apostles

3. Carrying on the missionary activity of the

apostles (spreading the faith)