5 Why The Catholic Church

Everything in the

Bible?

•"But the word of the Lord abides

for ever.‟ That word is the good

news which was preached to you"

(1 Pet. 1:25) St. Peter

•"So faith comes from what is

heard, and what is heard comes

by the preaching of Christ"

(Rom. 10:17).

•“And what you have heard from

me through many witnesses

entrust to faithful people who will

be able to teach others as well”

( 2 Tim 2:2)

•"stand firm and hold to the

traditions which you were taught

by us, either by word of mouth or

by letter" (2 Thess. 2:15).

First of all you must understand

this, that no prophecy of scripture

is a matter of one's own

interpretation.

( 2 Peter 1:20)

There are some things in them hard

to understand, which the ignorant

and unstable twist to their own

destruction, as they do the other

scriptures.

(2 Peter 3 :16)

So Philip ran to him, and heard

him reading Isaiah the prophet,

and asked, "Do you understand

what you are reading?" And he

said, "How can I, unless some one

guides me?" And he invited Philip

to come up and sit with him. Acts

8:31-31

Council of Jerusalem – Acts 15

• The word “Church” (Latin ecclesia) originally meant a convocation or assembly gathered for a religious purpose.

• In Christian usage the word “church” refers to the worshipping community, the local community or “parish” and the entire universal community of believers. (CCC, 751 – 752)

• In the Old Testament God called the chosen people of Israel to be his holy people.

• In the New Testament, Jesus calls his disciples to form a community of faith as the people of the New Covenant. Jesus inaugurates the Church through his preaching and teaching and in His total self-giving on the cross (CCC, 763 – 766) Eph 2: 19-22

• Pope Pius XII –Encyclical on the Mystical Body, said “it is the society of those who have been baptized, and who profess the faith of Christ, and who are governed by their bishops under the visible head, the Pope, the Bishop of Rome.”

• St. Paul speaks of all Christians as members of Christ, so that with Him, they form one Mystical Body (Cf. 1 Cor 12:12-31; Col 1:18; 2:18-20; Eph. 1:22-23; 3:19; 4:13)

CommunioSanctorum

(Communion of Saints)

Church Militant

(Earth)

Church in Suffering

(Purgatory)

Church Triumphant

(Heaven)

This expression also refers to the communion

between holy persons (sancti); that is, between

those who by grace are united to the dead and

risen Christ. Some are pilgrims on the earth;

others, having passed from this life, are

undergoing purification and are helped also by

our prayers. Others already enjoy the glory of

God and intercede for us. All of these together

form in Christ one family, the Church, to the

praise and glory of the Trinity – CCC 961-962

For though we live in the world we

are not carrying on a worldly war,

for the weapons of our warfare are

not worldly but have divine power

to destroy strongholds.

2 COR 10:4

Church Triumphant

Church in Suffering

Church Militant

HE CHOSE THE 12 DISCIPLES (Mark 3 13:19)

HE AUTHORISED AND EMPOWERED THEM

TO TEACH, SANCTIFY & GOVERN

(Luke 9:1-6; Matt. 28:19-20; 18:17-18; John 20:23 Mark 16:15-16)

HE INSTITUTED THE

7 SACRAMENTS

• “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build

MY CHURCH, and the gates of hell will not

prevail against it.” (Matt 16:18)

HE SENT THE HOLY SPIRIT TO BE THE

SOUL OF THE CHURCH (ACTS 1:8, 2:1-4)

TO BUILD, ANIMATE & SANCTIFY- CCC 747

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“MAGISTERIUM” in Latin means “duty or

office of Teacher”’ – used in the Church

to mean the “Teaching Authority” of the

Church .

( CCC 85-87, 888-892)

•Comprises of The Pope and Bishops in

union with him;

Men & Women Consecrated their life

• Diocesan & Religious Priests – 406,411

• Deacons – 33,391

• Religious Brothers – 54,708

• Religious Sisters -760,529

• Seminarians – 58,538

Total of 1,255,039 Clergies & Religious consecrated their

lives to serve the LordTotal :More than 10,000 Saints & Beati

Martyrs : Last Century 170 millions

IT’S BREAK TIME !

38

SHARING

• FACILITATORS: WHAT

DO I LIKE ABOUT THE

CATHOLIC CHURCH?

The term “Catholic Church”

was used first by St.

Ignatius of Antioch (c. 100

A.D.) who in his letter to the

Smyrnaens wrote: “Where

Jesus Christ is, there is the

catholic Church”

(Smyrn. 8:2).

“The Church in Antioch”

Acts 11:19-30

Nicene Creed

We believe in One, Holy,

Catholic and Apostolic

Church.

We acknowledge one baptism for the

forgiveness of sins. We look for the

resurrection of the dead, and the life of the

world to come. Amen.

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 4:4-6

THE CHURCH IS HOLY

(Eph 5:25-27, Rev 19:7-8,

CCC 823-829)

By his grace

Jesus makes the Church

holy,

just as he is holy.

This doesn’t mean that

each member is always

holy. Jesus said there

would be both good and

bad members in the Church

(John 6:70).

THE CHURCH IS HOLY

But the Church itself is Holy

because it is

the source of Holiness

and is the guardian of

the special means of grace

Jesus established,

the sacraments

(Eph. 5:26).

THE CHURCH IS HOLY

The Holy Spirit, whom Christ

the head pours out on his

members, builds, animates,

and sanctifies the Church..

CCC 747

THE CHURCH IS HOLY

THE CHURCH IS CATHOLIC

(Matt 28:19-20, Rev 5:9-10,

CCC 830-856)

THE CHURCH IS CATHOLIC

Jesus’ Church is called

catholic ("universal" in

Greek)

because it is his gift to all

people.

He told his apostles to go

throughout the world and

make disciples of

"all nations“

(Matt. 28:19–20).

UNIVERSAL

THE CHURCH IS APOSTOLIC

(Matt 16:19, Eph 2:19-20, Rev 5:9-10,

CCC 856-865)

• “You are Peter, and

on this rock I will

build MY CHURCH,

and the gates of

hades will not

prevail against it.”

• (Matt 16:18)

AUTHORITY AND INFALLIBILITY

• I will give you the keys

of the Kingdom of

Heaven, and whatever

you bind on earth will

be bound in heaven,

and whatever you loose

on earth will be loosed

in heaven."

• Matthew 16:19

APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION

•“For I received from the

Lord what I also handed

on to you…”

1 Cor 11:23

•“For I handed on to you

as of first importance

what I also received”

1 Cor 15:3

This is the most basic

meaning of Catholic

Tradition; it is the true

faith itself, given to

apostle by Christ and

faithfully transmitted to

each new generation.

CCC 77-78

61

•The Magisterium is protected from error

and guided by the Holy Spirit who

“reminds and guides to all truth” thereby

gives us certainty in matters of doctrine ;

(John 16:12-13)

•“ and whatever you bind on earth will be

bound in heaven, and whatever you

loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

•Matthew 16:19

“"He who listens to you listens to me, and he

who rejects you rejects me and who ever

rejects me, rejects the one who sent me."

(Luke 10:16).

• The Catholic Church considers all

goodness and truth found in

these religions as “a preparation

for the Gospel and given by him

who enlightens all men that they

at length have life. (CCC 843)

• Those who, through no fault of

their own, do not know the

Gospel of Christ or his Church,

but who nevertheless seek God

with a sincere heart, and, moved

by grace, try in their actions to do

his will as they know it through

the dictates of their conscience –

those too may achieve eternal

salvation. (CCC 847)

• "Although in ways known to

himself God can lead those

who, through no fault of their

own, are ignorant of the Gospel,

to that faith without which it is

impossible to please him, the

Church still has the obligation

and also the sacred right to

evangelize all men."(CCC 848)

SALVATION FOR THE

IGNORANT?

“So then, my beloved, obedient as you

have always been, not only when I

am present but all the more now

when I am absent, work out your

salvation with fear and trembling.

Phil 2:12

„Not everyone who says to me,

"Lord, Lord" shall enter the

Kingdom of heaven‟

(Matt. 7:21)."

"I have fought the good

fight, I have finished the

race, I have kept the faith.

Henceforth there is laid up

for me the crown of

righteousness, which the

Lord, the righteous judge,

will award to me on that

Day"

(2 Tim. 4:7-8)

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“I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS TO THE END OF

AGE”

(Matt 28:20).