A Complete Catechism of the Catholic Religion/Ninth Article
The Ninth Article.
'The Holy Catholic Church; the Communion of Saints.'
§ 1. On the Church and the Form of her Government.
1. What did the Apostles do after they had received the Holy Ghost on Whit-Sunday?
They went forth into the whole world preaching and baptizing, and gathered all those who believed and were baptized into congregations (Short Hist. of Revealed Rel, 28, 29).
2. What arose from these congregations of believers?
There arose in many places communities of Christians,1 whose rulers were the Apostles.2 (Short Hist. of Revealed Rel., 30).
1 See Acts of the Ap. ii. 41, 44, and iv. 32. 2 The whole Book of the Acts of the Apostles, and all their Epistles, bear witness that they did not only preach and baptize, but also rule their communities in every way. They made regulations and laws, threatened, judged, and punished; they excluded the unworthy from the community of the faithful (1 Cor. v. 5, and 1 Tim. i. 20), and received them again when they repented (2 Cor. ii. 10). and elsewhere).
3. What further did the Apostles do when the communities of Christians increased?
They chose elders from amongst them, ordained them Bishops, and appointed them everywhere as rulers of the new Christian communities, with the commission that they should likewise ordain and appoint others (Short History of Revealed Rel., 31).
'And when they had ordained to them Priests [or Elders — i.e., Bishops and Priests] in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, in whom they believed' (Acts xiv. 22). For this cause I left thee in Crete, that thou shouldest ordain Priests [Elders] in every city, as I also appointed thee' (Titus i. 5),
4. Were all these several communities united with one another?
Yes, they were all closely united with one another: they professed the same faith, partook of the same Sacraments, and formed all together one great Christian community under one common Head, St. Peter (Short Hist. of Revealed Rel., 31).
5. What did they call this great community of Christians under one common Head?
The Catholic—i.e., the universal—Church, or in one word, the Church.
6. What, then, is the Church even at the present time?
The Church is the same congregation of all the faithful, who, being baptized, profess the same doctrine, partake of the same Sacraments, and are governed by their lawful pastors under one visible Head, the Pope.
7. Was the Church thus organized by the Apostles?
No; she was thus organized by Jesus Christ, her Founder; the Apostles were only the instruments by which He accomplished His will.
8. How did Jesus Christ thus organize His Church?
By conferring His own power upon the Apostles, and sending them forth everywhere, 1. To preach; 2. To baptize; and 3. To govern those who were baptized, under the supremacy of St. Peter.
Before Christ ascended into Heaven, He said to His Apostles: 'All power is given to me in Heaven and in earth. Going therefore, teach ye all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and behold, I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world' (Matt, xxviii. 18-20). And even previously to that He said to them: 'As the Father hath sent me, I also send you. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained' (John xx. 21, 23). 'Amen I say to you, whatsoever you shall bind upon earth, shall be bound also in Heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose upon earth, shall be loosed also in Heaven' (Matt, xviii. 18). 'He that heareth you, heareth me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth me' (Luke x. 16, and elsewhere).
9. What do you call the threefold office which, together with His power, Christ conferred upon the Apostles?
The Teaching, the Priestly, and the Pastoral Office.
10. In what does this threefold office consist?
The Teaching Office consists in the full power to preach the Divine Doctrine, to condemn heresies, and to decide religious controversies.
The Priestly Office, in the full power to offer the Sacrifice of the Mass, to administer the Sacraments, to consecrate, and to bless.
The Pastoral Office, in the full power to rule the Church, consequently also to make laws and inflict punishments.
11. Why were the Apostles to exercise their office only under the supreme authority of St. Peter?
Because Christ, in order to maintain unity and union, appointed St. Peter to be His representative upon earth, and the visible Head of the whole Church.
12. But is not Christ Himself the Head of the Church?
Christ is undoubtedly the Head of the Church, but the invisible Head.
13. Why did Christ ordain that the Church should have also a 'visible' Head together with the invisible One?
Because the Church is a visible community or body, and a visible body must also have a visible Head.
Thus no kingdom can exist without a visible government, although all kingdoms in the world are governed by God in an invisible manner.
14. From what do we learn that Christ has appointed St. Peter to be the Supreme Head of His Church?
We learn it from this, 1. That Christ built His Church upon Peter, as upon the true foundation-stone; 2. That He gave him in particular the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; and 3. That He commissioned him alone to feed His whole flock.
1. 'Thou art Peter [a rock], and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it' (Matt. xvi. 18). Because Peter was to be the foundation-stone of the Church, Christ prayed particularly for him, that 'his faith might not fail,' and commissioned him 'to confirm once his brethren' (Luke xxii. 32). 2. 'And I will give to thee the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in Heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in Heaven' (Matt. xvi. 19). 3. 'Feed my lambs, feed my sheep' (John xxi. 15-17). Christ, it is true, made His Apostles collectively the foundation of His Church, and gave them all collectively the power of binding and loosing, and of governing the Church; but what He promised and gave to the Apostles in common, this He first promised and gave to Peter in particular. Thus Peter received the full and independent, the Apostles, on the contrary, only a subordinate, power.
15. What facts are there to confirm us in our belief that Peter was appointed by Christ to be the Supreme Head of the Church?
These: that after Christ's Ascension into Heaven Peter, 1. Really exercised the office of Head of the Church; and 2. That he likewise was always acknowledged by the Church as the Head of the Apostles, and the Pastor of the whole flock of Christ.
1. As often as something of importance was to be decided or executed, Peter arose first, and acted as the head of the rest; as, for instance, at the election of Matthias, on the Feast of Pentecost, at the contention about receiving the heathens into the Church, at the Council of the Apostles in Jerusalem, etc. (Acts i. 2, 11, 15). 2. Even the Evangelists, when enumerating the Apostles, always put St. Peter the first, although he was neither the oldest of them, nor had been called to the Apostleship before all the others. St. Matthew expressly says: 'The names of the twelve Apostles are these: The First Simon who is called Peter,' etc. (Matt. x. 2). The Fathers at the General Council of Ephesus (a.d. 431) considered it as 'a fact questioned by no one, and known in all ages, that St. Peter was the Prince and the Head of the Apostles, the Foundation stone of the Catholic Church,' etc.
16. Was the supremacy of a Head of the Church to cease after the death of St. Peter?
No; for, 1. If the Church was to continue as Christ had established it, the Rock also on which He had built it, and the Supremacy of a Head which He Himself had ordained to govern it, were to continue; and 2. If a visible Head was necessary when the Church was still small, and there were none, or but few heresies, it was much more necessary afterwards when the Church was spread, and heresies and schisms were multiplied.
17. Who has been the visible Head of the Church since the death of St. Peter?
The Bishop of Rome, commonly called the Pope, who is the lawful Successor of St. Peter in the Episcopal See of Rome, and who, in consequence, has always been acknowledged as the visible Head of the Church, and the Vicegerent of Christ on earth (Short Hist. of Revealed Rel., 31).
The Councils, as well as the Fathers of all ages individually have unanimously and most decidedly, by word and deed, acknowledged in the Roman Popes the Primacy and Supremacy
of St. Peter. The Œcumenical Council of Florence (1438) referred to 'the Decrees of the General Councils, and the Eccle- siastical Statutes,' when it declared 'that the Bishop of Rome (the Pope) possessed the Primacy over the whole universe; that he was the Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, St. Peter, and the true Vicegerent of Jesus Christ, the Head of the whole Church, the Father and Teacher of all Christians; and that he, in the person of St. Peter, had received from our Lord Jesus Christ the full power of feeding, guiding, and governing the whole Church.' No General Council was ever held at which the Pope, or his Legates, did not preside; and there never was a decision of the Church universally received before it had been confirmed by the Pope; and whosoever refused to recognize the Pope as the Head of the Church was at all times considered by all the faithful as an apostate.
In the course of time, the Successor of St. Peter gained also, by Divine dispensation, possession of a secular territory of considerable extent, called the Ecclesiastical States, that he might exercise his spiritual power all the more freely, and be dependent, not on any human favor or force, but on God alone.
(See Short History of Revealed Religion, 48.)
18. Was the threefold office, which was common to all the Apostles, to continue at all times?
Yes; according to the appointment of Christ, it was to pass over from the Apostles to their Successors, and to continue in them, without interruption, to the end of the world.
19. How do we know this appointment of Christ?
From the words which He spoke when He conferred the office upon them: 'And behold, I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world' (Matt, xxviii. 20); which evidently cannot be understood to have been said to the Apostles alone, since they, of course, were not to live to the end of the world.
20. Who are the Successors of the Apostles?
The Bishops who are rightly consecrated, and are in communion with the Head of the Church, the Pope — i.e., the Bishops of the Catholic Church.
21. Why can no one be a Successor of the Apostles who is not in communion with the Head of the Church?
1. Because he who is separated from the Head cannot even be a member of the Church;1 and 2. Because no power has been conferred on the Apostles and their Successors, except when united with him to whom Christ has delegated the supreme and full power over the whole Church.
1 Hence the general rule: 'Where Peter [i.e., the Pope] is, there is the Church' (St. Ambrose, Doctor of the Church).
22. Is the Pope alone, by Divine appointment, to govern the Church?
The Bishops also are, by Divine appointment, to govern the Church, but only with, and under, their Head, the Pope.
' Take heed to yourselves, and to the whole flock, wherein the Holy Ghost hath placed you Bishops, to rule the Church of God' (Acts XX. 28).
23. In what manner do the Bishops rule the Church?
They rule it in this manner: 1. Each Bishop governs the diocese or bishopric assigned to him by the Pope; and 2. They occasionally assemble from the various dioceses of their province, or of their country, or even of the whole Church, in order to make decrees and regulations subject to the approbation and sanction of the Bishop of Rome, our Holy Father the Pope.
24. Through whom do the Bishops exercise their office in the particular Congregations (Parishes) of their dioceses?
Through the Priests, or Pastors, sent to them.
25. When, then, may a Priest discharge the duties of the Priesthood?
When he has been expressly sent, or authorized, for that purpose, by his lawful Bishop.
The Priest receives his ordination and mission, not from the faithful, but from God through a lawful Bishop. All and every one who have thus been ordained and sent are 'ambassadors for Christ, God as it were exhorting by them' (2 Cor. v. 20); and to all of them is said what Jesus Christ said to His Disciples when sending them: 'He that heareth you, heareth me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth me; and he that despiseth me, despiseth Him that sent me' (Luke x. 16).
26. By what means are unity and good order maintained in the whole Church?
By this: that all those who are not Priests always continue, with ready obedience, subject to the Priests, the Priests to the Bishops, and the Bishops to the Pope.
Consequently, Christ has not given to all the members of the Church the same right and the same power, but 'hath set the members every one of them in the body [of the Church] as it hath pleased Him. . . . And He gave some Apostles, and some Prophets, and other some Evangelists, and other some Pastors and Doctors, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the ministry. . . . Are all Apostles? Are all Prophets? Are all Doctors?' (1 Cor. xii. 18, 29; Eph. iv. 11, 12). Therefore St. Clement, the Disciple and Successor of St. Peter, compares the Church to an army, in which the privates are subordinate to the captains, the captains to the colonels, and these again to the general.
Application. Always cherish in your heart a profound reverence and an humble submission to the Holy Father the Pope, and to the Bishops and Priests united with him; for they are set over you in the place of God, and it is their duty to instruct you in the name of God, to make you partake of the Divine graces, and to lead you to eternal salvation. Woe to them who despise the Clergy and create schisms! 'They have gone in the way of Cain, and have perished in the contradiction of Core. . . . These are wandering stars, to whom the storm of darkness is reserved for ever' (Jude i. 11-13).
§ 2. On the Marks of the Church.
27. Has Christ established one Church, or more than one?
As, in the words of St. Paul, there is but ' one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of all ' (Eph. iv. 5, 6), so there is but one Church established by Christ.
Christ said: ' Upon this rock I will build my Church ' — not Churches (Matt. xvi. 18). 'There shall be one fold and one shepherd' (John x. 16). And the Apostles call the Church the body of Christ (1 Cor. xii. 27, and elsewhere). Now, Christ has only one body; therefore He has also established only one Church.
28. Is it easy to recognize this one Church established by Christ?
Yes; for Christ has established a visible Church with perceptible marks, so that it is easy to find her;1 otherwise He could not have commanded us, under pain of eternal damnation, to apply to the Church, and to hear her.2
1' Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but upon a candlestick, that it may shine to all that are in the house' (Matt. v. 15). 2'If thy brother shall offend against thee, go and tell the Church; and if he will not hear the Church, let him be to thee as the heathen and publican' (Matt, xviii. 17).
29. How is the Church of Christ visible?
The Church of Christ is visible, 1. In her superiors and members; 2. In her doctrine; and 3. In the Sacrifice of the Mass, and in the administration of the Sacraments.
If the Church were not visible in this manner, how would it then be possible, according to the direction of Christ and the Apostles (Hebr. xiii. 17; Mark xvi. 15, 16, and elsewhere), to 'obey the Prelates' (Bishops and Priests) of the Church, to hear her Teachers, to participate in her Sacrifice and Sacraments, or, in general, in her Divine Service?
30. By what marks may the true Church of Christ be known?
The true Church of Christ may be known by these four marks: 1. She is One; 2. She is Holy; 3. She is Catholic; and 4. She is Apostolic.
As early as a.d. 325 it was pronounced in the Nicene Creed: 'I believe in One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.'
31. Why must the true Church of Christ be One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic?
She must be, 1. One, because no kingdom can stand 'that is divided against itself' (Luke xi. 17); 3. Holy, because her Founder is holy, and her object is to lead all men to holiness; 3. Catholic, or Universal, because she has been established for all nations and for all times (Matt, xxviii. 19), and is, according to the promise of Christ and of the Prophets, to be spread over the whole universe;[1] and 4. Apostolic, because her origin and her doctrine are Apostolic (Eph. ii, 20), and her rulers must be lawful Successors of the Apostles (p. 136, quest. 1821).
32. Which Church has all these four marks?
It is evident that no Church has these four marks except the Roman Catholic—namely, that Church which acknowledges the Pope of Rome as her Head.
33. Why is the Roman Catholic Church evidently 'One'?
Because she has at all times and in all places, 1. The same Faith; 2. The same Sacrifice and the same Sacraments; and 3. A common Head.
34. Why is the Roman Catholic Church evidently 'Holy'?
1. Because her Founder is holy, and she teaches a holy doctrine; 2. Because she faithfully preserves and dispenses all the means of sanctification instituted by Christ; and 3. Because there were in her at all times Saints, whose holiness God has also confirmed by miracles and extraordinary graces (Short Hist. of Revealed Religion, 37, 41, 46).
Abuses and failings of individual members, cannot be imputed to the Church herself, because they did not arise from her doctrine or organization, and were never approved of by her. If a Church were no longer to be the true Church on account of abuses and scandals met with in her, why, then, did Christ Himself compare His Church to a field in which wheat and cockle grow together, and to a net that contains both good and bad fishes? (Matt. xiii.). And where, then, was the true Church in the days of the Apostles? — for even then there were scandals (1 Cor. xi.), and also blameworthy Bishops, in the Church (Apoc. ii. and iii.).
35. Why is the Roman Church evidently ' Catholic ' or 'Universal'?
1. Because from the time of Christ she has continually existed with the same Teaching, the same Priestly, and the same Pastoral Office as at the present time; 2. Because she is spread over the whole universe; and 3. Because she is constantly spreading, in accordance with the Divine commission, ' Go ye into the whole world, and preach the Gospel to every creature ' (Mark xvi. 15).
Therefore, the Roman Church was always called Catholic, even by apostates and infidels, as St. Augustine testifies; and up to this day she is called throughout the world the Catholic Church.
36. Why is the Roman Catholic Church evidently ' Apostolic '?
1. Because her origin is unquestionably traced back to the Apostles; 2. Because her doctrine is grounded on Apostolic Tradition;1 and 3. Because her rulers, the Pope and the Bishops, are lawful successors of the Apostles (p. 136, quest. 20).
1 It is an undisputed fact that Anglicans and others approach the nearer to the Catholic Church the more diligently and sincerely they search in the writings of the Holy Fathers for the Apostolic Traditions.
37. But are not non-Catholic Religious Societies also one?
No; they are not, and cannot be, one, 1. Because they have no common Head; and 2. Because every one of their members has a right to interpret and believe the Holy Scriptures as he likes.
Therefore 'they are children tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine' (Eph. iv. 14).
38. And why can none of them be called holy?
1. Because their founders were not holy; 2. Because they have rejected many articles of faith and means of sanctification, as; for example, the Sacrifice of the Mass and most of the Sacraments, and have, on the contrary, established principles which are directly opposed to sanctity (Short Hist. of Revealed Religion, 43); and 3, Because they cannot produce from among themselves one Saint, confirmed as such by his miraculous power.
39. Why can none of them be called Catholic?
Because they arose only in later years, and have not ceased to split again into numerous sects, none of which is universally spread or continually spreading in the manner ordained by Christ (Short Hist. of Revealed Rel, 43 and 47).
40. And why can none of them be called Apostolic?
1. Because they did not come into existence till long after the time of the Apostles, and then by separating themselves from the old Apostolic Church; 2. Because doctrine ever wavering and ever changing, as theirs is, cannot certainly be Apostolic; and 3. Because they have no lawful successors of the Apostles, and, therefore, neither Teachers nor Pastors sent by Christ.
41. If, then, none but the Roman Catholic Church has the marks of the ' one ' Church of Christ, what follows from this?
That the Roman Catholic Church alone is the true Church established by Jesus Christ.
Application. Pray frequently for the peace and exaltation of the Catholic Church, and for the conversion of the heretics and infidels. "' Blessed are all they that love thee [the Church], and that rejoice in thy peace ' (Tob. xiii. 18).
§ 3. On the End of the Church, and on her Qualities resulting from this End.
42. For what end did Christ establish the Church?
Christ established the Church, that by her He might lead all men to eternal salvation.
43. What has the Church to do, in order to lead men to salvation?
She has, 1. To preach the doctrine of Christ to them; 2. To administer to them the means of grace instituted by Christ; and 3. To guide and govern them in the way to eternal life.
44. How has Christ enabled the Church to do all this in a proper manner?
1. He has entrusted the Church with His doctrine, His means of grace, and His powers, by conferring upon her His Teaching, His Priestly, and His Pastoral Office; and 2. He has given her the help of the Holy Ghost, in order that she might also always keep the Divine doctrine pure, rightly administer the means of grace, and exercise her powers for the salvation of mankind.
45. By whom is the Divine doctrine always preserved pure and uncorrupted in the Church?
By the Infallible Teaching Body of the Church.
46. Who composes this Infallible Teaching Body?
The Pope, and the Bishops united with him.
They are also called the Teaching Church,or simply the Church (Matt, xviii. 17), in contradistinction to the rest of the faithful, who are called the Hearing Church.
47. Why is the Teaching Church called infallible?
Because, by the assistance of the Holy Ghost, she is secured against erring both in matters of faith and of morals.
48. Who assures us that the Church cannot err?
Christ Himself, who has promised us, 1. That ' He will be with her all days, even to the consummation of the world' (Matt, xxviii. 20); 2. That 'the Spirit of Truth shall abide with her for ever ' (John xiv. 16, 17); 3. That 'the gates of hell shall not prevail against her' (Matt. xvi. 18).
1 Were it possible that the Teaching Church might err, the Hearing Church would likewise fall into error, as she is to be instructed and guided by the former; and then the whole Church would, contrary to the promise of Christ, be prevailed against by the spirit of lies, or the powers of hell.
49. What does St. Paul call the Church on account of her Infallibility?
St. Paul calls the Church ' pillar and ground of the truth' (1 Tim. iii. 15).
50. But have there not also been in the Catholic Church some individual Teachers who have fallen into error?
Yes; but this happened only because they taught differently from the whole Teaching Body; for Infallibility is not granted to each one individually, but to the Teachers (Bishops) collectively, when united with the Pope.
If non-Catholics pretend to say that the whole Catholic Church has, in the course of time, departed from the Divine doctrine, and fallen into errors, 1. They manifestly contradict the promises of our Divine Saviour; 2. They condemn all the Holy Fathers of the Church, who taught exactly the same as the Catholic Church teaches; 3. They set themselves at variance with one another, since they have always disagreed among themselves about what properly is Divine doctrine, and what is not; and 4. They must, if the nations had been deceived by the Teaching Church, lay the fault on God, who continually accredited the Catholic Church together with her Teachers, and confirmed her authority by evidently protecting her at all times, by spreading her over the whole world, by illustrating her by innumerable miracles, and blessing her labors with the most glorious success (Short Hist. of Revealed Rel., Conclud. Remarks, 6, 7, 8); whereas, on the other hand, the sectarians never could corroborate their pretended mission by any miracle, but, on the contrary, fell into many manifest contradictions and pernicious errors, by which the world was only more and more corrupted (Short Hist. of Revealed Rel., 42, 47).
51. If, then, differences arise in matters of faith, what are we to do?
We must adhere to the decisions of the Church.
'And He gave some Apostles, . . . and other some Pastors and Doctors, . . . that henceforth we be no more children tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the wickedness of men, by cunning craftiness, by which they lie in wait to deceive' (Eph. iv. 11, 14)
52. By whom are the decisions of the Church given?
Either by the Supreme Head of the Church, the Pope, or by a Council confirmed by the Pope (Short Hist. of Revealed Religion, 36).
53. Are all Christians bound to submit to the decisions of the Pope?
Yes, as often as he decides as Head and Teacher of the whole Church in matters of faith and morals, the Pope is as infallible as the Church herself.
54. Is the Pope infallible?
Yes; the General Council of the Vatican, in 1870, defined that the Pope is infallible when he teaches the Church ex cathedrâ.
55. Is not this a new doctrine?
'No; the Church then defined — that is, solemnly declared in precise words — a doctrine which had always been held and acted on.
In doing this the Church acted just as she had done in the first General Council of Nicea (a.d. 325), when she similarly defined the doctrine of the Divinity of Christ, which had been held and acted on before that date; and as she has acted at other times, in regard to other doctrines, whenever she saw that it was necessary to define them.
56. What is the meaning of the Infallibility of the Pope? Does it mean that he cannot do wrong?
By no means. The Pope is a child of Adam, and, like other men, can have faults and can commit sin. Infallibility refers not to his life and conduct, but to his official teaching of doctrine, and means that in such teaching he cannot fall into error.
57. Are the words of the Pope, therefore, always infallible?
No; the words of the Pope are always to be received with the respect due to his high authority. But they are infallible only when he teaches ex cathedrâ as Pope.
58. When does the Pope speak 'ex cathedrâ'?
The Pope speaks ex cathedrâ when, in the exercise of his office as Head of the Church, and Chief Pastor and Teacher of all the faithful, he declares what is to be held by the Universal Church as the true doctrine on any matter of faith or morals.
59. Why cannot the Pope teach error when he speaks 'ex cathedrâ'?
Because God will not allow him to do so. Infallibility does not depend on the virtue or on the learning of the Pope, but on the special assistance of the Holy Ghost, given him according to the promise of Christ, who said to St. Peter: 'I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not. And thou, being once converted, confirm thy brethren' (Luke xxii. 32).
60. Is the Infallibility of the Pope the same as the Infallibility of the Church?
Yes, precisely. The Pope is the Supreme Pastor and Teacher, whose voice all the faithful, clergy and laity, 'lambs and sheep,' are commanded by Christ to hear and to follow. If he could teach error ex cathedrâ, the Church would then follow him into error, and would thereby fail; and so the promises of Christ would be falsified, which is impossible.
61. How do we know that this doctrine was always held and acted on in the Catholic Church?
Because from the beginning whoever obstinately refused to accept and believe a doctrine of Catholic Faith, when so declared ex cathedrâ by the Pope, was always cut off from the communion of the Church, and condemned as a heretic.
' I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in Heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in Heaven' (Matt. xvi. 19). 'I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not, and thou, being once converted, confirm thy brethren' (Luke xxii. 32). 'Feed my lambs, feed my sheep' (John xxi. 15-17). The authority of the Pope to decide doctrinal controversies conclusively, and to define the true faith, for the whole Church, was ever acknowledged and acted on. Those who broached heresies in any part of the world, and were condemned by their own local Bishops, often appealed to the supreme decision of the Bishop of Rome. On the other hand. Catholic Bishops and Patriarchs, like St. Athanasius, St. John Chrysostom, and others, who were often persecuted and unjustly condemned by synods, appealed to the Pope, who reversed and annulled the unjust decrees, and decided in favor of the condemned ones, as holding the true doctrine. Nestorius, Eutyches, and other heresiarchs were condemned by the Popes, and the decisions of the Roman Pontiffs were received as conclusive, and were honored as 'the voice of Peter speaking through his successor, ' which it would be heresy to depart from. St. Augustine held that a controversy was closed definitively when the Pope had decided it. Roma locuta est! In defining the infallibility of the Roman Pontiff, the Vatican Council did not introduce a new doctrine, but simply defined the ordinary and normal mode in which Christ has willed and provided that his Church shall in fact be kept infallibly in the path of Divine truth and saved from the assaults of hell, ever striving to lead her into error.
62. How does the Church decide when differences arise in matters of faith?
She decides according to the tenor of Holy Scripture and tradition.
63. Does the Church, then, teach nothing new, when, in such differences, she decides what is to be believed?
No; she only explains the Word of God entrusted to her in Holy Scripture and tradition, and condemns the opposite errors and innovations.
The doctrine of the Catholic Church is no other than the doctrine of Christ and the Apostles, which she has been entrusted with, in order that she may faithfully preserve and preach it. The Church, therefore, perpetually adheres to the old doctrine, inherited from the Fathers, and cries out with the Apostle to all: 'Keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding the profane novelties of words, and oppositions of knowledge falsely so called' (1 Tim. vi. 20, and 2 Tim. i. 14). 'But evil men and seducers shall grow worse and worse: erring, and driving into error. But continue thou in those things which thou hast learned, and which have been committed to thee' (2 Tim. iii. 13, 14). 'If any one preach to you a Gospel besides that which you have received, let him be anathema' (Gal. i. 9). 'What has been believed in all places, at all times, and by all people, that is really and truly Catholic' (Vincent of Lerins; d. 450).
§ 4. On Salvation in the true Church of Christ alone.
64. If the Catholic Church is to lead all men to eternal salvation, and has, for that purpose, received from Christ her doctrine, her means of grace, and her powers,[2] what, for his part, is every one obliged to do?
Every one is obliged, under pain of eternal damnation, to become a member of the Catholic Church, to believe her doctrine, to use her means of grace, and to submit to her authority.
65. Who teaches us this obligation?
Jesus Christ Himself, in these words (Matt, xviii. 17): 'If he will not hear the Church, let him be to thee as the heathen and publican '; and (Mark xvi. 16): 'He that believeth not [the Apostles and their lawful Successors] shall be condemned.'
Hence the Catholic Church is justly called the only saving Church. To despise her is the same as to despise Christ; namely, His doctrine, his means of grace, and His powers; to separate from her is the same as to separate from Christ, and to forfeit eternal salvation. Therefore, St. Augustine, and the other Bishops of Africa, at the Council of Zirta, a.d. 412, pronounced this decision: 'Whosoever is separated from the Catholic Church, however commendable in his own opinion his life may be, he shall for this very reason, that he is at the same time separated from the Unity of Christ, not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him' (John iii. 36).
66. Who is a member of the Catholic Church?
Every one who is baptized, and has neither voluntarily separated himself, nor has been excluded, from her.
67. Who have voluntarily separated themselves from the Church?
1. All those who by their own fault are Heretics, i.e., who profess a doctrine that has been condemned by the Church; or who are Infidels—that is, who no longer have nor profess any Christian faith at all; and 2. All those who by their own fault are Schismatics—that is, who have renounced, not the doctrine of the Church, but their obedience to her, or to her Supreme Head, the Pope,
68. Who are excluded from the Catholic Church?
Excommunicates—that is, those who, as degenerate members, have been expelled from the communion of the Church.
69. Are not those also who are heretics without their own fault separated from the Catholic Church?
Such as are heretics without their own fault, but sincerely search after the truth, and in the meantime do the will of God to the best of their knowledge, although they are separated from the body, remain, however, united to the soul of the Church, and partake of her graces.
Even those who are heretics without their own fault are deprived, though not of all, at least of many, graces and blessings of our holy religion; as, for instance, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the true Lord's Supper, Sacramental Absolution, the Holy Sacraments administered to the dying, etc. Therefore, we should fervently pray for heretics, and by sincere charity, and an edifying life, contribute towards their con: version.
70. Who is a heretic by his own fault?
A heretic by his own fault is, 1. He who knows the Catholic Church, and is convinced of her truth, but does not join her; and 2. He who could know her, if he would candidly search, but, through indifference and other culpable motives, neglects to do so.
71. Does it become us to judge whether this one or that is outside the Church by his own fault or not?
No; for such judgment belongs to God, who alone is 'the searcher of hearts and reins' (Ps. vii. 10), and 'judges the secrets of men' (Rom. ii. 16).
On this subject consult 'The Sincere Christian Instructed' (Appendix). By the Right Rev. George Hay.
'Judge not before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts' (1 Cor. iv. 5).
72. To obtain eternal salvation is it sufficient to be a member of the Catholic Church?
No; for there are also rotten and dead members (Apoc. iii. 1), who by their sins bring upon themselves eternal damnation.
73. What, then, do we profess to believe by these words of the Creed, 'I believe in the Holy Catholic Church'?
We profess to believe that Jesus Christ has established a visible Church, endless in her duration, and infallible in her doctrine, which we must believe and obey without reserve, if we would obtain eternal salvation; and that this is no other than the Roman Catholic Church.
Application. It is right for us to call the Catholic Church our mother; for 1. She has regenerated us in a spiritual manner in baptism, and has made us children of God; 2. She feeds us with the Word of God, and with the Bread of Angels; 3. She brings us up in the fear of the Lord; and 4. She kindly prays for us, comforts us, and assists us, as long as we live here below, and even after we have departed this life. Honor and love, therefore, the Church as your mother; listen diligently to her instructions, and humbly submit to all her laws and directions; for ' he shall not have God for his Father who will not have the Church for his Mother' (St. Cyprian, Bishop and Martyr; d. 258).
§ 5. The Communion of Saints.
74. Are only the faithful on earth united together as one Church?
No; with the faithful on earth are also spiritually united the saints in Heaven and the souls in Purgatory.
The faithful on earth who are members of the Catholic Church constitute the Church Militant; the souls in Purgatory, the Church Suffering; and the Saints in Heaven, the Church Triumphant; yet these three Churches are, strictly speaking, but one in different states.
75. In what does this spiritual union consist?
This spiritual union consists in this: that all are members of one body, whose head is Christ Jesus, and that therefore the different members participate in one another's spiritual goods.
As in one body we have many members, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another' (Rom. xii. 4, 5). 'He [Christ] is the Head of the body, the Church' (Col. i. 18).
76. What is this spiritual union called?
The Communion of Saints.
77. Why are all the members of this Communion styled 'Saints'?
Because all are called to he Saints (1 Thess. iv. 3), and have been sanctified by baptism; and many of them have already arrived at sanctity.
78. What benefit do we reap from the communion with the Saints in Heaven?
We partake of the merits which they acquired while here below, and are assisted by their intercession with God in our behalf.
79. But does not death dissolve all union between the living and the dead?
No; no more than it dissolves their union with Christ, their Head.
80. What benefit do the souls in Purgatory receive from our communion with them?
We come to the assistance of these our suffering brethren, in order that their pains may be mitigated and shortened.
81. By what means can we assist the poor souls in Purgatory?
By prayers, alms-deeds, and other good works, especially by "the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the application of Indulgences.
'Judas [Machabeus] sent twelve thousand drachms of silver to Jerusalem for sacrifice to be offered for the sins of the dead. It is, therefore, a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins' (2 Mach. xii. 43, 46). That the Church has at all times prayed for the dead, and that the Apostles themselves ordained to remember them at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, is testified by the most ancient Fathers of the Church. (All Souls' Day.)
82. What profit do we derive from the mutual communion with the faithful on earth?
We participate in all the Masses, prayers, and good works of the Catholic Church, and, in general, in all her spiritual goods.
'God hath tempered the body together . . . that the members might be mutually careful one for another. . . . Now, you are the body of Christ, and members of member' (1 Cor. xii. 24-27).
83. Do sinners, as long as they are not cut off from the Church, also share in this communion?
Sinners as dead members forfeit, indeed, most of the spiritual goods; nevertheless, in virtue of their union with the Church, they still receive various blessings and graces, which help to their conversion.
Application. Every day pray for your fellow-Christians who are either combating on earth or suffering in Purgatory, and recommend yourself every morning and night to the protection of the Saints in Heaven. Above all, strive to lead a holy life; for ' we are fellow-citizens with the Saints, and the domestics of God' (Eph. ii. 19).