THE ESSENTIAL CARACTERISTICS

OF THE CHURCH
(MARKS OF THE CHURCH)

The Church of Christ possesses the

inseparable unity of the human
and divine elements (LG 8). The
Church of Christ which is both
human and divine subsists in
the Catholic Churchis
governed by the successor of Peter
and by the bishops in communion
with him (LG 8).

But

Lumen Gentium does not say :

the Church of Christ is the
Catholic Church. Rather, the
Church of Christ only subsists
in the Catholic Church. Christs
Church takes its concrete form in
the Catholic Church (cf. Vatican II
Document on Ecumenism, Unitatis
Redintegratio 3; CCC 816).

Can

we find outside the Catholic

Church the elements of the Church of
Christ?
Definitely YES!
There are a number of elements of
sanctification and of truth found outside the
visible confines of the Catholic Church.
These elements such as Bible, Holy Spirit,
Baptism, are also affirmed by the other
Christian Religions. The idea that the
Catholic Church has no monopoly of these
elements is a force impelling authentic unity
with our Christian brothers. For in truth, the
Church of Christ goes beyond the
visible limits of the Catholic Church.

Finally,

this is the sole Church of Christ,

which in the creed we profess to be
One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic.
These four characteristics, inseparably
linked with each other, indicate essential
features of the Church and her mission. The
Church does not possess them for herself;
it is Christ who, through the Holy Spirit,
makes his Church One, Holy, Catholic, and
Apostolic, and it is he who calls her to
realize each of these qualities (LG 8;
Denzinger-Schonmetzer, Enchiridion
Symbolorum, Definitionum et
Delcarationum de Rebus Fidei et Morum
2888, CCC 811).

A. The Church as ONE

1.

The church is ONE

because of her:
1.1. SOURCE- the One
Living God in three Persons
- the Church shines forth as
a people made one with the
unity of the Father, Son and
the Holy Spirit (LG 4)

1.2.

FOUNDER- Jesus Christ who:

+ came to redeem and unify the whole

human race;

+ prayed to His Father that all may be

one even as you, Father, are in me and I in
You (Jn. 17:21)

+ instituted the Eucharist which both

signifies and effects the unity of the Church;

+ united all by His new commandment of

mutual love (Cf. Jn. 3:34); and

+ poured forth his Spirit through whom

he calls the people of the New Covenant into
a unity of faith, hope and charity (cf. UR 23).

2.

The church is ONE:

2.1. in the confession of one
faith received from the
apostles;
2.2. the common celebration
of divine worship especially
the sacraments; and
2.3. the fraternal harmony of
Gods family (cf. UR 2; CCC
815)

3.

As a visible sign of this

unity, Christ put Peter at the
head of the other apostles, and
in him set up a lasting and
visible source and foundation
of unity of faith and of
communion (LG 18).

4.

Church is a unity-indiversity- the universal Church

embraces not only People of
different ranks, duties, and
ways of life, but also particular
Churches which retain their own
traditions while united under
the Vicar of Christ (cf. LG 13).

5.

Church Unity as a Task. The divisions

among Christians remain a major cause of
scandal before the world. Official breaks
with Church communion include:
5.1. heresy, the obstinate denial or
doubt by baptized person of a truth
which must be believed by divine and
Catholic Faith;
5.2. apostasy, the total repudiation of
the Christian faith; and
5.3. schism, the withdrawal of
submission to the Supreme Pontiff or
from communion with the members of
the Church subject to him.

6.

Ecumenism is concerned with the

restoring unity of the Christian
Churches. Vatican II recognized nonCatholic Christians, for all who are justified
in faith through Baptism are incorporated
into Christ and therefore have a right to be
called Christians and with good reason are
accepted as brothers by children of the
Catholic Church (UR 3). It also calls for the
active involvement of all, faithful and clergy
alike (UR 5). Ecumenical efforts include fair
and respectful dialogue, working together
on projects for the common good and even
common prayer (cf. UR 4; CCC 820-22).

7.

The hope of full ecumenical

unity transcends human
abilities, and must be
grounded in prayer of Christ
for the Church, in the love of
the Father for us, and in the
power of the Holy Spirit (UR
24).

B. InThe
faith Church
we believe as
that HOLY
the Church is

1.

Holy in a way that can never fail:

1.1. First, because Christ loved the
Church as his Bride and gave himself up
for her; to make her holy. Uniting her to
himself as his body, he endowed her with
the gift of the Holy Spirit (LG 39).
1.2. Second, because the Holy Spirit
graces her with the fullness of the means
of salvation and holiness-preaching of the
Gospel, the sacraments, the moral
virtues, self-sacrificing service of
neighbor, and charismatic gifts.

2.

The sanctity of the Church has shone

out in the innumerable uncanonized
saints among the ordinary faithful and
religious, who through the ages have
led holy lives.
3. The Churchs holiness is a process of
growing. Christians have always been
exhorted to lay aside your former way
of life and the old self which deteriorates
through illusion and desireand put on
that new man created in Gods image,
whose justice and holiness are born in
truth (Eph. 4:22-24).

4.

All in the Church are called to

holiness (cf. 1 Thess. 4:3). All
the baptized are called to live
the full challenge of Christian
holiness.
5. In reality, Charity/Love is
the center of holiness, uniting
inseparably both worship of God
and service of our fellow human
persons (LG 42; cf. CCC 826).

C.
The
church
as
CATHOLIC
1. The term Catholic (Gk. term,
katholon) means universal,
complete, all-embracing. It applies to
the Church in two different ways:
1.1. First, the Church is world-wide,
sent to all people.
1.2. Second, being endowed with the
fullness of the means for salvation,
she announces the whole, true faith
(cf. AG 6; CCC 830).

2.

The Church is Catholic according to

a Church Father (St. Cyril of Jerusalem)
because she:
2.1. is spread throughout the world (cf.
Acts 1:8).
2.2. possesses all saving truth (cf. Jn.
16:13).
2.3. is sent to all peoples (cf. Mk.
16:15).
2.4. can heal all kinds of sins (cf. Jn.
20:23).
2.5. abounds in every kind of virtue and
spiritual gift (Cyril of Jerusalem,
Catechetical Lectures)

3. Vatican II explains the universality of

Gods call to the whole world (LG 13;cf.
CCC 831).
4. The Church catholicity is both a gift
and a task which involves mission and
inculturation.
4.1. In its mission the Church
manifests a basic respect for local
Churches and cultures.
4.2. The mutual interaction of the
Christian message and human culture is
an on-going, never-completed process
through history.

5.

The process of inculturation

respectfully draws the good
elements within a culture, renews
them from within and assimilates
them to form part of its catholic
unity. The catholicity of the
Church is more fully realized when
it is able to assimilate and use the
riches of a peoples culture for the
glory of God (PCP II 208). We have
to raise up more and more Filipino
evangelizers, formed in a Filipino
way (PCP II 210).

D. The Church as APOSTOLIC

1.

The Church is apostolic in three

basic ways:
1.1. First, because Jesus Christ
grounded her permanently on the
foundation of the Apostles (Eph. 2:20).
1.2. Second, because she guards and
transmits their teaching and witness
(cf. Mt. 28:19-20);
1.3. Third, she continues to be
instructed, sanctified and guided by the
apostles through their successors (cf.
CCC 857-60).

2.

Apostolic Succession. The

principal way the apostles
guide us still is through
the apostolic succession of
the bishops, assisted by the
Holy Spirit (cf. CCC 861 f).

3.

The Church is apostolic

because it is a hierarchical
community, whose unity in
faith and communion are
grounded in the successors of
the apostles, and especially of
Peter, the chosen rock, upon
which Christ would build his
Church (cf. Mt. 16; 18; cf. LG
18).

3.1.

The Roman Pontif, the Pope, as the

Vicar of Christ and successor of Peter,
has supreme and universal power over
the Church.
3.2. The Bishops (the Overseers), as
successors of the apostles, in their role as
teachers and pastors, together with their
head, the Supreme Pontiff, and never
apart from him, have supreme and full
power over the universal Church (LG 22).
3.3. This power and leadership of the
hierarchy is a ministry of service by
which our Lord Jesus is present in the
midst of the faithful (LG 21).

MODELS OF THE CHURCH

(According to Avery Dulles)
1.

Institution (Hierarchy: Pope-College of

Cardinals/Bishops, Clergy, Deacons, Laity)
2. Mystical Communion (community of
love and peace)- unity in love and charity
3. Sacrament (sign and instrument of
Gods grace)
4. Herald (proclaimer of the Kingdom of
God/ bearer of the Good News)
5. Servant (task of healing and
humanizing the world/mission = true,
good and just in the pursuit of the
common good).

MODELS OF THE CHURCH

(According to the Second Plenary
Council of the Philippines PCPII)
1. Communion
1.1 unity-in-diversity
1.2 equality in dignity
2. Participation
3. Communion-in-Mission
4. Priestly, Prophetic and
Kingly People
5. Church of the Poor