The Church
Sacrament of Salvation
The Church
Chapter 4
Chapter 4
The Church as
Sacrament of Salvation
Chapter Objectives
The student will be able to understand:
• The Church as the Sacrament
of Salvation
• The Church as mystery
• The Church as Sacrament
of Communion
• The hierarchical structure
of the Church
• The office of the papacy
• The Roman Curia
• The office of bishop
• Ecumenical Councils
• The office of priest
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The office of deacon
The Magisterium
The Deposit of Faith
The development of doctrine
Infallibility
The sanctification of
the members of the
Catholic Church
• Salvation of those outside
the Church
• Evangelization
Keys to Chapter 4
• The Church is both the sign and the means of
the salvation of the world.
• Christ gave the Church a hierarchical authority to
teach, rule, and sanctify all the members.
• The bishops, led by the Pope, exercise a servant
leadership with the help of priests and deacons.
• The Church both teaches and sanctifies.
For Discussion:
• What does it mean to say that the Church is the
Sacrament of Salvation?
• What is the meaning of the word church?
• How is the Church both visible and invisible?
• What is the role of the papacy in the Church?
• What are the three levels of the Church’s hierarchy,
and what is the function of each?
• What does it mean when we say, “Outside the
Church there is no salvation”?
The Church is the
Sacrament of Salvation
and Communion
Lesson Objectives
•The Church as Sacrament of Salvation
•The Church as mystery
•The Church as Sacrament of Communion
The Church is the Sacrament
of Salvation and Communion
Basic Questions
What does it mean to say that the Church is the
Sacrament of Salvation?
The Church is a Sacrament of Salvation because
she is both a sign and instrument of God’s
salvation for humanity.
The Church is the Sacrament
of Salvation and Communion
Basic Questions
What does it mean to say that the Church is
a mystery?
The Church is a mystery with human and divine, visible
and invisible, and horizontal and vertical dimensions.
The Church is the Sacrament
of Salvation and Communion
Basic Questions
What does it mean to say that the Church is the
Sacrament of Communion?
The Church is a Sacrament of Communion because
she is God’s instrument to bring men into communion
with God and with each other through the grace of
the Sacraments.
Focus Question
How is the Church’s nature akin to the nature
of Christ?
Just as Christ is one Divine Person with two
natures, the Church is also a single reality with
a dual composition: human and divine.
Focus Question
How does the Church fulfill man’s nature as a
social being?
Man’s nature and deepest need as a social being is to
be in communion with God and neighbor.
Focus Question
How is the Church a “mixed composition”?
The visible Church on earth is comprised of human
members who are sinners and subject to the
weaknesses of the flesh, yet who are also on the way
to holiness.
Focus Question
Even though the Church on earth is made up
of sinful members, why is the Church, herself,
not sinful?
The Church is holy and without sin because she is
the Mystical Body of Christ.
Focus Question
Why is the Church a mystery?
Neither our senses nor our reason can fully unveil
the reality of the Church.
Focus Question
How does the Church unify the human race?
The Church is the instrument by which men are
united with God and with one another. In Christ,
the Church gathers men “from every nation, from all
tribes and peoples and tongues.”
Focus Question
What is a Sacrament?
It is a sign that accomplishes what it signifies.
Extension:
For example, Baptism is a sign of washing that
actually purifies the soul.
Focus Question
What does it mean to say that the Church
herself is a Sacrament of Salvation?
It means that the Church is a sign of salvation and
a channel through which God’s grace is conveyed to
the faithful.
Focus Question
How is the Church “like a Sacrament,”
according to CCC 775?
She is a sign and instrument of communion with
God and of unity among all men.
Guided Exercise
Write about what Christ meant when
he said the following to his disciples
(a message that includes all Christians,
including the students themselves):
“It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
and appointed you to go and bear fruit” (Jn 15:16).
Focus Question
What is the etymology of the Latin ecclesia,
which means “church”?
The Latin word used for church is ecclesia, which
comes from Greek ekklesia and means an
“assembly” or “to call out of.” More significantly,
this was the word used throughout the Old
Testament (qahal in Hebrew) to refer to Israel, the
People of God.
Focus Question
What is the etymology of the English word
“church”?
The English word “church” is derived from the
Greek word kyriake, which means “what belongs to
the Lord.”
Focus Question
Who calls together the Church?
Jesus Christ.
Focus Question
Who is the visible foundation of Christ’s
Church on earth?
St. Peter.
Focus Question
Who establishes the way the Church
is governed?
Christ.
Focus Question
What is the proper response to the call of
Christ to be in the Church?
Faith and cooperation.
Focus Question
What are the three meanings of “church,”
according to CCC 752?
1. A liturgical assembly
2. A local community
3. The whole universal community of believers
Guided Exercise
Complete a think/pair/share
using the following question:
What does it mean to say that the Church
is the universal Sacrament of Salvation?
Focus Question
In what way is the Church a visible society?
The members of the Church on earth with her
hierarchical leadership and her institutions and
various organizations form a visible society.
Focus Question
In what way is the Church an invisible society?
It is the spiritual community of all the members
of the Church, whether on earth, in Purgatory,
or in Heaven.
Guided Exercise
Complete a think/pair/share
using the following question:
How does the Sacrament of the Eucharist contribute
to the Church as the Sacrament of Salvation?
Focus Question
What is the definition of the Church
presented in this section?
The Church is a community of men and women
united in Christ’s fullness of grace as head of his
Mystical Body.
Focus Question
What does the New Testament word koinonia
(in Latin, communio) mean?
Communion.
Focus Question
What are the two “spatial” dimensions
of communion?
The vertical dimension is communion with God and
the horizontal dimension is communion among men.
Focus Question
What are the “visual” dimensions
of communion?
The invisible dimension is the intimate communion
with the Holy Trinity and other human beings.
The visible dimension is communion in the
teaching of the Apostles, in the Sacraments, and
in the hierarchical order.
Focus Question
How does an individual enter into the
Church’s communion?
By faith and Baptism.
Focus Question
How does Christ build up and sustain the
members of his Mystical Body on earth?
Through the Eucharist.
Focus Question
How is the Eucharist the source of
communion among the members of
the Church?
The Eucharist unites each member of the Church
with Christ himself.
Focus Question
What Greek and Latin words express the very
essence of the Church?
Greek koinonia and Latin communio.
Focus Question
Why do we refer to receiving the Eucharist as
receiving communion?
As St. Paul says, the bread and wine is a
koinonia or communio or participation
in the Body and Blood of Christ.
Authority in the Church:
The Hierarchy and
the Papacy
Lesson Objectives
•The hierarchical structure of the Church
•The office of the papacy
Authority in the Church:
The Hierarchy and the Papacy
Basic Questions
What is the hierarchical structure of the Church?
Christ endowed the Church with a hierarchical structure
in which those in authority—the Pope and those bishops,
priests, and deacons in communion with him—serve the
members by teaching, ruling, and sanctifying them.
Authority in the Church:
The Hierarchy and the Papacy
Basic Questions
What is the papacy?
The Pope is the apostolic successor of St. Peter and
shares St. Peter’s authority to rule the Church,
possessing the gift of infallibility in defining doctrines
of faith and morals.
Focus Question
Who remains forever the chief cornerstone
and shepherd of souls?
Even though Christ made St. Peter (and his
successors) the chief pastor of his Church on earth,
Christ himself remains the head of the Church.
Focus Question
What is infallibility?
It is a guarantee, made by Christ, that St. Peter and
his successors would be free from error in their public
teachings on matters of faith and morals.
Guided Exercise
Complete a focused reading of the final four
paragraphs of the section “The Hierarchical
Structure of the Church” (p. 114)
using the following question:
How is the Church’s attitude to authority
different from the world’s?
Focus Question
What is the college of bishops?
It is the bishops of the Church with the Pope as
their head.
Focus Question
What is Apostolic Succession?
It is the line of bishops that stretches back to the
Apostles, each consecrated by the previous one.
Focus Question
What are the three distinct ministerial offices
within the Church?
They are the episcopacy (bishops), the presbytery
(priests), and the diaconate (deacons).
Focus Question
Where do bishops, priests, and deacons get
their authority and powers?
Their authority comes from Christ.
Focus Question
What is the equality and inequality in the
visible Church on earth?
There is a true equality of dignity among the
faithful with each member contributing to the
Church’s mission. At the same time, the Church’s
government is hierarchical; some members, because
of the graces available through their ordained roles,
possess greater authority than others.
Focus Question
Why is the Church not a democracy?
In a democracy, political power derives from the
consent of the people. The power of the Church
comes from Christ, not from the baptized members.
Focus Question
Which Sacrament imparts the ministerial
authority of Christ?
The Sacrament of Holy Orders.
Focus Question
Who comprises the Church’s hierarchy, or
sacred order?
It includes the clergy, that is, bishops, priests,
and deacons.
Focus Question
Why is it logical that Christ should establish
his Church with a particular organization?
Every kingdom needs a certain organization in
order to endure, and the kingdom that Christ
established is to endure until the end of time.
Focus Question
When was the hierarchy of the Church
established?
Christ established it when he chose the Twelve.
Focus Question
Why was the hierarchy of the
Church established?
To pass down the Apostles’ authority and
traditions, so that the Church would continue
the course Jesus Christ had set for it.
Guided Exercise
Examine one of the six examples of
St. Peter exercising authority over the
early Church. Explain the example
and what it indicates about his role.
Focus Question
How do the Roman Pontiff and the bishops
correspond to St. Peter and the Apostles?
The Apostles were a collegial body with St. Peter as
their head. The bishops are the successors of the
collegial body of the Apostles with the Roman
Pontiff, the successor of St. Peter, as their head.
Focus Question
What three tasks did Christ entrust the College
of the Twelve?
They are to teach, rule, and sanctify the Church.
Focus Question
In what ways do the successors of the
Apostles teach, rule, and sanctify?
The bishops with St. Peter’s successor as their
head preach the Gospel faithfully, rule the
Church by service, and sanctify the Church
through the Sacraments.
Focus Question
What is one of the most important duties of a
cardinal?
He acts as a papal elector.
Focus Question
What is a conclave?
It is a papal election that takes place in the
Sistine Chapel.
Focus Question
How many votes does a candidate need to be
elected Pope?
He needs a vote of two-thirds of the cardinals.
Focus Question
What is the significance of white and dark
smoke coming from the chimney of the
Sistine Chapel?
Dark smoke indicates a ballot has been cast but
there is no winner. White smoke means a Pope has
been elected.
Guided Exercise
Complete a think/pair/share
using the following question:
Why is it prudent that the papal electors be locked
inside the Sistine Chapel until a Pope is elected?
Authority in the Church:
The Roman Curia
Lesson Objectives
•The Roman Curia
Authority in the Church:
The Roman Curia
Basic Questions
What is the Roman Curia?
The Roman Curia currently consists of the Secretariat
of State, nine Congregations, three Tribunals, and
twelve Pontifical Councils, which assist the Roman
Pontiff in governing the Church throughout the world.
Focus Question
What is the Roman Curia?
It is the administrative, or governing, body of the
Catholic Church that assists the Pope.
Focus Question
Of what does the Roman Curia
presently consist?
It includes a Secretariat of State, Congregations,
Tribunals, and Pontifical Councils.
Focus Question
What does the Secretariat of State oversee?
He handles political and diplomatic functions of the
Catholic Church.
Focus Question
What is the role of the Secretariat of State
section for General Affairs?
They handle the everyday administration.
Focus Question
What is the role of the Secretariat of State
section for Relations with States?
They handle the Vatican’s diplomatic relations with
civil governments.
Graphic Organizer
Complete the following table to see the purpose of the
various congregations of the Curia.
Congregation
Function
The Congregation for
the Doctrine of the Faith
The Congregation for
Oriental Churches
The Congregation for Divine Worship and
the Discipline of the Sacraments
The Congregation for
the Causes of Saints
continued
Graphic Organizer
Complete the following table to see the purpose of the
various congregations of the Curia.
Congregation
The Congregation for Bishops
The Congregation for the
Evangelization of Peoples
The Congregation for the Clergy
The Congregation for Institutes
of Consecrated Life and for
Societies of Apostolic Life
The Congregation of Seminaries
and Educational Institutions
Function
Graphic Organizer
Complete the following table to see the purpose of the
various councils of the Curia.
Council
Function
Pontifical Council for the Laity
Pontifical Council for
Promoting Christian Unity
Pontifical Council for the Family
Pontifical Council for
Justice and Peace
Pontifical Council Cor Unum
(“With One Heart”)
continued
Graphic Organizer
Council
Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care
of Migrants and Itinerant People
Pontifical Council for Pastoral Assistance
to Health Care Workers
Pontifical Council for the Interpretation
of Legislative Texts
Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue
Pontifical Council for Dialogue
with Non-Believers
Pontifical Council for Culture
Pontifical Council for Social Communications
Function
Focus Question
What is a tribunal?
It is a court.
Focus Question
What is the role of the Apostolic Penitentiary?
It grants absolutions and dispensations in matters
reserved to the Holy See. It also has authority over
the granting and proper use of indulgences.
Focus Question
What is the role of the Supreme Tribunal of
the Apostolic Signatura?
It ensures that justice in the Church is
correctly administered.
Focus Question
What is the role of the Tribunal of the
Roman Rota?
It is an appellate court charged with safeguarding
rights within the Chrurh and with providing
assistance to lower tribunals.
Authority in the Church:
Bishops, Priests,
and Deacons
Lesson Objectives
•The office of bishop
•Ecumenical Councils
•The office of priest
•The office of deacon
Authority in the Church:
Bishops, Priests, and Deacons
Basic Questions
What is the episcopy?
Bishops are the successors of the Apostles who exercise
the fullness of the priesthood of Christ. They serve the
people of God in their dioceses and remain in fellowship
with their brother bishops, concerned with the universal
needs of the Church.
Authority in the Church:
Bishops, Priests, and Deacons
Basic Questions
What is an Ecumenical Council?
An Ecumenical Council is a meeting of all the bishops
of the world under the authority of the Pope.
Authority in the Church:
Bishops, Priests, and Deacons
Basic Questions
What is the priesthood?
A priest assists the diocesan bishop in the office of the
priesthood of Christ, usually taking care of the
people of the parish.
Authority in the Church:
Bishops, Priests, and Deacons
Basic Questions
What is the diaconate?
Deacons are ordained to provide a ministry of service.
Focus Question
How do bishops have both a local and a
universal focus?
As heads of particular Churches, they take care
of their own dioceses, assisted by their priests and
deacons. As members of the Episcopal college they
are concerned with the challenges facing the
universal Church.
Focus Question
What is a cathedral?
It is the official church of the local bishop.
Focus Question
Where does the word cathedral come from?
Kathedra, a Greek word meaning “chair,” is a
real or figurative chair from which a wise man
teaches and guides.
Focus Question
What is the kathedra Mouseos?
It literally means the teaching authority of Moses.
By extension, it was the seat of religious and
moral authority that the scribes and Pharisees
figuratively occupied.
Focus Question
How was the kathedra the Lord promised the
Apostles superior to the seat the scribes and
Pharisees occupied?
Jesus promised the Twelve they would sit on thrones,
judgment seats suitable for kings.
Focus Question
What name did the Apostles give their office
in the Church?
Each considered himself an episkope, which
means “overseer.”
Extension:
The word “bishop” is derived from episkope.
Focus Question
In whose place did the bishops preside,
according to St. Ignatius of Antioch?
They preside “in the place of God.”
Focus Question
What is the role of the Secretariat of State
section for Relations with States?
They handle the Vatican’s diplomatic relations with
civil governments.
Guided Exercise
Do an online search to view
some of the cathedrals of Europe
to get an idea of the incredible
architectural heritage of Christianity.
Focus Question
What Sacrament can only be celebrated
by bishops?
The Sacrament of Holy Orders in which they
ordain a baptized man to the episcopacy, the
priesthood, or the diaconate.
Focus Question
What is the role of a bishop in a particular
church (specific diocese)?
He acts as Christ’s chosen representative and
the legitimate pastor of all the faithful within
that diocese.
Focus Question
What is a bishop’s conference?
It is an organization of bishops within a
geographical area that helps the bishops to
coordinate their activities.
Focus Question
What is an Ecumenical Council?
It is a meeting of the bishops of the whole Church.
Focus Question
What was the first Ecumenical Council?
The Council of Jerusalem was a prototype for later
councils. The first Ecumenical Council was the First
Council of Nicæa, which met AD 325.
Focus Question
Who pronounced the decisive verdict at the
first council, after much debate?
St. Peter.
Focus Question
What did the first six Ecumenical
Councils address?
In essence, they addressed the question, “Who is
Jesus Christ?” in response to various Trinitarian
and Christological heresies.
Focus Question
What does “ecumenical” mean?
It means from the whole, inhabited world.
Focus Question
Why do the Eastern Orthodox Churches not
recognize any of the Ecumenical Councils
held in the West after 787?
The local churches in the eastern half of the
Roman Empire did not participate in these
Ecumenical Councils.
Focus Question
What was the most recent Ecumenical
Council?
The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) is the
most recently held.
Guided Exercise
Perform a paragraph shrink on the paragraph
beginning, “Current canon law…” (p. 122)
to understand the Pope’s authority
over an Ecumenical Council.