UNIT TWO
The Church is Mystery
2.1 Enduring and Developing
What’s Really Catholic?
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Father Kelly: Believed in rules, structure
and Church hierarchy.
Father Dave: Believed that every person
was a necessary part of the body of
Christ, the Church.
Magisterium
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The bishops acting in unison with the
pope, by virtue of their ordination.
The teaching authority of the Church.
Why the Church is a Mystery
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Can never be fully expressed from any
single viewpoint
Its nature can never be grasped by the
power of reason alone
It holds opposites together.
 Human and sinful
 Divine and holy
 Visible and changeable
 Invisible and permanent
The Church and God’s Kingdom
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The Kingdom of God broke into human
history through the incarnation of Jesus.
Church is the focal point of the kingdom’s
presence on earth.
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Through the Church the will of God may be
most reliably known
Role of the Holy Spirit in the Church
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Dwells in hearts of the faithful
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Speaks God’s will to them
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Reveals God to us primarily
through signs and symbols
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Transforms us through the power
of those signs and symbols
Kingdom of God
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The reign or rule of God
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Began with the coming of Jesus
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Will exist in its perfect form at the end of
time
RCIA
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Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
Process through which non-Catholic adults
learn about and join in full communion
with the Catholic Church by receiving
sacraments of Initiation
Mystagogia
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“Unfolding of the mystery”
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Period following the Baptism of adults
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Newly baptized open themselves more
fully to the graces received in Baptism
The Church is the culmination
of Salvation History
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From creation of the world, God has
intended human beings to share in divine
life.
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In the Church, this sharing finally becomes a
reality.
Salvation History
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Story of God’s action in human history
Refers to the events through which God
makes humanity aware of, and brings
humanity into, the kingdom of God
Begins with the creation of the
world
Ends with the Second Coming of
Christ
Covenant

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Partnership between God and humanity
which God has established out of love
New covenant is offered through Christ

The blood which Christ shed on the cross is a
sign of the new covenant
Body of Christ on Earth
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The depth and breadth of God’s love for
humanity and trust in humanity is revealed
in the establishment of the Church
On Pentecost a new era in God’s
relationship with humanity began
God Remains Incarnate in Church
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Through the Church, God chooses to be
made known present and tangible.
God communicates truth and grace
through the Church
God Remains Incarnate in Church
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Church is the sacrament of salvation
• Points people toward God
• Makes God an accessible reality for them
The Church is Necessary for Salvation
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Salvation comes to the world only
through Jesus
Jesus remains present in the world
through his body, the Church.
The Church is necessary for
salvation because Jesus is
necessary for salvation
Salvation
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True, complete, and permanent unity with
God and with one another
The end goal of all creation
The fulfillment of the human desire for
ultimate truth and goodness
Made possible by Christ’s death,
resurrection and ascension.
To be Faithful to Christ, the
Church Must…
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Reach out with compassion to everyone
Challenge its own members to live as
Christ lived
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Strive for perfection
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Offer God’s all-encompassing love
What is the true Church?
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Shares God’s healing and
forgiveness with other.
Places people above rules
Membership in the body of Christ
should be evident in a person’s
priorities and behaviors
Importance of doing what God
would have us do.
Church as Bride of Christ
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One in will, one in action
Christ surrenders himself to the
Church
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Allows the Church to express his will
to the world
The Church surrenders itself to
Christ
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Makes Jesus’ will its own.
The Church is Unchanging yet
Developing
Unchanging
Jesus Christ is the
absolute selfcommunication of God
to humanity.
Nothing new will be
revealed to us.
Developing
Our understanding of
Jesus and the truth,
which he revealed, is
constantly growing and
deepening.
Role of Church as body of Christ
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Continue to reveal the presence of God
and to lead all people to unity with the
Father just as Jesus did
Interpret what is going on in today’s world
in light of the gospel
Three things in Church which
cannot/will not change:
Constitution
Body of dogma
Ethic
Permanent Constitution
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Basic form and makeup of Church
Structure makes it possible for
church to be church
Elements in the Church’s structure
which were established by Jesus
Includes the presence of the
hierarchy
Apostle
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“One who is sent”
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12 men Jesus chose
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Given authority by Christ
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To teach and baptize in his name
Bishops are the successors of the
apostles
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Jesus will continue to guide those
who will succeed the apostles
until the end of time
Called to protect the central
truths of our faith from ideas and
beliefs which are not compatible
with the truth revealed by Jesus
Bishop
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“Overseer”
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Successor to the apostles
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Head of a particular church
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Together with the pope exercise
leadership over the universal
church
Responsibility of the Magisterium
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College of bishops = bishops of the world
 Maintain continuity between faith of
today and of the past
Authentic teachers of the faith
Hand on the deposit of faith from
generation to generation
Responsibility of the Magisterium
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Ensure that the teachings of Christ are not
dissipated or corrupted
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Convey messages so they can be
understood
Pope
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Bishop of Rome
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Successor of Peter

Highest office of teaching and governance
in the Catholic Church
Magisterium
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Bishops acting in unison with the pope
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Teaching authority of the Church
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Authentic interpreter of scripture and
Tradition
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Essential to the Church
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Established by Jesus
Tradition
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Doctrinal, moral teachings which have
been passed on from generation to
generation
Magisterium serves non-Catholic
Christians
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Ensures that issues such as
abortion, justice for the poor will
be discussed in relationship to
Christian faith
Ensured the preservation of
certain beliefs and practices
many Protestant Churches had
ignored for a time, but are now
reclaiming
Can an individual disagree with the
Magisterium?

Need to make an informed
decision
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Study, reflection, prayer, consult
with others knowledgeable about
Church teaching
Must continue to pray for
conversion and strive to form
conscience in conformity with the
teaching of the Church
Permanent Ethic
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God is unchanging, and therefore there
are certain things that have always been
and will always be opposed to God
Certain behaviors always undermine our
relationship with God and others
Permanent Ethic
• Moral teachings which are essential
corollaries of the Church’s
understanding of God revealed in Jesus
Responsibilities to the Church’s
permanent ethic
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Impossible to be a Catholic and reject it
Every Catholic is responsible for learning
and embracing this ethic
Responsibilities to the Church’s
permanent ethic
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If knowingly rejects all or part of the
moral order revealed by Jesus he/she puts
self outside of Catholic Church
May reject interpretation of ethic in regard
to specific set of circumstances and not be
separated
Hierarchy
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Structural order of leaders within the
Church
Refers to all of the ordained ministers in
the Church
 Pope
 Bishops
 Priests
 Deacons
Permanent Dogma
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Absolute truths revealed by Christ
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Essential to Christian faith
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Essence can never be changed
In Conclusion
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Church is a mystery because it is the
culmination of Salvation history
Aspects of church which do not change
make it possible for Church to be the body
of Christ and to function as the body of
Christ
 Structure (constitution)
 Ethic
 Dogma