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Jesus Christ founded the Church 18 St. Peter's Basilica Rome
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Compendium of the Catechism 149. What is the origin and the fulfillment of the Church? 758-766 778 The Church finds her origin and fulfillment in the eternal plan of God. She was prepared for in the Old Covenant with the election of Israel, the sign of the future gathering of all the nations. Founded by the words and actions of Jesus Christ, fulfilled by his redeeming death and Resurrection, the Church has been manifested as the mystery of salvation by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. She will be perfected in the glory of heaven as the assembly of all the redeemed of the earth.
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Introduction The Church depends entirely from Christ, as the light of the moon depends on the light of the sun. St. Augustine said that the Church is Christ among us : Christ’s hands keep on healing us (through the sacraments of the Church), His lips keep on teaching us (the doctrine that the Church teaches). The Church continues Christ’s mission; that is the reason why Christ founded the Church. When we profess our faith in the Creed, we say, “I believe in One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.” The Church is a mother who takes care of us with the sacraments and Christ’s doctrine, and leads us to Heaven.
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Main ideas
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1. Jesus Christ founded the Church to continue His work on earth As the redemption had to reach all men, Christ founded the Church with the mission of continuing on earth the divine plan of salvation. Thus, the Church is not a human invention but something specifically willed by God. PERUGINO, Pietro Christ Handing the Keys to St Peter 1481-82 Fresco, 335 x 550 cm Cappella Sistina, Vatican
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2. What is the Church? The word Church means “assembly“: the Church is the new People of God assembled by the Word and established by the grace that we receive through the sacraments, founded by Christ and governed by the Pope and by the bishops, who lead the Christian faithful to salvation under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We become part of the Church on the day of our baptism, through which we become disciples of Christ. ANDREA DEL SARTO Baptism of the People 1515-17 Fresco Chiostro dello Scalzo, Florence
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3. The foundation of the Church In the Gospel we see the stages by which Christ founded “His Church”. He began preaching the Kingdom of God, He selected twelve Apostles, One of the Apostles, Peter, was designated His vicar and Christ gave him the supreme power over the whole Church. Jesus performed many miracles to show that “with Him” the Kingdom of God had arrived. With His death on the cross He obtained salvation for all men, and the last stone of this magnificent building was the coming of the Holy Spirit, sent by Him from Heaven on the day of Pentecost. GRECO, El Saint Peter 1610-13 Oil on canvas, 209 x 106 cm Monasterio de San Lorenzo, El Escorial
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4. The mystery of the Church The Church founded by Christ has special characteristics that make it different from all other denominations we know: The Church is human and divine, visible and invisible, at the same time. The Church is both hierarchical and charismatic, but the charismas are subordinated to the hierarchy, because the hierarchy governs the Church in the name of Christ under the guide of the Holy Spirit, from whom charismas spring. MASACCIO St Peter Healing the Sick with his Shadow 1426-27 Fresco, 230 x 162 cm Cappella Brancacci, Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence
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5. Christ founded only one Church, and the Catholic Church is the only true Church The true Church founded by Christ is one, holy, catholic and apostolic: One, because there is only one Pope, only one faith and the same sacraments. Holy, because Jesus Christ is the founder, and He is most holy. Holy is also His doctrine and the means to become saints –the sacraments. Holy also because there have been, there are, and there always shall be saints in the Church. Catholic, which means universal, because all men are called to the Church’s bosom, and because she is spread throughout the world. Apostolic, because it is built upon the Apostles and teaches what they had taught. RAFFAELLO Sanzio The Handing-over the Keys 1515 Tempera on paper, mounted on canvas, 345 x 535 cm Victoria and Albert Museum, London
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6. To love Christ is to love the Church St. Ciprian said that “nobody can have God as Father if he does not have the Church as mother”. As we progress in the knowledge of the Church, we understand that it would be a serious mistake to accept Christ while opposing the Church. GRECO, El Christ on the Cross with the Two Maries and St John c. 1588 Oil on canvas, 120 x 80 cm National Gallery, Athens
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7. Our duties towards the Church Our duties towards our mother the Church are: to believe what she teaches; to do what she commands; to love her truly, feeling happy and honoured to belong to her. We have to pray for the Church: for the Pope, for the bishops, for all Christians. Furthermore, we have to assist the Church in its necessities.
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Resolutions for Christian life
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Resolutions to move forward Give thanks to God for having founded the Church, which continues Christ’s mission among men. Meditate and draw resolutions from the affirmation made by St. Ciprian: “Nobody can have God as Father if he does not have the Church as mother”.
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