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The Mark of Apostolicity
 Apostolicity is the Mark by which the Church is recognized as identical with the Church founded byJesus Christ upon the Apostles. It is of great importance because it is the surest indication of thetrue Church of Christ. It is most easily examined, and it virtually contains the other three marks,namely, Unity, Sanctity, and Catholicity. Either the word “Christian” or “Apostolic” might be used toexpress the identity between the Church of today and the primitive Church. The term “Apostolic” ispreferred because it indicates a correlation between Christ and the Apostles, showing the relationof the Church both to Christ, the founder, and to the Apostles, upon whom He founded it. “Apostle”is one sent, sent by authority of Jesus Christ to continue His Mission upon earth, especially amember of the original band of teachers known as the Twelve Apostles.Therefore the Church is called Apostolic, because it was founded by Jesus Christ upon the Apostles. Apostolicity of doctrine and mission is necessary. Apostolicity of doctrine requires thatthe deposit of faith committed to the Apostles shall remain unchanged. Since the Church isinfallible in its teaching
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it follows that if the Church of Christ still exists it must be teaching Hisdoctrine.Hence, Apostolicity of mission is a guarantee of Apostolicity of doctrine. St. Irenaeus (Adv. Haeres,IV, xxvi, n. 2) says: “Wherefore we must obey the priests of the Church who have succession fromthe Apostles, as we have shown, who, together with succession in the episcopate, have receivedthe certain mark of truth according to the will of the Father; all others, however, are to besuspected, who separated themselves from the principal succession”, etc. In explaining theconcept of Apostolicity, then, special attention must be given to Apostolicity of mission, or Apostolicsuccession. Apostolicity of mission means that the Church is one moral body, possessing themission entrusted by Jesus Christ to the Apostles, and transmitted through them and their lawfulsuccessors in an unbroken chain to the present representatives of Christ upon earth. Thisauthoritative transmission of power in the Church constitutes Apostolic succession.This Apostolic succession must be both material and formal; the material consisting in the actualsuccession in the Church, through a series of persons from the Apostolic age to the present; theformal adding the element of authority in the transmission of power. It consists in the legitimatetransmission of the ministerial power conferred by Christ upon His Apostles. No one can give apower which he does not possess.Hence in tracing the mission of the Church back to the Apostles, no lacuna can be allowed, no newmission can arise; but the mission conferred by Christ must pass from generation to generationthrough an uninterrupted lawful succession. The Apostles received it from Christ and gave it in turnto those legitimately appointed by them, and these again selected others to continue the work of the ministry. Any break in this succession destroys Apostolicity, because the break means thebeginning of a new series which is not apostolic. “How shall they preach unless they be sent?”(Rom.10:15). An authoritative mission to teach is absolutely necessary; a man-given mission is notauthoritative. Hence any concept of Apostolicity that excludes authoritative union with the apostolicmission robs the ministry of its Divine character. Apostolicity, or Apostolic succession, then, meansthat the mission conferred by Jesus Christ upon the Apostles must pass from them to their legitimate successors, in an unbroken line, until the end of the world.
 
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This notion of Apostolicity is evolved from the words of Christ Himself, the practice of the Apostles,and the teaching of the Fathers and theologians of the Church.Reference:Apostolicity from the Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)In the dogma of the True Roman Catholic Faith, we see Holy Orders among three sacraments thatmake an indelible mark called a sacramental Character on the Recipient's Soul (the other two arebaptism and confirmation).The word "holy" means "set apart for some purpose." The wordordo (order, in Latin) designated anestablished civil body or corporation with a hierarchy, and ordinatio meant legal incorporation intoan ordo. In context, therefore, a Holy Order is simply a group with a hierarchy that is set apart for ministry in the Church. The Episcopal concept of ordination, Episcopal (from the Greekepiskopos,meaning "overseer" and from which we get the word "bishop") form of church government isfollowed by the Roman Catholic Church and centers on the hierarchy of bishops.The meaning of Priesthoodis derived from theword which is found in Greek presbuteros meaning"elder” and some suggest the Latin praepositus meaning "superintendent." The True Catholic Faithsees the preisthood as both a reflection of the ancient Temple priesthood of the Jews and theperson of Jesus. The liturgy of ordination recalls the Old Testament priesthood and the priesthoodof Christ. In the words of Thomas Aquinas, "Christ is the source of all priesthood: the priest of theold law was a prefiguration of Christ, and the priest of the new law acts in the person of Christ"Summa Theologiae III, 22, 4c.“One must be aware that the historical development of these orders was not the same throughoutthe Church and, moreover, their functions underwent considerable modifications according to theexigencies of the times. Gradually they lost their original importance. But, although for centuriesalready many of the functions of the minor orders are performed by laymen, the orders haveremained. They now form a fitting preparation for the major orders, and recall the fact that thepriest is the responsible guardian of the house of God and of all the functions performed therein;and that, if laymen are employed in rendering such services, the priest must see to it that worthypersons are chosen and that they perform their offices in the proper way. A. Biskupek
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 According to the Traditional Catholic Rite of Holy Orders,S.V.D,Mission Press, 1954,Imprimi PotestMay 4, 1942 Charles Michel, S.V.D. ProvincialImprimatur May 4, 1942+Samuel A. Stritch, D.D. Archbishop of Chicago The worthy conduct of divine worship makes it necessary for many distinct functions which becomeanintimate part of the central act of divine worship, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Such functionsare, for example, to take care of the place of worship and of the many things needed for the HolySacrifice, to instruct the people and admit them to the divine services, to keep out unworthypersons, to supervise the congregation so that due order and reverence may be observed by all, toserve at Mass, as well as many other tasks that may need doing.We know that in ancient times,when the faithful formed small minorities in the midst of a pagan population not well disposedtoward Christianity, it was of the utmost importance that such offices should be entrusted to
 
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thoroughly reliable men. For this reason special orders were introduced by the Church, and menwere ordained by a sacred rite for the worthy discharge of these offices. At priestly ordination the bishop imposes hands upon the deacon who is by that matter and theform of the consecratory preface ordained to the priesthood. Usually, after a period of six monthsor more as a transitional deacon a man will be ordained to the priesthood. Priests are able topreach, perform baptisms, witness marriages, hear confessions and give absolutions, anoint thesick, and celebrate the Eucharist or the Mass. Bishops are chosen from among the priests inChurch. In the Roman Catholic Faith, Bishops become leaders of territorial units called dioceses.Only bishops can validly administer the sacrament of holy orders.Bishops (and sometimes priests with authorization from the local bishop), may lawfully administer the sacrament of confirmation, but if an ordinary priest administers that sacrament illegally, it isnonetheless considered valid, so that the person confirmed cannot be actually confirmed again, bya bishop or otherwisepriest with special permission of the diocesan bishop or the Holy See canlawfully administer confirmation;Every Roman Catholic priest must administer confirmation, evenwithout permission, to children in danger of death. A comment of Old Roman Catholic Holy OrdersFrequently, the inquirers are told that the Holy Orders of the Old Roman Catholics and our Sacraments are not valid or recognized by Rome. The following excerpts are included toclear up any confusion that there might be on this point, although the Old Roman CatholicChurch are quite aware of its validity in all things and has no interest in gaining "recognition"from any other quarters. This is not in our defense, nor is it written to justify our being. It isto inform the uninformed individual.The statements presented here are from official authorities, theologians and publications of theRoman Catholic Church in the affirmation of the validity of the Holy Orders and Sacraments of other sacramental, apostolic Churches. These sources were printed with the imprimatur of various Roman Catholic Bishops1 "When a Catholic sacred minister is unavailable and there is urgent spiritualnecessity, Catholics may receive the Eucharist, penance, or anointing from sacredministers of non-Catholic denomination whose holy orders are considered valid bythe Catholic Church. This includes all Eastern Orthodox priests, as well as priestsof the Old Roman Catholic or Polish National Church." Rights andResponsibilities, A Catholics' Guide to the New Code of Canon Law, Thomas P.Doyle, O.P., page 44.2 "A validly consecrated bishop can validly confer all orders from the minor ordersto the episcopate inclusively ... For this reason the ordinations performed by thebishops of the Old Roman Catholics are consider valid." A Practical Commentaryon the Code of Canon Law, revised and enlarged ion, by Rev. StanislawWoywood, OFM, LLB. Vol. 1, Sec. 881, P. 558.
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