Ecclesiology and the Marks of the Catholic Church Within the church there are many gifts and
e are many gifts and charisms that
What is Ecclesiology?
The Study of Ecclesiology is interesting in that it raises a
dichotomy that ripples through the very fabric of Christianity.
Ecclesiology is the branch of theology that deals with the study
of the church.
In Christian theology, ecclesiology is the study of the Christian
Church, the origins of Christianity, its relationship to Jesus, its
role in salvation, its polity, its discipline, its destiny, and its
leadership.
These are questions that are often discussed in the field, but the
root of Ecclesiology is the Greek word ekklesia. When this
word is translated into our own language we get the word
“church” (McMahon 1).
The roots of the word ecclesiology come from the Greek
ἐκκλησία, ekklēsia (Latin: ecclesia) meaning "congregation,
church”[
λογία, -logia, meaning "words", "knowledge", or "logic", a
combining term used in the names of sciences or bodies of
knowledge.
Four Marks of the Catholic Church
The church proclaims the Gospel of Christ, and spreads his
message across the world to all peoples.
The church is tasked to be a beacon of hope, and all who enter
through her doors are taught the ways of salvation. How?
The church finds its foundation from Christ in Matthew 16:18
when our savior says, “And I say unto thee: That thou art
Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates
of hell shall not prevail against it (Douay-Rheims).
Saint Paul calls the church the bulwark and pillar of truth in 1
Timothy 3:15.
The church is categorized by the four marks of being One,
Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic. These four marks, along with
why the church is more Marian than Petrine in her nature, will
be elaborated on in this article.
Why is the Church one?
The first mark of the church is that it is one.
One is more than just a number, it also conveys unity.
This unity comes from her source which is the eternal Godhead
itself.
This is seen clearly in the Catechism of the Catholic Church
which states, “the highest exemplar and source of this mystery
is the unity, in the Trinity of Persons, of one God, the Father
and the Son in the Holy Spirit (Catechism 233).”
This does not mean that disagreements do not exist, but it does
mean that doctrinally we have a united front.
Why is the Church one?
people have. That is the beauty of unity.
One person may be good at administration, another in teaching,
and yet another may be able to speak in tongues. In this way
the church has a valuable lesson for society.
Every gift that a person possesses is useful in the building up
of the church. This is another way that the church is one.
The individuals in the church come together to build each other
up and proclaim the faith that was proclaimed by the apostles.
The Vatican II document titled Lumen Gentium states in
Paragraph four,
“He leads the church in all truth, and he makes it one
fellowship and ministry, instructing and directing it through a
diversity of gifts both hierarchical and charismatic, and He
adorns it with His fruits.”
Why is the Church holy? Is It? Are you?
The second mark of the church is that it is holy.
The church is holy based on Jesus Christ who is its founder.
This can be seen in the salutation of Saint Paul to the
Corinthians where he writes, “to those who are sanctified in
Christ Jesus, called to be saints (1 Corinthians, 1:2, RSV).”
The church is sanctified, or made holy, by virtue of its call and
mission. The church is made up of sinners who, by the grace of
God, carry out the great commission of teaching and baptizing.
The church is the bride of Christ, and just as a husband and
wife are one flesh, so is the church holy because of the
bridegroom.
This is seen in paragraph 824 of the Catechism which states,
“United with Christ, the church is sanctified by him; through
him and with him she becomes sanctifying (Catechism 237).”
The church acknowledges that the people within are not
perfect, but are in need of God’s saving grace.
Like a loving mother, the church holds those souls closely and
provides them the means of which to be saved.
The church, through its liturgy and sacraments, provides the
means of grace which Christ instituted fully and perfectly.
Why is the Church catholic?
The third mark of the church is that it is catholic, but this
means so much more than the name of the Roman Catholic
Church.
The word first came into use by St. Ignatius of Antioch in the
second century. Saint Ignatius writes in his epistle to the
Smyrneans,
“Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude [of
the people] also be; even as, wherever Jesus Christ is, there is
the Catholic Church.”
In using this word, St. Ignatius tells his readers that the church
is universal.
 It is a church not just for the Jews and gentiles, but for all
people.
It is for the rich, the poor, slave, or free because we are all
children of God and his message is to be taught to everyone.
The church is also Catholic because the full deposit of faith,
sacred scripture and sacred tradition, have been given to her.
Through these deposits she can fulfill the final command of
Christ laid out in Matthew 28:19-20.
How does this relate to other ecclesial communities?
The church is also Catholic because of its structure of Bishops,
Priests, and deacons.
Of course, the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, has authority. This,
of course, is a big hurdle for some Protestants. However, this
does not mean that they are not Christians and are not
somehow part of the universal church.
They are just not in full communion with the Church that was
established by Christ.
Why is the Church apostolic?
The church is apostolic because the apostles were given the
authority from Christ to establish it.
The Catechism in Paragraph 857 states, “the church was built
on the foundation of the Apostles, with the help of the Holy
Spirit, the Church keeps and hands on the teaching, she
continues to be taught, sanctified, and guided by Christ through
their successors (Catholic Church 247)”.
Why is the Church apostolic?
As previously stated, the Catholic church is made up of
bishops along with the Pope. This group of men have the great
honor of carrying on the teaching of the apostles.
This is known as the teaching office of the Magisterium.
Contrary to what some think, scripture is not self-interpreting
and interpretation can change based on one’s
presupposition. The church is apostolic because the teaching
office of the church, the Magisterium, was given the divine
task to interpret scripture. (
The apostolicity of the church is seen clearly in sacred
scripture.
In particular is Acts 1:24-25 which states, ““And they prayed
and said, ‘Lord, you know the hearts of all men, show which
one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this
ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside, to go
to his own place (New American Bible).”
Since the apostles replaced Judas, it is only natural that this
was meant to continue. History shows that the apostles
appointed men who would take over their ministry (LG 20).
Peter’s Influence on the Church
In the four marks, we see the church’s mission, structure, and
its establishment in scripture and tradition.
In addition to the four marks, the church also has Marian and
Petrine charisms.
In the Petrine charism, we see the church linked with the
apostles. As an example, Pope Francis is Saint Peter’s
successor, and thus the church today has the historical link to
the apostles. Each bishop can trace their ecclesial heritage to
one of the twelve apostles, and history shows that there was an
early understanding of Papal primacy. This fact is often
disputed with our Protestant brethren
Mary’s Influence on the Church
The Marian charism is no doubt a very significant area of
disagreement with other Christian churches.
As Mary was a mother to Christ, the church is a mother to the
faithful.
Regarding Mary and the church the catechism states, “The
faithful still strive to conquer sin and increase in holiness. And
so, they turn their eyes to Mary: In her the Church is already
all-holy (Catechism para 829).”
There are many sources in sacred scripture that allude to the
Marian influence.
One such passage is John 19:26-27 “When Jesus saw his
mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he
said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to
the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the
disciple took her into his own home (NRSV).”
Our Lord was giving his mother to John, and in the same way
he gave us Mary to be our spiritual mother.
By teaching and administering the sacraments the church acts
in this motherly role for her children.
Though the Marian and Petrine charisms have their place, the
Marian has a larger significance.
Synthesis
In Ecclesiology, we study the church and its doctrines.
The four marks of the church make u the theological
foundation that differentiate it from other religions.
In John 17 Christ prayed for unity, and in Christianity this is
hardly the case.
We have the promise of Christ that the powers of evil will not
overcome what he has established.
We should take great joy and courage in that as we participate
with the church in its mission to the world.
The Catholic church can trace its lineage and doctrine to the
very foundations of Christendom.
As a result, the church is not only the body of believers as
Protestants believe, but is a visible entity in which the faithful
can go for comfort and guidance.