Published in the bulletin of Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Knoxville, TN, on the 1st Sunday of Advent.
My dear Parishioners,
Peace! The ninth article of the Apostle’s Creed is “I believe in the Holy Catholic Church.” There are thirty-five (35) In Brief passages in the Catechism of the Catholic Church regarding this article of the Creed. The following is a reflection on article 934.
It is important for us to remember that the Church is by divine institution, that is to say, God has founded and established His one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church personally. Some people look at Mother Church as if she were just like any other group or organization. This is a myopic way of looking at the Church. The divine institution or origin of the Church is a key part of our saving faith.
Within the divinely constituted reality, Mother Church, there are three (3) groupings of the faithful which make up the membership: the laity, the clergy and the religious.
The first and largest grouping of Christ’s faithful are the laity, those faithful who are not ordained. All of the faithful, whether lay or ordained receive the graces of Baptism and Confirmation, making them full members of the Church. The primary role of the laity is to serve as leaven in society, conforming all to God’s holy will and combating sin wherever such is found. Some of the laity are husbands and wives, parents and children, single people, widows and widowers all bear witness to the truth of the Gospel by all they say and do.
A second grouping of Christ’s faithful are the clergy, who are also called sacred ministers (or clerics) and have been established as part of the organic reality which is Mother Church by divine institution. Those who deny the role of clerics in the Church are rightly called anticlerical. Those who so exalt the role of the clergy are called clericalists. Both clericalists and the anticlerical have their problems. It is important to remember that without the sacred ministers whom Christ wills to administer His sacraments in His Church to His people none of us would be solemnly baptized or confirmed or absolved from the post-baptismal sins we sadly commit.
The third grouping of Christ’s faithful are the consecrated (religious) who also serve the mission of the Church by profession of the evangelical counsels. In this group we recognize the monks and the nuns (who live enclosed, cloistered lives), the brothers and the sisters (who are not entirely bound by the cloister). The evangelical counsels or advice from the Gospel by which the religious live are the holy vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, in imitation of Jesus Christ.
The Catechism here cites the Code of Canon Law (canon 207§§ 1, 2) which reminds us that while Christ has founded His Church on Earth, like other groups and organizations Mother Church has her human structures as well. The goal of the entire Code and of the Church for that matter is the salvation of souls (salus animarum; cf. canon 1752).
God bless you!
Father John Arthur Orr