Divine Origin and Apostolic Foundation PDF

Divine Origin and Apostolic Foundation She has suffered persecutions, experienced divisions, displayed moral weakness among her leaders and members, yet, she continues to survive. The Church can never be put down; because the Church has a divine origin. The Church will continue to exist...

Divine Origin and Apostolic Foundation She has suffered persecutions, experienced divisions, displayed moral weakness among her leaders and members, yet, she continues to survive. The Church can never be put down; because the Church has a divine origin. The Church will continue to exist because God wills it. “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it…” – Mt 16:18 Characteristics of Divine Origin  Characteristics of Divine Origin The “immutability of the Church” means no one can change her essential aspects. This implies that the doctrines of the Church and their meanings are permanent. The Church keeps the deposit of faith intact. She is likewise faithful to the Sacred Tradition.  Characteristics of Divine Origin The “Church's indefectibility” is rooted in her divine origin with Jesus as the Head and the Holy Spirit as the source of her life. First, it means that the Church shall never perish. Second, the Church shall not fail in her salvific mission. Third, the Church can never undergo any constitutional change. Her faith, morals, doctrine, and worship will be indefectible (cf. Ripley, 2002).  Characteristics of Divine Origin “The Church is perennial.” She can be persecuted, but she cannot be stopped; she can be assailed but not destroyed, nor can perish. The Church will survive history as Jesus promised (cf. Mt 28:20). The Origin of the Church  The Church Founded by Christ is a Historical Reality “What was a promise, a prefiguration, or a preparation in the people of Israel became a reality, a fulfillment, and a completion in the Church of Christ” (Belmonte, 1993). Seeking the origin of the Church is also looking into her historicity. “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up.” John 3:14  The Church Founded by Christ is a Historical Reality God laid down the foundation of the Church by choosing a people He called His own. He established a covenant with His chosen people in three stages:  The Church Founded by Christ is a Historical Reality First, during the time of the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God initially made an alliance with Abraham which became the seed of a new and deeper relationship of the entire humanity with God. Abraham was appointed as the "father of many nations" and "the father of all those who believe," thus, all generations on earth would be blessed in him  The Church Founded by Christ is a Historical Reality Second, during the time of Moses, the chosen people recognized Yahweh as the one and true God, their mighty Lord and protector. God bequeathed the Ten Commandments to His people to show the messianic orientation of the covenant.  The Church Founded by Christ is a Historical Reality However, the chosen people had broken the first covenant (cf. Jer 31:31ff; Ez 36:25ff). They were exiled to foreign lands and lived in suffering. Hope filled their hearts anew when God announced that He would establish the New Covenant with the remnant of Israel (cf. Is 4:2- 3), that is, those who would remain faithful. Which Church?  Apostolic Succesion The Apostolic Succession is the unbroken lineage of bishops starting from the apostles up to the current bishops of the Church today. All Catholic bishops are part of that uninterrupted history that goes back to the apostolic times Apostolic Succesion The Church’s Apostolic Origin  The Church’s Apostolic Origin Aside from being a historical reality, the Church is a visible institution. Jesus' preaching of the Kingdom of God emphasized the features of the Church. He did not preach about a purely spiritual kingdom or an invisible society. Jesus made it clear that He wanted to build His Church upon the chosen twelve apostles.  The Church’s Apostolic Origin He chose twelve apostles because there were twelve tribes of Israel. They were the faithful remnants of the Old Israel and the fountain heads of the new People of God. Jesus entrusted the Kingdom to them and the Lord wanted to maintain His presence through them.  The Church’s Apostolic Origin Jesus built His Church on the apostles, specifically on Peter. At Caesarea, Philippi, Jesus named Peter to be the foundational “rock” (Cephas in Aramaic; Petros in Greek) of the Church: “And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church” (Mt 16:18).  The Church’s Apostolic Origin In view of the apostles' mission, Jesus instructed them for their preaching task (cf. Mt 13:52; Mk 4:34), gave them the powers of binding and loosing (cf. Mt 16:19), celebrating the Eucharist (cf. Lk 22:19), forgiving sins (cf. Jn 20:23), and baptizing (cf. Mt 28:19). He sent them to all nations with the mandate to preach His Gospel (cf. Mk 16:15) and before He returned to the Father, He had handed over to them His mission: “As the Father has sent Me, so I send you” (Jn 20:21).  The Church’s Apostolic Origin The true Church must have the mark of apostolicity. To know this, the Church you belong to MUST BE apostolic in her mission, in character, in teachings, and in descent.  Apostolic in Mission This implies that the Church is the fulfillment of the mission of the apostles who had been commissioned by Jesus when He said, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature” (Mk 16:15). This missionary activity of the Church is witnessed in all eras of human history. The Catholic Church has formed a number of missionaries.  Apostolic in Character Apostolic in character means that her organization is basically and essentially the same as that of the Church mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles. Until now, the Church has her bishops, priests, and deacons  Apostolic in Teachings The Church guards and proclaims the teachings (Acts 2:42) and the words taught by the apostles with the assistance of the Holy Spirit.  Apostolic in Descent It means that the Church is built and remains on the foundation of the apostles with Christ Himself as the capstone (cf. Ripley, 2002). The Catholic Church can trace its unbroken line of succession from the time of the Apostles.