alt="check"/> Building the Church on the rock of Peter
The Gospels were originally written in Greek; the Greek word ekklesia translates into the English word “church.” But ekklesia isn’t limited to a building where believers worship — it also means the gathering of believers themselves. The Gospels’ notion of church is much more organic and people-related — it’s not just a physical structure with a steeple and bell tower.
In the fuller sense of the word, the Church is an assembly of people who share a common faith or belief; it is a building made not of stones but of flesh and blood (called “living stones” in the Bible). In other words, people make the Church what it is. In this chapter, we explain how the Church was established, its mission, the benefits of membership, and much more.
Establishing a Foundation: Built on Rock
Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 that Simon, son of John, is to be called Peter (Petros in Greek) and that upon this rock (petra in Greek), Jesus will build His church (ekklesia). Here is the passage from Matthew 16:18–19:
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the powers of death [some versions of the Bible read “gates of hell”] shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Notice in the Scripture that Jesus gives Peter the keys to the kingdom of heaven. These keys are symbolized in the papal flag, which shows silver and gold keys crossing each other. In the time of Christ, keys were given to chancellors (similar to prime ministers) by the king. The gold key provided access to the treasury where the prime minister kept the king’s gold (levied by taxes). The silver key offered access to the royal prison where the enemies of the king were kept. The keys not only protected what was inside, they also allowed access so that money could be dispersed, and prisoners could be freed.
While Jesus did not give Peter actual, physical keys, He gave him the same authority any king would give his prime minister. That authority is full, supreme, immediate, and universal, as expressed in the phrase “whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Immediately following the death of Peter, the Holy Spirit guided the Church in the election of the next pope, Linus, followed by Cletus, Clement, and so on. Since that time, 266 popes have sat in the Chair of St. Peter — an unbroken line of apostolic succession. Read more about the pope in Chapter 6.
Seeing the Church as the Body of Christ and Communion of Saints
The Church is sometimes called the Mystical Body of Christ, and that analogy comes from the writings of St. Paul. He writes in 1 Corinthians 12:12–13, “Just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body.” It is in Baptism that unity of the Body of Christ is most expressed under the head, Jesus Christ. The Church is one Body, the Church has Christ as her head, and the Church is the Bride of Christ.
Paul refers to Christ as the head of the Church and to the baptized members as the body of the Church. Think of your own body: While you have eyes, ears, hands, and feet, there is only one of you; you’re the sum of your parts. Likewise, the Church is the union of all her members, who have unique roles but work together to make a complete whole.
If you’re a baptized member of the Church, you have a part to play in the Body of Christ. Here are some examples:
The laity preach the Good News of salvation by the way they witness to Christ in the workplace, marketplace, school, and society. Also, through Holy Matrimony (see Chapter 9) they become supporters of their spouses to become saints and bring forth children to populate heaven.
The consecrated religious give witness to the Kingdom of God by living their religious vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. These vows are a visible sign for people on earth of the Lord they hope to meet at the end of their lives.
The clergy, by virtue of Holy Orders (see Chapter 9), share in the task of Christ in dispensing the mysteries of God, the sacraments, to fortify the pilgrim. Through teaching and preaching, they instruct the wayfarer toward the correct path to heaven.
The Mystical Body of Christ is also called the communion of saints (read more in Chapters 2 and 18). Like Paul’s body analogy, the communion of saints model of the Church indicates an organic unity of parts working together — the Church Militant, the Church Suffering, and the Church Triumphant:
Militant refers to the Church’s living members on earth who are in a daily battle against the world, flesh, and devil; the war is against evil, not other religions.
Suffering refers to the holy souls in purgatory, who died in the state of grace with no mortal sin on their souls but still had some attachments to their venial sins and to previously forgiven mortal sins. The soul realizes that it is in need of further purification before it can enter into the glories of heaven.
Triumphant refers to the angels and saints in heaven around the banquet table of God. They were victorious in the good fight against sin and evil and are now experiencing the joys of paradise.
Understanding the Four Marks of the Church
In Chapter 10, we walk you through the Nicene Creed, which is professed every Sunday and holy day. It speaks of four essential marks, or identifiers, of the Church: “I believe in one, holy, Catholic and apostolic church.” These four elements are the foundation of Catholic Christianity. They are signs to the world that the Church is the work of God and that the Church is of divine origin. Here’s what each mark means:
One (unity): As we explain in the preceding section, the Church is one body with many members, each of whom plays a vital role, and all of whom are united. The Church is an organic unity and not artificial, synthetic, or man-made. The pope is the visible head of the global Church, which has more than 1 billion members worldwide. He appoints the local