‘One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC, APOSTOLIC THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH / SESSION 16 TEACHING (9 ———— EE PROCLAIM TEACHING 4, THE UNIVERSALITY OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH ‘A. One of the most unique qualities of the Catholic, CChureh is its universal nature. CCC #830-835 ‘* Itencompasses all cultures, races and languages. + There is legitimate diversity in the Church, such as the Eastem Rite and the Byzantine Fite. There are even Gferences in faith expressions from culture to culture. ‘Yet there is an amazing "universality" to the Catholic faith that cannot be found in any other faith. '* You could go to a Roman Catholic Mass anywhere in the world and your experience would be virtually the same. The language would be different, maybe even ‘some practical differences, but the substance of the ‘Mass would be the same. © Our faith, like our culture, is a gift handed down from ‘generation to generation. = Did you know that our faith is a “family heirloom," a “family treasure?” (@)Its truel (0) The Catholic Church has what we call the "Sacred. Deposit” of faith. {(¢) This "Deposit" comes from the life and teachings (of the person of Jesus Christ. (0) His ife and His teachings were given to the ‘Apostles, who took on the task of handing on what was given to them. {@) You can trace the history of this “handing down” all the way back to the days of the early Church with the process that the Apostles brought people through as they entered the Church. BB. This universal nature of the Catholic Church means. that it crosses all barties, all obstacles, to reach every human person. CCC #830-835 142 * There is no culture, race, career, social or economic ‘lass, physical handicap or challenge that is an ‘obstacle to the mission of the Catholic faith. * And the universal nature of the Church means that it remains the same — unchanging — as it crosses through to reach every person. tt has unique expressions in ‘every culture, but again, the substance of the faith remains the same. ©. The danger we face. CCC #814-815, 817-819 * Yet, today, we face an imminent danger to the Universality of the church. * There are many who believe, that, to be all things to all people, the Church must change. * In order to catch up with modem society, the Church must alter its decisions on certain issues. + There is the challenge that, to reach different groups: ‘of people, the Church must change and meet their specific needs. * Though the very nature of the Church is dynamic and alive, implying a constant state of change, there are ‘certain aspects that never change - namely the Deposit ‘of Faith. The Church has been entrusted with this sacred Deposit, and though her understanding and appropriation of it always increases, the Depost itself ‘does not change. ‘THE AUTHORITY OF THE CHURCH ‘A. Simple rebation * In order to fully understand this universal nature of the ‘Church, its critical to understand the authority of the (Church. ‘= Without the authority to govern this universal Church, there could be no consistency, no substance of faith for all people. GamONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC, APOSTOLIC THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH / SESSION 16 TEACHING PROCLAIM TEACHING ‘+ There is deep value and importance to authority. ‘+ Even when we cannot see the value, there is true beauty and freedom that authority brings to our lives. B. Understanding authority ‘+ Our frst step is to understand that, without authority in cour lives, there would be nothing but complete chaos. ‘As much as we might lke to live without any authority, | think we can all admit that we would be pretty miserable without it. ‘* We depend on authority to bring order to our lives, from the broad elements of sociaty to the every day experiences with our families. ** Ultimately, authority makes us free. it is not a burden, itis not meant to restrict us, but rather to liberate and free us. ©. Why the Church has authority. COC #874-875 ‘+ The authority the Church was given to her by Christ ‘+ Jesus instituted the Church and gave her the mission. + Because the authorty comes from Christ, the focus is not on the “power,” but rather, on “serving.” * In this context, the more authority one has, the more a servant he/she should be, and the more sacrifices he/ she will make for those he/she leads. 3. THE POPE, THE MAGISTERIUM & APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION CCC #880-887, 888-892 ‘A. There is so much misunderstanding when it comes: +o talking about the Pope. There is not enough time to ‘uly detail his role, But most importantly, you have to understand that he is the successor of Peter. The Papacy is referred to as the “Chair” of Peter. mam coneight oneight oneight oneight oneight. oneigh * As Catholics, we have an incredible connection back to Christ and the frst aposties. He instituted the twelve, land among them made Simon, whom he named Peter, the “rock” of his Church. * With this institution, all Popes since Peter and all bishops since the apostles are united in their authority to govern, to teach, to proclaim and to lead the body of Christ on earth. This is a belief called “apostolic succession” - basically that the authority given to Peter and the Apostles has been handed down from ‘generation to generation. * The college of bishops, with priests as their co- ‘workers and the Pope as the head, make up the living Magisterium - the teaching office of the Church. * This authority, through the structure of the bishops and priests, in communion with the Pope, gives the unity and purty of faith that makes the Church universal. * And this supematural work is not limited to just the Pope and Bishops and Priests. The Catechism speaks of “the whole body of the faithful" that they, “cannot €eror in matters of belie.” This “sensus fidel” - a supernatural appreciation of the faith on the part of the whole people, from the Bishops to the last of the faithful, manifests a universal consent in matters of faith land morals. ce #92 ‘4, THE SACRED DEPOSIT OF FAITH ‘A. The Catholic Church has what we call the “Sacred, Deposit” of faith. B. This “Deposit” comes from the lfe and teachings of the person of Jesus Christ. CC. His fo and His teachings were given to the Apostles, who took on the task of handing on what was given to them. ‘One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic &‘One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC, APOSTOLIC THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH / SESSION 16 TEACHING (9 ———— EE PROCLAIM TEACHING ‘+ “The Church of the Aposties, then, had a definite program of catechetical teaching. tt held to the standard procedures of oral teaching and a form or pattern for guarding the integrity ofthe content. The Content was divine revelation tsetf, received from Jesus Christ the Divine Teacher as a deposit of faith. He entrusted this divine deposit to his Church to be ‘quarded, to be handed on by a faithful teaching, and to be developed by infalible explanations - and this all days, even to the end of time.” Teaching the Catholic Faith Today, by Eugene Kevane, Daughters of St. Paul, 1982, pp. 22. . You can trace the history ofthis “handing down" all ‘the way back to the days of the early Church with the process that the Apostles brought people through as ‘they entered the Church E. The Apostles had a definite set of teachings that they ‘wanted every new Catholic to know, and this was called ‘the Depostt of Faith. 6. GUARDING THE DEPOSIT ‘A. Since the time of the Aposties, it has always been the responsibilty of the Church, and namely the Bishops, +10 guard this “depost", and to make sure it always is handed down, from one generation to the next, “not altered, or falsified, or diminished in any way". ‘+ The person who becomes a disciple of Christ has the right to receive ‘the word of faith’ not in mutiated, falsified or diminished form but whole and entire, in alts rigor and vigor. Untaithtuness on some point to the integrity of the message means a dangerous ‘weakening of catechesis and putting at risk the resutts that Christ and the ecclesial community have a right, to expect from it” Catechesi Traciendae, John Paull, #30 B. A large part of the “deposit” was contained in the Scriptures, and the Church has tirelessly protected the Sacred Scriptures since her earfiest days. C. And yet the Sacred Scriptures is not all 144) Coneight oneight oneight oneight. oneight. oncigh . “The Deposit’ also contains the Teaching Authority of the Church, which was given to the apostles by Jesus Himself, and then handed down through the Apostles to ‘every Bishop, and through the bishops to every priest. ccc #81 . Both Scripture and Tradition must be taught and accepted, and handed on to the next generation. occ #82 6. OUR TREASURE AND OUR RESPONSIBILITY ‘A. This “deposit”, which has been guarded and handed down from all the generations before us, is a great ‘treasure. B. Everything we believe has been “handed down" to us ‘rom the generation before us, . These beliefs have gone through all kinds of challenges, questions, doubts, and potential mutilations - yet the “deposit” remains. . That's not by chance, in fact, many have shed their blood and given their ives to protect what we believe today. E. They have died so that the “deposit” could be handed on to us *un-mutilated” and “un-diminished.” F. [don't know about you, but that is a hertage that gives ‘me the chils- it makes everything | believe very much like the items we were all looking at a litle while ago in our ‘small groups. * The “depostt of faith” is more significant than any family ‘treasure or heirloom ever could be. * Many have given their ives to protect and guard this “deposit,” and to ensure it has been handed down to Us whole and entire. G. Now that responsibilty rests on us and our generation * Will we pass the “deposit” on to the next generation? GamONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC, APOSTOLIC THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH / SESSION 16 TEACHING PROCLAIM TEACHING ‘* Will what we pass on be “whole and entire, not mutilated, falstfed or diminished?" ‘+ That is the challenge and responsibilty we have, one that every generation before us has taken up, and has successfully completed ‘+ Now it’s our turn! 7. WHAT IT REALLY MEANS TO BE CATHOLIC ‘A. So what's the bottom line here? What does it really mean to be Catholic? ‘© Well frst of all - i's just not that simple. The Catholic faith is so rich and deep, you could never fully understand its deepest mysteries. And that's what ‘makes it so beautiful. ‘+ What it means to be Catholic means to be in agreement to what the Church professes, what it teaches and to fully take on her mission to reach all men and women throughout the earth with the saving message of the Gospel. B., One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic. CCC #866-870 ‘+ You've got to check out the catechism where ittaks about and explains what the words in our creed mean when we say we are “One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Chueh. ©. Do You Believe? ‘+ We find ourselves in a time in history where the “Deposit of Faith’ is in great jeopardy. ‘+ Many think the Catholic Church needs to change her beliefs and stances on moral issues - contraception, premarital sex, abortion, homosexualty, etc. ‘+ There are many hot button moral issues, and because there is controversy, many think the Church should ‘change. ‘* But itis just not that simple. mam coneight oneight oneight oneight oneight. oneigh = What the Church believes and teaches today is what has been handed down to her through generations and ‘generations. * ‘tis the same “deposit of faith’ that was given to the first aposties from Christ Himself * Who are we to change that?! Who are we to change ‘what no other generation before us has changed? * The question realy becomes, for each one of us, do you believe that what Jesus taught and lived was for all time? D. Timeless and unchanging * The Church believes that what Jesus lived and taught ‘was a timeless, unchanging message because it was rooted in a changeless reality: the fundamental dignity ‘of the human person. CCC #1700 *» Every moral teaching we have has this realty as its foundation. * Our moral positions and teachings can't change because to change them would mean that, somehow, human dignity has changed, ‘= No matter what the date is, no matter how far we reach into the future or how advanced our technology becomes, no matter what cuttural changes occur, the fundamental dignity due to each and every human person remains the same; i is unchanging! 8. YOU AND THE CHURCH ‘A. You have a great opportunity in this Confirmation preparation to fully embrace your place in the Church! * Grab a hold oft - take it and go for it * Don't just settle for a mediocre commitment to the ‘Church because you don't full understand it - learn ‘about the Church, study her. ‘One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic &ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC, APOSTOLIC THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH / SESSION 16 TEACHING Se PROCLAIM TEACHING * Don't settle fora rebelious heart that rejects authority simply because it s authority - seek to understand the deeper mystery of the authority in the Church, the authority handed down from Christ and how the Church strives to guide us with that authority through servant leadership. B. You have a place in the Church right now! ‘= Many people talk about youth being the future of the Church. Not true - you are the Church, right now. You don't have to wait to be the church or to take on leadership. Your calling is immediatel ‘+ Blessed Pope John Paul II spent more time with young people than any other Pope throughout the history of the Church. And his message to youth has been encouraging, yet challenging. ‘+ Just as Jesus said to the rich young man, “Go and sell all that you have and come and follow me,” so Blessed Pope John Paul Il issued the challenge to the youth of the world to give all that they have to folow Christ. ‘+ Bo bold - be followers of Christ and his Church! Let your Confirmation be a “confirmation* of your allegiance ‘to Him and the Church! ‘One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic “8 cneight oneght oneight oneight eneight onc Gam