ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF

THE CHURCH
One

4-MARKS

Apostolic

CHURCH

Catholic

Holy

ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF
THE CHURCH

These characteristics
are dynamic
endowments with
which the church is
graced by the Holy
Spirit, and perceived
only in faith.

ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF
THE CHURCH

These four,
inseparably linked with
each other, indicate
essential features of
the church, and her
mission.
-CCC 811-

ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF
THE CHURCH

Besides being gifts

they constitute tasks
that challenge the
church as part of her
mission.
-CFC

1390-

The Four Marks of the Church.

1. One
There is but one body and one
spirit, just as there is but one
hope that is given all of you.
(Eph. 4:4)
The Church is one
because the members
agree on the essential
elements
of
the
Christian Faith. Also, we
are one because the
Holy Trinity is the union
of three divine persons.

The Church is one

because of her source:
the unity, in the Trinity of
Persons, of one God, the
Father and the Son in the
Holy Spirit.
The Church is one
because of her founder:
for the Word made flesh,
the prince of peace,
reconciled all men to God
by the cross restoring
the unity of all in one
people and one body.

because of her soul: the

Holy Spirit, who brings all
men and women together
as one in Christ.
The Church is one for she
acknowledges one Lord,
confesses one faith, is born
of one Baptism, forms only
one Body, is given life by
the one Spirit, for the sake
of one hope (Ephesians 4:35), at whose fulfillment all
divisions will be overcome,
so the great richness of
diversity present among the
members, in gifts, offices,
conditions and ways of life,
is not opposed to the

CFC 1392 : The

Church is one:
In the confession
of
one
faith
received from the
apostles;
The
common
celebration
of
divine
worship,
especially
the
sacraments; and
The
fraternal
harmony of Gods
family (UR 2; CCC
815)

2. Holy
The Church is Holy
because Jesus Christ,
her spouse is holy.
The Church is also
holy in her doctrines
and
sacraments.
To simply
put it, the
Church is Holy not
because
of
the
absence of sin but
because of the love
of God which makes
the
Church
holy
(Dulles, 1978:97)

The Church is Holy because it was

founded by Jesus Christ, who is all-holy,
and because it teaches, according to the
will of Christ, holy doctrines, and provides
the means of leading a holy life, thereby
giving holy members to every age. St.
Peter called the Christians of his time a
chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy
nation (1Peter 2:9)

United with Christ, the Church is

sanctified by Him; through him and with
him she becomes sanctifying. All the
activities of the Church are directed, as
toward, their end, to the sanctification of
men in Christ and the glorification of God.
CFC 1397 : The Church is Holy because :
First, Christ loved the Church as his Bride
and gave Himself up for her, to make her
holy. Uniting her to himself as his Body, he
endowed her with the gift of the Holy Spirit
( LG39)
Second, The Holy Spirit graces her with the
fullness of the means of salvation and
holiness. Such are the preaching of the
Gospel, the sacraments, the moral virtues,
self-sacrificing service of neighbor, and

In her members, perfect

holiness is something yet to
be acquired for all its
members, including her
ministers,
are
sinners:
Strengthened by so many
and such great means of
salvation, all the faithful,
whatever their condition or
state though each in his
own way are called by the
Lord to that perfection of
sanctity by which the Father
himself is perfect. (Lumen
Pentium #11)

By canonizing some
of the faithful, that is,
by
solemnly
proclaiming that they
practiced heroic virtue
and lived in fidelity to
Gods grace, the Church
recognizes the power of
the Spirit of holiness
within her and sustains
the hope of believers
by proposing the saints
to them as models and
intercessors.

But while in the

most Blessed Virgin the
Church has already
reached that perfection
whereby she exists
without spot or wrinkle,
the faithful still strive
to conquer sin and
increase in holiness.
And so they turn their
eyes to Mary (LG
#65):
in
her,
the
Church is already the
all-holy.

3. Catholic
From
the
Greek
term
katholou
which
means
referring to the whole,
universal, related to all or all
embracery.
The Church was Catholic on
the day of the Pentecost.
She is Catholic because she
has been sent out by Christ
on a mission to the whole
human race. (CCC, 831)
And this mission is to spread the good news. The
good news is for everyone and all are called to
belong to the people of God. This also makes the
Church universal.

Being endowed with

the fullness of the means
for
salvation.
She
announces the whole,
true faith (AG- Ad Gentes
6, CCC 830)
All men are called to
this catholic unity of the
People of God And to it,
in different ways, belong
or
are
ordered:
the
Catholic faithful, others
who believe in Christ,
finally all mankind, called
by
Gods
grace
to
salvation. (LG#13)

CFC 1402 : The

Church is Catholic
according to a Church
Father because she:
Is

spread
throughout
the
world ( Acts 1:8)
Possesses all saving
truth (Jan. 16:13)
Is sent to all peoples (Mk. 16:15)
Can heal all kinds of sins (Jan
20:23)
Abounds in every kind or virtue and
spiritual gift

4. Apostolic
The
Church
continues
the
mission given by
the apostles. This
Divine
mission
must last till the
end of times. The
Church is apostolic
because
Christ
grounded
the
Church
permanently
on
the foundation of

CFC 1407 The Church

is Apostolic in three
basic ways :
First, because Jesus
Christ grounded her
permanently on the
foundation of the
apostles (Eph.
2:20)
Second, because she guards and transmits
their teachings and witness (Mt. 28:19-20);
Third, she continues to be instructed,
sanctified and guided by the apostles through
their successors. (CCC 857-80)

The Four attributes are

seen more as a task for
every
Christian
community rather than a
mark, characteristic or
essential element (CFC)
We as the church must
aspire to be ever more
fully one, holy, catholic
and apostolic.