The Church
Answers
10 AnswersCan the Church be holy if its members sin?
Yes. The Church is holy not because every member already lives a perfect life, but because she belongs to Christ, carries his life and his gifts, and is being…
How does the Catholic Church relate to other Christians?
The Catholic Church regards other baptized Christians not as enemies or strangers but as genuinely her brothers and sisters in Christ, joined to her by real if…
What does 'one, holy, catholic, apostolic' mean?
Every Sunday Catholics profess belief in "one, holy, catholic, and apostolic" Church. These four words — the four marks — describe what the true Church is by…
What is the Church?
The Church is the community of people God gathers around Jesus Christ — not just a building or an organisation, but a living body united to him. It is at once…
What is the communion of saints?
The communion of saints is the deep family bond linking everyone joined to Christ — believers still living on earth, the souls being purified after death, and…
What is the role of ordinary lay Catholics?
Ordinary lay Catholics — the vast majority of the Church who aren't ordained or in religious life — are not second-string Christians or mere spectators at…
Who is the Pope, and why does the Church have one?
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome and the successor of St. Peter, whom Jesus chose to lead his Church. He serves as the visible centre of the Church's unity — a…
Why does the Church have bishops and priests?
The Church has bishops and priests because Jesus chose to keep serving his people through human beings, not around them. He commissioned the apostles to teach,…
Why does the Church matter?
The Church matters because Christ founded it as the ongoing way he reaches the world — his own body continuing his work, the family he gathers, and the place…
Why is the Church called 'catholic'?
"Catholic" comes from a Greek word meaning "whole" or "universal," and the Church is called catholic in two linked senses. She is catholic because she carries…