Jesus Christ founded the ChurchJesus Christ founded the Church1818

St. Peter's BasilicaRome

Compendium of the Catechism 149. What is the origin and the

fulfillment of the Church? 758-766

778 The Church finds her origin and

fulfillment in the eternal plan of God. She was prepared for in the Old Covenant with the election of Israel, the sign of the future gathering of all the nations. Founded by the words and actions of Jesus Christ, fulfilled by his redeeming death and Resurrection, the Church has been manifested as the mystery of salvation by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. She will be perfected in the glory of heaven as the assembly of all the redeemed of the earth.

Introduction The Church depends entirely

from Christ, as the light of the moon depends on the light of the sun.

St. Augustine said that the Church is Christ among us : Christ’s hands keep on healing

us (through the sacraments of the Church), His lips keep on teaching us (the doctrine that the Church teaches). The Church continues Christ’s mission; that is the reason why Christ founded the Church.

When we profess our faith in the Creed, we say, “I believe in One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.” The Church is a mother who takes care of us with the sacraments and Christ’s doctrine, and leads us to Heaven.

Main ideasMain ideas

1. Jesus Christ founded the Church to continue His work on earth

As the redemption had to reach all men, Christ founded the Church with the mission of continuing on earth the divine plan of salvation. Thus, the Church is not a human invention but something specifically willed by God.

PERUGINO, PietroChrist Handing the Keys to St Peter1481-82Fresco, 335 x 550 cmCappella Sistina, Vatican

2. What is the Church?

The word Church means “assembly“: the Church is the new People

of God assembled by the Word and established by the grace that we receive through the sacraments,

founded by Christ and governed by the Pope and by the bishops, who lead the Christian faithful to salvation

under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

We become part of the Church on the day of our baptism, through which we become disciples of Christ.

ANDREA DEL SARTOBaptism of the People

1515-17Fresco

Chiostro dello Scalzo, Florence

3. The foundation of the Church In the Gospel we see the stages by

which Christ founded “His Church”. He began preaching the Kingdom

of God, He selected twelve Apostles, One of the Apostles, Peter, was

designated His vicar and Christ gave him the supreme power over the whole Church.

Jesus performed many miracles to show that “with Him” the Kingdom of God had arrived.

With His death on the cross He obtained salvation for all men,

and the last stone of this magnificent building was the coming of the Holy Spirit, sent by Him from Heaven on the day of Pentecost.

GRECO, ElSaint Peter1610-13Oil on canvas, 209 x 106 cmMonasterio de San Lorenzo, El Escorial

4. The mystery of the Church

The Church founded by Christ has special characteristics that make it different from all other denominations we know: The Church is human and

divine, visible and invisible, at the

same time. The Church is both hierarchical

and charismatic, but the charismas are subordinated to the hierarchy, because the hierarchy governs the Church in the name of Christ under the guide of the Holy Spirit, from whom charismas spring.

MASACCIOSt Peter Healing the Sick with his Shadow

1426-27Fresco, 230 x 162 cm

Cappella Brancacci, Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence

5. Christ founded only one Church, and the Catholic Church is the only true Church

The true Church founded by Christ is one, holy, catholic and apostolic: One, because there is only one

Pope, only one faith and the same sacraments.

Holy, because Jesus Christ is the founder, and He is most holy. Holy is also His doctrine and the means to become saints –the sacraments. Holy also because there have been, there are, and there always shall be saints in the Church.

Catholic, which means universal, because all men are called to the Church’s bosom, and because she is spread throughout the world.

Apostolic, because it is built upon the Apostles and teaches what they had taught.

RAFFAELLO SanzioThe Handing-over the Keys1515Tempera on paper, mounted on canvas, 345 x 535 cmVictoria and Albert Museum, London

6. To love Christ is to love the Church

St. Ciprian said that “nobody can have God as Father if he does not have the Church as mother”.

As we progress in the knowledge of the Church, we understand that it would be a serious mistake to accept Christ while opposing the Church.

GRECO, ElChrist on the Cross with the Two Maries and St John

c. 1588Oil on canvas, 120 x 80 cm

National Gallery, Athens

7. Our duties towards the Church

Our duties towards our mother the Church are: to believe what she teaches; to do what she commands; to love her truly, feeling happy

and honoured to belong to her. We have to pray for the

Church: for the Pope, for the bishops, for all Christians.

Furthermore, we have to assist the Church in its necessities.

Resolutions for Christian lifeResolutions for Christian life

Resolutions to move forward

Give thanks to God for having founded the Church, which continues Christ’s mission among men.

Meditate and draw resolutions from the affirmation made by St. Ciprian: “Nobody can have God as Father if he does not have the Church as mother”.