INTRODUCTION TO

ECCLESIOLOGY
 Ecclesiology – Meaning

Ecclesiology is the study of the Church.

‘Church’ derives from the Greek ‘ekklesia’ meaning
gathering of those called; and its Latin ‘ecclesia’
meaning assembly (CCC 751). In ecclesiology, we
study the origin, foundation and mission of the
Church and her method of transmission of the
faith, her role in salvation and her leadership
among others. We are however limiting our study
to certain aspects of the Catholic Church (Catholic
Ecclesiology).
 Church - Meaning

The first use of the term “Catholic Church”

(literally meaning ‘universal church’) was by the
Church father, St Ignatious of Antioch about 110
AD. The English word ‘Church” Latin ecclesia
derives from the Greek ek-ka-lein which means ‘to
call out’, ‘a convocation’ or ‘an assembly’, (cf CCC
751, Ex. 19; Acts 19:32-39), also derives from
another Greek word kuriakon – ‘the Lord’s house’.
In the Church, God is calling together all that
belongs to him. The church is not the building but
the assembly of God’s people gathered together
for a religious purpose.
 In the Christian usage,(cf CCC 752), the word church can
be used to refer to

• A liturgical assembly (1Cor. 14:19) gathered together for the ‘breaking

of bread’.
• A small local community – parish, diocese (1Cor. 1:2; 16:1)
• The entire universal community of believers, that is, throughout the
catholic world (1Cor. 15:9; Gal.1:13)

The Church is a community founded in a unity of faith,

universal sacrament of salvation (AG.1; Mk.16:16), a
sacramental fellowship of all members with Christ as Lord,
and a unity of government.
 Origin and Foundation of the Church (cf. CCC 759-769)

The church began as a plan in the mind of the Father when he

created the world for the sake of the people who would gather in
communion with his divine life, to share in his divine life. This
gathering began from the time of the fall after the creation, and
progressed in human history in the call of Abram (Abraham) to the
gathering of the people of God called the Israelites. Jesus
accomplished the father’s preparation in the fullness of time when he
• came to call people to repentance (Mt. 4:17b; Lk 4:18-19)
• chose twelve apostles leaving Peter as head (Mt. 16:16)
• showed them signs (sacraments) to lead them to holiness and salvation
• made the gathering manifest in the outpouring of the Spirit
And this gathering will be brought to glorious completion at the end of
time (eschatology).
 Mission of the Church

According to LG.#5, the Church, equipped with the gifts of its

Founder and faithfully guarding His precepts of charity, humility and
self-sacrifice, receives the mission to proclaim and to spread among
all peoples the Kingdom of Christ and of God and to be, on earth, the
initial budding forth of that kingdom. (cf EN.59)

This primary mission of the Church to evangelize is emphasized in

(Evangelii Nuntiandi’ n.8-27). Evangelization is the Church’s deepest
identity,
• to bring the Good News of Jesus into every human situation, to seek
to convert its hearers by the divine power of the Gospel itself to Christ.
• to help those in need {Lk.14:14)
• live as example to all – ‘be perfect as ….’ (Mt. 5:48)
The sharing of the Gospel and the life of Christ
started with the commissioning and sending out of
the 12 apostles (Mt. 28:18-20). Therefore every
commitment to publicly proclaim the Good news of
salvation in Jesus Christ and the response of its
hearer in faith, every activity we do in the Church –
Catechesis etc, should be at the service of that
mission – proclamation not sacramentalize.
(cf Mk 16:15-18; Jn 20:21-23; Acts 1:4-5,8).
 Models (Images) of the Church

A model is simply an image, a symbol, that helps us get a

better understanding of a complex reality. Jesus himself used
images and models to help people get a better understanding of
the kingdom of God. For example, Jesus said it was like a (tiny)
mustard seed that grows into a large tree. It was like yeast that is
put into a batch of dough to make it rise. It was also like perfect
pearl that a merchant found, and upon finding it, he sold
everything he owned to purchase it.

A single image or model, by itself, can lead to a distortion of

reality just as in the popular story of the 6 blind men of
Hindustan. Each blind man’s description led to a distorted view of
the elephant.
 The Church came into being when Christ died on the Cross, but it
was formally inaugurated on Pentecost, when He sent the Holy
Spirit as He had promised. Some of the names by which the church
is known are (cf CCC 753-757)

• The Body of Christ - CCC 805

• The Bride of Christ - Eph. 5:22-33
• The Family of God - CCC 1655
• The People of God - Can. 204-207
• The Temple of God - CCC 1197, 364
• The Kingdom of God - CCC 2612
• The Sheepfold - CCC 754
• The Flock - 1Pet.5:2-4
• The cultivated field -CCC 754
 These names refer to a visible or Human
Element, example, the church as Bride of
Christ, on human level describes a marriage
between a husband and wife, the head of the
household being the man and on Divine Level
refers to Christ as the Head of His Body, the
Church.
A. The church is the body of Christ

• This is perhaps the most familiar description of the church. Paul

uses it extensively in 1 Corinthians 12 to make the point that all
believers are members of the one body of Christ. He states (1 Cor.
12:13): “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body,
whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all
made to drink of one Spirit.” Just as in a human body there are
many members but each has a different function, so in the body
of Christ. Each member has a spiritual gift to be used for the
overall good of the body. We are different, yet we are one body.
The church is one (Gal. 3:27-28) and Christ is her head (Col. 1:8)
 Paul also states that Christ is the head of His body,
the church (Eph. 1:22-23): “And He put all things in
subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all
things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of
Him who fills all in all.” Among many practical
applications is that each member of Christ’s body must
be in submission to Him as the head and in a
complementary relationship with other members of the
body. This model calls for our total obedience and
allegiance to the hierarchy of the Church.
 B. The church is the bride of Christ.

• Paul presents this image in his discussion of the respective

roles of husbands and wives (Eph. 5:22-33). Lest we think
that he is limiting his discussion to marriage, he states (Eph.
5:32): “This mystery is great; but I am speaking with
reference to Christ and the church.” The apostle John
presents the same imagery (Rev. 19:7-8; & 22:17): the
church is the bride, the bride of the Lamb. The main
application is that we are to relate to Christ in love, as a bride
relates to her husband, and that we are to thrive in the
knowledge that He loves us and chose us to be His bride.
 C. The church is the family (or household) of God.
• In Ephesians 2:19, Paul states, “So then you are no
longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens
with the saints, and are of God’s household.” (See, also,
Gal. 6:10; 1 Tim. 3:15; 1 Pet. 4:17). The family imagery
is also seen in the many places where God is called our
Father and we are called brothers and sisters in the
Lord. We are God’s children through the new birth
(John 1:12-13; Rom. 8:14-17; Gal. 3:26; 1 John 3:1-2)
and also through adoption (Rom. 8:15, 23; Eph. 1:5).
• In addition to assuring us of God’s fatherly love and care for us, this
truth affects our mindset toward the church. If the church is a
Sunday program that you attend, then you go for what you can get
out of it. But if the church is the family of God, then you are a
member with your brothers and sisters. Families gather for
fundamentally different reasons than audiences do. Families get
together for relationships because of the common family bond.
Family members do not threaten to go join another family if there
are conflicts or if the family gatherings are not meeting their
needs. The family bond keeps them together so that they work out
their differences in love. Or at least that’s what should happen in
Christian families and in the family of God.

• The question is, how true are we to this image of the Church?
How can our catechesis help create a spiritually committed and
engaged parishioners?
 D. The church is the temple of God.
• Referring to the church, Paul writes (Eph. 2:21-22):
“in whom the whole building, being fitted together,
is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom
you also are being built together into a dwelling of
God in the Spirit.” In one sense, a believer’s body is
individually a temple of God, but in another sense,
the entire church is God’s temple (1 Cor. 6:19 & 3:
16-17). This means that He dwells in our midst and
thus we must be holy in all our behavior.
 E. The church is the flock of God.
• Paul challenges the Ephesian elders (Acts 20:28): “Be on
guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the
Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church
of God which He purchased with His own blood.” Peter
commands the elders (1 Pet. 5:2), “care for the flock that
God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not
grudgingly – not for what you will get out of it, but because
you are eager to serve God” This means that the church
belongs to the Lord, not to any pastor or elder, and that
church leaders are shepherds, responsible to the Lord to
care for His flock.
 F. The church is the pillar and support of the truth.
• 1 Tim. 3:15: “but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will
know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of
God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support
of the truth.” Paul mentions the metaphor of the church as the
household of the living God, but then adds that the church
upholds and supports the truth. In this day of widespread
departure from the truth of God’s word, the church must stand
firm in proclaiming and practicing the truth. A main task of
elders is that they must “hold fast the faithful word which is in
accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to
exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict”
(Titus 1:9).
 G. The church is the kingdom of God.
• In Colossians 1:13-14, Paul writes, “For He rescued us
from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the
kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have
redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” In 1 Thess. 2:12,
Paul states his aim, “so that you would walk in a manner
worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom
and glory.” (See, also, Acts 8:12; 19:8; 28:23; 1 Cor. 4:20;
Rom. 14:17). God’s kingdom has broken into the world
through the church, but it awaits a completed form when
Christ returns and rules over all the earth
• It is worthy to state the motherhood of Mary as a model of the
Church. Mary is the mother of the Church because she is the
mother of Christ and the Church is the Mystical Body of Christ.
LG chp 8 #54 ffg discusses extensively the integration of Mary
in the mystery of Christ and the mystery of the Church. Mary
existed for Christ from the Incarnation, throughout his life, at
his death and for eternity is with him in Glory, assisting the
Church to fulfil its destiny.

• The practical application for us is that in the church we live

under the rule of Jesus Christ, our King. We serve His
purposes. We proclaim His rightful lordship to others, seeking
to bring them into submission to His rule. We do not make up
our own ideas about what the church should be, but rather
submit to the teaching that he has given us in His word.
 A theologian Avery Dulles in his book called MODELS OF THE CHURCH
put together six models, each of these models we can also easily relate
with.
• The Church is a community of faith (Matt. 18:20; Rom. 12:3-13)
• Community of disciples (Acts 2:43-47). This model stresses that the
church is Community of faith, open to the spirit.
• Herald of the Gospel – this model stresses that the Church has a message
of faith for the world (Acts 4:1-20)
• Institution - this model stresses that the spirit has gifted church members
in different ways, (Matt 16:13-19, 18:15-20)
• Basic sacrament – this model stresses that the church makes Jesus present
in a tangible way (John 14:8-14)
• Servant – this model stresses that the church is called to be “community
for others, just as Jesus was “man for others”. (Romans 12:1-21)
If our catechesis is to cause a ripple effect of transformation, then
there is a need to ponder more on these models and emphasize them
in our catechesis.
 The Three States of the Church

"When the Lord comes in glory, and all his angels with him, death
will be no more and all things will be subject to him. But at the present
time some of his disciples are pilgrims on earth. Others have died and are
being purified, while still others are in glory, contemplating 'in full light,
God himself triune and one, exactly as he is. (CCC 946-948; 954-963;
1030-1032). The visible Church on earth is only one part of a much larger
reality.

When Catholics say “the Church,” the phrase typically refers to one
of three things: a visible house of worship, the hierarchy who lead the
religious organization, or the 1.2 billion members living on earth.
However, these definitions of the Catholic Church, while each having their
own value, are only part of the picture. There is much more to the Church
than meets the eye.
 The Catechism of the Catholic Church (as referenced
above) explains how there are “three states of the Church
… at the present time some of his disciples are pilgrims on
earth. Others have died and are being purified, while still
others are in glory, contemplating ‘in full light, God himself
triune and one, exactly as he is'” (cf CCC 954). Traditionally
these three states have been referred to as the Church
Militant, Church Penitent (also known as Church Suffering
or Church Expectant) and Church Triumphant. Together,
these three make up the Communion of Saints that we
confess in the 9th article of the Creed. (cf LG chp.7).
 1. Church Militant
While the word “militant” may appear to suggest that the Church
on earth is to take up arms in a violent way, the phrase refers to our
task of being “soldiers of Christ” in the spiritual realm. This concerns
our need to battle our sinful passions as well as the spiritual presence
of evil in the world. As St. Ignatius of Loyola put it, we need to choose
which army we belong to; either that of Christ or that of the World. The
Church Militant (Latin: Ecclesia militans), consists of Christians on earth
who struggle as Christ against sin, the devil, and "the rulers of the world
of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places"

• The kingdom of God is within you (Lk 17:21)

• The kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence and the violent
are taking it by storm (Mt. 11:12)
• Putting on the armour of God to stand against the wiles of the devil
(Eph. 6:11)
2. Church Penitent
After having struggled on earth to follow Christ’s army,
those who die in God’s grace and friendship, but in need of
further purification before entering Heavenly bliss make up the
Church Penitent. This state of further purification is more
commonly known as Purgatory and is the “washroom of
Heaven”. (cf 1 Cor 3:11-15; Lk 23:43) The Church Penitent
(Latin: Ecclesia poenitens), also called the Church Suffering
(Latin: Ecclesia dolens) or the Church Expectant (Latin: Ecclesia
expectans), which in the theology of the Catholic Church,
consists of those Christians currently in Purgatory, a place of
purgation, to cleanse them of any sins or earthly attachments
before the soul embrace the joys of Heaven. They therefore rely
heavily on our (the church militant) prayers and suffrages
(2Macc.12:41-46; 2Tim. 1:18) so that they may proceed to their
eternal embrace with Our Lord.
3. Church Triumphant
The Church Triumphant (Latin: Ecclesia triumphans),
consists of those who have the beatific vision and are in
Heaven; those who have “run the race” and are crowned
with glory in Heaven - the saints. (CCC 954; Rev. 7:13-17;
Rev. 19:8; Rom. 8:37). Though we do not inhabit the
same physical space anymore, we are intimately united
with them in a spiritual way beyond understanding. Their
intercession is vital to our own sanctification and they
continually cheer us on as we “fight the good fight” in the
hope of joining them one day in the future.
 The Church: Human and Divine

The Church is unlike any other community on earth.

It has two dimensions; a divine one and a human one. The
divine dimension is the one that we cannot see. It is the
invisible life of Christ that unifies church members into one
body. The human dimension is the one that we can see. It is
the community of believers.

Lumen Gentium (LG 2:13) describes the human aspect of

the Church as a body composed of members whose various
vocations – (as laity, religious and hierarchy – bishops, priests,
and deacons) are God-given, interrelated and
complementary.
 Because it is human, the church is like anything
else that is human - it is flawed. Its flawed nature does
not always show to the world the “face of Christ” as it
should. Its members can fall victim to human scandals
and to abuses. This means that we often see the church
as being like ourselves: weak, sinful, and struggling to
become what God intended it to be. Thus, the church
will always be at mixture of light and darkness, of saints
and sinners – (Lk 5:32; Mk 2:17). Yet this community of
believers (the Church) is confident that the light will
never be obscured by the darkness.
 The Characteristics (4 Marks) of
the Church
In the Nicene Creed we profess our belief in
the, "one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church":
these are the four marks of the Church. They
are inseparable and intrinsically linked to each
other. Our Lord Himself in founding the Church
marked it with these characteristics, which
reflect its essential features and mission.
Through the continued guidance of the Holy
Spirit, the Church fulfills these marks.
 The Church is ONE.
The Catechism notes that the Church is one for three reasons:
• (i) because of its source (the Godhead) the Holy Trinity, a
perfect unity of three divine persons — Father, Son, and Holy
Spirit;
• (ii) because of its founder, Jesus Christ, who came to reconcile all
mankind through the blood of the cross; and
• (iii) because of its "soul," the Holy Spirit, who dwells in the souls
of the faithful, who unites all of the faithful into one communion
of believers, and who guides the Church (CCC #813).

The church is one – one invisible head, one visible head, one
faith, one baptism, one body is given life by the one spirit
(Eph. 4:3-5; Jn. 17:21)
The Church is HOLY.
Our Lord Himself is the source of all holiness: "The one
Christ is mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to
us in His body which is the Church" (Dogmatic Constitution
on the Church, LG n.14 #1). Christ sanctifies the Church, and
in turn, through Him and with Him, the Church is His agent
of sanctification. Through the ministry of the Church and
the power of the Holy Spirit, our Lord pours forth abundant
graces, especially through the sacraments. Therefore,
through its teaching, prayer and worship, and good works,
the Church is a visible sign of holiness.
 As members of the Church we are called to holiness
through baptism, which frees us from original sin, fills us with
sanctifying grace, incorporates us into the Church (the holy
people of God) and plunges us into the mystery of our Lord's
passion, death, and resurrection. The Second Vatican Council
exhorts "Every Catholic must therefore aim at Christian
perfection and” ……. “may daily be more purified and renewed”
(Decree on Ecumenism – Unitatis redintegratio – n.14 #4).

In brief, the church is holy because most holy God is her

author, her holiness shines up in the saints and in the Blessed
Virgin Mary (Eph.5:25-27)
The Church is CATHOLIC.
The word ‘Catholic’ is derived from the Greek
adjective “katholikus” meaning “universal”. The term was
first used by St. Ignatius of Antioch (c.100-140) to describe
the Church (Letter to the Smyrnaeans). The Church is
indeed Catholic in that Christ is universally present in the
Church and that He has commissioned the Church to
evangelize the world — "Go therefore and make disciples of
all the nations". The church is catholic – universal, sent to
all peoples, speaks to all men (teaches all nations) and
embraces all time (subsisting in all ages). (Mt. 28:19-20;
Eph.1:23).
The Church is APOSTOLIC.
The church is apostolic – built on the foundation of the
twelve apostles, indestructible (Mt.16:18). Christ founded the
Church and entrusted His authority to His apostles, the first
bishops. He entrusted a special authority to St. Peter, the first
‘Pope’ and Bishop of Rome, to act as His vicar here on earth.
This authority has been handed down through the Sacrament of
Holy Orders in what we call apostolic succession from bishop to
bishop, and then by extension to priests and deacons. No
bishop, priest, or deacon in the Church is self-ordained or self-
proclaimed; rather, he is called by the Church and ordained into
the apostolic ministry given by our Lord to His Church to be
exercised in union with the Pope. The Church is also apostolic in
that the deposit of faith found in both Sacred Scripture and
Sacred Tradition was preserved, taught, and handed on by the
apostles.
 These four marks or characteristics of the Church: one, holy,
catholic, and apostolic — are fully realized (subsists) in the Catholic
Church. While other Christian Churches accept and profess the Creed,
and possess elements of truth and sanctification, only the Roman
Catholic Church reflects the fullness of these marks.

The Second Vatican Council taught, "This Church [which Christ

founded], constituted and organized as a society in the present world,
subsists in the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of
Peter and by the bishops in communion with him" (LG, #8),

And the Decree on Ecumenism, no.3 states -

"For it is through Christ's Catholic Church alone, which is the
universal help towards salvation, that the fullness of the means of
salvation can be obtained"
 The 4 Pillars of the Church
At the heart of the church (Acts 4:32) is
• Its shared beliefs – the Apostolic and Nicene Creed
• Shared worship – Mass, Sacraments, Prayer
• Shared values – commandments, Beatitudes
These, form the foundations of an authentic Catholic life

The Catechism of the Catholic Church summarizes this foundation

under the 4 pillars of the Church’s Doctrine on which our
communion with God is hinged and in its prologue explains among
others the aim and intended readership of the Catechism.
The 4 Pillars are:
1) The Profession of Faith: Belief in Him from whom
we came and to whom we shall return
2) The Sacraments of Faith: The joyful celebration of
the Christian Mystery
3) The Life of Faith in Christ: The joyful obedience of
the law of the one who first loved us.
4) Prayer in the Christian life: Fostering a relationship
of love with God.
 The qualities of the Church
The chief qualities of the Church are:

i). Her AUTHORITY - power from Christ to teach, to

make holy and to rule in spiritual matters

ii). Her INFALLIBILITY - by the special help of the Holy

Spirit, the Church cannot make a mistake (cannot err)
when it teaches in matters of faith and morals.
iii). Her INDEFECTIBILITY - the Church will last to the
end of time; it is not subject to failure or decay
(imperishable), it is lasting, faultless, immaculate.
 She now is and will always remain the institution of
salvation founded by Christ.
 She is essentially unchangeable in her teaching -
(Doctrines and Dogmas), her constitution
(promulgated through decrees, papal documents ...)
and her liturgy.
 Hierarchical structure of the Church (Church government)

The Catholic Church is one of the oldest institutions of the world and her
hierarchical structure though complex, provides a well-organized modus
operandi. Every baptized person is a part of the Catholic Church.
Membership of the church is in two major categories – the ordained and
the lay faithful. The ordained are in 3 categories – the Episcopate,
Presbyterate and Diaconate. These are few in number; while the lay
faithful consists of people who are baptized and they are highest in
population.

Working closely with the Pope are the College of Bishops who are in
communion with the Pope. Under Canon Law, a college is a collection
(Latin collegium) of persons united together for a common objective of
forming one body in Christ, shepherding and guiding the people of God.
The Bishop of Rome (the Pope) is the head of this college.
 Authority of the college of bishops

The college of bishops is the successor to the

college of the apostles. They have the primary task
of guarding the church’s ‘deposit of faith’ and
individual task of being directly responsible for the
pastoral care and governance in their own
particular area (the diocese). The college of bishops
with its head the Supreme Pontiff [the Bishop of
Rome] exercises their office in a solemn manner in
an ecumenical council, in the unity of action, and in
the exercise of the magisterium (teaching office).
 The college of Cardinals

Among the College of Bishops, it has been a long-

standing tradition of the Church, to raise certain bishops and
archbishops to the College of Cardinals. The Cardinals have
traditionally been seen as the "Princes of the Church". The
singular role that the Cardinals play is that of electing a new
Pontiff when the See of Peter is vacant. To them belongs this
honour and responsibility.

The hierarchical structure of the Church is a 7-tier

structure. We begin our discourse with the laity and end with
the papacy.
1. The Laity
The laity consists of all members of the faithful who
are not part of the clergy, that is, they are not ordained as
deacons, priest or bishop. The laity include non-ordained
members of religious orders who are consecrated to God in
their own special manner and serve the salvific mission
through the profession of the evangelical counsels (poverty,
chastity and obedience), e.g. Reverend Sisters, Nuns and lay
brothers. By virtue of their baptism, the lay faithful are
incorporated and constituted as the ‘people of God’ and
thus share in the priestly, prophetic and kingly mission of
Christ.
 The Vatican Council II in its document ‘Apostolicam
Actuositatem’ states the specific objectives of lay faithful
in the mission of the Church. These objectives are
evangelization, renewal of the temporal order whereby
Christ is first in all things, charitable works and social aid.
The decree quotes Col. 3:17 – ‘whatever you do in word or
work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving
thanks to God the Father through Him’.

cf. Code of Canon Law - Book II : The People of God;

the obligations and Rights of the lay faithful (Can. 208-223)
2. The Deacon (cf CCC 1569-1571)
There are two types of Deacons within the Catholic Church, but
our focus is on the transitional deacons. These men are also
referred to as seminarians and are students of the Catholic
Church. They are generally in their last phase of training for
priesthood. After their diaconate ordination, they maintain this
status for a period of time (6-12 months) before they are ordained
as priests.
The diaconate is the first degree in the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
Deacons can practice in many similar ways to priests. They can
baptize, witness marriages, and perform funerals. They can
conduct Communion Service but can neither celebrate Mass nor
hear confessions.
3. Priest (cf CCC 1562-1568)
The second degree of the sacrament of Holy Orders is
the Presbyterate. The deacon is ordained a priest. The
Sacred Priesthood enables them to celebrate Mass, hear
confession as well as other sacraments of the Church.

4. Bishop (cf CCC 1554-1561)

The third and highest degree of the Sacrament of Holy
Orders is the Episcopate, the ordination of bishops. Bishops
are ministers who hold the full sacrament of holy orders and
they typically govern over local regions known as dioceses.
5. Archbishop
Archbishops oversee large areas of churches
called archdiocese. They oversee dioceses which
are under their metropolis and with whom
constitute a ‘Province’. An example is the
Metropolitan See of Lagos comprising Abeokuta
diocese, Ijebu-Ode diocese and Lagos Archdiocese
as The Lagos Ecclesiastical Province. Those bishops
confer directly with the seat of the Archbishop
when in need of assistance or guidance.
6. Cardinal
Cardinals are leading bishops and members of the College
of Cardinals. Their biggest duty is participating in the Papal
Conclave that is, voting for the new Pope. Most have additional
duties including missions within the Roman Curia, governmental
body of the Holy See.
To be eligible to attend these votes, however, Cardinals
must be below the age of 80. (In 2023, 11 Cardinals would be
attaining the age of 80 and would not be eligible to attend/vote a
new Pope). Of the current 226 serving cardinals, Pope Francis, is
known to have created 127 cardinals from 66 countries. 23 of
these countries had never been represented in the College of
Cardinals.
Also several of the created cardinals are known to be
experts in the care of migrants and relations with Islam. (figures
culled from Wikipedia as at Aug.2022).
7. Pope
The highest honour a member of the clergy can
receive is to be elected the visible head of the church
following the death, retirement or resignation of a
Pope. There is no limit to how many years a Pope may
hold in office. The office of the Pope is referred to as
the papacy. The Pope rules the Catholic Church in a
very similar way to as a king would a country, and he is
the Head of State of the Vatican City. The Roman Curia
(the College of Cardinals) help the Pope in his duties.
 Advantages of a hierarchical structure
• It helps to prevent false teaching by having one
strong teacher who can impart the right beliefs.

• It helps to maintain unity because when the

leaders agree the churches tend to agree as
well.
• It helps to create a strong organization,
meaning the Church is less likely to split.
 Infallibility of the church

The infallibility of the Church is hinged on papal infallibility which

states that in virtue of the promise of Jesus to Peter – he who hears
you hears me (cf Lk. 10:16) and the promise of the Holy Spirit to
“guide you into all the truth” (Jn. 16:13) the Pope is preserved from
the possibility of error on doctrine initially given to the apostolic
church and handed down in Scripture and tradition. The infallible
teachings of the Pope are part of the Church’s magisterium.
Though, infallibility also belongs to the body of bishops as a whole,
when in doctrinal unity with the Pope, they solemnly teach a
doctrine as true (cf LG 25), infallibility belongs in a special way to
the Pope as head of the bishops (Mt. 16:17-19; Jn.21:15-17). As
supreme shepherd and teacher of all the faithful, who confirms his
brethren in their faith (Lk. 21:15-17; Lk. 22:32; Mt. 16:18) the pope
proclaims by a definitive act (speaks ex cathedra), some doctrine of
faith and morals e.g the Immaculate Conception.
 Membership of the church

The Catholic Church (often referred to as the Roman

Catholic Church) is the largest Christian church in the world
founded by our Lord Jesus Christ according to sacred tradition.
The pope, who is the Bishop of Rome and whose titles also
include Vicar of Jesus Christ and successor of St. Peter, is the
head of the church, entrusted to him with the universal Petrine
ministry of unity and correction.

The church is made up of the Latin Church and 23 Eastern

Catholic Churches and has its headquarters in Vatican City, a
tiny enclave of Rome of which the pope is Head of State.
 Clarification
• The church we belong to is the Roman Catholic Church (Latin
Rite). There are 23 other Catholic Churches in the East who
are fully Catholics but not Roman. They are Catholic
irrespective of their Rites because they are in communion with
the Pope. We have the same faith, the same baptism but our
local customs are different.

• These 23 autonomous orthodox catholic churches (also

called Eastern Catholics) are different from the Orthodox
churches who are not in communion with the catholic church
e.g. Anglicans, Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran etc
S/N RITE CHURCHES UNDER THE RITE NO OF
CHURCHES

1 Latin Latin (Roman Catholic) Church 1

2 Alexandrian Coptic, Eritrean and Ethiopian Church 3

3 Antiochean Maronite, Syrian, Syro-Malankara 3

4 Armenian Armenian church 1

5 Chaldean Chaldean and Syro-Malabar 2

church
6 Byzantine Albinian. Belarussian, Bulgarian, Yugoslavian,
Greek-Byzantine, Hungarian, Italo-Albanian, 14
Marcedonian, Melkite, Romanian, Russian,
Rutherian (Byzantine church in America),
Slovakian and Ukrainean
 The core beliefs of the Catholic Church are found in the Nicene Creed.
The church teaches that
• it is the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church founded by Jesus Christ in
his Great Commission
• its bishops are the successors of Christ’s apostles
• the pope is the successor to St. Peter upon whom primacy was conferred
by Jesus
The church maintains that
• it practices the original Christian faith
• it reserves infallibility passed down by sacred tradition
• the Latin church, the 23 Eastern Catholic churches and institutes such as
the enclosed monastic orders, third orders etc reflect a variety of
theological and spiritual emphases in the church.
 The Catholic Church shared communion with the Eastern
Orthodox Church until the East-West Schism in 1054 disputing
particularly the authority of the pope. In the 16th century the
Reformation led to Protestanism also breaking away. Earlier, between
AD 431 (before the council of Ephesus) and AD 451 (before the
council of Chalcedon) the church of the East and the Oriental
Orthodox churches, which had shared communion with the Catholic
Church, broke away primarily over differences in Christology.

Membership of the Catholic Church (whether the Latin church

which we belong to or the 23 Eastern Orthodox churches) is by
baptism. Baptism is precedented by a period of instruction in the
faith (catechesis). At baptism, the recipient professes the Nicene
Creed – the total summary of the church’s belief.
 The four pillars of the Church

The church’s faith is hinged on four pillars – Creed,

Sacraments, Morality and Prayer (cf Catechism of the Catholic
Church)
• The Creed – an introduction to the one true God (the Triune
God)
• Sacraments – a joyful celebration of the redeeming love of God
• Morality – revealing the road signs to happiness; a joyful
observance of God’s commandments, Beatitudes and Precepts
of the church
• Prayer - fostering relationship with God through prayer
 Conclusion

The study of the Church (Ecclesiology) is

incomplete without looking at Church history,
Church Fathers, the 23 other Catholic
Churches and their Rites etc. As catechists we
can always be encouraged to google from
Catholic sites – vatican.va etc whatever
information/knowledge we need. This is the
beauty of social media.
References

• Dogmatic Constitution of the Church (Lumen Gentium )

• Catechism of the Catholic Church
• Code of Canon Law
• Decree on Ecumenism, Vat II
• Evangelii Nuntiandi