Part One: The Profession of Faith › Section Two of Part One: The Profession of the Christian Faith: The Creeds ›› CHAPTER 3: I Believe in the Holy Spirit ››› Article 9: “I Believe in the Holy Catholic Church” ›››› §2 The Church’s Three Titles: People of God, Body of Christ, Temple of the Holy Spirit

› IN BRIEF

Questions and Answers

784. What are the three most important titles of the Church? (CCC 781) The three most important titles of the Church are:
1. People of God
2. Body of Christ
3. Temple of the Holy Spirit.
785. For what purpose did God chose the Israelites as His Own People? (CCC 781) God chose the Israelites as His Own People for the purpose of preparing and prefiguring the Church.
786. What are the seven characteristics of the People of God? (CCC 782) The seven characteristics of the People of God are (1) its origin: God, (2) its birth: Baptism, (3) its Head: Christ, (4) its being: Spirit, (5) its action: love, (6) its mission: earth, (7) its goal: God.
787. Why is the People of God a priestly, prophetic and royal people? (CCC 783) The People of God is a priestly, prophetic and royal people, because it shares in the three offices of Christ, the Priest, Prophet and King.
788. Why does the People of God share in Christ’s priestly office? (CCC 784) The People of God shares in Christ’s priestly office, because in baptism its faithful are consecrated to be a holy priesthood.
The baptismal priesthood is essentially different from the priesthood received by the sacrament of Holy Orders.
789. How does the People of God above all share in Christ’s prophetic office? (CCC 785) The People of God shares in Christ’s prophetic office above all when it unfailingly assents to the message of Faith by the sense of Faith.
The “sense of Faith” (Latin: sénsus fídei) is a supernatural appreciation of Faith on the part of the faithful as a whole.
790. How does the People of God share in Christ’s royal office? (CCC 786) The People of God shares in Christ’s royal office by serving with Christ, because, in the Church, to reign is to serve.
791. What are the three characteristics of the Church as the Body of Christ? (CCC 789) The three characteristics of the Church as the Body of Christ are:
1. the unity of her members
2. Christ as her Head
3. the Church as bride of Christ.
792. Which two sacraments most unite us with Christ? (CCC 790) The two sacraments that most unite us with Christ are Baptism and the Eucharist.
793. Where does St Paul say that Christ is the Head of the Body, the Church? (CCC 792) St Paul says in Col 1 that Christ is the Head of the Body, the Church.
794. By whom is the “whole Christ” made up? (CCC 795) The “whole Christ” is made up by Christ and His Church together.
“Whole Christ” is in Latin: Christus totus .
795. Why can St Augustine say that “we have become Christ Himself”? (CCC 795) St Augustine († 430) can say that “we have become Christ Himself”, because Christ the Head and we the members are together the whole man.
796. What did St Joan of Arc say about Christ and the Church? (CCC 795) St Joan of Arc († 1431) said about Christ and the Church that “they are just one thing and we shouldn’t complicate the matter.”
797. How does the image of the bride explain the Church’s unity with Christ? (CCC 796) The image of the bride explains the Church’s unity with Christ by showing the distinction of the two within a loving relationship.
798. Who in the New Testament announces Christ as the Bridegroom? (CCC 796) St John the Baptist announces Christ in the New Testament as the Bridegroom (Jn 3).
799. In which two ways does the “whole Christ” speak according to St Augustine? (CCC 796) According to St Augustine († 430), the “whole Christ” speaks:
in His role as the Head (ex persóna cápitis) and
in His role as the Body (ex persóna córporis).
Ex persóna cápitis: e.g. the Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5-7); ex persóna córporis: any doctrinal teaching of the Church.
800. Where does St Paul express that the Church is the temple of the Holy Spirit? (CCC 797) St Paul expresses in 2 Cor 6 that the Church is the temple of the Holy Spirit.
801. How does St Augustine describe the relationship between Holy Spirit and Church? (CCC 797) St Augustine describes the relationship between Holy Spirit and Church by saying that “what the soul is to the human body, the Holy Spirit is to the Body of Christ, which is the Church.”
802. By what five means does the Holy Spirit work to build up the Church? (CCC 798) The Holy Spirit works to build up the Church by means of:
1. God’s Word
2. the sacraments
3. the hierarchy
4. the virtues
5. the charisms.
803. What is a charism? (CCC 798-799) A charism is a special grace by which the Holy Spirit enables the faithful to undertake various tasks and offices for the benefit of others, especially the Church, but also for men and the world.
E.g. gifts of healing or the gift of tongues.