We explain what the Church is, what its attributes are and what its hierarchy is like. Also, its general characteristics and sacraments.
What is the Church?
The term Church It is distinguished from the term church, since the latter refers to a building or to various religious institutions, while the first refers to a specific institution.
When we talk about the Church we are referring specifically to the Catholic Churchwhich among Christian churches has the most followers (more than 1.2 billion).
Christian churches are those whose monotheistic religion postulates that Jesus of Nazareth is the son of God, the Messiah, also called Christ.
The Church proclaims that her mission, entrusted by Christ, is spread the teachings of the messiah and impart the sacraments.
See also: Scholasticism
Attributes of the Church
The Church describes itself according to four fundamental attributes, inseparable from each other:
- A. Since it maintains that it has been founded by Christ and that God is one (monotheistic religion), the Church is also one. This unity is of faith, government and communion.
- Santa. It is union with God. Since its founder is holy, so are its members and its mission. The faithful are called to carry out sanctifying actions. The sacraments are the means to sanctify oneself.
- Catholic. This term means “universal.” The Church is universal by right, because Christ intended it to be universal for all human beings, throughout the world and in all times. It also aims to be so in fact, that is, to put into practice the mission entrusted to it by Christ.
- Apostolic. The Church government has authority as the successor of Christ and the apostles. Their function is to transmit the teachings transmitted by them.
Church Hierarchy
All authority in the Church comes from Christ and the apostlesthat is, the clergy have authority as successors of their founders.
The highest hierarchy on Earth of the Church is the Pope. Immediately afterwards the bishops, at the head of each of the dioceses.
Only bishops can administer confirmation and priestly ordination. Some bishops are named cardinals and fulfill specific functions. However, no bishop, whether cardinal or not, has authority over others.
The following hierarchy is priest, who can administer the other sacraments. Priests include parish priests, vicars and chaplains.
The lowest grade in Holy Orders is the deacon.. Deacons are not priests, but they do belong to the ministry. They can be temporary or permanent.
Precepts of the Church
- Participate in mass and refrain from working on Sundays and holy days.
- Confess sins at least once a year.
- Take Communion at least once a year, at Easter.
- Refrain from work and fast on certain days.
Baptism of the Church
It is the ritual by which Inclusion in the Church is carried out and is one of the sacraments. The Church administers baptism by ablution, that is, pouring water on the faithful.
Once baptized, a person belongs to the Church but can leave it voluntarily through apostasy.
Excommunication, a punitive measure imposed by the Churchdoes not expel the faithful, but prevents him from participating in his activities.
Church Organizations
To carry out its social work, the Church has a large number of missions and a series of organizations.
- Caritas. It is present in various countries and carries out humanitarian work.
- Hospitals and residences. More than 35,000 assistance institutions belong to the Church, including hospitals, nursing homes, homes for people with disabilities, homes for the incurably ill, among others.
Church Education
In most countries in the world there are numerous educational institutions belonging to the Church.
Currently, there are more than 1,000 universities in the world and more than 125,000 primary and secondary schools.
As for students, the Church currently educates more than 55 million children and young people.
Church Financing
Despite the centralized hierarchy of the Church, its financing is autonomously managed for each legal entity that represents parishes, associations of the faithful, etc.
The church’s funds come mainly from:
- Own or associated institutions.
- Earnings from investments.
- Public or private collections.
- State financing.
Church decision making
When decisions must be made about the faith (dogma) and moral guidelines of the institution, an ecumenical council is convened: an assembly in which all the bishops of the world meet and which is presided over by the Pope.
One of the most important decisions that the Church must make is the election of a new Popewhen the previous term ends due to resignation or death.
The successor is chosen in a conclavea meeting in which the cardinals debate in complete isolation from the outside world.
Sacraments of the Church
A sacrament is a rite, a sensible sign which, according to faith, has the efficacy of granting the grace of God. The Church administers seven sacraments:
- Baptism (sacrament of initiation). It initiates Christian life and incorporates it into the Church. It is administered through water.
- Confirmation (sacrament of initiation). Faith in Christ is reaffirmed.
- Eucharist (sacrament of initiation). It commemorates the Last Supper, the passion and resurrection of Christ. It is administered through the consecrated host, which represents the body of Christ.
- Penance (sacrament of healing). It is the confession of sins to a priest and the fulfillment of penance, which allows reconciliation with Christ after having committed the sin.
- Anointing of the sick (sacrament of healing). The priest prays and anoints the sick, in this way the cure can be stimulated through faith.
- Priestly order (sacrament at the service of communion and mission). To become a priest is to acquire the authority to exercise the functions of the cult.
- Marriage (sacrament at the service of communion and mission). It is the union between a man and a woman to found a new family.
Faithful of the Church
At the moment There are more than 1.2 billion baptized people in most countries in the world, which represents 17.5% of the global population.