For such is the nature of faith that nothing can be more absurd than to accept some things and reject others. two natures. He speaks in vain who tries to persuade me of the orthodoxy of those who, like himself, refuse obedience to his Holiness the Pope of the most holy Church of Rome: that is to the Apostolic See.” The reason and motive of this he explains to be that “the Apostolic See has received and hath government, authority, and power of binding and loosing from the Incarnate Word Himself; and, according to all holy synods, sacred canons and decrees, in all things and through all things, in respect of all the holy churches of God throughout the whole world, since the Word in Heaven who rules the Heavenly powers binds and loosens there” (Defloratio ex Epistola ad Petrum illustrem). Download Now > In this Peter, the head of all the Apostles (hence his name Cephas), has sat; in which chair alone unity was to be preserved for all, lest any of the other apostles should claim anything as exclusively his own. This: to transmit to it the same mission and the same mandate which He had received from the Father, that they should be perpetuated. emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of man” (Philipp. So that their voices falling upon the ears of those who heard them begot faith in souls-“Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the words of Christ” (Rom. And, as in the natural order He does not usually give full perfection except by means of man’s work and action, so also He makes use of human aid for that which lies beyond the limits of nature, that is to say, for the sanctification and salvation of souls. liv., n. 19). But, as we have already said, the Apostolic mission was not destined to die with the Apostles themselves, or to come to an end in the course of time, since it was intended for the people at large and instituted for the salvation of the human race. Unity, characteristic of the Church founded by Christ, has a strong influence on souls. “The Son committed to Peter the office of spreading the knowledge of His Father and Himself over the whole world. are obliged to enter. 16:18-20; John 21:15-17) upon St. Peter as head of the Christian Church. And, therefore, it was no more allowable to repudiate one iota of the Apostles’ teaching than it was to reject any point of the doctrine of Christ Himself. Actionem vii., Conc. But in judging and determining the nature of this unity many have erred in various ways. In this same sense He says: “Whatsoever thou shall bind upon earth it shall be bound also in Heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth it shall be loosed also in Heaven.” This metaphorical expression of binding and loosing indicates the power of making laws, of judging and of punishing; and the power is said to be of such amplitude and force that God will ratify whatever is decreed by it. Christ the Lord, as we have quite sufficiently shown, made Peter and his successors His vicars, to exercise for ever in the Church the power which He exercised during His mortal life. The prophetic testimonies on that unity are clear, e.g., Isaiah spoke of Indeed no true and perfect human society can be conceived which is not governed by some supreme authority. The Church is not something dead: it is the body of Christ endowed with supernatural life. Hence before His Ascension He said to Peter: ‘Feed my sheep’ ” (St. Thomas, Contra Gentiles, lib. It is so evident from the clear and frequent testimonies of Holy Writ that the true Church of Jesus Christ is one, that no Christian can dare to deny it. Totally Faithful to the Sacred Deposit of Faith entrusted to the Holy See in Rome, we promote and defend Authentic Catholic Mass, Doctrine, and Moral Teaching. The first Bishops were sent out by the Apostles. SATIS COGNITUM Encyclical of Pope leo xiii, dated June 20, 1896, formulating the pope's teaching on the unity and unicity of the Church. This unity cannot be broken, nor the one body divided by the separation of its constituent parts” (S. Cyprianus, De Cath. to the sanctification of souls. The reason for which is stated thus: “there is no authority greater than that of the Apostolic See” (Nicholaus in Epist. And as souls cannot be perfectly united in charity unless minds agree in faith, he wishes all to hold the same faith: “One Lord, one faith,” and this so perfectly one as to prevent all danger of error: “that henceforth we be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the wickedness of men, by cunning craftiness, by which they lie in wait to deceive” (Eph. St. John Chrysostom in explaining the words of Christ asks: “Why, passing over the others, does He speak to Peter about these things?” And he replies unhesitatingly and at once, “Because he was pre-eminent among the Apostles, the mouthpiece of the Disciples, and the head of the college” (Hom. As often, therefore, as it is declared on the authority of this teaching that this or that is contained in the deposit of divine revelation, it must be believed by every one as true. to serve men. The Church alone offers to the human race that religion-that state of absolute perfection – which He wished, as it were, to be incorporated in it. Każda objawiona prawda, bez wyjątku, musi zostać zaakceptowana. Wherefore, as appears from what has been said, Christ instituted in the Church a living, authoritative and permanent Magisterium, which by His own power He strengthened, by the Spirit of truth He taught, and by miracles confirmed. He has cut himself off from the promises of the Church, and he who leaves the Church of Christ cannot arrive at the rewards of Christ….He who observes not this unity observes not the law of God, holds not the faith of the Father and the Son, clings not to life and salvation” (S. Cyprianus, De Cath. They may thus, by the help of heavenly grace, realize and feel the truth of the divine saying, “My yoke is sweet and my burden light” (Matt. 15. Nay more: they likewise required their successors to choose fitting men, to endow them with like authority, and to confide to them the office and mission of teaching. One either accepts the faith entirely or stops having faith, for Grace is produced in the souls of the faithful by exterior means consisting of sacraments administered with special rites, and celebrated by ministers specifically chosen for this function. lxx., n. 8). This is the office appointed unto it by God: that it may watch over and may order all that concerns religion, and may, without let or hindrance, exercise, according to its judgment, its charge over Christianity. Wherefore Jesus Christ bade all men, present and future, follow Him as their leader and Saviour; and this, not merely as individuals, but as forming a society, organized and united in mind. xv., 24). in the Church. iv., I). For the Apostles consecrated bishops, and each one appointed those who were to succeed them immediately “in the ministry of the word.”. “For there is no other name under Heaven given to men whereby we must be saved” (Acts iv., 12). Let such as these take counsel with themselves, and realize that they can in no wise be counted among the children of God, unless they take Christ Jesus as their Brother, and at the same time the Church as their mother. xxxi). is also needed the worship, the sacraments, and the legislation, all found Written when popes said what they meant and meant what they said, it is free from the ambiguities which are so characteristic of late 20th century explanations of these issues. de Fide Orthodoxa contra Arianos). Here is a list of more helpful resources to assist you on your journey. For the end for which the Church exists is as much higher than the end of other societies as divine grace is above nature, as immortal blessings are above the transitory things on the earth. And Augustine: “Heresies have arisen, and certain perverse views ensnaring souls and precipitating them into the abyss only when the Scriptures, good in themselves, are not properly understood” (In Evang. Such power they certainly did not receive from Jesus Christ. “Whosoever is separated from the Church is united to an adulteress. xvi., 18). implies the unity of faith established by Christ Himself, which can only And, since it was necessary that His divine mission should be perpetuated to the end of rime, He took to Himself Disciples, trained by himself, and made them partakers of His own authority. The Church is integrated by one only community, Bull: Rightly, therefore, does St. Leo the Great say: “From the whole world Peter alone is chosen to take the lead in calling all nations, to be the head of all the Apostles and of all the Fathers of the Church. “To Peter the Lord spoke: to one, therefore, that He might establish unity upon one” (S. Pacianus ad Sempronium, Ep. They cover a wide range of subjects, including, Christian marriage, socialism, communism, freemasonry, Anglican orders, and human liberty. “For no man ever hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, as also Christ doth the Church: because we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones” (Eph. Want a clear and undeniable absurd than to accept their teaching and obey their authority is necessary. To whom the keys of the supernatural order, God makes use of men to serve men 12.... At the same resolved to do: this he actually did is essential to the Pope the. 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