RELIGIOUS EDUCATION 3_CHURCH: HISTORY, DOCTRINE AND STRUCTURE

Module 1: The Church and Structure of Christ’s Faithful

Introduction
What is a Church? We often think of a “Church” as a building, physical structure or a place
where people gather to worship God. This is called church (with small letter c). A church is a building
or a place where people go to pray. But the Church, (with capital letter “C”), is the people of God who
is gathered together to worship God regardless of the place. This module introduces the student to
what the Church is and the structure of Christ’s faithful as baptized Christians.

Learning Outcomes
At the end of the module, the student is expected to:
1. Define and understand what a Church is
2. Understand the structure of Christ’s Faithful
3. Appreciate and express one’s belonging to his/her Church

Learnin g Content

Lesson 1 What is a Church?

What is the Church?

The Church is the assembly of those who believe in

Jesus Christ, who is baptized, and who are in communion
with the Pope. The Church traces its origin back to the Old
Testament “qahal” and the New Testament “ekklesia” (a
Greek word). Both terms mean “the people of God called
together” or “assembly convoked by God.”

When is the Birth of the Church?

The Church began in or around the year AD 30/33 in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. Pentecost
day was the coming down of the Holy Spirit upon Mary and the Apostles. The evangelist Luke, the
writer also of the Book of Acts of the Apostles, makes
Pentecost the birthday of the universal Church. This is the
narration of the Pentecost event according to the Book of the Acts
of the Apostles 2: 1-4 ------ “1 When the day of Pentecost came,
they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly out of the sky
came a sound like a strong rushing wind and it filled the whole
house where they were sitting. There appeared 3tongues as if of
fire which parted and came to rest upon each one of them. 4 All
were filled with Holy Spirit and began to speak other languages, as the Spirit enabled them to

speak.” The Church – instituted by Christ

Jesus Christ instituted the Church.

The Lord Jesus inaugurated his Church by preaching the
Good News, that is, the arrival of the Kingdom of God. The
Church is the Reign of Christ already present in mystery.

Jesus himself unfolds the Kingdom in his words, deeds,

and very presence. To welcome Jesus’ word is to welcome the
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION 3_CHURCH: HISTORY, DOCTRINE AND STRUCTURE

Kingdom of God itself. The seed and beginning of the Kingdom are the "little flock" of those whom
Jesus came to gather around him, the flock whose shepherd he is. They form Jesus' true family. To
those whom he thus gathered around him, he taught a new "way of acting" and a prayer of their own.
The Lord Jesus endowed his community with a structure that will remain until the Kingdom is fully
achieved. Before all else, there is the choice of the Twelve with Peter as their head. representing the
twelve tribes of Israel, they are the foundation stones of the new Jerusalem. The Twelve and the other
disciples share in Christ's mission and his power, but also his lot. Through all his actions, Christ
prepares and builds his Church.

The Church is born primarily of Christ's total self-giving for our salvation, anticipated in the
institution of the Eucharist and fulfilled on the cross. "The origin and growth of the Church are
symbolized by the blood and water which flowed from the open side of the crucified Jesus." "For it
was from the side of Christ as he slept the sleep of death upon the cross that there came forth the
'wondrous sacrament of the whole Church.'" As Eve was formed from the sleeping Adam's side, so the
Church was born from the pierced heart of Christ hanging dead on the cross. (CCC 763-766)

What are three distinct stages in the foundation of the Kingdom?

1) Christ’s public life when he began to preach the Kingdom. The first stage encompasses the
whole of Christ’s public life, during which he began the Kingdom by proclaiming the good news
given by God. At the same time, he organized this Kingdom into a visible Church, his Church.
2) Christ sealed the New Covenant with his sacrifice on the cross. The second stage, in which the
foundation becomes active, began when Christ sealed the New Covenant between God and
mankind with his sacrifice on the cross.
3) The public manifestation and mission of the Church. The third and last stage is the public
manifestation and mission of the Church, “the era of the Church,” which was inaugurated by the
visible coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. The Acts of the Apostles describe the beginning
of this stage.

Lesson 2_ Structure of Christ’s Faithful: Hierarchy, Laity, and Consecrated

Life Structure of Christ’s Faithful

Christ’s faithful are the baptized persons who constituted the people of God. They participate
in the priestly, prophetic, and kingly office of Christ.
All baptized persons (the faithful) are equally called to the fullness of sanctity/holiness. All are
equal in dignity and diverse in functions. They share in the common priesthood of Christ by their
baptism.
The Structure of Christ’s Faithful is:
1) The Hierarchy
2) The Lay Faithful
3) The Consecrated Life

1.) The Hierarchy

Christ endowed the hierarchy with the power and mission to teach, sanctify and govern. There
are three degrees in the hierarchy: the bishops, priests, and deacons.

A. Bishops
The bishops are the successors of the Apostles.

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Among the bishops, there is the Pope who is the Bishop of Rome and Peter’s successor.
The Pope is the source and foundation of unity.
Bishops constitute the episcopal College (College, a permanent assembly or Body of
bishops) with the Pope as its head. The College of Bishops has supreme and full authority
over the universal Church.
The individual bishops are the visible source and foundation of unity in their particular
Churches. The particular Church is also called the Local Church or the Diocese.

B. Priests
The priests are the bishop’s closest collaborators, and
with him, they form one priestly body.
They sanctify and govern the portion of the Lord’s
flock entrusted to them under the bishop’s authority.
They preach the Gospel, nourish the faithful,
celebrate
the divine worship, and reconcile people with God
through the Sacrament of Penance.

C. Deacons
The deacons form the lowest level of hierarchy. They help the priests in the administration
of the sacraments and are assigned to the tasks of charity
and welfare.

2.) The Laity or Lay Faithful

The term “laity” is here understood to mean all

the
faithful who does not belong to the Hierarchy or
consecrated life. That is, the faithful, who by baptism
are incorporated into Christ and integrated into the
people of God, are made sharers in a particular way in
the priestly, prophetic, and kingly office of Christ, and have their part to play in the
mission of the Christian people in the Church and the world.
The Laity or Lay faithful seek the Kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and
directing them according to God’s will.
They have also the duty to spread the divine message of salvation.
The laity takes part in the development of human society by being a good Christian and a
good member of society. Hence, a Christian doctor must be a good doctor, a Christian
farmer must be a good farmer, a Christian teacher must be a good teacher, etc.
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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION 3_CHURCH: HISTORY, DOCTRINE AND

STRUCTURE 3.) Consecrated Life

The Consecrated men and women are those who profess chastity, poverty, and obedience
for the sake of the Kingdom.
They follow Christ more nearly and give
themselves to God who is loved above all.
They make a total consecration to God and
abandon the world for the love of Him.
They
consecrate their lives for the good of the
Church
and souls, helping others with their prayer,
mortification, and apostolate.
The consecrated life is a wonderful witness
before
the whole people of God to the supremacy of
heavenly values.
The religious brothers, priests, and nuns belong to this group of Christ’s faithful.

Learning Tasks ( PLEASE REFER THE GOOGLE FORMS/ SEPARATE FILE )

CONCLUDING : Praying for my Church

God, help our Church body to walk in a manner worthy of the calling You have given us. Help
us have humble and gentle hearts in all our interactions with one another. Grant us patience for one
another, bearing with one another in love. Grant the Body of Christ unity. May we walk humbly with
You, God, allowing You to show us our wrongs as we also receive your forgiveness. Amen.

Learning Resources

Aguirre, Rodel M., et al. We Celebrate God’s Love. The Church and Sacraments. Quezon City: Vibal
Publishing House Inc., 2003.

Catechism for Filipino Catholics. Manila: Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, 1997.

Catechism of the Catholic Church. Makati, Metro, Manila: ECCCE and Word and Life Publications,
1994.

Christian Community Bible. Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines: Claretian Publications,
1986. https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/prayer/5-prayers-to-pray-for-your-church.html

McBride, Alfred. The Story of the Church, peak moments from Pentecost to the Year 2000. USA:
Alfred McBride, 1983.

Miller. Michael J. trans. YOUCAT (Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church). San Francisco: Ignatius
Press, 2011.
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