CATHOLIC CHURCH, Roman. By this name is designated the large body of Christians, united in doctrine and worship under the su preme jurisdiction of the Pope, the bishop of Rome. (See PAPACY). The members of this communion are wont rather to speak of it as the °Catholic Church? but admit the term °Roman° in the sense that to be Roman is to be Catholic and to be Catholic is to be Roman.° They hold that their Church alone possesses in its fullness the system of truths, laws and prac tices for the worship of God which was insti tuted by Jesus Christ (q.v.). Hence a brief statement of Catholic teaching on the origin, nature and properties of the Church of Christ will enable us to understand why the Roman Catholic Church demands that all men submit to her authority as a teacher, divinely appointed to make known with absolute certainty the con ditions of sahration.
From the Four Gospels, considered as trust worthy historical documents, we learn that Jesus Christ was certainly a divine messenger to all mankind, and that therefore all men are bound to receive His message with implicit submission. The doctrine which He teaches may be an, enforcement of truths which man might have learned, however imperfectly, by the use of his natural powers, or may include new truths which his natural powers would never have discovered. As Christ did not re main on earth to teach all men in person, He chose a band of apostles, whom He commis sioned to preach to all nations the truths He had taught them, promising His assistance unto the end of the world, and imposing upon all men, under penalty of losing their souls, the obligation of receiving His doctrine. The presence of the Holy Spirit was to preserve the Apostles from error and keep them perfectly united in their teaching.
Besides the gift of infallibility (q.v.), He conferred on them jurisdiction over all be lievers, the • right to govern with threefold power, legislative, judicial and executive. Moreover, they were to sanctify men by certain religious rites, called sacraments (q.v.), and for this purpose received the gift of Holy Orders (q.v.). To Peter (see SAINT PETER), one of the Twelve Apostles, was granted a primacy, not merely of honor, but of jurisdic tion. On him was Christ's Church to be built; he was to feed the entire flock, the lambs and the sheep. By thus organizing a body to teach, govern and sanctify men under the primacy of Saint Peter, Christ founded a religious society, supernatural in aims and means, and he chose for it the special name, the Church. (See
CHURCH, AN ORGANIZATION OF CHRISTIANS). This society was to last even unto the day of judgment; its duty was to teach all men; where fore the Apostles appointed their successors and transmitted to them the authority received from Christ. As the primacy of Saint Peter was the first foundation, necessary to ensure the unity and stability of the Church, it too was to last forever. The power he received was for him and his successors. There never should come a time when the doctrine of Christ would be lost through corruption.
Whence we gather that there exists to-day a religious society, empowered to teach with certainty all the truths of Christianity, and that it is a visible body, united in its government and religious teachings. The members of this society submit to its infallible teaching by pro fession of the faith, to its sacred ministry by the reception of baptism (q.v.) and to its ecclesiastical rule by obedience. If all men are obliged to enter this society, it is evident that Christ provided some signs, notes or marks by which His Church can become known to all earnest inquirers, by which it can be distin guished from other associations. Christ in tended that His Church should by known by Unity. It was to be one in faith, one in gov ernment, one in worship and one in the charity uniting all its members. It was to be known by Holiness. The Church is holy in its Founder; in its aim to lead men to God; in its means of sanctification, in the heroic virtue of many members and in the permanence of miracles among them. It was to be Catholic; that is, conspicuously diffused everywhere. Finally it was to be Apostolic. The governing and teaching body is the continuation of the Apostolic body to which Christ gave His mis sion and with which He promised to remain until the end of time. Whoever is not in communion with the successor of Saint Peter cannot possess union with the Apostolic body. The obligation of becoming a member of the Church is often expressed in these words: °Out of the Church there is no salvation." They do not mean that all who die out of the visible communion are lost. God does not inflict pun ishment but for a wilful fault, and those who without fault cannot see their obligation of joining the Church are not to blame. If, how ever, anyone, knowing this obligation, refuses to comply with it, he puts himself out of the way of salvation. The same holds true for those who neglect to examine properly into a matter of so great importance.