Catechism of the Catholic Church · Part One › Section Two › Chapter Three › Article 9 · Paragraph 2 (§§781–810)
Paragraphs · 30
The Catechism's text is under copyright, so each paragraph is quoted briefly here with a link to the full text at vatican.va.
I. the Church - People of God
- §781 — "At all times and in every race, anyone who fears God and does what is right has been acceptable to him. He has, however, willed to make men holy and save them, not as individuals without any bond or link between them, but rather to…vatican.va
- §782 — The People of God is marked by characteristics that clearly distinguish it from all other religious, ethnic, political, or cultural groups found in history: - It is the People of God: God is not the property of any one people.vatican.va
- §783 — Jesus Christ is the one whom the Father anointed with the Holy Spirit and established as priest, prophet, and king. the whole People of God participates in these three offices of Christ and bears the responsibilities for mission and service that flow from them.vatican.va
- §784 — ' the baptized, by regeneration and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, are consecrated to be a spiritual house and a holy priesthood."vatican.va
- §785 — "The holy People of God shares also in Christ's prophetic office," above all in the supernatural sense of faith that belongs to the whole People, lay and clergy, when it "unfailingly adheres to this faith .vatican.va
- §786 — Finally, the People of God shares in the royal office of Christ. He exercises his kingship by drawing all men to himself through his death and Resurrection.vatican.va
Ii. the Church - Body of Christ
- §787 — From the beginning, Jesus associated his disciples with his own life, revealed the mystery of the Kingdom to them, and gave them a share in his mission, joy, and sufferings.vatican.va
- §788 — When his visible presence was taken from them, Jesus did not leave his disciples orphans. He promised to remain with them until the end of time; he sent them his Spirit.vatican.va
- §789 — The comparison of the Church with the body casts light on the intimate bond between Christ and his Church. Not only is she gathered around him; she is united in him, in his body.vatican.va
- §790 — Believers who respond to God's word and become members of Christ's Body, become intimately united with him: "In that body the life of Christ is communicated to those who believe, and who, through the sacraments, are united in a hidden and real way to Christ in his Passion and glorification."vatican.va
- §791 — The body's unity does not do away with the diversity of its members: "In the building up of Christ's Body there is engaged a diversity of members and functions.vatican.va
- §792 — Christ "is the head of the body, the Church." He is the principle of creation and redemption. Raised to the Father's glory, "in everything he (is) preeminent," especially in the Church, through whom he extends his reign over all things.vatican.va
- §793 — Christ unites us with his Passover: all his members must strive to resemble him, "until Christ be formed" in them. "For this reason we .vatican.va
- §794 — Christ provides for our growth: to make us grow toward him, our head, he provides in his Body, the Church, the gifts and assistance by which we help one another along the way of salvation.vatican.va
- §795 — Christ and his Church thus together make up the "whole Christ" (Christus totus). the Church is one with Christ. the saints are acutely aware of this unity:vatican.va
- §796 — The unity of Christ and the Church, head and members of one Body, also implies the distinction of the two within a personal relationship. This aspect is often expressed by the image of bridegroom and bride.vatican.va
Iii. the Church is the Temple of the Holy Spirit
- §797 — "What the soul is to the human body, the Holy Spirit is to the Body of Christ, which is the Church." "To this Spirit of Christ, as an invisible principle, is to be ascribed the fact that all the parts of the body are joined…vatican.va
- §798 — The Holy Spirit is "the principle of every vital and truly saving action in each part of the Body." He works in many ways to build up the whole Body in charity: by God's Word "which is able to build you up"; by Baptism, through…vatican.va
- §799 — Whether extraordinary or simple and humble, charisms are graces of the Holy Spirit which directly or indirectly benefit the Church, ordered as they are to her building up, to the good of men, and to the needs of the world.vatican.va
- §800 — Charisms are to be accepted with gratitude by the person who receives them and by all members of the Church as well. They are a wonderfully rich grace for the apostolic vitality and for the holiness of the entire Body of Christ, provided they really…vatican.va
- §801 — It is in this sense that discernment of charisms is always necessary. No charism is exempt from being referred and submitted to the Church's shepherds.vatican.va
In Brief
- §802 — Christ Jesus "gave himself for us to redeem us from all iniquity and to purify for himself a people of his own" (Titus 2:14).vatican.va
- §803 — "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people" (1 Pet 2:9).vatican.va
- §804 — One enters into the People of God by faith and Baptism. "All men are called to belong to the new People of God" (LG 13), so that, in Christ, "men may form one family and one People of God" (AG 1).vatican.va
- §805 — The Church is the Body of Christ. Through the Spirit and his action in the sacraments, above all the Eucharist, Christ, who once was dead and is now risen, establishes the community of believers as his own Body.vatican.va
- §806 — In the unity of this Body, there is a diversity of members and functions. All members are linked to one another, especially to those who are suffering, to the poor and persecuted.vatican.va
- §807 — The Church is this Body of which Christ is the head: she lives from him, in him, and for him; he lives with her and in her.vatican.va
- §808 — The Church is the Bride of Christ: he loved her and handed himself over for her. He has purified her by his blood and made her the fruitful mother of all God's children.vatican.va
- §809 — The Church is the Temple of the Holy Spirit. the Spirit is the soul, as it were, of the Mystical Body, the source of its life, of its unity in diversity, and of the riches of its gifts and charisms.vatican.va
- §810 — "Hence the universal Church is seen to be 'a people brought into unity from the unity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit'" (LG 4 citing St.vatican.va
Scripture cited · 122 verses
Matthew 5:13 · Matthew 5:14 · Matthew 5:15 · Matthew 5:16 · Matthew 13:10 · Matthew 13:11 · Matthew 13:12 · Matthew 13:13 · Matthew 13:14 · Matthew 13:15 · Matthew 13:16 · Matthew 13:17 · Matthew 19:6 · Matthew 20:28 · Matthew 22:1 · Matthew 22:2 · Matthew 22:3 · Matthew 22:4 · Matthew 22:5 · Matthew 22:6 · Matthew 22:7 · Matthew 22:8 · Matthew 22:9 · Matthew 22:10 · Matthew 22:11 · Matthew 22:12 · Matthew 22:13 · Matthew 22:14 · Matthew 25:1 · Matthew 25:2 · Matthew 25:3 · Matthew 25:4 · Matthew 25:5 · Matthew 25:6 · Matthew 25:7 · Matthew 25:8 · Matthew 25:9 · Matthew 25:10 · Matthew 25:11 · Matthew 25:12 · Matthew 25:13 · Matthew 28:20 · Mark 1:16 · Mark 1:17 · Mark 1:18 · Mark 1:19 · Mark 1:20 · Mark 2:19 · Mark 3:13 · Mark 3:14 · Mark 3:15 · Mark 3:16 · Mark 3:17 · Mark 3:18 · Mark 3:19 · Luke 10:17 · Luke 10:18 · Luke 10:19 · Luke 10:20 · Luke 22:28 · Luke 22:29 · Luke 22:30 · John 3:3 · John 3:4 · John 3:5 · John 3:29 · John 6:56 · John 12:32 · John 14:18 · John 15:4 · John 15:5 · John 20:22 · Acts 2:33 · Acts 10:35 · Acts 20:32 · Romans 6:4 · Romans 6:5 · Romans 8:2 · Romans 8:17 · 1 Corinthians 3:16 · 1 Corinthians 3:17 · 1 Corinthians 6:15 · 1 Corinthians 6:16 · 1 Corinthians 6:17 · 1 Corinthians 11:25 · 1 Corinthians 12:7 · 1 Corinthians 12:13 · 1 Corinthians 12:26 · 2 Corinthians 6:16 · 2 Corinthians 11:2 · Galatians 3:27 · Galatians 3:28 · Galatians 4:19 · Galatians 5:25 · Ephesians 1:4 · Ephesians 2:21 · Ephesians 4:11 · Ephesians 4:12 · Ephesians 4:13 · Ephesians 4:14 · Ephesians 4:15 · Ephesians 4:16 · Ephesians 5:25 · Ephesians 5:26 · Ephesians 5:29 · Ephesians 5:31 · Ephesians 5:32 · Philippians 3:21 · Colossians 1:18 · Colossians 2:19 · 1 Thessalonians 5:12 · 1 Thessalonians 5:19 · 1 Thessalonians 5:20 · 1 Thessalonians 5:21 · Hebrews 5:1 · Hebrews 5:2 · Hebrews 5:3 · Hebrews 5:4 · Hebrews 5:5 · 1 Peter 2:9 · Revelation 1:6 · Revelation 22:17