Course 2, Chapter 52: Perpetuation of our union with the new Adam. — The Church continued

1. What is the church?

The church is the society of all the faithful, united by the profession of the one same faith, the participation in the same sacraments and by submission to the same lawful pastors, chiefly to our holy father the pope.

2. Who are they who are not members of the church?

Infidels, heretics, schismatics, and rebellious Christians, whom the church cuts off from her body, by excommunication.

3. How many ways are there of belonging to the church?

There are two ways in which we can belong to the church, actually and virtually. We belong actually to the church when we exteriorly profess the faith of the church and submit to its pastors. A person belongs virtually to the church and can be saved, when, without any fault of his, he belongs to a society different from the true religion, provided he has true charity, desires to know the true religion, and does good according to his knowledge.

4. What are the marks of the true church V

There are four marks of the true church, pointed out by our Lord himself, unity, sanctity, catholicity and apostolicity.

5. What is meant by the unity of the Church?

By the unity of the church is meant, that she has always taught the same faith, commanded the same duties, and held the same sacraments.

6. What is meant by the sanctity of the church?

We mean that Jesus Christ, its head, is holy, its founders are holy, that she teaches truths and dutiei

calculated to make us holy, and that God has wrought miracles to prove the holiness of the church. Q. How is the church catholic? A. Because she teaches all the truths revealed by our Lord, without retrenching or altering any of them, and because she exists in all times and in all places. Q. How is the church apostolic? A. Because she comes down from the apostles; because the doctrine which she teaches has been received from the apostles; because it is the apostles who founded the church, and who commissioned the bishops and pastors who govern it. . Q. Which is the true church?

A. The Roman Catholic Church is the true church, because she alone is one, holy, catholic and apostolic. All the sects have sprung up since the time of the apostles, and have separated from the Roman Catholic Church. Q. Can you name two other great advantages to be found in the church?

A. Two other great advantages to be found in the church, are, the communion of saints and the forgive ness of sins.

7. What is the communion of saints? A. The communion of saints is the union which exists among the members of the church, who are on earth, in purgatory and in heaven; so that all the spiritual goods of the church benefit each of the f aitlif ul. Q. What is the remission of sins? A. The remission of sins is the power given to the church to forgive sins. This power is found only in the church, for it is only in the church that our Lord has said, Whatsoever you shall loose on earth, shall be loosed also in heaven.

8. What did our Lord do after having founded the church V

After having founded the church, our Lord ascended into heaven, to send the Holy Ghost who was to enlighten and jjuide the church till the end of the world.

248 CATECHISM OF PERSEVERANCE.