Catholic Tradition & the Kingdom of God (AQA GCSE Religious Studies B): Revision Note

Four marks of the Church

• The four marks of the Catholic Church are the qualities necessary for the Church to exist

• They are one, holy, catholic and apostolic

• They mark out the Catholic Church as different from every other institution

• They are stated in the Nicene Creed 

One

• The Church is one united body, known as the Body of Christ

• St Paul taught this idea to the Corinthians, saying:

• Even though there are many individual believers and churches worldwide, they all unite together as one body of believers, just as different limbs form one body

• Jesus encouraged unity among his followers, praying at the Last Supper “that they may all be one” (John 17:21)

Holy

• The Catholic Church is holy because God is at work within it through the presence of the Holy Spirit

• Even though the Church is filled with people who are far from perfect (sinners), they are all called to holiness because in baptism their original sin is washed away and they are filled with God’s grace

  • Baptism makes them holy and part of the family of God, the Body of Christ

Catholic

• Catholic means worldwide or universal

• The beliefs and teachings of the Church are universal, followed by Catholics worldwide

Apostolic

• The Catholic Church’s teachings are based on the teachings of Jesus’s apostles, the people Jesus first sent out to teach his message

• These teachings still guide the Church today

Apostolic succession

_{Bradley Weber, CC BY 2.0}

• Jesus’s closest followers were the apostles

  • They continued to spread the message of Jesus after his resurrection and ascension

  • When the apostles went to new areas, they appointed local leaders for the Church — these people became known as bishops

  • These bishops had the authority of the apostles

• St Peter was the leader of the apostles and was given special authority by Jesus to act as his representative on earth

  • St Peter later became the bishop of Rome, the first Pope

• Catholics believe that the Pope and bishops are the successors to the first apostles

• Apostolic authority has been handed down in an unbroken line from one generation of bishops to the next — this is called apostolic succession

• The combined authority of the bishops and Pope is known as the Magisterium

  • The Magisterium is the teaching authority of the Church

  • This means that working together, the Pope and bishops have the authority of the apostles to make important decisions about faith and doctrine

  • It is guided by the Holy Spirit and is therefore seen as infallible in its teachings (it is always right)