The Pope and the bishops are owed honor, respect, obedience and love by the faithful. We obey the fourth commandment of God, and thus serve Him and His Church, when we honor, love, respect, and obey the Pope and the bishops in union with him. To be a Catholic means to believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, established …

Everyone in the Church deserves our deepest respect since, through Baptism, we are united to Christ in His Mystical Body and become His brothers and sisters. Every human person is created in the image and likeness of God and is precious in His eyes. Our Lord said, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the …

The Catholic Church is a community since its members share Christ’s life with one another; it is a people brought together by God. The Church is a community of those throughout the world whom God has called to give witness to Christ and to the new life He has brought to man. This assembly is called the “People of God” …

All the members of the Church are equal, but they have different duties and roles. They are united to each other as the one People of God whose Head is Christ. Describing the Church as the “People of God” emphasizes the fact that the Church is composed of people, including the Pope, bishops, priests, deacons, and the laity. As the …

The Catholic Church is the community of all baptized persons united in the same true faith, the same sacrifice, the same sacraments, under the authority of the Sovereign Pontiff, the Bishop of Rome, and the bishops in communion with him. In the Old Testament, God made Israel the first People of God. He made Israel a sacred community, dearer to …

The Church is a living continuation of Christ on earth because Christ spiritually and mystically lives and acts through the Church. It is a living organism, not just an organization. Christ organized the Church to carry on His work in the world and to bring His ministry and truth to all men and all ages. It is Christ Who accomplishes …

The Catholic always sees the Church in its relationship to Christ. It is not the Church as such that is the primary object of Catholic faith. The Catholic believes in Christ and in His Father and in the Holy Spirit. In the Creed, the Catholic professes his belief in “the holy catholic Church” precisely because he sees the Church as …

The Catholic Church belongs entirely to Christ, because He is the Head of the Church, its Founder, its Spouse, and its Savior. He continues to do His saving work in and through the Church. In the New Testament we see Christ’s preparation for the Church, His promises concerning it, and the beginning of their rich fulfillment. Christ is the Light …

By means of these gifts, the Catholic Church can act and grow as a community in Christ, by serving men and giving them His saving word and activity. The Catholic Church is nourished by God’s saving truth, the sacraments, and the apostolic ministry. Through these gifts, the Church Militant (the Church on earth) is able to grow and to continue …

Yes, the other gifts of the Church besides the truths of the faith and the sacraments are the ministries inherited from the Apostles (cf. Q. 140). St. Peter was Christ’s chief ambassador on earth. The whole Church was entrusted to his care. The Apostles shared their responsibility with others, called bishops. Today the Church continues, through the Pope and its …