Course Number: Religious Education 203 (ReEd 203)

Course Title: The Catholic Church: Valuing Her Identity and Mission
Pre-requisite: ReEd 102

Table of Contents

Topic Page
Couse Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01
Course Outline ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 01-07
Module 1 General Introduction--------------------------------------------------------------- 08
Unit 1 Preliminaries------------------------------------------------------------------------ 08
Lesson 1 Review of ReEd 2------------------------------------------------------------ 08-10
Lesson 2 The Etymology --------------------------------------------------------------- 10
A. The Etymology of the Word “Ecclesiology”---------------------------- 10
B. Two Ways of Viewing the Church ---------------------------------------- 10
C. The Church: A Divine and Human Reality------------------------------ 10
Lesson 3 The Church in God's Plan----------------------------------------------- 11
A. Names and Images of the Church --------------------------------------- 11
B. The Three Meanings of the Church-------------------------------------- 11
C. Symbols of the Church ----------------------------------------------------- 11-12
Module 2 The Holy Catholic Church------------------------------------------------------- 13
Unit 1 The Church Origin, Foundation and Mission-------------------------------- 13
Lesson 1 The Church’s Origin----------------------------------------------------- 13
A. The Trinity's Plan for the Church----------------------------------------- 13
B. The Father's Family --------------------------------------------------------- 13
C. The Goal of Creation-------------------------------------------------------- 13-14
Lesson 2 The Church’s Foundation --------------------------------------------- 14
A. Jesus Ushers in the Kingdom -------------------------------------------- 14
B. Jesus Gives the Church a Structure------------------------------------- 15
C. The Spirit Displays the Church------------------------------------------- 16
Lesson 3 The Church’s Mission------------------------------------------------- 16
A. The Church in the Old Testament-------------------------------------- 16
B. The Church Instituted by Christ Jesus--------------------------------- 16
C. The Church Revealed by the Holy Spirit------------------------------ 16
Unit 2 The Nature of the Church------------------------------------------------------ 17
Lesson 1 Visible and Spiritual--------------------------------------------------- 17
A. Human and Divine--------------------------------------------------------- 17
B. Temporal and Eternal---------------------------------------------------- 17
C. “Semper Reformanda” (Always in Conversion)-------------------- 18
Lesson 2 A Visible Sign of Salvation-------------------------------------------- 18
A. Sign of Unity-------------------------------------------------------------- 18
B. Sacrament of Salvation ------------------------------------------------ 18
 C.Pilgrim, Purifying, Triumphant---------------------------------------- 19
Unit 3 The Mystery of the Church-------------------------------------------------- 19
Lesson 1 The Church as People of God--------------------------------------- 19
A. People of God in the Old Testament-------------------------------- 19-20
B. People of God in the New Testament------------------------------ 19-22
C. Seven Characteristics of God's People------------------------------ 22
Lesson 2 The Church as Body of Christ-------------------------------------- 23
A. Concepts of the Body---------------------------------------------------- 23
B. The Church as the Christ----------------------------------------------- 24
C. The Church is the Bride of Christ------------------------------------- 24
Lesson 3 The Church as Temple of the Holy Spirit------------------------- 25
A. Introduction--------------------------------------------------------------- 25
B. The Spirit's Gifts for the Church-------------------------------------- 26
C. Believing in the Holy Spirit--------------------------------------------- 27
D. The Charisms-------------------------------------------------------------- 27-29
Module 3 The Four Essential Features of the Church------------------------------- 30
Unit 1 The Church is One------------------------------------------------------------- 30
Lesson 1 Unity from the Trinity----------------------------------------------- 30
A. Diversity within the Unity---------------------------------------------- 30
B. Three Bonds of Unity --------------------------------------------------- 31
C. Diversity within Unity--------------------------------------------------- 31
D. “Subsist in” (From Peter to the last Pope)------------------------- 31
Lesson 2 Unity of Christians---------------------------------------------------- 32
A. Wounds of Unity: Heresy , Apostasy, Schism---------------------- 32
B. Vestiges of Truth and Holiness Outside the Church-------------- 33
C. Recovering Our Lost Unity---------------------------------------------- 34
Unit 2 The Church is Holy----------------------------------------------------------- 35
Lesson 1 Holy as the Bride of Christ---------------------------------------- 35
A. Church as Christ’s Bride------------------------------------------------- 35
B. Church as Sanctifying---------------------------------------------------- 35
C. Charity, the Soul of Holiness------------------------------------------- 35
Lesson 2 Church on the Way to Holiness------------------------------------ 36
A. Universal Call to Holiness----------------------------------------------- 36
B. Holy yet Gathering up Sinners ---------------------------------------- 36
C. Canonizing Saints--------------------------------------------------------- 36
Unit 3 The Church is Catholic---------------------------------------------------- 37
Lesson 1 Meaning of Catholicity---------------------------------------------- 37
A. Catholic as “Universal”------------------------------------------------ 37
B. Roman Catholic Church----------------------------------------------- 37
C. Particular and Universal Church------------------------------------ 38
Lesson 2 Universal Call to Belong to the Catholic Church-------------- 38
A. Church and the Orthodox Churches------------------------------- 38
B. Church and the Non-Christians------------------------------------- 39
C. “Outside the Church there is no Salvation”--------------------- 39
 Lesson 3 Mission and Catholicity------------------------------------------- 40
A. Missionary Mandate-------------------------------------------------- 40
B. Missionary Motivation----------------------------------------------- 40
C. Missionary Paths------------------------------------------------------ 41
Unit 4 The Church is Apostolic ------------------------------------------------ 42
Lesson 1 The Apostles’ Mission ------------------------------------------- 42
A. Apostolic in Three Ways--------------------------------------------- 42
B. The Appointment of the Twelve----------------------------------- 42
C. The Mission to Baptize and to Evangelize----------------------- 42
Lesson 2 The Apostolic Succession------------------------------------------ 43
A. The Duty to Pass on the Office------------------------------------- 43
B. Bishops – Successors of the Apostles----------------------------- 43
C. The Apostolate--------------------------------------------------------- 43-44
Module 4 Christ’s Faithful--------------------------------------------------------------- 45
Unit 1 The Hierarchical Constitution of the Church-------------------------- 45
Lesson 1 Diversity of Ministries ---------------------------------------------- 45
A. Receiving a Mandate - Holy Orders ------------------------------- 45
B. A Service ---------------------------------------------------------------- 45
C. A College of Service --------------------------------------------------- 46
Lesson 2 The Hierarchy --------------------------------------------------------- 46
A. Episcopacy--------------------------------------------------------------- 47
B. Papacy -------------------------------------------------------------------- 48-49
C. Presbyterate------------------------------------------------------------- 49-51
D. Diaconate----------------------------------------------------------------- 51-52
Lesson 3 The Apostolic College------------------------------------------------ 52
A. Foundation of Unity--------------------------------------------------- 52-53
B. The College of Bishops------------------------------------------------ 53
C. Unity in the Diocese and the Province --------------------------- 53
Unit 2 The Laity----------------------------------------------------------------------- 54
Lesson 1 The Mission of the Lay Faithful-------------------------------------- 54
A. Right to Preach the Gospel ------------------------------------------ 54
B. Consecrating the World and the Family -------------------------- 54-55
C. Permanent and Other Ministries ----------------------------------- 55
Lesson 2 Witness of Life and Word ------------------------------------------ 55
A. Bringing Their Special Competence -------------------------------- 55
B. Changing the World ---------------------------------------------------- 56
C. Helping Their Pastors -------------------------------------------------- 56
Lesson 3 Church and Society---------------------------------------------------- 56
A. As Witness of the Church --------------------------------------------- 56
B. Unite the Church and Society ---------------------------------------- 57
C. Living Instrument of the Mission of the Church----------------- 57
Unit 3 The Consecrated Life--------------------------------------------------------- 58
Lesson 1 Evangelical Counsels------------------------------------------------- 58
A. Poverty-------------------------------------------------------------------- 58
 B. Chastity-------------------------------------------------------------------- 58
C. Obedience---------------------------------------------------------------- 58
Lesson 2 Religious Families----------------------------------------------------- 59
A. The Hermit in Solitude ------------------------------------------------ 59
B. The Consecrated Virgin------------------------------------------------ 59
C. Consecrated in Canonical in statutes------------------------------- 59-60
Lesson 3 United with the Bishop ----------------------------------------------- 60
A. Consecrated Life in the World --------------------------------------- 60-61
B. Apostolic Life in Common -------------------------------------------- 61
C. Consecrated and Serving---------------------------------------------- 61
Module 5 The Communion of the Saints--------------------------------------------- 62
Unit 1 The Church as Communion------------------------------------------------- 62
Lesson 1 The Church as Communion------------------------------------------- 62
A. What is communion? -------------------------------------------------- 62
B. With whom does the Church Commune -------------------------- 62
C. How does the Church Commune------------------------------------ 62
Lesson 2 Communion in Spiritual Goods ------------------------------------- 63
A. Communion in Faith---------------------------------------------------- 63
B. Communion of the Sacraments-------------------------------------- 63
C. Communion of Charisms---------------------------------------------- 63
D. Communion in Charity------------------------------------------------- 63
Lesson 3 Three States of the Church----------------------------------------- 64
A. Saints in Heaven--------------------------------------------------------- 64
B. Souls in Purgatory ------------------------------------------------------ 64
C. In the One Family of God---------------------------------------------- 65
Unit 2 The Blessed Virgin Mary------------------------------------------------------- 65
Lesson 1 Mother of Christ------------------------------------------------------- 65
A. From Conception to Cross to Ascension--------------------------- 65-66
B. Being Assumed into Heaven ----------------------------------------- 66
C. A Unique Member------------------------------------------------------ 66
Lesson 2 Mother of the Church------------------------------------------------ 67
A. Annunciation to Assumption----------------------------------------- 67
B. Our Mother in Order of Grace--------------------------------------- 67
C. Devotion to Mary------------------------------------------------------- 67-68
Lesson 3 Mary, the Eschatological Icon of the Church--------------------- 68
A. Full of grace from all eternity----------------------------------------- 68
B. Mary is the perfect image of human freedom and liberation- 68-69
C. Mary is immaculate in heart and filled with all virtues--------- 69
Unit 3 The Local Church--------------------------------------------------------------- 70
Lesson 1 The Church of the Philippines---------------------------------------- 71-81
Lesson 2 The Church of Mindanao---------------------------------------------- 81
Lesson 3 The Church of Davao--------------------------------------------------- 81-84
References--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 84