What Are You Looking For? Part 1: The Nicene Creed

Apostolic

Apostolic

            We’ve now come to the last of the four marks of the church.  We have seen how she is one, holy and catholic.  Now it’s time to explore the fact that she is apostolic.  For any who are of Protestant Traditions who may be reading this, I’m going to be speaking, not of the universal Body of Christ here, but of the Roman Catholic Church specifically.  There is a reason for this.  The Roman Catholic Church is the only church who can trace her leadership all the way back to the time of the Apostles through the line of the Popes.  From St. Peter to Pope Benedict XVI, there is an unbroken line of succession to the Throne of St. Peter.  If you open most Catholic Bibles, in the front is that list. 

            St. Peter received his commission directly from Jesus to lead the church after the Ascension.  And ever since, someone has taken his place.  Historically, some were really good and some weren’t.  Some were great political leaders, which during the time of the Papal States, was a good thing.  In addition to being the head of the universal church, the Pope was also responsible for the safety and security of the people living in the Papal States.  This was a concern of the Pope right up until the Republic of Italy captured the Papal States in 1870.  For the next several years the Pope was confined to Vatican Hill, and finally the Lateran Treaty of 1929 established Vatican City.  As you can see, it’s only been for the last (almost) 100 years that the Pope has been only what we see today: the Spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church.  That has always been an important part of his job, but for most of history, it wasn’t his only job.

            But even the military Popes and the bad Popes had one thing in common with the good and saintly Popes.  None of them ever changed a teaching of the church.  They defined a lot of teachings.  They clarified a lot of teachings.  But if you go back and read the early documents and compare them to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, what was taught then is exactly the same as what is taught now.  That’s not surprising because Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would come and teach the Apostles all things.  He promised Peter, “upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16: 18)  Which means that Peter couldn’t “get it wrong” so to speak.  Nor can his successors.  The Holy Spirit won’t permit it.         

            Along with being the Rock on which the church would be built St. Peter was also charged with the responsibility to coordinate that building.  This is the Apostolic Mission, which Jesus gave to the Apostles in the Great Commission.  But they all knew they would all eventually die.  So the Apostles appointed Bishops.  As the church grew, the Bishops came to need help.  Today we still have Bishops.  Pope Benedict XVI is the Bishop of Rome.  We also have priests, who carry out the work of the Bishop because, let’s face it, he can’t do it all himself.

            But neither can the priests.  That’s also part of the Apostolic Mission.  We are, each of us, called to assist the Pope, the Bishops, and our local priests in carrying out the Apostolic Mission of continuing to build the church.  There is something for all of us to do, and it’s all important.  Without each of us doing our part to fulfill the Apostolic Mission, without us helping the priests fulfill the Mission, they can’t help the Bishops fulfill the Mission.  And the Bishops can’t help the Pope fulfill the Mission.  And then, while the church will still be Apostolic in the sense that it was founded on the Apostles, it will cease to be Apostolic in the sense of its mission.