One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church

The phrase One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church appears in the Nicene Creed () and, in part, in the Apostles' Creed ("the holy catholic church", sanctam ecclesiam catholicam). It indicates the Four Marks (identifying signs) of the Christian Church — unity, holiness, universality, and apostolicity — and is based on the premise that all true Christians (irrespective of race, nationality or sex) form a single united group, the body of Christ (cf. ), founded by the apostles and innately holy.

Conflicting boundaries and definitions

The Roman Catholic Church, comprising particular Churches, both of Western and Eastern Rites, that form a single Church, claims to be the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. The Eastern Orthodox Church, comprising about 16 mutually recognizing autocephalous hierarchical Churches, similarly claims to be the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Before the Great Schism, both sides saw themselves as belonging to the same One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.

Both the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church believe that the term "one" in the Nicene Creed describes and prescribes a visible institutional unity, not only throughout the world, but also down the centuries. As they see it, unity is one of the four marks that the Creed attributes to the Church, and the essence of a mark is that it be visible. A Church whose identity and belief varied from country to country and from age to age would not be "one". In the New Testament, the word "Church" or "assembly" ( in the original language) normally refers to believers on earth, and Catholics and Orthodox conclude that the Creed's description "one" must be applicable to the Church on earth. The only exception to the normal New Testament use of the word "" is the mention of the " of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven" in Hebrews 12:23; and even there the Christians to whom the letter is addressed are associated with that heavenly Church ("you have come to...").

Similarly, many Anglicans, Lutherans, Old Catholics, and Independent Catholics view unity as a mark of catholicity, but see the institutional unity of the Catholic Church as manifested in the shared apostolic succession of their episcopacies.

Protestant and Evangelical Christians hold that the "One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church" refers to the "true" church of Christ and the communion of saints (i.e. those who have been saved through Divine Grace). From this perspective, any earthly church is an imperfect man-made institution intended to represent the "true" church - the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church that exists in eternity.

Meaning of the words catholic and apostolic

Catholic

The term "catholic" is derived from the Greek adjective καθολικός (katholikos), which means "general", "universal".Outside of a religious context, the word "catholic" is commonly used to mean no more than all-embracing in interests, sympathies, ideas and the like. In contrast, when the word "catholic" or "universal" is applied to the Church, it indicates that the Church is intended by God for the whole human race, all of whose members are called to belong to the Church, which, while remaining one and only one, is to be spread throughout the whole world and to all ages. And, even abstracting from this mission to the whole of humanity, the Church is inwardly catholic or universal in that, being one with Christ, the Church is endowed with all the means of salvation. (These two meanings of the catholicity or universality of the Church are explained at greater length in[http://www.usccb.org/catechism/text/pt1sect2chpt3art9p3.htm Catechism of the Catholic Church 830-831.)

Saint Ignatius of Antioch, the earliest known writer to use the phrase "the Catholic Church", excluded from it heterodox groups whose teaching and practice conflicted with those of the bishops of the Catholic Church. In keeping with this idea, the Roman Catholic Church sees as not part of the Catholic Church all the groups that it judges to be in a state of heresy or schism. Others have, since the Protestant Reformation, used the word "Catholic" to designate instead adherence to the doctrines and essential practices of the historical institutional Churches, in contrast to those propounded by the Reformers. In all the senses indicated in this paragraph, Catholic tends to be written with an upper-case 'C'.

The Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Oriental Orthodox Churches all see themselves as fully, and indeed exclusively, "catholic" in all the foregoing senses. Some Anglicans see their Communion as a component part of the Catholic Church, albeit not subject to the Holy See of Rome, and maintain beliefs and practices akin to those of the Roman Catholic Church.

Most Protestant denominations interpret "catholic", especially in its credal context, as referring to the concept of the eternal church of Christ and the Elect, which they see referenced in 's "body of Christ" and 's "great cloud of witnesses." Expressed in the language of traditional Roman Catholicism this Protestant interpretation of the words "one holy, catholic, and Apostolic church" identifies the "one holy, catholic, and Apostolic church" exclusively with the Church Triumphant - i.e. the church that exists "in heaven" or in eternity as opposed to the Church Militant which is the communion of the faithful here on Earth. They view this understanding of "catholic" as necessarily distinct from any concrete expression in an institutional Church. In this last sense, catholic tends to be written with a lower-case 'c'.

Apostolic

(1) The Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Churches, and the Anglican Communion interpret the adjective "apostolic" as referring not only to the Church's origin from Christ's Apostles and their teaching, but also the Church's structure around bishops who have succeeded to the Apostles by unbroken Apostolic Succession transmitted by episcopal ordination ("laying on of hands"). In their view, Christian communities that lack this mark (i.e. unbroken hierarchical structure) are not Churches in the full sense.

(1.a) A modern variant of this interpretation, held by many in the non-trinitarian "Apostolic church movement", including some Pentecostal groups, is that Apostolic refers to the charismatic gift of apostleship, which they claim continues to be granted by the Spirit to the faithful Church today. Being Apostolic for these people means being lead and taught by modern Apostles. In their view, Christian communities that lack this mark (i.e. charismatic hierarchical structure) are not Churches in the full sense.

(2) On the other hand, Protestant Evangelical Christians hold that the Apostolic Church of the Creed corresponds to no one _Denominations, but is instead the aggregate of all "true" Christians, regardless of denominational allegiance, who hold the faith of the Apostles (as preserved in Apostolic Scripture) and who further the mission of the Apostles (making disciples, baptising and teaching ()). In their view, Christian communities that lack this mark (i.e. holding to and proclaiming the Apostolic gospel of divine grace) are not Churches in the full sense.

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Conflicting boundaries and definitions

Meaning of the words catholic and apostolic

Catholic

Apostolic

See also