THE CATHOLICITY OF THE CHURCH

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord,God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

THE CATHOLICITY OF THE CHURCH

In the Greek text of the Nicaeo-Constantinopolitan Symbol of Faith (the Creed), the Church is called "catholic" What is the significance of this Greek word? The Christian Church from antiquity chose this word to signify one of the principal attributes of the Church, namely, to express its universal character. Saint Ignatius the God-bearer, an Apostolic Father, says, "Where Jesus Christ is, there is the catholic Church." This term is constantly to be found in the Acts of all the Ecumenical Councils. In the direct translation of the word, it signifies the highest degree of All-embracingness, WHOLENESS, FULLNESS (being derived from CATH OLA, meaning "THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE ”).

The Church is catholic. This corresponds to the Apostolic words, "the FULLNESS of Him that filleth all in all" [Ephesians 1:23]. This concept indicates that THE WHOLE HUMAN RACE IS CALLED TO SALVATION, and therefore all men are intended to be members of the Church of Christ, even though not all do not belong to her in fact. "Why is the Church called catholic? "Because she is not limited to any place, nor time, nor people, but CONTAINS TRUE BELIEVERS OF ALL PLACES, TIMES, AND PEOPLES."

The Church is NOT LIMITED by place. It embraces in itself ALL PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE IN THE ORTHODOX WAY, wherever they might live on the earth. On the other hand it is essential to have in mind that the Church was catholic even when it was composed of a limited number of communities, and also when, on the day of Pentecost, its bounds were not extended beyond the Upper Room of Zion and Jerusalem.

The Church is NOT LIMITED by time: It is foreordained to bring people to faith "UNTO THE END OF THE WORLD." "I AM WITH YOU ALWAY, EVEN UNTO THE END OF THE WORLD" [Matthew 28:20).  The Spirit, the Comforter, "WILL ABIDE WITH YOU FOREVER" [John 14:16]. The Mystery of the Eucharist WILL BE PERFORMED UNTIL THE LORD COMES AGAIN TO EARTH" [1 Corinthians 11:26].

The Church IS NOT BOUND UP with any conditions of civil order which it would consider indispensable for itself, not with any definite language or people. [Source: Orthodox Dogmatic Theology]

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"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomoas
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With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George