Recognizing the True Church
With so many churches in the world, how can someone recognize the one Jesus founded?
This lesson describes the Church’s special qualities and the four marks we profess every
Sunday: one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.
Three Gifts Christ Gave His Church
122. Q. Which are the attributes of the Church?
A. The attributes of the Church are three: authority, infallibility, and indefectibility.
123. Q. What do you mean by the authority of the Church?
A. By the authority of the Church I mean the right and power which the Pope and the
bishops, as the successors of the Apostles, have to teach and to govern the faithful.
124. Q. What do you mean by the infallibility of the Church?
A. By the infallibility of the Church I mean that the Church cannot err when it teaches a
doctrine of faith or morals.
125. Q. When does the Church teach infallibly?
A. The Church teaches infallibly when it speaks through the Pope and the bishops,
united in general council, or through the Pope alone when he proclaims to all the faithful
a doctrine of faith or morals.
126. Q. What do you mean by the indefectibility of the Church?
A. By the indefectibility of the Church I mean that the Church, as Christ founded it, will
last till the end of time.
127. Q. In whom are these attributes found in their fullness?
A. These attributes are found in their fullness in the Pope, the visible Head of the
Church, whose infallible authority to teach bishops, priests, and people in matters of
faith or morals will last till the end of the world.
These are big words for simple ideas:
• Authority: the Pope and bishops have the right to teach and lead in Christ’s name.
• Infallibility: when the Church solemnly teaches on faith or morals, God protects it from
error. (“Infallible” means “cannot be wrong.”)
• Indefectibility: the Church will never fail or disappear. It will last until the end of the
world.
A common misunderstanding: infallibility does not mean the Pope never sins or is never
wrong about anything. Popes go to Confession like everyone else. It means that when the
Pope, or the bishops united with him, formally define a teaching on faith or morals for the
whole Church, the Holy Spirit keeps them from teaching error. This is rare and solemn.
Jesus promised this protection: “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew
16:18), and “I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world” (Matthew
28:20).
Remember: God protects His Church from error in solemn teaching and keeps it alive until the
end.
Read more: Catechism of the Catholic Church §§888–892.
The Four Marks of the Church
128. Q. Has the Church any marks by which it may be known?
A. The Church has four marks by which it may be known: it is One; it is Holy; it is
Catholic; it is Apostolic.
A mark is a sign that helps you recognize something. We name these four every Sunday in
the Creed: “I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.”
One
129. Q. How is the Church One?
A. The Church is One because all its members agree in one faith, are all in one
communion, and are all under one Head.
Catholics around the world, in every language and culture, believe the same faith, share the
same sacraments, and are united under the same Pope. Jesus prayed at the Last Supper “that
they all may be one” (John 17:21).
Holy
130. Q. How is the Church Holy?
A. The Church is Holy because its founder, Jesus Christ, is holy; because it teaches a
holy doctrine; invites all to a holy life; and because of the eminent holiness of so many
thousands of its children.
The Church is holy even though its members are sinners. Its holiness comes from Jesus, its
teaching, and its sacraments, not from how good its members are. Still, the Church has
produced countless saints in every century, which is a powerful sign of its holiness. The
Church is like a hospital: it is full of sick people, because that is where healing happens.
Catholic
131. Q. How is the Church Catholic or universal?
A. The Church is Catholic or universal because it subsists in all ages, teaches all nations,
and maintains all truth.
Catholic means “universal” or “for everyone.” The Church has existed in every age since
Jesus, is found in every nation, and teaches the whole truth Christ gave, not just parts of it.
Apostolic
132. Q. How is the Church Apostolic?
A. The Church is Apostolic because it was founded by Christ on His Apostles, and is
governed by their lawful successors, and because it has never ceased, and never will
cease, to teach their doctrine.
The Church goes all the way back to the Apostles. Its bishops can trace their ordination back
to them in an unbroken chain, and it still teaches what the Apostles taught.
Remember: One, holy, catholic, apostolic: the four signs of the true Church.
Read more: Catechism of the Catholic Church §§811–870.
Where These Marks Are Found
133. Q. In which Church are these attributes and marks found?
A. These attributes and marks are found in the Holy Roman Catholic Church alone.
134. Q. From whom does the Church derive its undying life and infallible authority?
A. The Church derives its undying life and infallible authority from the Holy Ghost, the
spirit of truth, who abides with it forever.
135. Q. By whom is the Church made and kept One, Holy, and Catholic?
A. The Church is made and kept One, Holy, and Catholic by the Holy Ghost, the spirit of
love and holiness, who unites and sanctifies its members throughout the world.
The Catholic Church teaches that the Church Christ founded subsists in the Catholic Church,
meaning it is found there in its fullness. Other Christians share many true and holy things
with us, such as Baptism and the Scriptures, and the Church calls them brothers and sisters in
Christ. Catholics pray and work for the day when all Christians are fully united again.
What keeps the Church alive and united through all the centuries is not human skill. It is the
Holy Spirit.
Remember: The Holy Spirit keeps the Catholic Church one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.
Read more: Catechism of the Catholic Church §§816–822.
Putting It Into Practice
• Next Sunday, listen for the four marks when you pray the Creed.
• Read the life of a saint from a country or century very different from your own.
• Pray for the unity of all Christians.
Questions to Think About
1. How can the Church be holy when its members, including its leaders, sin?
2. What would you say to a friend who thinks infallibility means the Pope can never be
wrong?
A Prayer
Lord Jesus, you prayed that all your followers may be one. Keep your Church
faithful to the truth, make her holy, spread her to every nation, and bring all
Christians together in one family. Amen.