Toward Christians who live in this situation, and who often keep the Faith and desire to bring up their children in a Christian manner, priests and the whole commUnity must manifest an attentive solicitude, so that they do not consider themselves separated from the Church, in whose life they can and must participate as baptized perSons:

Yet there are some situations in which living together becomes practically impossible for a variety of Reasons. In such cases the Church permits the physical separation of the couple and their living apart. the spouses do not cease to be husband and wife before God and so are not free to contract a new union. In this difficult situation, the best solution would be, if possible, reconciliation. the Christian commUnity is called to help these perSons live out their situation in a Christian manner and in fidelity to their Marriage bond which remains indissoluble. 157

It can seem difficult, even impossible, to bind oneself for life to another human being. This makes it all the more important to proclaim the Good News that God Loves us with a definitive and irrevocable love, that married couples share in this love, that it supports and sustains them, and that by their own Faithfulness they can be witnesses to God's Faithful love. Spouses who with God's grace give this witness, often in very difficult conditions, deserve the gratitude and support of the ecclesial commUnity. 156

"The Unity of Marriage, distinctly recognized by our Lord, is made clear in the equal perSonal dignity which must be accorded to man and wife in mutual and unreserved affection." 153 Polygamy is contrary to conjugal Love which is undivided and exclusive. 154

The Love of the spouses requires, of its very nature, the Unity and indissolubility of the spouses' community of perSons, which embraces their entire life: "so they are no longer two, but one flesh." 151 They "are called to grow continually in their Communion through day-to-day fidelity to their Marriage promise of total mutual self-giving." 152 This human communion is confirmed, purified, and completed by communion in Jesus Christ, given through the Sacrament of Matrimony. It is deepened by lives of the common Faith and by the Eucharist received together.

"Conjugal Love involves a totality, in which all the elements of the perSon enter - appeal of the body and instinct, power of feeling and affectivity, aspiration of the spirit and of will. It aims at a deeply personal Unity, a unity that, beyond union in one flesh, leads to forming one heart and Soul; it demands indissolubility and Faithfulness in definitive mutual giving; and it is open to fertility. In a word it is a question of the normal characteristics of all natural conjugal love, but with a new significance which not only purifies and strengthens them, but raises them to the extent of making them the expression of specifically Christian values." 150

"By Reason of their state in life and of their order, [Christian spouses] have their own special gifts in the People of God." 145 This grace proper to the Sacrament of Matrimony is intended to perfect the couple's Love and to strengthen their indissoluble Unity. By this grace they "help one another to attain holiness in their married life and in welcoming and educating their children." 146

Difference of confession between the spouses does not constitute an insurmountable obstacle for Marriage, when they succeed in placing in common what they have received from their respective communities, and learn from each other the way in which each lives in fidelity to Christ. But the difficulties of mixed marriages must not be underestimated. They arise from the fact that the separation of Christians has not yet been overcome. the spouses risk experiencing the tragedy of Christian disUnity even in the heart of their own home. Disparity of cult can further aggravate these difficulties. Differences about Faith and the very notion of marriage, but also different religious mentalities, can become sources of tension in marriage, especially as regards the education of children. the temptation to religious indifference can then arise.

Seeing God's covenant with Israel in the image of exclusive and Faithful married Love, the prophets prepared the Chosen People's conscience for a deepened understanding of the Unity and indissolubility of Marriage. 102 The books of Ruth and Tobit bear moving witness to an elevated sense of marriage and to the fidelity and tenderness of spouses. Tradition has always seen in the Song of Solomon a unique expression of human love, a pure reflection of God's love - a love "strong as death" that "many waters cannot quench." 103

The Christian funeral confers on the deceased neither a Sacrament nor a sacramental Since he has "passed" beyond the sacramental economy. It is nonetheless a liturgical Celebration of the Church. 185 The ministry of the Church aims at expressing efficacious Communion with the deceased, at the participation in that communion of the commUnity gathered for the funeral and at the proclamation of eternal life to the community.

Human interdependence is increaSing and gradually spreading throughout the world. the Unity of the human family, embracing people who enjoy equal natural dignity, implies a universal common good. This good calls for an organization of the community of nations able to "provide for the different needs of men; this will involve the sphere of social life to which belong questions of food, hygiene, education, . . . and certain situations arising here and there, as for example . . . alleviating the miseries of refugees dispersed throughout the world, and assisting migrants and their families." 29

Each human commUnity possesses a common good which permits it to be recognized as such; it is in the political community that its most complete realization is found. It is the role of the state to defend and promote the common good of civil society, its citizens, and intermediate bodies.

Every human commUnity needs an authority to govern it. 16 The foundation of such authority lies in human nature. It is necessary for the unity of the state. Its role is to ensure as far as possible the common good of the society.

Socialization also presents dangers. Excessive intervention by the state can threaten perSonal freedom and initiative. the teaching of the Church has elaborated the principle of subsidiarity, according to which "a commUnity of a higher order should not interfere in the internal life of a community of a lower order, depriving the latter of its functions, but rather should support it in case of need and help to co-ordinate its activity with the activities of the rest of society, always with a view to the common good." 7

Each commUnity is defined by its purpose and consequently obeys specific rules; but "the human perSon . . . is and ought to be the principle, the subject and the end of all social institutions." 4

A society is a group of perSons bound together organically by a principle of Unity that goes beyond each one of them. As an assembly that is at once visible and spiritual, a society endures through time: it gathers up the past and prepares for the future. By means of society, each man is established as an "heir" and receives certain "talents" that enrich his identity and whose fruits he must develop. 3 He rightly owes loyalty to the communities of which he is part and respect to those in authority who have charge of the common good.

The vocation of humanity is to show forth the image of God and to be transformed into the image of the Father's only Son. This vocation takes a personal form Since each of us is called to enter into the divine beatitude; it also concerns the human commUnity as a whole.

A farewell to the deceased is his final "commendation to God" by the Church. It is "the last farewell by which the Christian commUnity greets one of its Members before his body is brought to its tomb." 191 The Byzantine tradition expresses this by the kiss of farewell to the deceased:

The Eucharistic Sacrifice. When the Celebration takes place in Church the Eucharist is the heart of the Paschal reality of Christian death. 189 In the Eucharist, the Church expresses her efficacious Communion with the departed: offering to the Father in the Holy Spirit the sacrifice of the death and resurrection of Christ, she asks to purify his child of his Sins and their consequences, and to admit him to the Paschal fullness of the table of the Kingdom. 190 It is by the Eucharist thus celebrated that the commUnity of the Faithful, especially the family of the deceased, learn to live in communion with the one who "has fallen asleep in the Lord," by communicating in the Body of Christ of which he is a living member and, then, by praying for him and with him.

The greeting of the commUnity. A greeting of Faith begins the Celebration. Relatives and friends of the deceased are welcomed with a word of "consolation" (in the New Testament sense of the Holy Spirit's power in hope). 187 The community assembling in prayer also awaits the "words of eternal life." the death of a member of the community (or the anniversary of a death, or the seventh or fortieth day after death) is an event that should lead beyond the perspectives of "this world" and should draw the Faithful into the true perspective of faith in the risen Christ.

Moral conscience concerning the Unity and indissolubility of Marriage developed under the pedagogy of the old law. In the Old Testament the polygamy of patriarchs and kings is not yet explicitly rejected. Nevertheless, the law given to Moses aims at protecting the wife from arbitrary domination by the husband, even though according to the Lord's words it still carries traces of man's "hardness of heart" which was the Reason Moses permitted men to divorce their wives. 101

"The intimate commUnity of life and Love which constitutes the married state has been established by the Creator and endowed by him with its own proper laws.... God himself is the author of Marriage." 87 The vocation to marriage is written in the very nature of man and woman as they came from the hand of the Creator. Marriage is not a purely human institution despite the many variations it may have undergone through the centuries in different cultures, social structures, and spiritual attitudes. These differences should not cause us to forget its common and permanent characteristics. Although the dignity of this institution is not transparent everywhere with the same clarity, 88 some sense of the greatness of the matrimonial union exists in all cultures. "The well-being of the individual perSon and of both human and Christian society is closely bound up with the healthy state of conjugal and family life." 89

The Eucharist and the Unity of Christians. Before the greatness of this mystery St. Augustine exclaims, "O Sacrament of devotion! O sign of unity! O bond of charity!" 234 The more painful the experience of the divisions in the Church which break the common participation in the table of the Lord, the more urgent are our prayers to the Lord that the time of complete unity among all who Believe in him may return.

The Unity of the Mystical Body: the Eucharist makes the Church. Those who receive the Eucharist are united more closely to Christ. Through it Christ unites them to all the Faithful in one body - the Church. Communion renews, strengthens, and deepens this incorporation into the Church, already achieved by Baptism. In Baptism we have been called to form but one body. 230 The Eucharist fulfills this call: "The cup of blesSing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? the bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread:" 231

The altar, around which the Church is gathered in the Celebration of the Eucharist, represents the two aspects of the same mystery: the altar of the sacrifice and the table of the Lord. This is all the more so Since the Christian altar is the symbol of Christ himself, present in the midst of the assembly of his Faithful, both as the victim offered for our reconciliation and as food from heaven who is giving himself to us. "For what is the altar of Christ if not the image of the Body of Christ?" 212 asks St. Ambrose. He says elsewhere, "The altar represents the body [of Christ] and the Body of Christ is on the altar." 213 The liturgy expresses this Unity of sacrifice and Communion in many prayers. Thus the Roman Church prays in its anaphora:

The whole Church is united with the offering and intercession of Christ. Since he has the ministry of Peter in the Church, the Pope is associated with every Celebration of the Eucharist, wherein he is named as the sign and servant of the Unity of the universal Church. the bishop of the place is always responsible for the Eucharist, even when a priest presides; the bishop's name is mentioned to signify his presidency over the particular Church, in the midst of his presbyterium and with the assistance of deacons. the community intercedes also for all ministers who, for it and with it, offer the Eucharistic sacrifice:

The liturgy of the Eucharist unfolds according to a fundamental structure which has been preserved throughout the centuries down to our own day. It displays two great parts that form a fundamental Unity: - the gathering, the liturgy of the Word, with readings, homily and general intercessions; - the liturgy of the Eucharist, with the presentation of the bread and wine, the consecratory thanksgiving, and Communion. The liturgy of the Word and liturgy of the Eucharist together form "one Single act of worship"; 170 The Eucharistic table set for us is the table both of the Word of God and of the Body of the Lord. 171

"The Eucharist is the efficacious sign and sublime cause of that Communion in the divine life and that Unity of the People of God by which the Church is kept in being. It is the culmination both of God's action sanctifying the world in Christ and of the worship men offer to Christ and through him to the Father in the Holy Spirit." 136

"At the Last Supper, on the night he was betrayed, our Savior instituted the Eucharistic sacrifice of his Body and Blood. This he did in order to perpetuate the sacrifice of the cross throughout the ages until he should come again, and so to entrust to his beLoved Spouse, the Church, a memorial of his death and resurrection: a Sacrament of love, a sign of Unity, a bond of charity, a Paschal banquet 'in which Christ is consumed, the mind is filled with grace, and a pledge of future glory is given to us.'" 133

The holy Eucharist completes Christian initiation. Those who have been raised to the dignity of the royal priesthood by Baptism and configured more deeply to Christ by Confirmation participate with the whole commUnity in the Lord's own sacrifice by means of the Eucharist.

During his public life Jesus not only forgave Sins, but also made plain the effect of this forgiveness: he reintegrated forgiven sinners into the commUnity of the People of God from which sin had alienated or even excluded them. A remarkable sign of this is the fact that Jesus receives sinners at his table, a gesture that expresses in an astonishing way both God's forgiveness and the return to the bosom of the People of God. 44

The Christian who seeks to purify himself of his Sin and to become holy with the help of God's grace is not alone. "The life of each of God's children is joined in Christ and through Christ in a wonderful way to the life of all the other Christian brethren in the supernatural Unity of the Mystical Body of Christ, as in a single mystical perSon." 85

"All priests, who are constituted in the order of priesthood by the Sacrament of Order, are bound together by an intimate sacramental brotherhood, but in a special way they form one priestly body in the diocese to which they are attached under their own bishop. . ;" 52 The Unity of the presbyterium finds liturgical expression in the custom of the presbyters' impoSing hands, after the bishop, during the Ate of ordination.

"In the name of the whole Church" does not mean that priests are the delegates of the commUnity. the prayer and offering of the Church are inseparable from the prayer and offering of Christ, her Head; it is always the case that Christ worships in and through his Church. the whole Church, the Body of Christ, prays and offers herself "through him, with him, in him," in the unity of the Holy Spirit, to God the Father. the whole Body, caput et membra, prays and offers itself, and therefore those who in the Body are especially his ministers are called ministers not only of Christ, but also of the Church. It is because the ministerial priesthood represents Christ that it can represent the Church.

Through the ordained ministry, especially that of bishops and priests, the presence of Christ as Head of the Church is made visible in the midst of the commUnity of Believers. 26 In the beautiful expression of St. Ignatius of Antioch, the bishop is typos tou Patros: he is like the living image of God the Father. 27

Christ, high priest and unique mediator, has made of the Church "a kingdom, priests for his God and Father." 20 The whole commUnity of Believers is, as such, priestly. the Faithful exercise their Baptismal priesthood through their participation, each according to his own vocation, in Christ's Mission as priest, prophet, and king. Through the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation the Faithful are "consecrated to be . . . a holy priesthood." 21

Integration into one of these bodies in the Church was accomplished by a rite called ordinatio, a religious and liturgical act which was a consecration, a blesSing or a Sacrament. Today the word "ordination" is reserved for the sacramental act which integrates a man into the order of bishops, presbyters, or deacons, and goes beyond a simple election, designation, delegation, or institution by the commUnity, for it confers a gift of the Holy Spirit that permits the exercise of a "sacred power" (sacra potestas) 5 which can come only from Christ himself through his Church. Ordination is also called consecratio, for it is a setting apart and an investiture by Christ himself for his Church. the laying on of hands by the bishop, with the consecratory prayer, constitutes the visible sign of this ordination.

Thus, just as the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist form a Unity called "the Sacraments of Christian initiation," so too it can be said that Penance, the Anointing of the Sick and the Eucharist as viaticum constitute at the end of Christian life "the sacraments that prepare for our heavenly homeland" or the sacraments that complete the earthly pilgrimage.

Word and Sacrament form an indivisible whole. the Liturgy of the Word, preceded by an act of repentance, opens the Celebration. the words of Christ, the witness of the apostles, awaken the Faith of the sick perSon and of the commUnity to ask the Lord for the strength of his Spirit.

Only priests (bishops and presbyters) are ministers of the Anointing of the Sick. 130 It is the duty of pastors to instruct the Faithful on the benefits of this Sacrament. the Faithful should encourage the sick to call for a priest to receive this sacrament. the sick should prepare themselves to receive it with good dispositions, assisted by their pastor and the whole ecclesial commUnity, which is invited to surround the sick in a special way through their prayers and fraternal attention.

"This treasury includes as well the prayers and good works of the Blessed Virgin Mary. They are truly immense, unfathomable, and even pristine in their value before God. In the treasury, too, are the prayers and good works of all the saints, all those who have followed in the footsteps of Christ the Lord and by his grace have made their lives holy and carried out the Mission the Father entrusted to them. In this way they attained their own salvation and at the same time cooperated in saving their brothers in the Unity of the Mystical Body." 88

This "as" is not unique in Jesus' teaching: "You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect"; "Be merciful, even as yOur Father is merciful"; "A new commandment I give to you, that you Love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another." 139 It is impossible to keep the Lord's commandment by imitating the divine model from outside; there has to be a vital participation, coming from the depths of the heart, in the holiness and the mercy and the love of our God. Only the Spirit by whom we live can make "ours" the same mind that was in Christ Jesus. 140 Then the Unity of forgiveness becomes possible and we find ourselves "forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave" us. 141

The chaste perSon maintains the integrity of the powers of life and Love placed in him. This integrity ensures the Unity of the person; it is opposed to any behavior that would impair it. It tolerates neither a double life nor duplicity in speech. 124

Chastity means the successful integration of sexuality within the perSon and thus the inner Unity of man in his bodily and spiritual being. Sexuality, in which man's belonging to the bodily and biological world is expressed, becomes personal and truly human when it is integrated into the relationship of one person to another, in the complete and lifelong mutual gift of a man and a woman. The virtue of chastity therefore involves the integrity of the person and the integrality of the gift.

Sexuality affects all aspects of the human perSon in the Unity of his body and Soul. It especially concerns affectivity, the capacity to Love and to procreate, and in a more general way the aptitude for forming bonds of Communion with others.

The production and the sale of arms affect the common good of nations and of the international commUnity. Hence public authorities have the right and duty to regulate them. the short-term pursuit of private or collective interests cannot legitimate undertakings that promote violence and conflict among nations and compromise the international juridical order.

"Every act of war directed to the indiscriminate destruction of whole cities or vast areas with their inhabitants is a crime against God and man, which merits firm and unequivocal condemnation." 109 A danger of modern warfare is that it provides the opportUnity to those who possess modern scientific weapons especially atomic, biological, or chemical weapons - to commit such crimes.

Public authorities should make equitable provision for those who for Reasons of conscience refuse to bear arms; these are nonetheless obliged to serve the human commUnity in some other way. 107

The strict conditions for legitimate defense by military force require rigorous consideration. the gravity of such a decision makes it subject to rigorous conditions of moral legitimacy. At one and the same time: - the damage inflicted by the aggressor on the nation or commUnity of nations must be lasting, grave, and certain; - all other means of putting an end to it must have been shown to be impractical or ineffective; - there must be serious prospects of success; - the use of arms must not produce evils and disorders graver than the evil to be eliminated. the power of modem means of destruction weighs very heavily in evaluating this condition.

Earthly peace is the image and fruit of the peace of Christ, the messianic "Prince of Peace." 99 By the blood of his Cross, "in his own perSon he killed the hostility," 100 he reconciled men with God and made his Church the Sacrament of the Unity of the human race and of its union with God. "He is our peace." 101 He has declared: "Blessed are the peacemakers." 102

We should not despair of the eternal salvation of perSons who have taken their own lives. By ways known to him alone, God can provide the opportUnity for salutary repentance. the Church prays for persons who have taken their own lives.

Legitimate defense can be not only a right but a grave duty for someone responsible for another's life. Preserving the common good requires rendering the unjust aggressor unable to inflict harm. To this end, those holding legitimate authority have the right to repel by armed force aggressors against the civil commUnity entrusted to their charge. 66

Whoever wants to remain Faithful to his Baptismal promises and resist temptations will want to adopt the means for doing so: self-knowledge, practice of an ascesis adapted to the situations that confront him, obedience to God's commandments, exercise of the moral virtues, and fidelity to prayer. "Indeed it is through chastity that we are gathered together and led back to the Unity from which we were fragmented into multiplicity." 127

Techniques involving only the married couple (homologous artificial insemination and fertilization) are perhaps less reprehensible, yet remain morally unacceptable. They dissociate the sexual act from the procreative act. the act which brings the child into existence is no longer an act by which two perSons give themselves to one another, but one that "entrusts the life and identity of the embryo into the power of doctors and biologists and establishes the domination of technology over the origin and destiny of the human person. Such a relationship of domination is in itself contrary to the dignity and equality that must be common to parents and children." 167 "Under the moral aspect procreation is deprived of its proper perfection when it is not willed as the fruit of the conjugal act, that is to say, of the specific act of the spouses' union .... Only respect for the link between the meanings of the conjugal act and respect for the Unity of the human being make possible procreation in conformity with the dignity of the person." 168

Some today claim a "right to a trial Marriage" where there is an intention of getting married later. However firm the purpose of those who engage in premature sexual relations may be, "the fact is that such liaiSons can scarcely ensure mutual Sincerity and fidelity in a relationship between a man and a woman, nor, especially, can they protect it from inconstancy of desires or whim." 183 Carnal union is morally legitimate only when a definitive commUnity of life between a man and woman has been established. Human Love does not tolerate "trial marriages." It demands a total and definitive gift of persons to one another. 184

For this Reason, in spite of the divisions among Christians, this prayer to "our" Father remains our common patrimony and an urgent summons for all the baptized. In Communion by Faith in Christ and by Baptism, they ought to join in Jesus' prayer for the Unity of his disciples. 50

In this Paschal and sacrificial prayer, everything is recapitulated in Christ: 45 God and the world; the Word and the flesh; eternal life and time; the Love that hands itself over and the Sin that betrays it; the disciples present and those who will Believe in him by their word; humiliation and glory. It is the prayer of Unity.

The Church, the house of God, is the proper place for the liturgical prayer of the parish commUnity. It is also the privileged place for adoration of the real presence of Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. the choice of a favorable place is not a matter of indifference for true prayer. - For perSonal prayer, this can be a "prayer corner" with the Sacred Scriptures and icons, in order to be there, in secret, before Our Father. 48 In a Christian family, this kind of little oratory fosters prayer in common. - In regions where monasteries exist, the vocation of these communities is to further the participation of the Faithful in the Liturgy of the Hours and to provide necessary solitude for more intense personal prayer. 49 - Pilgrimages evoke our earthly journey toward heaven and are traditionally very special occasions for renewal in prayer. For pilgrims seeking living water, shrines are special places for living the forms of Christian prayer "in Church."

St. Luke in his gospel often expresses wonder and praise at the marvels of Christ and in his Acts of the Apostles stresses them as actions of the Holy Spirit: the commUnity of Jerusalem, the invalid healed by Peter and John, the crowd that gives glory to God for that, and the pagans of Pisidia who "were glad and glorified the word of God." 123

Christian petition is centered on the desire and search for the Kingdom to come, in keeping with the teaching of Christ. 107 There is a hierarchy in these petitions: we pray first for the Kingdom, then for what is necessary to welcome it and cooperate with its coming. This collaboration with the Mission of Christ and the Holy Spirit, which is now that of the Church, is the object of the prayer of the apostolic commUnity. 108 It is the prayer of Paul, the apostle par excellence, which reveals to us how the divine solicitude for all the Churches ought to inspire Christian prayer. 109 By prayer every baptized perSon works for the coming of the Kingdom.

In the first commUnity of Jerusalem, Believers "devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and the prayers." 95 This sequence is characteristic of the Church's prayer: founded on the apostolic Faith; authenticated by charity; nourished in the Eucharist.

A just wage is the legitimate fruit of work. To refuse or withhold it can be a grave injustice. 220 In determining fair pay both the needs and the contributions of each perSon must be taken into account. "Remuneration for work should guarantee man the opportUnity to provide a dignified livelihood for himself and his family on the material, social, cultural and spiritual level, taking into account the role and the productivity of each, the state of the buSiness, and the common good." 221 Agreement between the parties is not sufficient to justify morally the amount to be received in wages.

In work, the perSon exercises and fulfills in part the potential inscribed in his nature. the primordial value of labor stems from man himself, its author and its beneficiary. Work is for man, not man for work. 213 Everyone should be able to draw from work the means of providing for his life and that of his family, and of serving the human commUnity.

The development of economic activity and growth in production are meant to provide for the needs of human beings. Economic life is not meant solely to multiply goods produced and increase profit or power; it is ordered first of all to the service of perSons, of the whole man, and of the entire human commUnity. Economic activity, conducted according to its own proper methods, is to be exercised within the limits of the moral order, in keeping with social justice so as to correspond to God's plan for man. 208

The Church, because of her comMission and competence, is not to be confused in any way with the political commUnity. She is both the sign and the safeguard of the transcendent character of the human perSon. "The Church respects and encourages the political freedom and responsibility of the citizen." 52

The citizen is obliged in conscience not to follow the directives of civil authorities when they are contrary to the demands of the moral order, to the fundamental rights of perSons or the teachings of the Gospel. RefuSing obedience to civil authorities, when their demands are contrary to those of an upright conscience, finds its justification in the distinction between serving God and serving the political commUnity. "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." 48 "We must obey God rather than men": 49

The right to religious liberty is neither a moral license to adhere to error, nor a supposed right to error, 37 but rather a natural right of the human perSon to civil liberty, i.e., immUnity, within just limits, from external constraint in religious matters by political authorities. This natural right ought to be acknowledged in the juridical order of society in such a way that it constitutes a civil right. 38

"If because of the circumstances of a particular people special civil recognition is given to one religious commUnity in the constitutional organization of a state, the right of all citizens and religious communities to religious freedom must be recognized and respected as well." 36

Because they are Members of the Body whose Head is Christ, 89 Christians contribute to building up the Church by the constancy of their convictions and their moral lives. the Church increases, grows, and develops through the holiness of her Faithful, until "we all attain to the Unity of the Faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." 90

The first precept (“You shall attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation.") requires the Faithful to participate in the Eucharistic Celebration when the Christian commUnity gathers together on the day commemorating the Resurrection of the Lord. 82

The term "merit" refers in general to the recompense owed by a commUnity or a society for the action of one of its Members, experienced either as beneficial or harmful, deserving reward or punishment. Merit is relative to the virtue of justice, in conformity with the principle of equality which governs it.

The natural law, the Creator's very good work, provides the solid foundation on which man can build the structure of moral rules to guide his choices. It also provides the indispensable moral foundation for building the human commUnity. Finally, it provides the necessary basis for the civil law with which it is connected, whether by a reflection that draws conclusions from its principles, or by additions of a positive and juridical nature.

The moral law finds its fullness and its Unity in Christ. Jesus Christ is in perSon the way of perfection. He is the end of the law, for only he teaches and bestows the justice of God: "For Christ is the end of the law, that every one who has Faith may be justified." 4

Human life finds its Unity in the adoration of the one God. the commandment to worship the Lord alone integrates man and saves him from an endless diSintegration. Idolatry is a perversion of man's innate religious sense. An idolater is someone who "transfers his indestructible notion of God to anything other than God." 47

"A parish is a definite commUnity of the Christian Faithful established on a stable basis within a particular Church; the pastoral care of the parish is entrusted to a pastor as its own shepherd under the authority of the diocesan bishop." 115 It is the place where all the Faithful can be gathered together for the Sunday Celebration of the Eucharist. the parish initiates the Christian people into the ordinary expression of the liturgical life: it gathers them together in this celebration; it teaches Christ's saving doctrine; it practices the charity of the Lord in good works and brotherly Love:

The fourth commandment is addressed expressly to children in their relationship to their Father and mother, because this relationship is the most universal. It likewise concerns the ties of kinship between Members of the extended family. It requires honor, affection, and gratitude toward elders and ancestors. Finally, it extends to the duties of pupils to teachers, employees to employers, subordinates to leaders, citizens to their country, and to those who administer or govern it. This commandment includes and presupposes the duties of parents, instructors, teachers, leaders, magistrates, those who govern, all who exercise authority over others or over a commUnity of perSons.

It is the duty of citizens to contribute along with the civil authorities to the good of society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom. the Love and service of one's country follow from the duty of gratitude and belong to the order of charity. SubMission to legitimate authorities and service of the common good require citizens to fulfill their roles in the life of the political commUnity.

Those subject to authority should regard those in authority as representatives of God, who has made them stewards of his gifts: 43 "Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution.... Live as free men, yet without uSing your freedom as a pretext for evil; but live as servants of God." 44 Their loyal collaboration includes the right, and at times the duty, to voice their just criticisms of that which seems harmful to the dignity of perSons and to the good of the commUnity.

Political authorities are obliged to respect the fundamental rights of the human perSon. They will dispense justice humanely by respecting the rights of everyone, especially of families and the disadvantaged. The political rights attached to citizenship can and should be granted according to the requirements of the common good. They cannot be suspended by public authorities without legitimate and proportionate Reasons. Political rights are meant to be exercised for the common good of the nation and the human commUnity.

The exercise of authority is meant to give outward expression to a just hierarchy of values in order to facilitate the exercise of freedom and responsibility by all. Those in authority should practice distributive justice wisely, taking account of the needs and contribution of each, with a view to harmony and peace. They should take care that the regulations and measures they adopt are not a source of temptation by setting perSonal interest against that of the commUnity. 42

Education in the Faith by the parents should begin in the child's earliest years. This already happens when family Members help one another to grow in faith by the witness of a Christian life in keeping with the Gospel. Family catechesis precedes, accompanies, and enriches other forms of instruction in the faith. Parents have the Mission of teaching their children to pray and to discover their vocation as children of God. 35 The parish is the Eucharistic commUnity and the heart of the liturgical life of Christian families; it is a privileged place for the catechesis of children and parents.

The political commUnity has a duty to honor the family, to assist it, and to ensure especially: - the freedom to establish a family, have children, and bring them up in keeping with the family's own moral and religious convictions; - the protection of the stability of the Marriage bond and the institution of the family; - the freedom to profess one's Faith, to hand it on, and raise one's children in it, with the necessary means and institutions; - the right to private property, to free enterprise, to obtain work and houSing, and the right to emigrate; - in keeping with the country's institutions, the right to medical care, assistance for the aged, and family benefits; - the protection of security and health, especially with respect to dangers like drugs, pornography, alcoholism, etc.; - the freedom to form associations with other families and so to have representation before civil authority. 15

The family is the original cell of social life. It is the natural society in which husband and wife are called to give themselves in Love and in the gift of life. Authority, stability, and a life of relationships within the family constitute the foundations for freedom, security, and fraternity within society. the family is the commUnity in which, from childhood, one can learn moral values, begin to honor God, and make good use of freedom. Family life is an initiation into life in society.

The relationships within the family bring an affinity of feelings, affections and interests, ariSing above all from the Members' respect for one another. the family is a privileged commUnity called to achieve a "sharing of thought and common deliberation by the spouses as well as their eager cooperation as parents in the children's upbringing." 11

"The Christian family constitutes a specific revelation and realization of ecclesial Communion, and for this Reason it can and should be called a domestic Church." 9 It is a commUnity of Faith, hope, and charity; it assumes Singular importance in the Church, as is evident in the New Testament. 10

The conjugal commUnity is established upon the consent of the spouses. Marriage and the family are ordered to the good of the spouses and to the procreation and education of children. the Love of the spouses and the begetting of children create among Members of the same family perSonal relationships and primordial responsibilities.

The original minister of Confirmation is the bishop. 128 In the East, ordinarily the priest who baptizes also immediately confers Confirmation in one and the same Celebration. But he does so with sacred chrism consecrated by the patriarch or the bishop, thus expresSing the apostolic Unity of the Church whose bonds are strengthened by the Sacrament of Confirmation. In the Latin Church, the same discipline applies to the Baptism of adults or to the reception into full Communion with the Church of a perSon baptized in another Christian community that does not have valid Confirmation. 129

"Furthermore, many elements of sanctification and of truth" 273 are found outside the visible confines of the Catholic Church: "the written Word of God; the life of grace; Faith, hope, and charity, with the other interior gifts of the Holy Spirit, as well as visible elements." 274 Christ's Spirit uses these Churches and ecclesial communities as means of salvation, whose power derives from the fullness of grace and truth that Christ has entrusted to the Catholic Church. All these blesSings come from Christ and lead to him, 275 and are in themselves calls to "Catholic Unity." 276

The People of God is marked by characteristics that clearly distinguish it from all other religious, ethnic, political, or cultural groups found in history: - It is the People of God: God is not the property of any one people. But he acquired a people for himself from those who previously were not a people: "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation." 202 - One becomes a member of this people not by a physical birth, but by being "born anew," a birth "of water and the Spirit," 203 that is, by Faith in Christ, and Baptism. - This People has for its Head Jesus the Christ (the anointed, the Messiah). Because the same anointing, the Holy Spirit, flows from the head into the body, this is "the messianic people." - "The status of this people is that of the dignity and freedom of the Sons of God, in whose hearts the Holy Spirit dwells as in a temple." - "Its law is the new commandment to Love as Christ loved us." 204 This is the "new" law of the Holy Spirit. 205 - Its Mission is to be salt of the earth and light of the world. 206 This people is "a most sure seed of Unity, hope, and salvation for the whole human race." -Its destiny, finally, "is the Kingdom of God which has been begun by God himself on earth and which must be further extended until it has been brought to perfection by him at the end of time." 207

"The Church, in Christ, is like a Sacrament - a sign and instrument, that is, of Communion with God and of Unity among all men." 197 The Church's first purpose is to be the sacrament of the inner union of men with God. Because men's communion with one another is rooted in that union with God, the Church is also the sacrament of the unity of the human race. In her, this unity is already begun, Since she gathers men "from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues"; 198 at the same time, the Church is the "sign and instrument" of the full realization of the unity yet to come.

"The one mediator, Christ, established and ever sustains here on earth his holy Church, the commUnity of Faith, hope, and charity, as a visible organization through which he communicates truth and grace to all men." 184 The Church is at the same time: - a "society structured with hierarchical organs and the mystical body of Christ; - the visible society and the spiritual community; - the earthly Church and the Church endowed with heavenly riches." 185 These dimensions together constitute "one complex reality which comes together from a human and a divine element": 186

The Lord Jesus endowed his commUnity with a structure that will remain until the Kingdom is fully achieved. Before all else there is the choice of the Twelve with Peter as their Head. 168 Representing the twelve tribes of Israel, they are the foundation stones of the new Jerusalem. 169 The Twelve and the other disciples share in Christ's Mission and his power, but also in his lot. 170 By all his actions, Christ prepares and builds his Church.

"Often, too, the Church is called the building of God. the Lord compared himself to the stone which the builders rejected, but which was made into the comer-stone. On this foundation the Church is built by the apostles and from it the Church receives solidity and Unity. This edifice has many names to describe it: the house of God in which his family dwells; the household of God in the Spirit; the dwelling-place of God among men; and, especially, the holy temple. This temple, symbolized in places of worship built out of stone, is praised by the Fathers and, not without Reason, is compared in the liturgy to the Holy City, the New Jerusalem. As living stones we here on earth are built into it. It is this holy city that is seen by John as it comes down out of heaven from God when the world is made anew, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. 148

In Christian usage, the word "Church" designates the liturgical assembly, 141 but also the local commUnity 142 or the whole universal community of Believers. 143 These three meanings are inseparable. "The Church" is the People that God gathers in the whole world. She exists in local communities and is made real as a liturgical, above all a Eucharistic, assembly. She draws her life from the word and the Body of Christ and so herself becomes Christ's Body.

The word "Church" (Latin ecclesia, from the Greek ek-ka-lein, to "call out of") means a convocation or an assembly. It designates the assemblies of the people, usually for a religious purpose. 139 Ekklesia is used frequently in the Greek Old Testament for the assembly of the Chosen People before God, above all for their assembly on Mount Sinai where Israel received the Law and was established by God as his holy people. 140 By calling itself "Church," the first commUnity of Christian Believers recognized itself as heir to that assembly. In the Church, God is "calling together" his people from all the ends of the earth. the equivalent Greek term Kyriake, from which the English word Church and the German Kirche are derived, means "what belongs to the Lord."

The Fathers contemplate the Resurrection from the perspective of the divine perSon of Christ who remained united to his Soul and body, even when these were separated from each other by death: "By the Unity of the divine nature, which remains present in each of the two components of man, these are reunited. For as death is produced by the separation of the human components, so Resurrection is achieved by the union of the two." 519

Given all these testimonies, Christ's Resurrection cannot be interpreted as something outside the physical order, and it is impossible not to acknowledge it as an historical fact. It is clear from the facts that the disciples' Faith was drastically put to the test by their master's Passion and death on the cross, which he had foretold. 502 The shock provoked by the Passion was so great that at least some of the disciples did not at once Believe in the news of the Resurrection. Far from showing us a commUnity seized by a mystical exaltation, the Gospels present us with disciples demoralized ("looking sad" 503 ) and frightened. For they had not believed the holy women returning from the tomb and had regarded their words as an "idle tale". 504 When Jesus reveals himself to the Eleven on Easter evening, "he upbraided them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen." 505

Everything that happened during those Paschal days involves each of the apostles - and Peter in particular - in the building of the new era begun on Easter morning. As witnesses of the Risen One, they remain the foundation stones of his Church. the Faith of the first commUnity of Believers is based on the witness of concrete men known to the Christians and for the most part still living among them. Peter and the Twelve are the primary "witnesses to his Resurrection", but they are not the only ones - Paul speaks clearly of more than five hundred perSons to whom Jesus appeared on a Single occasion and also of James and of all the apostles. 501

The compariSon of the Church with the body casts light on the intimate bond between Christ and his Church. Not only is she gathered around him; she is united in him, in his body. Three aspects of the Church as the Body of Christ are to be more specifically noted: the Unity of all her Members with each other as a result of their union with Christ; Christ as Head of the Body; and the Church as bride of Christ.

The body's Unity does not do away with the diversity of its Members: "In the building up of Christ's Body there is engaged a diversity of members and functions. There is only one Spirit who, according to his own richness and the needs of the ministries, gives his different gifts for the welfare of the Church." 222 The unity of the Mystical Body produces and stimulates charity among the Faithful: "From this it follows that if one member suffers anything, all the members suffer with him, and if one member is honored, all the members together rejoice." 223 Finally, the unity of the Mystical Body triumphs over all human divisions: "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." 224

Christ and his Church thus together make up the "whole Christ" (Christus totus). the Church is one with Christ. the saints are acutely aware of this Unity:

In fact, "in this one and only Church of God from its very beginnings there arose certain rifts, which the Apostle strongly censures as damnable. But in subsequent centuries much more serious dissensions appeared and large communities became separated from full Communion with the Catholic Church - for which, often enough, men of both sides were to blame." 269 The ruptures that wound the Unity of Christ's Body - here we must distinguish heresy, apostasy, and schism 270 - do not occur without human Sin:

What are these bonds of Unity? Above all, charity "binds everything together in perfect harmony." 265 But the unity of the pilgrim Church is also assured by visible bonds of Communion: - profession of one Faith received from the Apostles; -common Celebration of divine worship, especially of the Sacraments; - apostolic succession through the Sacrament of Holy Orders, maintaining the fraternal concord of God's family. 266

From the beginning, this one Church has been marked by a great diversity which comes from both the variety of God's gifts and the diversity of those who receive them. Within the Unity of the People of God, a multiplicity of peoples and cultures is gathered together. Among the Church's Members, there are different gifts, offices, conditions, and ways of life. "Holding a rightful place in the Communion of the Church there are also particular Churches that retain their own traditions." 263 The great richness of such diversity is not opposed to the Church's unity. Yet Sin and the burden of its consequences constantly threaten the gift of unity. and so the Apostle has to exhort Christians to "maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." 264

The Church is one because of her source: "the highest exemplar and source of this mystery is the Unity, in the Trinity of PerSons, of one God, the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit." 259 The Church is one because of her founder: for "the Word made flesh, the prince of peace, reconciled all men to God by the cross, . . . restoring the unity of all in one people and one body." 260 The Church is one because of her "Soul": "It is the Holy Spirit, dwelling in those who Believe and pervading and ruling over the entire Church, who brings about that wonderful Communion of the Faithful and joins them together so intimately in Christ that he is the principle of the Church's unity." 261 Unity is of the essence of the Church:

Only Faith can recognize that the Church possesses these properties from her divine source. But their historical manifestations are signs that also speak clearly to human Reason. As the First Vatican Council noted, the "Church herself, with her marvellous propagation, eminent holiness, and inexhaustible fruitfulness in everything good, her Catholic Unity and invincible stability, is a great and perpetual motive of credibility and an irrefutable witness of her divine Mission." 258

The Unity of Christ and the Church, Head and Members of one Body, also implies the distinction of the two within a perSonal relationship. This aspect is often expressed by the image of bridegroom and bride. the theme of Christ as Bridegroom of the Church was prepared for by the prophets and announced by John the Baptist. 234 The Lord referred to himself as the "bridegroom." 235 The Apostle speaks of the whole Church and of each of the Faithful, members of his Body, as a bride "betrothed" to Christ the Lord so as to become but one spirit with him. 236 The Church is the spotless bride of the spotless Lamb. 237 "Christ Loved the Church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her." 238 He has joined her with himself in an everlasting covenant and never stops caring for her as for his own body: 239

Mary Magdalene and the holy women who came to finish anointing the body of Jesus, which had been buried in haste because the Sabbath began on the evening of Good Friday, were the first to encounter the Risen One. 497 Thus the women were the first messengers of Christ's Resurrection for the apostles themselves. 498 They were the next to whom Jesus appears: first Peter, then the Twelve. Peter had been called to strengthen the Faith of his brothers, 499 and so sees the Risen One before them; it is on the basis of his testimony that the commUnity exclaims: "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" 500

"We bring you the good news that what God promised to the Fathers, this day he has fulfilled to us their children by raiSing Jesus." 488 The Resurrection of Jesus is the crowning truth of our Faith in Christ, a faith Believed and lived as the central truth by the first Christian commUnity; handed on as fundamental by Tradition; established by the documents of the New Testament; and preached as an essential part of the Paschal mystery along with the cross:

During the greater part of his life Jesus shared the condition of the vast majority of human beings: a daily life spent without evident greatness, a life of manual labour. His religious life was that of a Jew obedient to the law of God, 221 a life in the commUnity. From this whole period it is revealed to us that Jesus was "obedient" to his parents and that he "increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favour with God and man." 222

It means knowing the Unity and true dignity of all men: everyone is made in the image and likeness of God. 50

We do not Believe in formulae, but in those realities they express, which Faith allows us to touch. "The believer's act [of faith] does not terminate in the propositions, but in the realities [which they express]." 56 All the same, we do approach these realities with the help of formulations of the faith which permit us to express the faith and to hand it on, to celebrate it in commUnity, to assimilate and live on it more and more.

The Church, as early as apostolic times, 104 and then constantly in her Tradition, has illuminated the Unity of the divine plan in the two Testaments through typology, which discerns in God's works of the Old Covenant prefigurations of what he accomplished in the fullness of time in the perSon of his incarnate Son.

The spiritual sense. Thanks to the Unity of God's plan, not only the text of Scripture but also the realities and events about which it speaks can be signs. 1. the allegorical sense. We can acquire a more profound understanding of events by recognizing their significance in Christ; thus the crosSing of the Red Sea is a sign or type of Christ's victory and also of Christian Baptism. 84 2. the moral sense. the events reported in Scripture ought to lead us to act justly. As St. Paul says, they were written "for our instruction". 85 3. the anagogical sense (Greek: anagoge, "leading"). We can view realities and events in terms of their eternal significance, leading us toward our true homeland: thus the Church on earth is a sign of the heavenly Jerusalem. 86

Be especially attentive "to the content and Unity of the whole Scripture". Different as the books which compose it may be, Scripture is a unity by Reason of the unity of God's plan, of which Christ Jesus is the center and heart, open Since his Passover. 79

The people descended from Abraham would be the trustee of the promise made to the patriarchs, the chosen people, called to prepare for that day when God would gather all his children into the Unity of the Church. 18 They would be the root on to which the Gentiles would be grafted, once they came to Believe. 19

This state of division into many nations, each entrusted by divine providence to the guardianship of angels, is at once cosmic, social and religious. It is intended to limit the pride of fallen humanity 10 united only in its perverse ambition to forge its own Unity as at Babel. 11 But, because of Sin, both polytheism and the idolatry of the nation and of its rulers constantly threaten this provisional economy with the perversion of paganism. 12

After the Unity of the human race was shattered by Sin God at once sought to save humanity part by part. the covenant with Noah after the flood gives expression to the principle of the divine economy toward the "nations", in other words, towards men grouped "in their lands, each with (its) own language, by their families, in their nations". 9

While not being formally identified with them, catechesis is built on a certain number of elements of the Church's pastoral Mission which have a catechetical aspect, that prepare for catechesis, or spring from it. They are: the initial proclamation of the Gospel or missionary preaching to arouse Faith; examination of the Reasons for belief; experience of Christian living; Celebration of the Sacraments; integration into the ecclesial commUnity; and apostolic and missionary witness. 9

The Church uses (I) the term "substance" (rendered also at times by "essence" or "nature") to designate the divine being in its Unity, (II) the term "perSon" or "hypostasis" to designate the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the real distinction among them, and (III) the term "relation" to designate the fact that their distinction lies in the relationship of each to the others.

The divine perSons are really distinct from one another. "God is one but not solitary." 86 "Father", "Son", "Holy Spirit" are not simply names designating modalities of the divine being, for they are really distinct from one another: "He is not the Father who is the Son, nor is the Son he who is the Father, nor is the Holy Spirit he who is the Father or the Son." 87 They are distinct from one another in their relations of origin: "It is the Father who generates, the Son who is begotten, and the Holy Spirit who proceeds." 88 The divine Unity is Triune.

The divine perSons are relative to one another. Because it does not divide the divine Unity, the real distinction of the persons from one another resides solely in the relationships which relate them to one another: "In the relational names of the persons the Father is related to the Son, the Son to the Father, and the Holy Spirit to both. While they are called three persons in view of their relations, we Believe in one nature or substance." 89 Indeed "everything (in them) is one where there is no opposition of relationship." 90 "Because of that unity the Father is wholly in the Son and wholly in the Holy Spirit; the Son is wholly in the Father and wholly in the Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit is wholly in the Father and wholly in the Son." 91

How did the Sin of Adam become the sin of all his descendants? the whole human race is in Adam "as one body of one man". 293 By this "Unity of the human race" all men are implicated in Adam's sin, as all are implicated in Christ's justice. Still, the transMission of original sin is a mystery that we cannot fully understand. But we do know by Revelation that Adam had received original holiness and justice not for himself alone, but for all human nature. By yielding to the tempter, Adam and Eve committed a perSonal sin, but this sin affected the human nature that they would then transmit in a fallen state. 294 It is a sin which will be transmitted by propagation to all mankind, that is, by the transmission of a human nature deprived of original holiness and justice. and that is why original sin is called "sin" only in an analogical sense: it is a sin "contracted" and not "committed" - a state and not an act.

The Unity of Soul and body is so profound that one has to consider the soul to be the "form" of the body: 234 i.e., it is because of its spiritual soul that the body made of matter becomes a living, human body; spirit and matter, in man, are not two natures united, but rather their union forms a Single nature.

Because of its common origin the human race forms a Unity, for "from one ancestor (God) made all nations to inhabit the whole earth": 226

Among all the Scriptural texts about creation, the first three chapters of Genesis occupy a unique place. From a literary standpoint these texts may have had diverse sources. the inspired authors have placed them at the beginning of Scripture to express in their solemn language the truths of creation - its origin and its end in God, its order and goodness, the vocation of man, and finally the drama of Sin and the hope of salvation. Read in the light of Christ, within the Unity of Sacred Scripture and in the living Tradition of the Church, these texts remain the principal source for catechesis on the mysteries of the "beginning": creation, fall, and promise of salvation.

The ultimate end of the whole divine economy is the entry of God's creatures into the perfect Unity of the Blessed Trinity. 100 But even now we are called to be a dwelling for the Most Holy Trinity: "If a man Loves me", says the Lord, "he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our home with him": 101

"O blessed light, O Trinity and first Unity!" 93 God is eternal blessedness, undying life, unfading light. God is Love: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God freely wills to communicate the glory of his blessed life. Such is the "plan of his loving kindness", conceived by the Father before the foundation of the world, in his beloved Son: "He destined us in love to be his sons" and "to be conformed to the image of his Son", through "the spirit of sonship". 94 This plan is a "grace [which] was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began", stemming immediately from Trinitarian love. 95 It unfolds in the work of creation, the whole history of salvation after the fall, and the Missions of the Son and the Spirit, which are continued in the mission of the Church. 96

St. Gregory of Nazianzus, also called "the Theologian", entrusts this summary of Trinitarian Faith to the catechumens of Constantinople: Above all guard for me this great deposit of faith for which I live and fight, which I want to take with me as a companion, and which makes me bear all evils and despise all pleasures: I mean the profession of faith in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. I entrust it to you today. By it I am soon going to plunge you into water and raise you up from it. I give it to you as the companion and patron of your whole life. I give you but one divinity and power, existing one in three, and containing the three in a distinct way. Divinity without disparity of substance or nature, without superior degree that raises up or inferior degree that casts down. . . the infinite co-naturality of three infinites. Each person considered in himself is entirely God. . . the three considered together. . . I have not even begun to think of Unity when the Trinity bathes me in its splendour. I have not even begun to think of the Trinity when unity grasps me. . 92

God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this Reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to Love him with all his strength. He calls together all men, scattered and divided by Sin, into the Unity of his family, the Church. To accomplish this, when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son as Redeemer and Saviour. In his Son and through him, he invites men to become, in the Holy Spirit, his adopted children and thus heirs of his blessed life.

Candidates for Confirmation, as for Baptism, fittingly seek the spiritual help of a sponsor. To emphasize the Unity of the two Sacraments, it is appropriate that this be one of the baptismal Godparents. 127

"By a tradition handed down from the apostles which took its origin from the very day of Christ's Resurrection, the Church celebrates the Paschal mystery every seventh day, which day is appropriately called the Lord's Day or Sunday." 36 The day of Christ's Resurrection is both the first day of the week, the memorial of the first day of creation, and the "eighth day," on which Christ after his "rest" on the great sabbath inaugurates the "day that the Lord has made," the "day that knows no evening." 37 The Lord's Supper is its center, for there the whole commUnity of the Faithful encounters the risen Lord who invites them to his banquet: 38

In the Celebration of the Sacraments it is thus the whole assembly that is leitourgos, each according to his function, but in the "Unity of the Spirit" who acts in all. "In liturgical celebrations each perSon, minister or layman, who has an office to perform, should carry out all and only those parts which pertain to his office by the nature of the rite and the norms of the liturgy." 15

But "the Members do not all have the same function." 12 Certain members are called by God, in and through the Church, to a special service of the commUnity. These servants are chosen and consecrated by the Sacrament of Holy Orders, by which the Holy Spirit enables them to act in the perSon of Christ the Head, for the service of all the members of the Church. 13 The ordained minister is, as it were, an "icon" of Christ the priest. Since it is in the Eucharist that the sacrament of the Church is made fully visible, it is in his presiding at the Eucharist that the bishop's ministry is most evident, as well as, in Communion with him, the ministry of priests and deacons.

The celebrating assembly is the commUnity of the baptized who, "by regeneration and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, are consecrated to be a spiritual house and a holy priesthood, that . . . they may offer spiritual sacrifices." 9 This "common priesthood" is that of Christ the sole priest, in which all his Members participate: 10

It is the whole commUnity, the Body of Christ united with its Head, that celebrates. "Liturgical services are not private functions but are Celebrations of the Church which is 'the Sacrament of unity,' namely, the holy people united and organized under the authority of the bishops. Therefore, liturgical services pertain to the whole Body of the Church. They manifest it, and have effects upon it. But they touch individual Members of the Church in different ways, depending on their orders, their role in the liturgical services, and their actual participation in them." 7 For this Reason, "rites which are meant to be celebrated in common, with the Faithful present and actively participating, should as far as possible be celebrated in that way rather than by an individual and quasi-privately." 8

Likewise, Since the Sacraments express and develop the Communion of Faith in the Church, the lex orandi is one of the essential criteria of the dialogue that seeks to restore the Unity of Christians. 47

For this Reason no Sacramental rite may be modified or manipulated at the will of the minister or the commUnity. Even the supreme authority in the Church may not change the liturgy arbitrarily, but only in the obedience of Faith and with religious respect for the mystery of the liturgy.

Forming "as it were, one mystical perSon" with Christ the Head, the Church acts in the Sacraments as "an organically structured priestly commUnity." 36 Through Baptism and Confirmation the pRiestly people is enabled to celebrate the liturgy, while those of the Faithful "who have received Holy Orders, are appointed to nourish the Church with the word and grace of God in the name of Christ." 37

From the first commUnity of Jerusalem until the parousia, it is the same Paschal mystery that the Churches of God, Faithful to the apostolic Faith, celebrate in every place. the mystery celebrated in the liturgy is one, but the forms of its Celebration are diverse.

The diverse liturgical traditions have arisen by very Reason of the Church's Mission. Churches of the same geographical and cultural area came to celebrate the mystery of Christ through particular expressions characterized by the culture: in the tradition of the "deposit of Faith," 67 in liturgical symbolism, in the organization of fraternal Communion, in the theological understanding of the mysteries, and in various forms of holiness. Through the liturgical life of a local church, Christ, the light and salvation of all peoples, is made manifest to the particular people and culture to which that Church is sent and in which she is rooted. the Church is Catholic, capable of integrating into her Unity, while purifying them, all the authentic riches of cultures. 68

"Liturgical diversity can be a source of enrichment, but it can also provoke tensions, mutual misunderstandings, and even schisms. In this matter it is clear that diversity must not damage Unity. It must express only fidelity to the common Faith, to the Sacramental signs that the Church has received from Christ, and to hierarchical Communion. Cultural adaptation also requires a conversion of heart and even, where necessary, a breaking with ancestral customs incompatible with the Catholic faith." 74

Preparation for Confirmation should aim at leading the Christian toward a more intimate union with Christ and a more lively familiarity with the Holy Spirit - his actions, his gifts, and his biddings - in order to be more capable of assuming the apostolic responsibilities of Christian life. To this end catechesis for Confirmation should strive to awaken a sense of belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ, the universal Church as well as the parish commUnity. the latter bears special responsibility for the preparation of confirmands. 125

Every baptized perSon not yet confirmed can and should receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. 121 Since Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist form a Unity, it follows that "the Faithful are obliged to receive this sacrament at the appropriate time," 122 for without Confirmation and Eucharist, Baptism is certainly valid and efficacious, but Christian initiation remains incomplete.

The practice of the Eastern Churches gives greater emphasis to the Unity of Christian initiation. That of the Latin Church more clearly expresses the Communion of the new Christian with the bishop as guarantor and servant of the unity, Catholicity and apostolicity of his Church, and hence the connection with the apostolic origins of Christ's Church.

Baptism, the Eucharist, and the Sacrament of Confirmation together constitute the "Sacraments of Christian initiation," whose Unity must be safeguarded. It must be explained to the Faithful that the reception of the sacrament of Confirmation is necessary for the completion of baptismal grace. 88 For "by the sacrament of Confirmation, [the baptized] are more perfectly bound to the Church and are enriched with a special strength of the Holy Spirit. Hence they are, as true witnesses of Christ, more strictly obliged to spread and defend the Faith by word and deed." 89

Baptism constitutes the foundation of Communion among all Christians, including those who are not yet in full communion with the Catholic Church: "For men who Believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are put in some, though imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church. Justified by Faith in Baptism, [they] are incorporated into Christ; they therefore have a right to be called Christians, and with good Reason are accepted as brothers by the children of the Catholic Church." 80 "Baptism therefore constitutes the Sacramental bond of Unity existing among all who through it are reborn." 81

For the grace of Baptism to unfold, the parents' help is important. So too is the role of the GodFather and godmother, who must be firm Believers, able and ready to help the newly baptized - child or adult on the road of Christian life. 55 Their task is a truly ecclesial function (officium). 56 The whole ecclesial commUnity bears some responsibility for the development and safeguarding of the grace given at Baptism.

Baptism is the Sacrament of Faith. 54 But faith needs the commUnity of Believers. It is only within the faith of the Church that each of the Faithful can believe. the faith required for Baptism is not a perfect and mature faith, but a beginning that is called to develop. the catechumen or the Godparent is asked: "What do you ask of God's Church?" the response is: "Faith!"

The catechumenate, or formation of catechumens, aims at bringing their conversion and Faith to maturity, in response to the divine initiative and in union with an ecclesial commUnity. the catechumenate is to be "a formation in the whole Christian life . . . during which the disciples will be joined to Christ their teacher. the catechumens should be properly initiated into the mystery of salvation and the practice of the evangelical virtues, and they should be introduced into the life of faith, liturgy, and charity of the People of God by successive sacred rites." 47

First Holy Communion. Having become a child of God clothed with the wedding garment, the neophyte is admitted "to the Marriage supper of the Lamb" 44 and receives the food of the new life, the body and blood of Christ. the Eastern Churches maintain a lively awareness of the Unity of Christian initiation by giving Holy Communion to all the newly baptized and confirmed, even little children, recalling the Lord's words: "Let the children come to me, do not hinder them." 45 The Latin Church, which reserves adMission to Holy Communion to those who have attained the age of Reason, expresses the orientation of Baptism to the Eucharist by having the newly baptized child brought to the altar for the praying of the Our Father.

The epiclesis is also a prayer for the full effect of the assembly's Communion with the mystery of Christ. "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit" 28 have to remain with us always and bear fruit beyond the Eucharistic Celebration. the Church therefore asks the Father to send the Holy Spirit to make the lives of the Faithful a living sacrifice to God by their spiritual transformation into the image of Christ, by concern for the Church's Unity, and by taking part in her Mission through the witness and service of charity.

"By the saving word of God, Faith . . . is nourished in the hearts of Believers. By this faith then the congregation of the Faithful begins and grows." 21 The proclamation does not stop with a teaching; it elicits the response of faith as consent and commitment, directed at the covenant between God and his people. Once again it is the Holy Spirit who gives the grace of faith, strengthens it and makes it grow in the commUnity. the liturgical assembly is first of all a Communion in faith.

In the liturgy of the New Covenant every liturgical action, especially the Celebration of the Eucharist and the Sacraments, is an encounter between Christ and the Church. the liturgical assembly derives its Unity from the "Communion of the Holy Spirit" who gathers the children of God into the one Body of Christ. This assembly transcends racial, cultural, social - indeed, all human affinities.

Likewise, it belongs to the Sacramental nature of ecclesial ministry that it have a collegial character. In fact, from the beginning of his ministry, the Lord Jesus instituted the Twelve as "the seeds of the new Israel and the beginning of the sacred hierarchy." 395 Chosen together, they were also sent out together, and their fraternal Unity would be at the service of the fraternal Communion of all the Faithful: they would reflect and witness to the communion of the divine perSons. 396 For this Reason every bishop exercises his ministry from within the episcopal college, in communion with the bishop of Rome, the successor of St. Peter and Head of the college. So also priests exercise their ministry from within the presbyterium of the diocese, under the direction of their bishop.

"How are they to Believe in him of whom they have never heard? and how are they to hear without a preacher? and how can men preach unless they are sent?" 390 No one - no individual and no commUnity - can proclaim the Gospel to himself: "Faith comes from what is heard." 391 No one can give himself the mandate and the Mission to proclaim the Gospel. the one sent by the Lord does not speak and act on his own authority, but by virtue of Christ's authority; not as a member of the community, but speaking to it in the name of Christ. No one can bestow grace on himself; it must be given and offered. This fact presupposes ministers of grace, authorized and empowered by Christ. From him, they receive the mission and faculty ("the sacred power") to act in perSona Christi Capitis. the ministry in which Christ's emissaries do and give by God's grace what they cannot do and give by their own powers, is called a "Sacrament" by the Church's tradition. Indeed, the ministry of the Church is conferred by a special sacrament.

The very differences which the Lord has willed to put between the Members of his body serve its Unity and Mission. For "in the Church there is diversity of ministry but unity of mission. To the apostles and their successors Christ has entrusted the office of teaching, sanctifying and governing in his name and by his power. But the laity are made to share in the priestly, prophetical, and kingly office of Christ; they have therefore, in the Church and in the world, their own assignment in the mission of the whole People of God." 387 Finally, "from both groups [hierarchy and laity] there exist Christian Faithful who are consecrated to God in their own special manner and serve the salvific mission of the Church through the profession of the evangelical counsels." 388

The Church's Mission stimulates efforts towards Christian Unity. 357 Indeed, "divisions among Christians prevent the Church from realizing in practice the fullness of Catholicity proper to her in those of her Sons who, though joined to her by Baptism, are yet separated from full Communion with her. Furthermore, the Church herself finds it more difficult to express in actual life her full catholicity in all its aspects." 358

To reunite all his children, scattered and led astray by Sin, the Father willed to call the whole of humanity together into his Son's Church. the Church is the place where humanity must rediscover its Unity and salvation. the Church is "the world reconciled." She is that bark which "in the full sail of the Lord's cross, by the breath of the Holy Spirit, navigates safely in this world." According to another image dear to the Church Fathers, she is prefigured by Noah's ark, which alone saves from the flood. 334

"The Church knows that she is joined in many ways to the baptized who are honored by the name of Christian, but do not profess the Catholic Faith in its entirety or have not preserved Unity or Communion under the successor of Peter." 322 Those "who Believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are put in a certain, although imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church." 323 With the Orthodox Churches, this communion is so profound "that it lacks little to attain the fullness that would permit a common Celebration of the Lord's Eucharist." 324

"All men are called to this Catholic Unity of the People of God.... and to it, in different ways, belong or are ordered: the Catholic Faithful, others who Believe in Christ, and finally all mankind, called by God's grace to salvation." 320

The phrase "particular Church," which is the diocese (or eparchy), refers to a commUnity of the Christian Faithful in Communion of Faith and Sacraments with their bishop ordained in apostolic succession. 313 These particular Churches "are constituted after the model of the universal Church; it is in these and formed out of them that the one and unique Catholic Church exists." 314

Concern for achieving Unity "involves the whole Church, Faithful and clergy alike." 287 But we must realize "that this holy objective - the reconciliation of all Christians in the unity of the one and only Church of Christ - transcends human powers and gifts." That is why we place all our hope "in the prayer of Christ for the Church, in the Love of the Father for us, and in the power of the Holy Spirit." 288

Certain things are required in order to respond adequately to this call: - a permanent renewal of the Church in greater fidelity to her vocation; such renewal is the driving-force of the movement toward Unity; 280 - conversion of heart as the Faithful "try to live holier lives according to the Gospel"; 281 for it is the unFaithfulness of the Members to Christ's gift which causes divisions; - prayer in common, because "change of heart and holiness of life, along with public and private prayer for the unity of Christians, should be regarded as the Soul of the whole ecumenical movement, and merits the name 'spiritual ecumenism;"' 282 -fraternal knowledge of each other; 283 - ecumenical formation of the faithful and especially of priests; 284 - dialogue among theologians and meetings among Christians of the different Churches and communities; 285 - collaboration among Christians in various areas of service to mankind. 286 "Human service" is the idiomatic phrase.

The Pope, Bishop of Rome and Peter's successor, "is the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the Unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the Faithful." 402 "For the Roman Pontiff, by Reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, and as pastor of the entire Church has full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered." 403

"This college, in so far as it is composed of many Members, is the expression of the variety and universality of the People of God; and of the Unity of the flock of Christ, in so far as it is assembled under one Head." 407

"The individual bishops are the visible source and foundation of Unity in their own particular Churches." 408 As such, they "exercise their pastoral office over the portion of the People of God assigned to them," 409 assisted by priests and deacons. But, as a member of the episcopal college, each bishop shares in the concern for all the Churches. 410 The bishops exercise this care first "by ruling well their own Churches as portions of the universal Church," and so contributing "to the welfare of the whole Mystical Body, which, from another point of view, is a corporate body of Churches." 411 They extend it especially to the poor, 412 to those persecuted for the Faith, as well as to Missionaries who are working throughout the world.

"The sacred liturgy does not exhaust the entire activity of the Church": 10 it must be preceded by evangelization, Faith, and conversion. It can then produce its fruits in the lives of the Faithful: new life in the Spirit, involvement in the Mission of the Church, and service to her Unity.

As the work of Christ liturgy is also an action of his Church. It makes the Church present and manifests her as the visible sign of the Communion in Christ between God and men. It engages the Faithful in the new life of the commUnity and involves the "conscious, active, and fruitful participation" of everyone. 9

For man, this consummation will be the final realization of the Unity of the human race, which God willed from creation and of which the pilgrim Church has been "in the nature of Sacrament." 634 Those who are united with Christ will form the community of the redeemed, "the holy city" of God, "the Bride, the wife of the Lamb." 635 She will not be wounded any longer by Sin, stains, self-Love, that destroy or wound the earthly community. 636 The beatific vision, in which God opens himself in an inexhaustible way to the elect, will be the ever-flowing well-spring of happiness, peace, and mutual Communion.

By his death and Resurrection, Jesus Christ has "opened" heaven to us. the life of the blessed consists in the full and perfect possession of the fruits of the redemption accomplished by Christ. He makes partners in his heavenly glorification those who have Believed in him and remained Faithful to his will. Heaven is the blessed commUnity of all who are perfectly incorporated into Christ.

In the primitive commUnity of Jerusalem, the disciples "devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of the bread and the prayers." 480 Communion in the Faith. the faith of the Faithful is the faith of the Church, received from the apostles. Faith is a treasure of life which is enriched by being shared.

"From the God-given seed of the counsels a wonderful and wide-spreading tree has grown up in the field of the Lord, branching out into various forms of the religious life lived in solitude or in commUnity. Different religious families have come into existence in which spiritual resources are multiplied for the progress in holiness of their Members and for the good of the entire Body of Christ." 457

"The laity can also feel called, or be in fact called, to cooperate with their pastors in the service of the ecclesial commUnity, for the sake of its growth and life. This can be done through the exercise of different kinds of ministries according to the grace and charisms which the Lord has been pleased to bestow on them." 448

"Christ bestowed Unity on his Church from the beginning. This unity, we Believe, subsists in the Catholic Church as something she can never lose, and we hope that it will continue to increase until the end of time." 277 Christ always gives his Church the gift of unity, but the Church must always pray and work to maintain, reinforce, and perfect the unity that Christ wills for her. This is why Jesus himself prayed at the hour of his Passion, and does not cease praying to his Father, for the unity of his disciples: "That they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be one in us, . . . so that the world may know that you have sent me." 278 The desire to recover the unity of all Christians is a gift of Christ and a call of the Holy Spirit. 279