Part One, Section Two, Chapter Three, Article 9, Paragraphs 748-750
Overview
These paragraphs serve as the introduction to the Catechism's treatment of the Holy Catholic Church. The text explicitly grounds ecclesiology (the doctrine of the Church) in Christology and Pneumatology. Paragraph 748 utilizes the metaphor of the moon and sun (mysterium lunae) to illustrate that the Church possesses no light of her own but shines only by reflecting Christ. Paragraph 749 asserts that the Holy Spirit is the source of the Church's holiness. Finally, Paragraph 750 makes a critical grammatical and theological distinction found in the Creeds: believers profess faith 'in' God the Father, Son, and Spirit, but profess 'the' Church (without the preposition 'in' in the Latin sense of divinity). This distinction is intended to prevent confusing God with His works, while still affirming the Church as a divine gift and the locus where the Spirit flourishes.
Key Figures
- Jesus Christ
- The Holy Spirit
- God the Father
- Church Fathers
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
Ecclesial Reflection (Mysterium Lunae)
Assertion
The Church has no light of its own but reflects the light of Christ like the moon reflects the sun.
Evidence from Text
the Church has no other light than Christ's; according to a favorite image of the Church Fathers, the Church is like the moon, all its light reflected from the sun.
Evangelical Comparison
The 'Mystery of the Moon' is a patristic image accepted by Evangelicals in principle—that the Church is not the source of grace but the recipient and reflector of it. However, a divergence occurs in application. Catholicism uses this to bolster the authority of the visible institution as the necessary reflector of Christ to the world. Evangelicals view the 'reflection' as a spiritual reality occurring in the lives of regenerate individuals, regardless of institutional hierarchy. For Evangelicals, the Bible is the primary 'reflector' or revelation of Christ, whereas this text positions the Church as the visible manifestation of that light.
Pneumatological Constitution of the Church
Assertion
The Holy Spirit is the one who endows the Church with holiness; the Church is where the Spirit flourishes.
Evidence from Text
having shown that the Spirit is the source and giver of all holiness, we now confess that it is he who has endowed the Church with holiness.
Evangelical Comparison
The text claims the Spirit endowed 'the Church' with holiness. In Catholic theology, this holiness is an objective mark of the institution (the sacraments remain holy even if the priest is not). In Evangelical theology, the Church is holy only insofar as its members are justified by faith and sanctified by the Spirit. Evangelicals reject the idea that an institution can possess 'holiness' independent of the spiritual state of its members or that the Spirit is bound to flourish within specific institutional parameters.
Distinction of Credal Object
Assertion
We believe 'in' God, but we believe 'the' Church, to avoid confusing the Creator with His works.
Evidence from Text
In the Apostles' Creed we profess 'one Holy Church' (Credo . . . Ecclesiam), and not to believe in the Church, so as not to confuse God with his works
Evangelical Comparison
The Catechism here makes a subtle but vital distinction: the Church is a 'work' of God, not God Himself. This theoretically protects against ecclesiolatry (worship of the Church). Evangelicals appreciate this distinction but argue that in practice, the Roman Catholic requirement to submit to the Church for salvation functions as a 'belief in' the institution that rivals trust in Christ alone. While the text denies the Church is God, it elevates the Church to a necessary object of faith ('we profess... the Church') in a way that Sola Scriptura does not support.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap
While Evangelicals believe the Church exists as the body of believers, they do not view 'the Church' as a mediatorial institution that must be 'believed' in the same credal sense as the Trinity. The Catechism asserts that the Church is the visible light of Christ (Moon/Sun). For the Evangelical, the Word of God is the light (Psalm 119:105) and Christ is the light (John 8:12), and the Church is merely the gathering of those who have seen the light. The Roman view ontologically connects the institution to the Trinity's work, making the Church an extension of the Incarnation, whereas Evangelicals view the Church as the *result* of the Incarnation and Atonement.
Friction Points
Sola Scriptura
The text defines the Church based on Patristic metaphor and Conciliar decree rather than explicit biblical prescription.
Universal Priesthood
By designating the Church as the singular 'moon' reflecting Christ, it implies that individuals must access the light through the institutional reflection rather than directly.
Sola Fide
Linking belief in the Church inseparably to belief in God adds an ecclesiological requirement to the object of saving faith.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"The Church"
In This Text
The visible, hierarchical institution established by Christ, endowed with holiness, functioning as the 'moon' reflecting Christ.
In Evangelicalism
The invisible body of all true believers united to Christ by faith (Ephesians 1:22-23), regardless of institutional affiliation.
"Credo (I believe)"
In This Text
Intellectual assent and trust in the dogmas proposed by the Magisterium.
In Evangelicalism
Personal trust and reliance (fiducia) upon God's promises.
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: Implicitly, receiving the 'light of Christ' which shines visibly from the Church.
How Attained: Through the ministry of the Church (the moon) which reflects the Sun (Christ).
Basis of Assurance: Confidence in the Church's holiness as endowed by the Spirit.
Comparison to Sola Fide: The text does not mention faith alone; it emphasizes the Church's role in proclaiming the Gospel and being the locus of the Spirit, implying the Church is a necessary medium for salvation.
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Proclaim the Gospel to every creature
- Confess that the Spirit endowed the Church with holiness
- Profess 'one Holy Church' (Credo Ecclesiam)
Implicit Obligations
- View the Church as the necessary reflection of Christ's light
- Accept the Church as a divine gift distinct from God but inseparable from belief in the Trinity
- Acknowledge the Church as the place where the Spirit flourishes
Ritual Requirements
- Recitation/Affirmation of the Nicene and Apostles' Creeds
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- The text uses the beautiful image of the moon reflecting the sun. If the moon moves between the earth and the sun, what happens? (An eclipse/darkness). Is it possible for a church structure to eclipse Christ rather than reflect Him?
- Paragraph 750 says we believe 'the' Church but not 'in' the Church as we believe in God. How do you practically keep that distinction clear in your prayer life and reliance for salvation?
- If the Church has 'no other light than Christ's,' why do we sometimes focus so much on the Church's rules and traditions rather than going straight to the Light Himself?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
Mysterium Lunae (Mystery of the Moon)
This is a perfect bridge to the Gospel of Grace. Just as the moon is a dead, rocky rock with no light of its own, we (and the Church) are dead in trespasses and sins. We cannot generate light (righteousness). We can only reflect the alien righteousness of Christ.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
The believer is taught that the light of Christ shines 'visibly from the Church.' This creates a fear that separation from the Roman institution is separation from the light of Christ itself.
By linking belief in the Church to the Trinity, the text creates a psychological burden where questioning the Church feels like questioning God Himself.
+ Epistemology
Knowledge Source: Dogmatic assertion by the Church Council and interpretation of the Creeds.
Verification Method: Adherence to the teaching of the 'sacred Council' and the historic Creeds.
Evangelical Contrast: Evangelical epistemology grounds the definition of the Church in the New Testament texts (e.g., Ephesians 2, 1 Peter 2) rather than in the dogmatic constitutions of later councils or the metaphors of Church Fathers.
+ Textual Criticism
Dating: 1997 (Latin Typical Edition)
Authorship: Promulgated by John Paul II; drafted by a commission led by Joseph Ratzinger.
Textual Issues: No manuscript issues; this is a modern dogmatic text.