This unit treats the Church as part of the content of the faith, not an organisation added on top of it. Lesson 1.3 introduced the Magisterium as a source of teaching; here the Church is studied as a mystery in its own right.
Lessons
| Lesson | Big question |
|---|---|
| 9.1 Founded by Christ | Did Jesus mean to start a Church? |
| 9.2 Peter and the bishops | Why is there a Pope? |
| 9.3 One, holy, catholic and apostolic | How can a Church full of sinners be holy? |
| 9.4 “Outside the Church no salvation” | Is everyone who isn’t Catholic lost? |
The lessons in this unit are being written. Until they are ready, the readings below cover the same ground in more depth.
Philosophy you will need
The idea of a society with a common good and authority, from the philosophy course’s Ethics and political philosophy material.
Watch out for
Lesson 9.4 deals with a hard saying. It explains both what it means and what it does not: those who through no fault of their own do not know Christ or his Church can be saved (CCC 847).