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Home , Apostolic succession

The Toronto District School Board

Course: Grade 10 Religion – Christ and Culture

Date/Lesson Number: Lesson 1

Unit: Profession of Faith

Lesson Topic: The Catholic and Divine Revelation

Focus Question:

The purpose of this lesson is to help students learn the role of the in the discernment and proclamation of Divine Revelation.

Instructional Objective(s):

1) Students will learn that Christ instituted the Church on the foundation of the . 2) Students will learn that the Apostles were entrusted with faithfully proclaiming the Gospel and spreading the Good News Jesus Christ had entrusted to them. 3) Students will learn the role of ensuring an authentic proclamation of God’s Revelation has been handed down in an unbroken line to the Apostolic successors- the and .

New Evangelization Essential Element(s):

Key Element I: Knowledge of the Faith: What We Believe Key Element VI: Evangelization and Apostolic Life: How We, as Individuals and Community, Live in Service to the World

Key Vocabulary:

Apostle Apostolicity Apostolic Succession Apostolic Tradition Deposit of Faith Diocese Presbyter

Key Scriptural Passage(s):

Key Catechism Reference(s):

CCC 1576

Key People:

Saint Paul

Internet Link(s): www.vatican.va www.cccb.ca

Materials required:

1) Sacred Scripture (NRSV) 2) Student Work Sheet 1 3) Appendix 1

Prayer Learned or Recited:

Father, you know all hearts. You have chosen your servant ______(name of local bishop)for the office of bishop. May he be a shepherd to your holy flock, and a high blameless in your sight, ministering to you night and day; may he always gain the blessing of your favor and offer the gifts of your holy Church. Through the Spirit who gives the grace of high grant that he be pleasing to you by his gentleness and purity of heart, presenting a fragrant offering to you, through Jesus Christ, your Son, through whom glory and power and honor are yours with the in your holy Church, now and forever, Amen.

(Adapted from the prayer of at the of a Bishop).

Step by step procedures:

Task 1: The Apostles and the Bishops

In small groups (2 to 3) ask students to read the selected articles from the Dogmatic Constitution of the Church- Lumen Gentium (Appendix 1). In their reading students should make note of the following points:

 Whom did Jesus choose to continue his ministry to preach the kingdom? o Among them, who was conferred a special status?  What title does Paul hold?  To whom did the apostles confer their authority? o What liturgical sign confirms these appointments? o What responsibilities accompany these ministries?

As a class, review the points raised in the small group discussions.

Elaborate upon the students answers using the following points:

Task 1A: The Community of Apostles

Jesus, from a larger group of disciples, selected a smaller Cornerstone circle of twelve. In choosing the twelve apostles, Jesus gave A cornerstone is a stone that forms the Christian community a foundation upon which it could the base of a corner of a building, fulfill its mission to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew joining two walls. It is an important 28:19). architectural feature since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position Definition- : The Greek word apostolos, meaning of the structure. someone who has been sent, occurs eighty times in the , and designates a “delegate” of Jesus Christ and The Old Testament Psalmist spoke of “messenger” of the gospel. a stone that the builders rejected and that became the chief Previous to the death of Jesus the term apostle was used cornerstone (Psalm 118:22). The exclusively in reference to the Twelve. The apostles were New Testament cites the passage messengers and ambassadors appointed, through the six times (Matthew 21:42, Mark Father (:40), by Christ to continue his own mission 12:10; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11, Ephesians 2:20; 1 Peter 2:6), (Galatians 1:15; Act 9:27; Mark 3:4; Matthew 28:19; John recognizing in the Psalmist’s 20:21) to be ministers of the New Covenant (2 Corinthians metaphor the person of Jesus, who 3:6). had be “rejected” by the people of Israel, but who had become the “cornerstone” of the church.

In the Church the blessing of the cornerstone is an important ritual in the building of a new church.

Paul Apostle to Gentiles(d. c.a. Following the ascension of Jesus, the description of the term 64), born Saul of Tarsus “apostle” was broadened by Paul to include the following (Hebrew name), practicing criteria: an apostle was one who was witness to the risen Jew who initially opposed the Christ and was one who was commissioned by for followers of Jesus, assisting at missionary teaching (Galatians 1:15-17; 1 Corinthians 9:1). the martyrdom of Stephen. On a mission to Damascus he encountered the Risen Jesus The title “apostle” thus no longer included just the and was converted to Twelve, but described those men later appointed by the . He became the Twelve (1 Corinthians 15:16) as missionaries, so as to go first and most immanent of the and establish various church communities throughout the Christian missionaries and Roman Empire. theologians. His epistles form a significant part of the New Testament . His feats day is celebrated on June 29. The most celebrated of these “missionary apostles” was Paul of Tarsus. Like, Paul none of these missionary apostles stayed in one church-community, but instead moved on and kept in touch with the communities they had founded via letters and other delegates.

The early church was thus founded on the faithful testimony and collective witness of the apostles. The depository of the Christian faith that the apostles handed to the first Christian communities and they in turn to the subsequent generation of leaders is known as Apostolic Tradition.

Definition-Apostolic Tradition: From the Latin “trader” meaning “to hand on”. In the Roman Catholic Church the “Apostolic Tradition” (written with an uppercase “T”) expresses the manner by which God’s revelation was transmitted to God’s people throughout the ages or the content of what is transmitted (written with a lower case “t”). This tradition is considered a “living” tradition because it is an ongoing, active transmission which forms part of the living reality of the Church.

The Roman Catholic Church maintains that, alongside Sacred Scripture, is to be considered a source of divine revelation.

This “Tradition” is considered to be apostolic in nature because it was “handed on” by the apostles.

Definition- Deposit of Faith: Refers to the body of truth entrusted by Christ to the Apostles and handed on by the apostles to be preserved and proclaimed.

Deposit of Faith= Apostolic Tradition + Sacred Scripture

Task 1B: Bishops as Successors to the Apostles

Neither the twelve apostles, nor the “missionary apostles” were responsible for the administrative functions of the early church communities. Such duties were overseen by the “presbyter- bishop”.

Definition- Presyteros: From the Greek “presbyteros” meaning “”.

Definition- Bishop: From the Greek “episkopas” meaning “overseer”. The bishop is the successor to the apostles and by his ordination is the of a local church or diocese. In communion with the Pope and the , he is charged with the task of catechesis and administration of the local diocese.

Initially the ministries of the presbyter and those of the bishop were identical and as such the words were used interchangeably. The presbyters usually functioned as a committee of “elders” with one of their members at the committee’s head as an “overseer”. Over time the ministry of the bishop (overseer) become distinct from that of the presbyters and eventually the In the year 325, at the single bishop replaced the committee of presbyters. Council of Nicaea, the authority of the

bishop was extended Although the particularities documenting this transition in to include the whole leadership are scarce, we can ascertain that as Jesus selected diocese, which was a and conferred the mission of the kingdom to the apostles, so too territorial division of the apostles entrusted this Good News to the bishops. The bishops, the Roman Empire. therefore, with the supporting ministries of the and , exercised their office of teaching and of governing and as such guarded the tradition of sound doctrine for their respective church communities.

This authority to preserve the church in its apostolic foundations, which innately included the mandate to give faithful witness to what was handed down to them and through them, was passed on by the laying of the hands, a tradition that continues today in Episcopal consecration.

The bishops thus succeeded to the place of the apostles as shepherds of the church” (LG 21) and as such were part of the apostolic succession.

The bishops have, by divine institution, taken the place of the apostles as Clement of of the Church, in such ways that whoever despises them despises Rome, bishop or Christ and him who sent Christ. (LG 20) Rome between 88-97 CE. The The earliest ideas of apostolic succession was articulated by Clement of third bishop to Rome in a letter dated in 96 CE. succeed Peter. His feast day is Our Apostles also knew, through our Lord Jesus Christ, that there would be celebrated on contention over the bishop’s office. So, for this reason, having received November 23. complete foreknowledge, they appointed the above mentioned men, and afterwards gave them a permanent character, so that, as they died, other approved men should succeed to the ministry.1

In the second century, competing interpretations of Christianity vied for dominance. Gnostics claimed to offer initiates knowledge (gnosis) that had been passed down from the apostles in secret traditions. In response to such challenges, the Catholic Church insisted that the true church is characterized by apostolicity.

Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons (190) defined norms the governed the church’s apostolicity:

 The episcopate, founded by the apostles and continued by their duly appointed successors, guaranteed the validity of church doctrine.  The New Testament, authored by the witness of the apostles, represented the authoritative and definitive witness to God’s saving act in Jesus Christ. Irenaues c.140–c.200,  The “canon of truth” which is handed down by the apostles bishop of Lyons to their successors. (France) and Father of Church. His most The unity and uniformity of Catholic doctrine, which stood in famous work is “Against striking contrast with the contradictions that existed in ” a detailed competing Gnostic systems, ensured the church’s survival. attach against Such unanimity became a significant concept in later church Gnosticism. His feast discussions, especially in the wake of challenges from day is celebrated on unorthodox or heretical persons or groups within the church. June 28.

Definition- Apostolic Succession: Apostolic succession is the uninterrupted transmission of authority from the Apostles through successive bishops. The doctrine of apostolic succession is accepted by Roman Catholics, but denied by Protestants.

Definition- Gnosticism: Christian pervasive in the first centuries of Christianity that claimed to have private knowledge (gnosis). Its basic tenet maintained an antagonism between the world of matter which was evil and the spirit world which was good. Accordingly, God would not take a body and become human, so Jesus’ body was but a phantom and his death was but a show.

Definition- Apostolicity: Apostolicity is one of the four characteristic of the church as articulated in the “We believe in one holy, catholic and apostolic church.” For Roman Catholic the term implies a succession with the first apostles.

Allow students time to update Student Worksheet 1.

(40 minutes)

Assessment Assignment:

Although a select few are called to be apostles, we are all by virtue of called to be disciples.

Write a 200-25 word journal entry that addresses the following:

 Do you make a conscious effort to live your Christian discipleship? How so?  What poses the most challenge in being faithful to this commitment?

Thought Provoker

Did you know that a Bishop is the shepherd of an archdiocese?

Alternate Assignment:

In 250 words, discuss the process of becoming a Bishop.

Adaptations (for students with learning disabilities):

Who is your local bishop? Create a trading card featuring your local bishop. On the front of the card place a picture of the bishop. On the reverse include the following information:

 The bishop’s name.  The name of the diocese that the Bishop  The bishop’s date of priestly ordination and the date he was consecrated bishop.  The bishop’s motto.  An image of the bishop’s coat of arms.

Share your project with the class.

Extensions (for gifted students):

The are the influential theologians and writers in the early Christian Church. Choose one the from the list below. Research and rrite a 300-350 word bibliography on your selection.

Share your findings with the class

Apostolic Fathers Greek Fathers Latin Fathers

Clement of Rome of Lyons

Ignatius of Antioch Clement of Alexandria of Carthage

Polycarp of Smyrna Origin of Alexandria of Milan

Cyril of Laexandria of Stridonium

John Chrysostom

Cappadocian Fathers (Basil Gregory the Great the Great, , )

Name: ______Date:______

Unit: Profession of Faith

Lesson Topic: The Catholic Church and Divine Revelation

Student Work Sheet 1

Instructions: Complete the following questions, throughout the course of today’s lesson.

1a) Read the selected articles from the Dogmatic Constitution of the Church- Lumen Gentium (Appendix 1)

1b) Whom did Jesus choose to continue his ministry to preach the kingdom?

1c) Among them, who was conferred a special status?

1d) What title does Paul hold?

1e) Definition- Apostolic Tradition:

1f) Definition- Deposit of Faith:

2a) To whom did the apostles confer their authority?

2b) What liturgical sign confirms these appointments?

2c) What responsibilities accompany these ministries?

3a) Definition- Apostolic Succession:

3b) Definition- Apostolicity:

Appendix 1

(Dogmatic Constitution of the Church) Lumen Gentium

Promulgated by Pope Paul VI

(November 21, 1964)

CHAPTER III: On the Hierarchical Structure of the Church and in Particular on the Episcopate

18. For the nurturing and constant growth of the , Christ the Lord instituted in His Church a variety of ministries, which work for the good of the whole body. For those ministers, who are endowed with sacred power, serve their brethren, so that all who are of the People of God, and therefore enjoy a true Christian dignity, working toward a common goal freely and in an orderly way, may arrive at .

This Sacred Council, following closely in the footsteps of the First Vatican Council, with that Council teaches and declares that Jesus Christ, the eternal Shepherd, established His holy Church, having sent forth the apostles as He Himself had been sent by the Father;(136) and He willed that their successors, namely the bishops, should be shepherds in His Church even to the consummation of the world. And in order that the episcopate itself might be one and undivided, He placed Blessed Peter over the other apostles, and instituted in him a permanent and visible source and foundation of unity of faith and communion. And all this teaching about the institution, the perpetuity, the meaning and reason for the sacred primacy of the Roman Pontiff and of his infallible , this Sacred Council again proposes to be firmly believed by all the faithful. Continuing in that same undertaking, this Council is resolved to declare and proclaim before all men the doctrine concerning bishops, the successors of the apostles, who together with the successor of Peter, the Vicar of Christ, the visible Head of the whole Church, govern the house of the living God.

19. The Lord Jesus, after praying to the Father, calling to Himself those whom He desired, appointed twelve to be with Him, and whom He would send to preach the Kingdom of God; and these apostles He formed after the manner of a college or a stable group, over which He placed Peter chosen from among them. He sent them first to the children of Israel and then to all nations, so that as sharers in His power they might make all peoples His disciples, and sanctify and govern them, and thus spread His Church, and by ministering to it under the guidance of the Lord, direct it all days even to the consummation of the world. And in this mission they were fully confirmed on the day of in accordance with the Lord's promise: "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and in Samaria, and even to the very ends of the earth". And the apostles, by preaching the Gospel everywhere, and it being accepted by their hearers under the influence of the Holy Spirit, gather together the universal Church, which the Lord established on the apostles and built upon blessed Peter, their chief, Christ Jesus Himself being the supreme cornerstone.

20. That divine mission, entrusted by Christ to the apostles, will last until the end of the world, since the Gospel they are to teach is for all time the source of all life for the Church. And for this reason the apostles, appointed as rulers in this society, took care to appoint successors. For they not only had helpers in their ministry, but also, in order that the mission assigned to them might continue after their death, they passed on to their immediate cooperators, as it were, in the form of a testament, the duty of confirming and finishing the work begun by themselves, recommending to them that they attend to the whole flock in which the Holy Spirit placed them to shepherd the Church of God. They therefore appointed such men, and gave them the order that, when they should have died, other approved men would take up their ministry. Among those various ministries which, according to tradition, were exercised in the Church from the earliest times, the chief place belongs to the office of those who, appointed to the episcopate, by a succession running from the beginning, are passers-on of the apostolic seed. Thus, as St. Irenaeus testifies, through those who were appointed bishops by the apostles, and through their successors down in our own time, the apostolic tradition is manifested and preserved.

Bishops, therefore, with their helpers, the priests and deacons, have taken up the service of the community, presiding in place of God over the flock, whose shepherds they are, as teachers for doctrine, priests for sacred worship, and ministers for governing. And just as the office granted individually to Peter, the first among the apostles, is permanent and is to be transmitted to his successors, so also the apostles' office of nurturing the Church is permanent, and is to be exercised without interruption by the sacred order of bishops. Therefore, the Sacred Council teaches that bishops by divine institution have succeeded to the place of the apostles, (15*) as shepherds of the Church, and he who hears them, hears Christ, and he who rejects them, rejects Christ and Him who sent Christ.

21. In the bishops, therefore, for whom priests are assistants, Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Supreme High Priest, is present in the midst of those who believe. For sitting at the right hand of , He is not absent from the gathering of His high priests, but above all through their excellent service He is preaching the word of God to all nations, and constantly administering the of faith to those who believe, by their paternal functioning He incorporates new members in His Body by a heavenly regeneration, and finally by their wisdom and prudence He directs and guides the People of the New Testament in their pilgrimage toward eternal happiness. These pastors, chosen to shepherd the Lord's flock of the elect, are servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God, to whom has been assigned the bearing of witness to the Gospel of the grace of God, and the ministration of the Spirit and of justice in glory.

For the discharging of such great duties, the apostles were enriched by Christ with a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit coming upon them, and they passed on this to their helpers by the imposition of hands, and it has been transmitted down to us in Episcopal consecration. And the Sacred Council teaches that by Episcopal consecration the fullness of the of Orders is conferred, that fullness of power, namely, which both in the Church's liturgical practice and in the language of the Fathers of the Church is called the high priesthood, the supreme power of the sacred ministry. But Episcopal consecration, together with the office of sanctifying, also confers the office of teaching and of governing, which, however, of its very nature, can be exercised only in hierarchical communion with the head and the members of the college. For from the tradition, which is expressed especially in liturgical rites and in the practice of both the and of the West, it is clear that, by means of the imposition of hands and the words of consecration, the grace of the Holy Spirit is so conferred, and the sacred character so impressed, that bishops in an eminent and visible way sustain the roles of Christ Himself as Teacher, Shepherd and High Priest, and that they act in His person. Therefore it pertains to the bishops to admit newly elected members into the Episcopal body by means of the sacrament of Orders.

26. A bishop marked with the fullness of the sacrament of Orders, is "the steward of the grace of the supreme priesthood," especially in the , which he offers or causes to be offered, and by which the Church continually lives and grows. This Church of Christ is truly present in all legitimate local congregations of the faithful which, united with their pastors, are themselves called churches in the New Testament. For in their locality these are the new People called by God, in the Holy Spirit and in much fullness. In them the faithful are gathered together by the preaching of the Gospel of Christ, and the mystery of the Lord's Supper is celebrated, that by the food and blood of the Lord's body the whole brotherhood may be joined together. In any community of the altar, under the sacred ministry of the bishop, there is exhibited a symbol of that charity and "unity of the mystical Body, without which there can be no salvation." In these communities, though frequently small and poor, or living in the Diaspora, Christ is present, and in virtue of His presence there is brought together one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. For "the partaking of the body and blood of Christ does nothing other than make us be transformed into that which we consume".

Every legitimate celebration of the Eucharist is regulated by the bishop, to whom is committed the office of offering the worship of Christian religion to the Divine Majesty and of administering it in accordance with the Lord's commandments and the Church's laws, as further defined by his particular judgment for his diocese.

Bishops thus, by praying and laboring for the people, make outpourings in many ways and in great abundance from the fullness of Christ's holiness. By the ministry of the word they communicate God's power to those who believe unto salvation and through the sacraments, the regular and fruitful distribution of which they regulate by their authority, they sanctify the faithful. They direct the conferring of baptism, by which a sharing in the kingly priesthood of Christ is granted. They are the original ministers of , dispensers of sacred Orders and the moderators of penitential discipline, and they earnestly exhort and instruct their people to carry out with faith and reverence their part in the liturgy and especially in the holy sacrifice of the Mass. And lastly, by the example of their way of life they must be an influence for good to those over whom they preside, refraining from all evil and, as far as they are able with God's help, exchanging evil for good, so that together with the flock committed to their care they may arrive at eternal life.

27. Bishops, as vicars and ambassadors of Christ, govern the particular churches entrusted to them by their counsel, exhortations, example, and even by their authority and sacred power, which indeed they use only for the edification of their flock in truth and holiness, remembering that he who is greater should become as the lesser and he who is the chief become as the servant. This power, which they personally exercise in Christ's name, is proper, ordinary and immediate, although its exercise is ultimately regulated by the supreme authority of the Church, and can be circumscribed by certain limits, for the advantage of the Church or of the faithful. In virtue of this power, bishops have the sacred right and the duty before the Lord to make laws for their subjects, to pass judgment on them and to moderate everything pertaining to the ordering of worship and the apostolate.

The pastoral office or the habitual and daily care of their sheep is entrusted to them completely; nor are they to be regarded as vicars of the Roman Pontiffs, for they exercise an authority that is proper to them, and are quite correctly called "prelates," heads of the people whom they govern. Their power, therefore, is not destroyed by the supreme and universal power, but on the contrary it is affirmed, strengthened and vindicated by it, since the Holy Spirit unfailingly preserves the form of government established by Christ the Lord in His Church.

A bishop, since he is sent by the Father to govern his family, must keep before his eyes the example of the Good Shepherd, who came not to be ministered unto but to minister, and to lay down his life for his sheep. Being taken from among men, and himself beset with weakness, he is able to have compassion on the ignorant and erring. Let him not refuse to listen to his subjects, whom he cherishes as his true sons and exhorts to cooperate readily with him. As having one day to render an account for their souls, he takes care of them by his prayer. preaching, and all the works of charity, and not only of them but also of those who are not yet of the one flock. who also are commended to him in the Lord. Since, like , he is debtor to all men, let him be ready to preach the Gospel to all, and to urge his faithful to apostolic and missionary activity. But the faithful must cling to their bishop, as the Church does to Christ, and Jesus Christ to the Father, so that all may be of one mind through unity, and abound to the glory of God.

The complete text can be accessed at: http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat -ii_const_19641121_lumen-gentium_en.html