The Creed says the Church is holy. Pope Francis--“How can a Church like this be holy?”: a report on what he said then

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see https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2013/10/02/pope-francis-how-can-a-church-like-this-be-holy/

“But”, he asked, “How can we say that the Church is holy, if we see that the Church throughout history, during her long journey through the centuries, has experienced many moments of darkness?"
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“The Church is holy because ‘she comes from God Who is holy, Who is faithful to her and never abandons her to the power of death and evil. She is holy because Jesus Christ, Saint of God, is indissolubly united to her,’” the Pope said.
 
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Holy means set apart by God for special purpose. God’s decision to set apart his people as his treasured possession did not come about due to our obedience, but because of his own choice to demonstrate his grace. Just as Moses reminds Israel that they were set aside not because of their obedience (since they were a stiff-necked people) but because of his promise, so we, the Church are set aside through the grace of God through his son Jesus Christ. The Church is holy because God sent his Son to die for her and to present her spotless and stainless before Him.
 
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I find it hopeful when reading Scripture and realising that God calls ordinary men and women to live a holy life in His service.

Abraham negotiating with God to save Sodom and Gomorra if there were some righteous people there. Jeremiah - a constant complainer, Samuel who didn’t recognise it was God calling him but thought it was Eli, Jonah who didn’t want to go to Nineve to preach (Can’t blame him. The town is now called Mosul, Irac), profets who did “what was evil in the eyes of the Lord”, John the Baptist eating bugs (those people saying that we should eat insects instead of meat are 2000 years behind 🤣) etc, etc.

Then the apostles… Judas Iscariot who was a thief, betrayer and killed himself, Simon Peter who denied Jesus not once not twice but three times, Thomas who was willing to go to Jerusalem and die and then doubted that Jesus was risen from the dead. Two who had a mother who wanted to have her sons sitting on each side of Jesus Christ in heaven. 10 of the 12 apostles didn’t stick around while Jesus Christ was hanging on the cross.

During the Medieval ages there was a period of about 200 years when no popes were canonised as saints. Instead we have great saints like St Thomas of Aquinas who was called “Dumb as an ox”, St Francis of Assisi and St Catarina of Siena.

Few of the “ordinary people” are recognised as holy while they are living. And yet we are all called to be holy and become saints. There was a deacon who said “We are all saints after a good confession… until we start sinning again.”
 
Don’t know what he means by “Saint of God”, but whatever I guess.
 
Not a bad answer,if a bit rambling.

The Catechism of St. Pius X provides a succinct to the point one:

17 Q. Why is the true Church called Holy?
A. The true church is called Holy because holy is her Invisible Head, Jesus Christ; holy are many of her members; holy are her faith, her laws, her Sacraments; and outside of her there is not and cannot be true holiness.
 
Thanks, I understand now. I guess one case of “lost in translation”.
 
God is good, all the time God is good. God, through Jesus Christ works in Providence.
Sometimes we mean ‘The Divine Revelation’ with the term ‘Church.’
Yes, the Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture, and Magisterium;
by the Promise that The Holy Spirit will never let an Ex Cathedra Teaching,
be in error. For Jesus Christ, changed Simon’s (reed swaying in the wind)
name to Kepha (or Cephas) both mean rock in Aramaic; and said whatever,
he, meaning the rock of his office; binds on earth is bound in heaven;
and whatever he looses on earth is loosed in heaven; and the gates of Hell,
will never prevail against Jesus Christ’s Church. This echos what God
said regarding Eliakim, made Chief Steward in Isaiah 22, almost exactly;
with different wording.
However, Jesus Christ taught that mistakes regarding Him, can be forgiven;
but blaspheming The Holy Spirit will never be forgiven in this life or the next.
Combine that with those who sin in without knowing it; will receive less stripes,
though they deserve more; but to whom much is given much is required.
Then woe to those who lead these ‘who belong to Me’ astray, it would be better
that a millstone be put around their neck, cast into the sea, than what will happen to them on Judgement Day.
So in a sense all of humanity as a whole, except the ‘tares’ weeds that look like wheat;
where as the wheat are children of obedience to God in various states of Grace;
through Jesus Christ and His One Holy and Apostolic Church; in a sense; all of humanity is ‘Church.’ So when the world points at the sins of fallible people in the Institutional Church to claim Jesus Christ’s Institutional Church is invalid,
knowingly or unknowingly they are hypocrites. Society in the whole world, by the increase of loosing the ideals of Grace objective virtue; increased lawlessness;
and love has grown cold in many.
Furthermore, Bishop Fulton J. Sheen; using Matthew 25:31-46; where Jesus Christ taught that whatsoever is done to one of the least among us, His Brethren; it is done
unto Him; in a special way are represented at The Mass, when Jesus Christ’s Body, is Broken in a non bloody manner for us; and His Blood poured out for the remission of sin; as part of the Mystical Body of Christ.
Yes, a little wordy, but a little more inclusive of our Thanksgiving Liturgical relationship;
and participation in Christ.
Peace.
 
Only John was standing at the cross as Judas Iscariot had betrayed Jesus and killed himself and the other 10 were not present. So in a way it should be 10 of the 11 left but the apostles are always counted as 12 until Mattias takes Judas Iscariot´s place as written in the Book of Acts.
 
Kind of like Hilaire Belloc’s position:

The Catholic Church is an institution I am bound to hold divine — but for unbelievers a proof of its divinity might be found in the fact that no merely human institution conducted with such knavish imbecility would have lasted a fortnight.
 
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