Ecclesiology, Church Hierarchy, and the Holy Eucharist Study Guide

Vocabulary flashcards covering ecclesiology, church hierarchy, the Holy Eucharist, liturgical gestures, works of mercy, and early Church history based on lecture materials.

Apostle

Derived from the Greek word Apostolos or Emissary, meaning 'one who is sent on a mission.'

Apostolic Succession

The method whereby the ministry of the Christian Church is derived from the Apostles by a continuous, unbroken succession of authority, message, and sacred tradition.

Petros

The Greek word meaning 'stone' or 'rock,' given to Simon Peter by Jesus to signify his role as the solid foundation of the Church.

Servus Servorum Dei

Official papal title meaning 'Servant of the Servants of God,' popularized by Pope St. Gregory the Great to emphasize humble servant leadership.

Ecclesiological Hierarchy

The 'holy ordering' of the Church as the Body of Christ, respecting the diversity of gifts and ministries required to maintain ecclesial unity.

Pope

The Supreme Pontiff (Pontifex Maximus) or Roman Pontiff (Romanus Pontifex), successor of Peter, who possesses supreme teaching authority and teaches infallibly on matters of faith and morals.

Cardinals

Leading bishops who form the College of Cardinals and assist the Pope through the Roman Curia, participating in papal consistories and electing new Popes during a conclave.

Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle

Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples who served as the 32nd Archbishop of Manila from 2011 to 2020.

Orlando Cardinal Quevedo

Cardinal Archbishop emeritus of Cotabato appointed by Pope Francis as a member of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue.

Archbishop

A bishop who governs an Archdiocese and holds supervisory authority over an ecclesiastical province without holding a higher sacramental order than a diocesan bishop.

Bishop

An ordained minister who exercises primary episcopal authority, governance, and pastoral care over his own local Diocese.

Most Rev. Jose Colin M. Bagaforo, DD

Clergyman installed as Bishop of Kidapawan on September 8, 2016, who serves as National Director of NASSA / Caritas Philippines and Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Cotabato.

Diocesan Priests

Ordained clergymen bound by promises of chastity, simplicity, and obedience who are incardinated into and assigned to serve within a specific geographic diocese.

Religious Priests

Ordained clergymen who profess formal vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience within a religious order, frequently assigned to specialized or remote missionary territories.

Deacons

Ordained officers (from Greek diakoneo, meaning 'through the dirt') whose primary roles are ministering to physical and material needs, visiting the sick, and assisting in church gatherings.

Laity

All baptized faithful non-ordained members of the Church who form the congregation united under the Holy Father and Bishops.

Holy Eucharist

The preeminent Sacrament containing Jesus Christ Himself, derived from the Greek noun eucharistia, meaning 'thanksgiving.'

Transubstantiation

The transformation of the essential substance of bread and wine into the actual Body and Blood of Jesus Christ by His divine power during consecration.

Anamnesis

The liturgical memorial in the Eucharistic Prayer wherein the Church recalls Christ's passion, death, resurrection, and ascension.

Epiclesis

The moment in the Eucharistic Prayer when the priest extends his hands over the gifts, invoking the Holy Spirit to transform them into the Body and Blood of Christ.

Collect

The opening prayer of the Mass in which the priest collects the silent petitions of the gathered people and offers them to God.

Genuflect

Derived from post-classical Latin genuflectere ('to bend the knee') and Greek kamptein, a physical posture of deep reverence directed toward the Real Presence of Christ in the tabernacle or altar.

Sacrament

A visible, material sign that renders present an invisible spiritual reality.

Four Marks of the Church

The four essential characteristics defining the Church in the Creed: One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic.

Missio Dei

The principle that all functions, identity, and programs of the Church are organized around God's overarching mission in the world.

Corporal Works of Mercy

Seven concrete physical actions addressing material needs: Feed the Hungry, Give Drink to the Thirsty, Clothe the Naked, Shelter the Homeless, Visit the Sick, Visit those in Prison, and Bury the Dead.

Spiritual Works of Mercy

Seven actions addressing emotional, mental, and spiritual needs: Instruct the Ignorant, Admonish the Sinner, Counsel the Doubtful, Comfort the Sorrowful, Bear Wrongs Patiently, Forgive All Injuries, and Pray for the Living and the Dead.

Prudence

The virtue that discerns the proper means to attain true good, exercised when counseling the doubtful in spiritual or moral dilemmas.

Empathy

The ability to share another's grief, exercised when comforting the sorrowful to eliminate indifference toward human suffering.

Rerum Novarum

The 1891 encyclical issued by Pope Leo XIII that expanded the Church's social mission beyond direct charity to include structural change and systemic reform.

PPCRV

Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting; an organization that advocates for civic integrity and justice during election cycles.

St. Barnabas

'Son of Encouragement' (originally Joseph), a Cypriot Jew and Levite who founded the Antioch church, undertook missionary journeys from $46\,\text{AD}$ to $48\,\text{AD}$, and defended Gentile converts at the Council of Jerusalem in $49\,\text{AD}$.

St. Stephen

A deacon in Jerusalem and the first Christian martyr, accused of blasphemy by the Sanhedrin and stoned to death circa $36\,\text{AD}$.

Sanhedrin

A $71$-member Jewish judicial, legislative, and religious council that tried early Christians.

Pentarchy

The system of five major patriarchal churches of early Christianity, among which the Church at Antioch became the first established seat.