Catholicity of the Church's Mission

The Catholic Church does not exist for its own sake or as an isolated entity; rather, it has an outward-facing purpose.
The sharing of the faith is not optional but a requirement: "We MUST share it."
Members of the Church are specifically called and sent by Jesus Christ with the mandate to spread the faith to others.

The official mission of the Church began at Pentecost.
During Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended upon the internal circle of the apostles, anointing them and filling them with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
This event served as the catalyst for a series of historical events that demonstrated the steady expansion of the Church, facilitated and guided by the Holy Spirit.

The Apostles reached a turning point where they had to overcome their historical and social issues with the Samaritan people to preach the Gospel to them.
Although the Samaritans were initially hesitant to receive the message, they ultimately accepted Jesus Christ as the Savior.
Following their acceptance, the Samaritans were immediately baptized.
Evidence of the early roots of the Sacrament of Confirmation is seen in this account, as Peter and John laid hands on the baptized Samaritans.

Philip encountered an Ethiopian who was curious about the identity and teachings of Jesus.
Upon learning about Jesus, the Ethiopian requested to be baptized, and Philip fulfilled this request.
This specific event is significant as it demonstrates that Christianity was actively expanding beyond the confines of Judaism to reach people of different nationalities.

St. Peter underwent a personal and theological transition, moving away from strict adherence to old Jewish dietary laws and beliefs.
This transition was illustrated by Peter eating food that was previously considered "unclean."
Through these experiences, Peter arrived at a profound realization regarding God's nature:
- "God shows no partiality."
- Peter concluded that in every nation, whoever fears God and acts uprightly is acceptable to Him.

The Council of Jerusalem addressed the requirements for new converts, specifically ruling that circumcision was not necessary for salvation or membership in the Church.
The primary message emerging from this council was one of radical inclusion: all people are accepted.
The resulting mandate for the Church is the obligation to share the faith with everyone without exception.

Because the Church is universal and accepts all people, it must inherently embrace all cultures.
The inherent goodness of culture is affirmed by the fact that Jesus Himself was born and raised within a specific human culture.
The Church's goal is to integrate and fit in with various cultures while ensuring that the core tenets of the faith are never compromised.

St. Gregory the Great sent St. Augustine (the missionary to England, not to be confused with Augustine of Hippo) to perform missionary work in England.
During his mission, Augustine observed that many churches he visited performed their religious practices and rituals differently than what he was used to.
Instruction from Gregory: Augustine was instructed to select the positive and "good things" he observed in these diverse practices and share those findings with Gregory upon his return.

The Second Vatican Council (Vatican II) provided clear guidance on the integration of culture into the Church.
The Council stated that various cultural customs could be formally introduced into Catholic Worship.
The strict condition for this integration is that these customs must not be "indissolubly bound up with superstition and error."