medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
Traditional RC language has been militant, suffering, triumphant. The old
(1907) Catholic Encyclopedia says of the term _ecclesia_:
a.. It is employed to denote all who, from the beginning of the world,
have believed in the one true God, and have been made His children by grace.
In this sense, it is sometimes distinguished, signifying the Church before
the Old Covenant, the Church of the Old Covenant, or the Church of the New
Covenant. Thus St. Gregory (Epp. V, ep. xviii ad. Joan. Ep. Const., in P.
L., LXXVII, 740) writes: "Sancti ante legem, sancti sub lege, sancti sub
gratiā, omnes hi . . . in membris Ecclesię sunt constituti" (The saints
before the Law, the saints under the Law, and the saints under grace -- all
these are constituted members of the Church).
b.. It may signify the whole body of the faithful, including not merely
the members of the Church who are alive on earth but those, too, whether in
heaven or in purgatory, who form part of the one communion of saints.
Considered thus, the Church is divided into the Church Militant, the Church
Suffering, and the Church Triumphant.
c.. It is further employed to signify the Church Militant of the New
Testament. Even in this restricted acceptation, there is some variety in the
use of the term. The disciples of a single locality are often referred to in
the New Testament as a Church (Apoc., ii, 18; Rom., xvi, 4; Acts, ix, 31),
and St. Paul even applies the term to disciples belonging to a single
household (Rom., xvi, 5; I Cor., xvi, 19, Col., iv, 15; Philem., i, 2).
Moreover, it may designate specially those who exercise the office of
teaching and ruling the faithful, the Ecclesia Docens (Matt., xviii, 17), or
again the governed as distinguished from their pastors, the Ecclesia Discens
(Acts xx, 28). In all these cases the name belonging to the whole is applied
to a part. The term, in its full meaning, denotes the whole body of the
faithful, both rulers and ruled, throughout the world (Eph., i, 22; Col., i,
18). It is in this meaning that the Church is treated of in the present
article. As thus understood, the definition of the Church given by
Bellarmine is that usually adopted by Catholic theologians: "A body of men
united together by the profession of the same Christian Faith, and by
participation in the same sacraments, under the governance of lawful
pastors, more especially of the Roman Pontiff, the sole vicar of Christ on
earth" (Coetus hominum ejusdem christianę fidei professione, et eorumdem
sacramentorum communione colligatus, sub regimine legitimorum pastorum et
pręcipue unius Christi in Terris vicarii Romani Pontificis. -- Bellarmine,
De Eccl., III, ii, 9). The accuracy of this definition will appear in the
course of the article.
----- Original Message -----
From: <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, February 14, 2003 7:15 AM
Subject: Re: [M-R] Church Militant
> medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and culture
>
> > medieval-religion: Scholarly discussions of medieval religion and
> > culture
> >
> > Dear All,
> >
> > This may be a simple question, but I wonder if anyone can tell me where
> > the notion of the three branches of the church - militant, suffering and
> > triumphant - originated.
> >
> >
>
> I'm not sure the answer to your question, but have another for you - where
> did you hear it "suffering"? I've always heard it "expectant". That is
> more in keeping with Catholic teaching that Purgatory is just that - a
> place where "purging" happens. It does not involve pain, just not quite
> totally "with God" yet. But it also mearns that one's pilgrimage is
> continuing on the way, and is not going to be turned back, therefore it is
> expectant. I too have wondered where the concept of the three started.
>
> Stephen M. Collins
> Charleston, SC
>
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