THE ONE TRUE CHURCH

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.                                                                                                                                                        I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, Our Lord, Who was conceived of the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, was Crucified,  and Resurrected.                                                                                                                                            I believe in the Holy Spirit.                                                                                                                     I believe in the Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.                                                                                                                                                     I believe in the resurrection of the body.                                                                                             I believe in life everlasting,    Amen.

CC9 …. THE APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION  …. “Till the End of Time”
Some might ask: “For how long did Christ intend His Church to endure ?”
Well, let us refer to Christ’s words …and promise: “Go therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them, ‘In the Name of the Father, and of  The Son and of the Holy Spirit.’  And Lo! I am with you always ‘till the end of time’    (Mt. 28: 19 – 20; Mk.16: 15).

With that injunction, Christ clearly shows that HE intended His Church (the Mission of the Apostles) to last ‘till the end of time’.
He also assured the Apostles that He would be assisting them in fulfilling the mandate He had just given to them: “And Lo ! I am with you always.”

Whom did Christ entrust with the spreading of the Faith ?
Only the Apostles  received this direct and personal  mandate from the Lord. In most clear and solemn words He said to them: “As the Father sent Me, even so, I send you.”  (Jn.20: 21).   Therefore, only the Twelve were the qualified and authorized persons commissioned to spread the Good News.

The Apostles fully understood the will and the mind of the Master. In fact they were concerned  not only in spreading the Gospel throughout Palestine, but also to proclaim it throughout the then, known world.

How did the Apostles ensure the continuity of their mission ?
Since Christ intended the Church to last “till the end of time’ (Mt.28:20), the Apostles appointed Collaborators to help them fulfill the ‘mandate’  they had personally  received from the Lord, to discharge their mission after their death.

The Laying of the Hands
How did the Apostles commission their Collaborators ?
The Apostles commissioned their Collaborators through a clear, visible and definite sign, called “the laying (imposition) of the hands”.  By this sign, rite, action, the Apostles invested their Successors with the same authority,  which they had received from the Master.

Where do we find a reference to this “investiture”  ?

Reminding Timothy of his appointment, St.Paul says: “Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given to you by prophetic utterance, when the elders laid their hands upon you.”  (1Tim. 4: 14)
Therefore, Timothy can be considered the first link, after Paul, of a long, uninterrupted chain, link, line, which is called “The Apostolic Succession”.    /CC10

Extracts by kind permission of  HG Mons. Sylvester Magro ofm, Apostolic Nuncio of Benghazi.