CYRIL OF JERUSALEM - THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

 

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Catechesis, 18. 23 and 26

Greek text from Migne PG,  Vol. 33, Cols 1044 and 1048

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Καθολικὴ μὲν οὖν καλεῖται, διὰ τὸ κατὰ πάσης εἶναι τῆς οἰκουμένης, ἀπὸ περάτων γῆς ἕως περάτων· καὶ διὰ τὸ διδάσκειν καθολικῶς καὶ ἀνελλειπῶς ἅπαντα τὰ εἰς γνῶσιν ἀνθρώπων ἐλθεῖν ὀφείλοντα δόγματα, περί τε ὁρατῶν καὶ ἀοράτων πραγμάτων, ἐπουρανίων τε καὶ ἐπιγείων· καὶ διὰ τὸ πᾶν γένος ἀνθρώπων εἰς εὐσέβειαν ὑποτάσσειν, ἀρχόντων τε καὶ ἀρχομένων, λογίων τε καὶ ἰδιωτῶν, καὶ διὰ τὸ καθολικῶς ἰατρεύειν μὲν καὶ θεραπεύειν ἅπαν τὸ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν εἶδος, τῶν διὰ ψυχῆς καὶ σώματος ἐπιτελουμένων· κεκτῆσθαι δὲ ἐν αὐτῇ πᾶσαν ἰδέαν ὀνομαζομένης ἀρετῆς, ἐν ἔργοις τε καὶ λόγοις, καὶ πνευματικοῖς παντοίοις χαρίσμασιν....

Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ὄνομα περὶ διαφόρων λέγεται πραγμάτων· ὡς καὶ περὶ τοῦ ὄχλου, τοῦ ἐν τῷ θεάτρῳ τῶν Ἐφεσίων, γέγραπται· Kαὶ ταῦτα εἰπὼν, ἀπέλυσε τὴν ἐκκλησίαν· κυρίως δὲ ἄν τις εἴποι καὶ ἀληθῶς ἐκκλησίαν εἶναι πονηρευομένων, τὰ συστήματα τῶν αἱρετικῶν, Μαρκιωνιστῶν λέγω, καὶ Μανιχαίων καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν· διὰ τοῦτό σοι νῦν ἠσφαλισμένως παρέδωκεν ἡ Πίστις τὸ, Καὶ εἰς μίαν, ἁγίαν, καθολικὴν Ἐκκλησίαν· ἵνα ἐκείνων μὲν τὰ μιαρὰ συστήματα φεύγῃς, παραμένῃς δὲ τῇ ἁγίᾳ καθολικῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ διὰ παντός, ἐν ᾗ καὶ ἀνεγεννήθης. Κἄν ποτε ἐπιδημῇς ἐν πόλεσι, μὴ ἁπλῶς ἐξέταζε, ποῦ τοῦ Κυριακὸν ἔστι (καὶ γὰρ αἱ λοιπαὶ τῶν ἀσεβῶν αἱρέσεις κυριακὰ τὰ ἑαυτῶν σπήλαια καλεῖν ἐπιχειροῦσι) μηδὲ ποῦ ἔστιν ἁπλῶς ἡ Ἐκκλησία· ἀλλὰ, ποῦ ἔστιν ἡ καθολικὴ Ἐκκλησία. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἰδικὸν ὄνομα τυγχάνει τῆς ἁγίας ταύτης, καὶ μητρὸς ἡμῶν ἁπάντων. ἥτις νύμφη μέν ἐστι τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, τοῦ μονογενοῦς υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, (γέγραπται γάρ· Καθὼς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἠγάπησε τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ ἑαυτὸν παρέδωκεν ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς, καὶ ὅλα τὰ ἑξῆς,) τύπον δὲ ἔχει καὶ μίμημα τῆς ἄνω Ἱερουσαλήμ, ἥτις ἐλευθέρα ἐστὶ, καὶ μήτηρ πάντων ἡμῶν· ἡ πρότερον μὲν στεῖρα, νῦν δὲ πολύτεκνος.