Catholic Dictionary

Find accurate definitions of over 5,000 Catholic terms and phrases (including abbreviations). Based on Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

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BODY OF THE CHURCH

The visible, organized commonwealth of the faithful. As the Holy Spirit is the soul of the Church, so her human members on earth are the body. One of the corollaries of this fact is that anyone who culpably remains outside the body of the Church cannot participate in the life of grace that comes to the Church from the Holy Spirit.

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