The Four Marks of the Church -One (Unity)

Nearly 2,000 years, 265 popes, and 1 billion members means that obviously something in the Catholic Church has been succesful at keeping things running. One of the primary cornerstones in the Church is the Four Marks of the Church. The Nicene Creed, expressed at every Mass, sums up the Four Marks. The Creed professes belief in "one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church." The Creed is a summary of all the key parts of Christian doctrine that Sacred Tradition formulates, which the Church believes is the unwritten word of God.

The first characteristic of the Church is its unity. The office of the pope means that the Church has a single leader. One deposit of faith means that one entire set of doctrines is presented in a universal catechism. Catholics in all parts of the world believe the same articles of faith everywhere. There is a single set of laws, known as canon law, which govern the entire Church. The Code of Canon Law for the Western (Roman or Latin) Church is different from the Eastern (Byzantine) Church, but both come from the Papacy in Rome. Both sets of canon law also overlap in the crucial areas of belief, so there is consistency. Either way, whether you're Roman Catholic or Eastern Catholic, you're still under the authority of one supreme court, legislator, and judge-the Roman pontiff, aka the Pope. For example, there is one set of Catholic rites, the seven sacraments, and they are celebrated in the same manner everywhere on Earth. Services may be in different languages, but only bread and wine are used at Mass; no one may substitute anything else, no matter what the local culture is.

This unity of doctrine and authority is a hallmark of Catholicism. Many other religions are united in belief and practice, but Catholicism is unique in that its unity is symbolized by a single person -the pope - who ensures that the sacraments are celebrated properly all over the world, that the same doctrines are taught everywhere, and that every member accepts the authority of the bishop in Rome.

An example of this difference can be found in the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Eastern Orthodox celebrate the same seven sacraments and follow a similar set of laws, but the patriarchs of the regional churches (for example, the Patriarch of Constanstinople for the Greek Orthodox Church, or the patriarch of Moscow for the Russian Orthodox) are all equal with each other in authority. The Orthodox Church has synods, where the separate bishops gather, but there is no single authority over all. Traditionally, as the oldest seat, the patriarch of Constanstinople garners the most respect. But even he cannot interfere with those outside of his ministry.

Prior to the Schism in 1054, the other patriarchs viewed the pope as the Patriarch of the west, and he was given the title of Primus inter Pares - Latin for "first among equals." However, after the Schism the Eastern Orthodox no longer recognized the pope and left each regional church to be governed by its own spiritual leader (the patriarch). In contrast, both the Western and Eastern branches of the Catholic Church have the same methods of worship, the same doctrines, and the same authority. The only differences lie in how the seven sacraments are celebrated. However, they are still the same beliefs.