Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The quality of being apostolic; one of the four qualities of the true church as given in the Constantinopolitan Creed, a. d. 381, namely, unity, sanctity, catholicity, apostolicity.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The quality of being apostolic, notably of preserving authenticity within the mission and tradition of the Christian church as founded by Jesus Christ and his twelve original Apostles, through their representatives and successors in the papacy and episcopate.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From apostolic +‎ -ity, after French apostolicité.

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Examples

  • This notion preserved the unique personal importance of the Apostles, guaranteed the apostolicity, that is, the truth of the Church's faith, and formed a dogmatic justification for the authority already attained by the bishops.

    History of Dogma, Volume 2 (of 7) Adolph Harnack 1890

  • A further strand acknowledges the 'dynamic nature of tradition', and develops the notion of apostolicity in an eschatological direction, where it becomes more important to consider the church's apostolic witness not just in terms of historical perspective but as a sign of a redeemed creation.

    Stand Firm 2009

  • The characteristic traits of the Church which Bede sought to underline are: catholicity, seen as faithfulness to tradition while remaining open to historical developments, and as the search for 'unity in diversity', ... and apostolicity and 'Romanitas'.

    Insight Scoop | The Ignatius Press Blog: 2009

  • And it refers us to apostolicity: to communion with the faith of the apostles on which the Church is founded.

    Archive 2008-06-29 papabear 2008

  • Every diocesan bishop should promote in the Church entrusted to him unity in plurality, catholicity in the sense of openness to the universal Church, as well as the apostolicity that implies complementarity between institution and charism.

    Archive 2008-05-18 papabear 2008

  • Credo in unam, sanctam, apostolicam eccelesiam, we all recite — but Belloc took the note of apostolicity seriously.

    Hilaire Belloc: Defender of the Faith 2007

  • The "pedigree" approach is only useful as a testimony to this larger conception of apostolicity--a witness by other bishops that, yes, this bishop and this local church have preserved and handed on "apostolic faith."

    For those in "ecclesial communities" Fr Timothy Matkin 2007

  • I think it was suggested that I might speak about the oneness of the church, or about the holiness of the church, or about the catholicity of the church, or possibly about the apostolicity of the church.

    One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church 2005

  • What would St John have said if someone had tapped him as he lay against Jesus 'shoulder at the Last Supper and said' Would you like to explain to me something about the oneness, the holiness, the catholicity, and the apostolicity of the apostolic band around the table? '

    One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church 2005

  • And to see the nature of the church in these terms is, I believe, to be liberated from any idea that the oneness, the holiness, the catholicity, the apostolicity of the church are either characteristics that we possess in our own right, or even goals that we can plan for.

    One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church 2005

Comments

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  • Of or pertaining to the 12 apostles.

    August 26, 2007

  • Emphasis of the 4th syllable I would say?

    August 26, 2007

  • Yep. It's a fun word to say. I just learned it yesterday. :-P

    August 26, 2007

  • I prefer apostolic myself. :-)

    August 27, 2007

  • Well yeah. This is the noun form of that adjective. Guess I didn't really word that definition right. :-P

    August 27, 2007

  • Wasn't trying to nitpick, uselessness--I just like the sound of "apostolic" better. :-)

    August 27, 2007