FOXNews.com - Pope: Other Christian Denominations Not True Churches - International News | News of the World | Middle East News | Europe News
I don't know why this is such a surprise, Catholics have always said they were the one true or "universal" Church, it would be hard for them to change that now.
This is in fact, the ONLY real problem I have with the Catholic Church. I have lots of disagreements with them things I can wait to find out the truth about once I'm in Heaven (And I'm willing to bet we're all wrong!!).
I also have great respect for Catholics that live by there beliefs. I would never suggest that a Catholic do anything that violated their own conscience. I may live differently, but I'm not sure enough in my belief to impose it on them. This is where we have a problem because Catholics ARE sure enough in their beliefs to try and impose them on me. Considering the history of the Catholic Church, I just don't see how that can be supported.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Pope: Other Christian Denominations Not True Churches
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Here's a good article that explains (in an un-sensationalized way) what the Pope was saying:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,288976,00.html
Wow, you do read my Blog... I thought this one might get some comments..
But the article on FoxNews by Father Jonathan Morris misses the point.
Notice how he switches gears mid stream...
"Without a proper context, we read that the Pope says some non-Catholic Christian communities are not churches “in the proper sense of the word” — meaning, they are not part of the one Church Jesus established while on Earth — and think he is trying to say if a person’s name and address is not registered in the local Catholic parish, he or she is not going to heaven. The Pope doesn’t mean that.
But the Pope DOES mean that most if not all non-catholic churches are not churches “in the proper sense of the word”. Why not address that? Why run off on the salvation rabbit trail?
What makes the Pope, or the Bishop of Rome, or any undocumented "successor to Peter" the leader of the one and only true church is not clear to me at all.
To me "the church" (Ekklesia)
is "the whole body of Christians scattered throughout the earth". http://bible1.crosswalk.com/Lexicons/Greek/grk.cgi?number=1577&version=nas
So yes, there is only ONE true church, but it is not composed of any one human institution or lead by any human.
In looking for the church of Jesus, I think it's important to see who teaches of truth with as much confidence as He did.
Many people saw the document released by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (“Responses to some questions regarding certain aspects of the doctrine on the Church," 06/27/07) as a reversal of doctrine regarding salvation outside the Catholic Church. The statement you quoted from Fr. Jonathan’s article appears to address those more familiar with the secular-media’s headlines rather than actual Catholic teaching. I don’t think he was avoiding or going off the rabbit trail, but addressing what may be a more popular concern.
In my previous post, I was mistaken about the author. The document is written by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (not the Pope, although he did endorse it). It is addressed to Catholic theologians; a sort of in-house document. The content of the document should be understood in that context.
At the Council of Nicaea (325) and the Council of Constantinople (381), the Nicene Creed was developed as a profession of faith, which today is common to the Catholic Church, to all the Eastern Churches separated from Rome, and to most of the Protestant denominations. The following is a portion of the literal translation of the Greek text of the Constantinopolitan form:
"We believe...[in] one holy, catholic, and apostolic Church."
As seen in this creed, the bishops at these two councils were stating four identifying markings of the Church of Christ: unity, sanctity, catholicity, and apostolicity.
Unity
Christ prayed for unity among his disciples (John 17:21). The visible unity of the body of Christ is a sign to the invisible unity of Spirit within. The Church is One because its members are all united under one government, all profess the same faith and all join in a common worship. Professing the same creed externally, and accepting it internally, manifests Christ’s purpose of revealing truth to man. Having differing creeds demonstrates confusion and human error, not Divine Revelation.
Sanctity
The Church of Christ contains a sanctity of such a kind that excludes the notion that the Church is of natural origin. The holiness found in the Church reflects the holiness of its founder, Christ. Her holiness appears in the doctrine which she teaches, in the worship she offers to God, and in the fruits which she brings forth.
Catholicity
Christ came to save all men. To this end, he founded His Church to be "katholikos" meaning "throughout the whole" or "universal" by charging the Apostles to preserve His revelation and proclaim His message of salvation to the world. The Church has the responsibility to "go, and teach all nations."
Apostolicity
"How shall they preach", asks the apostle St. Paul, "unless they be sent?" (Romans 10:15). Apostolicity is the mark by which the Church of today is recognized as identical with the Church founded by Jesus Christ upon the Apostles. It is of great importance because it is the surest indication of the true Church of Christ, it is most easily examined, and it virtually contains the other three marks, namely, Unity, Sanctity, and Catholicity.
Below is question #5 from the document in question ("Responses to some questions regarding certain aspects of the doctrine on the Church," 06/27/07):
FIFTH QUESTION
Why do the texts of the Council and those of the Magisterium since the Council not use the title of "Church" with regard to those Christian Communities born out of the Reformation of the sixteenth century?
RESPONSE
According to Catholic doctrine, these Communities do not enjoy apostolic succession in the sacrament of Orders, and are, therefore, deprived of a constitutive element of the Church. These ecclesial Communities which, specifically because of the absence of the sacramental priesthood, have not preserved the genuine and integral substance of the Eucharistic Mystery cannot, according to Catholic doctrine, be called "Churches" in the proper sense.
In my opinion, this response seems consistent with the definition of a Church as defined at the Council of Constantinople in 381.
With regards to successors of Peter being the leader of the one, true Church, Section I and II of the following link has a lot of relevant information: The Pope
References:
The Nicene Creed
The Church
I never doubted that the Catholic Church has an explanation for this belief, just that I don't share the belief.
I don't think Jesus was establishing a human institution called "the church". The Church structure even as recorded in Acts was made my men. They were Holy men, as we all are, but still men.
And over the centuries, the structure of the human built churches has changed, not always for the better, and the current structures are not necessarily the best.
Which is why I don't put much trust or faith into a particular institution, but place my trust and Faith in Christ.
This isn't to say this is the best solution. This is a need for more authority in Protestant Church, we just haven't figured out how to do it. Protestant Churches, it seems, will always suffer from the seed of rebellion rooted in their rebellion from the Pope. When members disagree with what the Church leaders have done, they either vote them out, or switch churches. This is done all too easily in many cases. But the option of having to violate one's own conscience and following a human and sometimes mistaken leader isn't any better.
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