This dates back to a discussion I had with a good friend of mine on the views of the Catholic Church in regards to other faiths, particularly Protestants. There was a lot of confusion in the air, as I had said to him in two separate times that Catholics thought other Christians were brothers in Christ, but that they were not proper Churches. These ideas seems to confuse and maybe even anger my friend, which I was confused about. After looking further into it, this is what I found.
I posted it here, cause I thought it might be useful to some that find themselves in my position with protestant friends.
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So I’ve looked it over in my Catechism and looked through other Catholic documents. Unless my communication skills are seriously lacking… essentially what I said is what the Catholic church believes.
- Fellow Christians who have been baptized are part of the body of Christ, are brothers and are Christian,
- BUT those communities of believers who don’t have bishops or priests, because they don’t have apostolic succession and so cannot celebrate in the transformation of bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ are not ‘Churches’ but are referred to as ‘ecclesial Communities.’
You’ll see it throughout the Vatican II Documents references to Churches and ecclesial Communities. The documents stresses the need for unity among Christians, and the need to reach out to each other. In fact, reference to Christ and our common baptism are found throughout, and are thought to be the source of hope for further unity.
Vatican II Council Document on Ecumenism… (DECREE ON ECUMENISM -UNITATIS REDINTEGRATIO: Vatican Website)
“all who have been justified by faith in Baptism are members of Christ’s body, and have a right to be called Christian, and so are correctly accepted as brothers by the children of the Catholic Church.” (Sec. 3)
“Whenever the Sacrament of Baptism is duly administered as Our Lord instituted it, and is received with the right dispositions, a person is truly incorporated into the crucified and glorified Christ, and reborn to a sharing of the divine life, as the Apostle says: "You were buried together with Him in Baptism, and in Him also rose again-through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead". (Col. 2, 12; cf. Rom. 6, 4)
Baptism therefore establishes a sacramental bond of unity which links all who have been reborn by it. But of itself Baptism is only a beginning, an inauguration wholly directed toward the fullness of life in Christ. Baptism, therefore, envisages a complete profession of faith, complete incorporation in the system of salvation such as Christ willed it to be, and finally complete ingrafting in eucharistic communion [the sharing of the transformed body and blood among the faithful at mass].” (sec 22)
Later Clarification… (Vatican Website)
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 [don’t have priests and bishops], 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 [the transformation of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ][19] cannot, according to Catholic doctrine, be called “Churches” in the proper sense[20].”
Thinking about it further, I think the confusion might come down to us using the same words to mean different things. I’m assuming that when you spoke, the brotherhood of Christ, being part of the body of Christ, and being part of the church were all the same thing, whereas the Catholic Church would have a more nuanced view of the matter and see differences between them.
I guess when it comes down to it, speaking personally I look at the faith of yourself and other members of CLF and a see a real love and yearning for Jesus Christ. Its something I find very admirable and beautiful, and there are moments when I do feel that the Holy Spirit is with us in those meetings or in our discussions. I don’t want to make anyone feel less of a Christian, that was never my intention. I guess I have to be very careful with word, and for our next meeting maybe just sit back and listen to the discussion.
I guess I don’t mind talking about differences per say, because I’m trying to learn about how my brothers and sisters from different faith traditions see the lord, and trying to see the holy spirit at work in all our lives. And from my readings of the Catholic faith, this is something my church feels as well.
“Christ’s Spirit uses these Churches[Greek Orthodox and others] and ecclesial communities [Protestants] as means of salvation, whose power derives from the fullness of grace and truth that Christ has entrusted to the Catholic Church. All these blessings come from Christ and lead to him,275 and are in themselves calls to "Catholic [in this sense universal] unity."276 Catechism of the Catholic Church – Paragraph 819 (Vatican website)
Kenny S. R. Costa
There is no great difficulty in asking a question; rather what is difficult is finding the passion required to answer it.
Sir Tomas More, great martyr and lover of truth and law
