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TRANSCRIPT. The Roman Catholic Church may allegedly be the oldest institution in the western world, but does this mean or prove that they are the true Church that belongs to Christ?
- The Source of The Issue
- "Subsists in"?
- Addressing The Matter
- Why Didn't They Just Say "is"?
- Is The Catholic Church The "One True Church" Or Not?
- What About Eastern Non-Catholic Churches?
- What About Protestants?
- What Now?
The source of the issue is found in Vatican II's dogmatic constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, where we read: 8. This Church [the Church of Christ] constituted and organized in the world as a society, subsists in the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of Peter and by the Bishops in communion with him, although many elements o...
The matter would be much clearer if the Council had used the traditional language of saying that the Church of Christ isthe Catholic Church. Instead, they use the unfamiliar wording "subsists in" (Latin, subsistit in) instead of "is" (Latin, est). This can make it appear that the Council was backing away from the claim that the Catholic Church is t...
The controversy over the meaning of this passage in the Council grew to such a point that the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith decided to address it in 2007 in this document. It said: What is the meaning of the affirmation that the Church of Christ subsists in the Catholic Church? Christ “established here on earth” only one Church and ins...
The document also addresses this: Why was the expression “subsists in” adopted instead of the simple word “is”? The use of this expression ["subsists in"], which indicates the full identity of the Church of Christ with the Catholic Church, does not change the doctrine on the Church. Rather, it comes from and brings out more clearly the fact that th...
This is answered most directly in the commentary that the CDF published along with the document in question. According to the commentary: Contrary to many unfounded interpretations, therefore, the change from “est” to “subsistit” does not signify that the Catholic Church has ceased to regard herself as the one true Church of Christ. Rather it simpl...
While many Eastern Christians are in communion with the Catholic Church, not all are at present. Examples of the latter include the Orthodox, Copts, and members of the Assyrian Church of the East. Vatican II continued to use "church" to refer to the particular or local churches among these Christians. The Responsesdocument states: The Council wante...
The Responses document explains: 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 an...
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1. We are not a denomination. We get this question a lot since many churches go by the name “Church Of Christ” in many cities across the US. The first point to clarify is that the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ) is not part of the Churches of Christ associated with the American Restoration Movement. So what makes this Church different?
We know that no other church but the Catholic Church is the true Church of Christ because no other church has these four marks. (a) All other churches lack essential unity. They recognize no authority in religious matters vested in an individual who is the vicar of Christ.
We know that no other church but the Catholic Church is the true Church of Christ because no other church has these four marks. (a) All other churches lack essential unity.
May 1, 2007 · The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that it is Christ who is infallible, and he grants a measure of his infallibility to his body, the Church. That infallibility is worked out through these twelve traits, but it is expressed most majestically and fully through Christ’s minister of infallibility: one person—the Rock on which the Church ...
