The One True Church dogma lives on...in the Roman Catholic Church
It should come to no surprise that not only the historic WCG and its splinters believe that they God's only one true church. This is was what the Roman Catholic Church has believed for years. Pope John XXIII in the 1960's at Vatican II at least compromised and recognize that the Protestatnts are "separated brothers". Current pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI had a statement that really may throw the concept of separated brothers out the window. Courtesy from the blogsite CrunchyCon.com, here's what I am talking about:
The Vatican has set itself on a collision course with other Christian faiths, reaffirming the primacy of the Roman Catholic Church in a corrective document designed to clear up recent "erroneous" doctrine.
The document's central claim that the Catholic Church is "the one true Church of Christ" is likely to revive a debate that has dogged the Vatican's dealings with other Christian faiths for decades.
The 16-page document, prepared by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which Pope Benedict used to head, describes Christian Orthodox churches as true churches but says they suffer from a "wound" because they do not recognise the primacy of the Pope.
But it says the "wound is still more profound" in the Protestant denominations, a view likely to further complicate relations with Protestants.
"Despite the fact that this teaching has created no little distress... it is nevertheless difficult to see how the title of 'Church' could possibly be attributed to them," it said.
The document's central claim that the Catholic Church is "the one true Church of Christ" is likely to revive a debate that has dogged the Vatican's dealings with other Christian faiths for decades.
The 16-page document, prepared by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which Pope Benedict used to head, describes Christian Orthodox churches as true churches but says they suffer from a "wound" because they do not recognise the primacy of the Pope.
But it says the "wound is still more profound" in the Protestant denominations, a view likely to further complicate relations with Protestants.
"Despite the fact that this teaching has created no little distress... it is nevertheless difficult to see how the title of 'Church' could possibly be attributed to them," it said.
There is no doubt that this will effect relationships with Protestant Churches in a profound manner. We really should not be really suprised about the Pope's statement. Before Benedict was Pope, he did say he wanted a "smaller" and "purer" church. This statement may be one step toward his wish.
Where do I stand with this? I have believed since the mid-1990's that the "Church" is an "invisible body" as opposed to a certain religious organization and I still believe that. I take Jesus Christ's statement "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" as every single human being having the right and responsibility to come to Christ personally as opposed to an organized church taking that responsiblility in place of the Savior. I hope the day that there will be a more progressive-minded Pope that will be bold, believe that I and many others believe and say that the Roman Catholic Church is a "part of the only One True Church". I may have been highly critical of the evangelical WCG but I applaud Joe Jr. for being bold and saying just that.
Labels: One True Church dogma, Pope Benedict XVI, Roman Catholicism
