Is the Church of Jesus Christ truly divided?
Catholics seem to be saying two things that I don't see how can be reconciled. They say:
(1) The Church cannot be divided. It is gifted with unity and will always be one, visible institution. Anyone who does not acknowledge the primary authority of the bishop of Rome of who does not submit to Roman doctrine is a schismatic and is not a legitimate church, as there is only one legitimate church. So there is only one true church. This can be found in RCC 813-816.
(2) But on the other hand, Catholics also say that Christians who profess the Christian faith and who have received baptism are legitimately justified and are legitimately Christians (RCC 818-819) and that Protestant Christians and EO Christians are in a "certain and imperfect communion with the Roman Catholic Church" (RCC 838).
So Catholics say that there is only one church which cannot be divided. Yet they say that there are many Christians (about half) who are not Catholic.
I don't think Catholics can have it both ways. Either there is one church which is truly undivided and all those outside of it are not in communion with it at all and should be rebaptized upon entry into Catholicism (a position that Catholics reject). Or the one church of Jesus Christ expresses itself in many denominations as the majority of Protestants have always maintained.
Catholics seem to be saying two things that I don't see how can be reconciled. They say:
(1) The Church cannot be divided. It is gifted with unity and will always be one, visible institution. Anyone who does not acknowledge the primary authority of the bishop of Rome of who does not submit to Roman doctrine is a schismatic and is not a legitimate church, as there is only one legitimate church. So there is only one true church. This can be found in RCC 813-816.
(2) But on the other hand, Catholics also say that Christians who profess the Christian faith and who have received baptism are legitimately justified and are legitimately Christians (RCC 818-819) and that Protestant Christians and EO Christians are in a "certain and imperfect communion with the Roman Catholic Church" (RCC 838).
So Catholics say that there is only one church which cannot be divided. Yet they say that there are many Christians (about half) who are not Catholic.
I don't think Catholics can have it both ways. Either there is one church which is truly undivided and all those outside of it are not in communion with it at all and should be rebaptized upon entry into Catholicism (a position that Catholics reject). Or the one church of Jesus Christ expresses itself in many denominations as the majority of Protestants have always maintained.