The Church

[Searching_for_Christ]

Is it immutable?

 

[Cappadocious]

In what context? In what sense? By what definition?

 

[truefiction1]

Is it immutable?

In regard to some things, no. In regard to some other things, yes.

 

[ArmyMatt]

In regard to some things, no. In regard to some other things, yes.

this, it depends on what you mean.

 

[Searching_for_Christ]

erm...well I don't really KNOW what I mean. Let me dig up the conversation that I saw this being discussed in, and I will get back to you guys on what I mean lol.

 

[Searching_for_Christ]

This quote seems to hit at what I'm really asking.

Modern Catholic Dictionary
by Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J.

INDEFECTIBILITY. Imperishable duration of the Church and her immutability until the end of time. The First Vatican Council declared that the Church possesses "an unconquered stability" and that, "built on a rock, she will continue to stand until the end of time" (Denzinger 3013, 3056). The Church's indefectibility, therefore, means that she now is and will always remain the institution of salvation, founded by Christ. This affirms that the Church is essentially unchangeable in her teaching, her constitution, and her liturgy. It does not exclude modifications that do not affect her substance, nor does it exclude the decay of individual local churches or even whole dioceses.


^ would the Orthodox Church agree with this?

 

[Cappadocious]

What do you think of it?

 

[Kristos]

With the appropriate qualifications...this seems to be primarily an ontological point, and along that line I think most would agree with it, but the Church is also often spoken of as living in terms of it's parts, it's people, who even though have put on Christ and been joined to the body are still in this world and often fail and disappoint. The metaphor I like is that the Church is like Noah's Ark - it's full of animals, and perhaps a bit ripe at times, but it saves.

 

[ArmyMatt]

looks good to me, more something Orthodox would say instead of Rome, what with that whole progressive revelation bit