The Council in Light of Tradition, 1.1
Statement: "All however, though in different ways, long for the one visible Church of God, a Church truly universal and set forth into the world that the world may be converted to the Gospel and so be saved, to the glory of God." (Unitatis Redintegratio, 1)
Objection: The council implicitly admits to the heresy that "the one visible" and "truly universal" Church does not yet exist, since "all ... long for" it, including the Catholic Church itself.
Reply: The council admits no such thing, for it elsewhere explicitly declares that Our Lord "has called and gathered together the people of the New Covenant, who are the Church, into a unity of faith, hope and charity"; that He "entrusted all His sheep" to St. Peter "to be confirmed in faith and shepherded in perfect unity"; that He "perfects His people's fellowship in unity." (UR, 2)
The council boldly proclaims that "the Church ... is God's only flock; it is like a standard lifted high for the nations to see it." (UR, 2)
In contrast to this, it notes that in the case of both individuals and entire groups, non-Catholics "are not blessed with that unity which Jesus Christ wished to bestow on all those who through Him were born again into one body." (UR, 3)
The key to understanding the language of the council here is to understand that non-Catholics who have received the Sacrament of Baptism - which is valid, even if administered by a non-Catholic - are, from the moment of that Baptism, joined to the Mystical Body of Christ. When they die, they will be judged as Catholics, because they bear the indelible, sacramental mark of that Baptism which belongs to the Catholic Church.
Thus, while the Catholic Church enjoys perfect unity, there is another sense in which there is a rift: those who are joined-by-Baptism to the unity of the Church are not visibly joined to the Church's unity. The inward reality does not correspond to the outward reality. This kind of visible unity - the harmonization of the interior truth (a baptized non-Catholic is part of the Church) with the exterior truth (getting that same non-Catholic to come back to the visible Church) - is the "unity" for which everyone longs.
When the council speaks of a "truly universal" Church, it does not mean to deny that the Catholic Church is already the one, true, universal Church. In context, the document has been talking about the multitudes of people who claim to be part of "the Church of Christ," but who all differ and disagree with each other. Specifically, the council is concerned with what this message sends to the world: a Baptist comes forward and says, "I'm part of the Church that Christ founded," but he disagrees fundamentally with the Lutheran who comes forward and says the same; then comes the Catholic, professing to be a part of Christ's Church, but disagreeing with both the Baptist and the Lutheran; all three of them disagree with the Charismatic and Seventh-Day Adventist, both of whom insist that they, too, are part of Christ's one Church.
The council puts it this way: "Christ the Lord founded one Church and one Church only. However, many Christian communions present themselves to men as the true inheritors of Jesus Christ; all indeed profess to be followers of the Lord but differ in mind and go their different ways, as if Christ Himself were divided." (UR, 1)
What does the World say to this? It laughs and says, "Ha ... some unity." Or, as the council put it, "Such division openly contradicts the will of Christ, scandalizes the world, and damages the holy cause of preaching the Gospel to every creature." (UR, 1)
So the Catholic interjects: "No, World, you must understand - I am the only true member of the Church, and these are all pretenders! They aren't really part of the Church!"
"Come now," says the Baptist, "that's nonsense! I'm the one who belongs to the Church, and perhaps also the Lutheran (but not the Seventh-Day Adventist), and it is you who are not part of the Church, for you preach a false gospel!"
"We should cease fighting, brothers," says the Charismatic, "and focus on the joy of the Spirit that unites us - we're all part of God's family!"
The World continues shaking its head. Some unity.
This is what the council is addressing when it says that everyone longs for a Church that is "truly universal" - not truly universal in fact or in essence alone, but also in the eyes of the world.
Objection: The council implicitly admits to the heresy that "the one visible" and "truly universal" Church does not yet exist, since "all ... long for" it, including the Catholic Church itself.
Reply: The council admits no such thing, for it elsewhere explicitly declares that Our Lord "has called and gathered together the people of the New Covenant, who are the Church, into a unity of faith, hope and charity"; that He "entrusted all His sheep" to St. Peter "to be confirmed in faith and shepherded in perfect unity"; that He "perfects His people's fellowship in unity." (UR, 2)
The council boldly proclaims that "the Church ... is God's only flock; it is like a standard lifted high for the nations to see it." (UR, 2)
In contrast to this, it notes that in the case of both individuals and entire groups, non-Catholics "are not blessed with that unity which Jesus Christ wished to bestow on all those who through Him were born again into one body." (UR, 3)
The key to understanding the language of the council here is to understand that non-Catholics who have received the Sacrament of Baptism - which is valid, even if administered by a non-Catholic - are, from the moment of that Baptism, joined to the Mystical Body of Christ. When they die, they will be judged as Catholics, because they bear the indelible, sacramental mark of that Baptism which belongs to the Catholic Church.
Thus, while the Catholic Church enjoys perfect unity, there is another sense in which there is a rift: those who are joined-by-Baptism to the unity of the Church are not visibly joined to the Church's unity. The inward reality does not correspond to the outward reality. This kind of visible unity - the harmonization of the interior truth (a baptized non-Catholic is part of the Church) with the exterior truth (getting that same non-Catholic to come back to the visible Church) - is the "unity" for which everyone longs.
When the council speaks of a "truly universal" Church, it does not mean to deny that the Catholic Church is already the one, true, universal Church. In context, the document has been talking about the multitudes of people who claim to be part of "the Church of Christ," but who all differ and disagree with each other. Specifically, the council is concerned with what this message sends to the world: a Baptist comes forward and says, "I'm part of the Church that Christ founded," but he disagrees fundamentally with the Lutheran who comes forward and says the same; then comes the Catholic, professing to be a part of Christ's Church, but disagreeing with both the Baptist and the Lutheran; all three of them disagree with the Charismatic and Seventh-Day Adventist, both of whom insist that they, too, are part of Christ's one Church.
The council puts it this way: "Christ the Lord founded one Church and one Church only. However, many Christian communions present themselves to men as the true inheritors of Jesus Christ; all indeed profess to be followers of the Lord but differ in mind and go their different ways, as if Christ Himself were divided." (UR, 1)
What does the World say to this? It laughs and says, "Ha ... some unity." Or, as the council put it, "Such division openly contradicts the will of Christ, scandalizes the world, and damages the holy cause of preaching the Gospel to every creature." (UR, 1)
So the Catholic interjects: "No, World, you must understand - I am the only true member of the Church, and these are all pretenders! They aren't really part of the Church!"
"Come now," says the Baptist, "that's nonsense! I'm the one who belongs to the Church, and perhaps also the Lutheran (but not the Seventh-Day Adventist), and it is you who are not part of the Church, for you preach a false gospel!"
"We should cease fighting, brothers," says the Charismatic, "and focus on the joy of the Spirit that unites us - we're all part of God's family!"
The World continues shaking its head. Some unity.
This is what the council is addressing when it says that everyone longs for a Church that is "truly universal" - not truly universal in fact or in essence alone, but also in the eyes of the world.
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