Pope confirms Catholicism as 'one true church'; bioethics document underway
Print Friendly VersionBy JOHN L. ALLEN JR.
Rome
In an address to members of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith currently meeting in Rome for their plenary assembly, Pope Benedict XVI confirmed recent Vatican declarations on Catholicism as the “one true church” and the necessity of seeking converts to the faith, and also offered a preview of a coming document on bioethics.
Pope Benedict made the comments this morning in an audience for members of the doctrinal congregation in the Sala Clementina, inside the Apostolic Palace.
In late June, the congregation issued a document on the famous phrase from the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) that the one church of Christ “subsists in” the Catholic church. In essence, the congregation asserted that the phrase means the Catholic church alone possesses the fullness of what it means to be a church.
During the council, some analysts interpreted the phrase “subsists in” as a departure from the traditional claim that the Catholic church is the lone “true” church. When the doctrinal congregation issued its clarification, some leaders of other Christian denominations warned of negative ecumenical fallout.
It’s a critique which Benedict obviously does not accept, insisting that the clarification is actually “necessary for the correct development of ecumenical dialogue.”
“Far from impeding authentic ecumenical dialogue,” Benedict said, “it will be a stimulus, so that the debate on doctrinal questions is always marked by realism and full awareness of the aspects that still separate the Christian confessions.”
“To cultivate a theological vision that regards the unity and identity of the church as attributes ‘hidden in Christ', so that historically the church would exist only in multiple ecclesial confessions, reconcilable only in an eschatological perspective, would generate a slowdown and ultimately paralysis in ecumenism itself,” the pope said.
Benedict also defended a recent doctrinal note on evangelization, asserting that the quest for explicit conversion to Christ remains an essential duty of the faith.
“The recognition of elements of truth and goodness in the religions of the world,” he said, “and of the seriousness of their religious efforts, dialogue with them and a spirit of collaboration for the defense and promotion of the dignity of the person and universal moral values, cannot be understood as a limitation on the missionary duty of the church, which compels it to incessantly announce Christ as the way, the truth and the life,” he said.
In remarks to the pope at the beginning of the audience, American Cardinal William Levada, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, confirmed that his office is preparing a new document on bioethics as a follow-up to the 1987 text Donum Vitae.
Levada mentioned cloning, embryonic stem cell research, and the situation of frozen embryos as issues to be addressed in that document.
Levada’s reference to frozen embryos suggests that the congregation may take up the controversial question of so-called “embryo adoption,” which has been much debated in pro-life circles in recent years. Essentially, one side believes that even though these embryos should never have been created, now that they exist, women should be encouraged to bring them to term, allowing them to develop as human beings. Another party, however, regards that as cooperation in a fundamentally immoral act, and worries that promoting adoption may simply encourage artificial creation of embryos.
In his comments, Benedict said two basic values must be affirmed in bioethics debates:
• Unconditional respect for the human person from conception to natural death
• Respect for the originality of the transmission of human life through the acts proper to a married couple
The pope then ticked off a set of contentious issues: the freezing of human embryos, embryo ‘reduction,’ pre-implantation diagnosis, embryonic stem cell research and attempts at human cloning.
“When human beings in the weakest and most vulnerable state of their existence are selected, abandoned, killed or utilized as mere ‘biological material,’ how can one deny that they’re being treated not as a ‘someone,’ but as a ‘something,’ thus calling into question the very concept of the dignity of the human person?” the pope asked.
Benedict said that the church encourages scientific progress, but also considers it a duty to inform consciences about ethical safeguards to ensure that science promotes human dignity rather than compromising it.
Suppose the idea is that the
Suppose the idea is that the Catholic Church is being held accountable for the Reformation and subsequent splintering of Christianity and is obligated to work toward reunification, not simply cordial relations? One scenario for accomplishing this might involve the Catholic Church opening its doors to all other believers in Christ despite never acheiving agreement with the theologians of their denominations, and without giving the impression that it is giving reciprocal privileges for Catholics to attend the churches of other denominations. The premise for this lack of reciprocity would be that the Catholic Church is THE Church.
Marie, Do you suppose this
Marie,
Do you suppose this is the idea, or you know this is the idea?
I hope this is the idea.
I hope this is the idea. I'm hoping Pope Benedict XVI's direction is coming from the same place I get mine.
With all due respect,
With all due respect, butterfly, no one said, 'We're better than you are because we're the one true Church, so that makes all the rest of you false Churches.' ( Where did you find that Quote?) What was said was that while there may exist elements of Truth in other Churches, the fullness of Truth can only be found in the Catholic Church. ( The Church that He, the Truth, Has Founded and Promises to Be With until the end of Time ). He is Divine, we are not.
P.S. There can only be one True Church.
I agree. I do believe that
I agree. I do believe that in Scripture, whenever Paul speaks of the "Church", he speaks of those who believe in Jesus Christ, the people, not the institution. He also speaks of the church as the Body of Christ and that each individual part is part of the whole. The customary way of explaining this passage is in terms of ministry and that while we each have a different role in the church, we are all still part of the Body. Why couldn't we look at it another way? That each part is what the Pope would call churches NOT Roman Catholic. That would mean that each church is part of the whole, the Body of Christ, and that each has a different role to play in bringing the gospel to life in the world. No one part would have ALL the Truth, but together, we embody the Truth of God. It seems to me that all churches spend way too much time trying to 'prove' who is the true church or who has the doctrine down pat than feeding the hungry, comforting the sick, speaking out for the marginalized, you know, doing the actual work of being a follower of Jesus.
Annedanielson, I said,
Annedanielson,
I said, essentially Anne, in essence...
There are many Churches Anne, there is only one Jesus Christ. He unites us all.
With all due respect
With all due respect butterfly, Jesus Christ said, " I am the WAY", not I am the WAYS. There is only ONE TRUTH, there is only ONE WAY. Jesus Christ speaks in one voice. We can only follow Him if we know the Way. He did not come to confuse us, He came to set us free.
Butterfly, with all due
Butterfly, with all due respect, if we are united, then why are we not speaking with one voice?
I would suggest the Tower of
I would suggest the Tower of Babel effect, where as soon as we speak with one voice, we think we know it all.
I did not say that we are
I did not say that we are united, I said that Jesus unites us.
Butterfly, this is the
Butterfly, this is the transcendant position where the unseen loving spiritual power of Jesus is the common unifier. He is the box in which all our other little boxes fit---whether we can see past our own wrapping or not.
You are so right Colleen.
You are so right Colleen. Jesus is the common unifier. Would you believe I came from a family that thought similarly, if not the same as, the SSPX group....? What a box that was. By the good grace of God we loved each other despite our differences. God is love; nothing transcends His love. Just the sound of the word Love is so precious. In each of us is a uniqueness built in by the Power of God. We are to find that uniqueness and develop it in a way that will enable us to love one another. We don't reach Him by intellect alone, or even by the sweat of our own brow, but by the way of love and all of its pathways through the heart. Those who dare to love, dare to live. It is a lifelong journey and we are in many different boxes in our lifetime. At least, I know I have been. I might write a song about that. I started playing the guitar again about a year ago. Colleen, help me with some lyrics.. I could entitle it "box bound" blues... or "boxed in His Love."....
... "don't box me in."... "box trot"... ;)
"We are to find that
"We are to find that uniqueness and develop it in a way that will enable us to love one another. We don't reach Him by intellect alone, or even by the sweat of our own brow, but by the way of love and all of its pathways through the heart."
The one thing I've learned in life is you can't box love. It can come at you from the least expected places, and the least expected people.
As for lyrics, how about "Blinded by the wrapping."
It's interested that in the Resurrection narrative the Gospel writers make a big issue of how Jesus was no longer in His wrappings. Message there I think.
Ecumenism is about dialogue.
Ecumenism is about dialogue. The only way dialogue will work is if both sides present their full argument. That is why it is necessary for the Church to proclaim that It is the true Church. Any ecumenical dialogue that is afraid to present the full argument is a false ecumenism.
Catholicism is not really
Catholicism is not really about "argumentation" or sides it is about the presence and message of Jesus and our connection. "Ecumenism" is not about winning it is first and foremost about sharing.
It appears that Pope
It appears that Pope Benedict XVI believes the Church is meant to lead the ecumenical dance toward reunification.
Marie,especially since the
Marie,especially since the Catholic church led the ecumenical dance of separation and it still does. I under-impressed at Mass this morning when the prayers of the faithful included a sister parish [presumably in a foreign land ]--and this is good but I would have been more impressed with a prayer for the other denominations within the parish boundaries. It may be very important that Ecumenism start at the parish level. How many pastors [catholic or other] have the GUTS to do THAT?
I'm confused. When Benedict
I'm confused. When Benedict says Catholicism is the "one true church", how does that foster ecumenical dialogue? It sounds like the old "Roman Dialogue": I talk, you listen!
If Ecumenism is to be about
If Ecumenism is to be about dialogue, it might be better to consider not starting out with an argument that essentially says, 'We're better than you are because we're the one true Church, so that makes all the rest of you false Churches.'
Wouldn't it make better sense to have dialogue with what we have in common with Christian denominations: our belief in Jesus Christ, our shared experiences in a world where non-believers as well as believers need conversion to Him?
It seems to me starting out with a pompous premise or arrogant approach might be a bitter fruit to try and swallow, let alone digest and then there will be no dialogue at all, just a lot of rotten fruit.
It's my belief the Church can have dialogue without fear of losing its identity.