An explanation on Catholic relations with other Christians
Msgr. Patrick Halfpenny, pastor of St. Paul on the Lake Parish, Grosse Pointe Farms
Published August 24, 2007
Editor’s note: The following message from Msgr. Patrick Halfpenny, ecumenical officer of the Archdiocese of Detroit, regarding the July 2007 statement from the Congregation for Doctrine of Faith, was sent to all parishes.
In the four decades since the Second Vatican Council ended, many Catholics and other Christians energetically engage in shared ecumenical dialogues, prayer services, and common social initiatives, which have been a great blessing for all of us. We have a long tradition of very good relations with other Christian communities.
Unfortunately, some have also experienced confusion regarding how the Catholic Church sees itself in relation to other Christians. These questions need a clear response. In July the Congregation for Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), seeking to strengthen ecumenical dialogue and responding to questions, provided some pastoral guidelines and clarifications on how the Catholic Church sees itself in relation to other Christian communities.
Think about it for a moment. If we all thought of ourselves the same way, would we still be separated? At least part of the reformers’ point was the pope and the Catholic Church were not being the Church the way Christ intended. And significant differences existed among the reformers. John Calvin and John Knox said Martin Luther had some things wrong and others right. Pick any area of disagreement: How many sacraments are there? Who decides what a particular passage in the Bible means? Who exercises leadership? Who decides who exercises leadership?
The recent clarification builds on previous statements of the same Congregation (1973, 1992 and 2000) and on pastoral messages of Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II. Before and since the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church has consistently understood itself as the Church of Christ. The statement affirms that Vatican II did not introduce a new teaching about our relationship with other Christian communities.
When the Council Fathers taught that “the Church of Christ subsists in the Catholic Church,” they affirmed that Christ established one Church. The Catholic Church throughout the centuries has preserved all elements of the Church Christ instituted. We believe we are indeed the Church of Christ. Other Christian communities enjoy elements of that sanctification, which is fully present in the Catholic Church. They are a means of salvation for their members. Because these communities do not enjoy all the elements of the Church of Christ (for example: apostolic succession, the seven sacraments, etc.), it is appropriate to refer to them as “ecclesial communities,” rather than “churches.” Cardinal Walter Kasper, who heads the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, commented helpfully, “A thorough reading of the text (of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith declaration) makes clear that the document does not say that Protestant churches are not churches, but that they are not churches … in the sense in which the Catholic Church understands itself as Church.”
The declaration intends to help Catholics understand our own Church and its mission. When we understand our own identity, we can better engage our brothers and sisters in ecumenical dialogue. Reading the CDF declaration as exalting the Roman Catholic Church in comparison with other Christian communities misreads and misrepresents the statement.
Here in the Archdiocese of Detroit, we will maintain and strengthen our mutually respectful relationships and initiatives with all other Christian communities at archdiocesan, vicariate and parish levels. We will work and pray to fulfill Christ’s prayer the night before He died: “That all might be one.” We will continue to work with people of good will from all religious backgrounds as we seek, with God’s help and guidance, to build a just and peaceful society.
You may find it helpful to read the entire “Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine of the Church” at the CDF Web site. You can find Cardinal Kasper’s complete remarks at http://www.radiovaticana.org/en1/Articolo.asp?c=144460.
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