Let me just start in an odd place: I'm happy to lose friends, in order to foster as much unity among all Christians (and frankly, all people of good will) as I possibly can. There may be people out there who have a vision of being Catholic that is more concerned with an image of "pure" Catholicism than with the truth. I believe both of these two statements are simultaneously true:
1. Catholics should affirm, celebrate, and rejoice in truth wherever it is found; and (all together now: "Grace builds upon nature, but does not destroy it.")
2. The Catholic Church is the one true Church founded by Christ, and all people everywhere should be in full visible communion with her. (see CCC, 811 and Lumen Gentium, 14)
I believe these two things, precisely because the Church believes them. Many people see these two statements as embracing a contradiction, but I do not. My new friend Cara Wiskow has some thoughts on Christian unity, and I appreciate so much of it, because I have been a non-Catholic and a Protestant before, and I am now a Catholic. For my part, the motivating factor in my decision to seek full communion with the Catholic Church was twofold: 1. internal inconsistencies within my paradigm of being a Christian up to that point; and 2. A thread of truth common to both my Protestant paradigm, and to the Catholic paradigm--and the Church which subsists in it--and no reasonable way to account for the common thread between them, but for the fact that the Son of God established the Catholic Church. True God of true God is but one, though somehow He is three--I bow before the blessed Mystery!--which is to say, Presbyterian Jesus does not exist. Jesus, the Son of God, loves all of us to the end at this very moment, no matter where we are, but truth binds us, and bids us always to seek it, indeed Him.
It was easier, and relatively easy, to abandon Presbyterian dogmas if and when I realized that I would not lose Christ--nor the Blessed Trinity--to abandon them. Two dogmatic claims cannot be simultaneously true, if in fact they are mutually exclusive. Consider this simple syllogism:
The Catholic Church teaches that bread and wine are totally changed substantially into the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ by the words of consecration in the Liturgy of the Eucharist; (transubstantiation) (see CCC, 1376)
The Catholic teaching of transubstantiation is true; (see the Profession of Faith more generally)
Lutherans do not hold to this dogma; (see here, for example)
Therefore, the Lutheran teaching on the Eucharist--as distinct from the Catholic teaching--is false.
---
This is but one example of disagreement. And to be fair to Lutherans, one good reason to deny the Catholic teaching is the sincere belief that the teaching is not true. I cannot and should not coerce or compel adherence to the truth proclaimed by the Catholic Church, but neither should I be neutral about whether the Catholic Church's teaching on any particular matter of faith or morals is true. The reason I believe what the Catholic Church teaches (even if I do not know it in any one particularity) is that God has spoken in Christ, and speaks authoritatively through the Church today. She cannot err in this, because God cannot err, nor can he deceive, or be deceived. (For the nature of divine faith is to assent to whatever God reveals.)
Where does that leave us, in ecumenical dialogue? It means that, when we celebrate what we hold in common, with Christians, or with anyone else, we celebrate with care. We celebrate and affirm ideas with great care, because we have an obligation to the truth, but also because we respect the freedom of another's conscience. A false unity erases difference, and refuses to acknowledge that a difference is sincerely held. It also pretends that an imperfect unity is perfect. The truth is that differences between Christians are rarely minor, and the reality of division is painful. Even though I find myself inadequate to the task of direct ecumenical dialogue with the Reformed for instance, I pray in a special way in those words of the Mass, "and gather to Yourself all Your children, scattered throughout the world." I know that literally billions of people could be in a living, saving relationship with Jesus Christ, despite their dogmatic, or even moral errors, and I pray therefore that all error be burned away like chaff, as I pray for myself, and all who are dear to me.
One reason not to accept the "branch" theory of ecclesiology is that the branch theory fails to distinguish between heresy and schism. To schism is to separate from the Church that Christ founded. A heresy is, in simple terms, to hold a false opinion concerning a matter of revealed truth. (see CCC, 2089) It is possible of course to be joined to a schism without being personally guilty of the sin of schism (see CCC, 818). I can absolutely tell you though, when I understood what schism was, and that I might be a part of one, the desire to heal that breach, firstly with respect to myself, became nearly overwhelming. The heart demands things that the intellect and conscience cannot abide, at least not right away. As CCC, 820 says, "The desire to recover the unity of all Christians is a gift of Christ and a call of the Holy Spirit." I praise God for this gift and call in my heart, and in Cara's heart! There are always dangers afoot, and many ways to err, even in this desire. But it's a good desire, and may we all be purified, so that we may enjoy its good fruit without fear.
1. Catholics should affirm, celebrate, and rejoice in truth wherever it is found; and (all together now: "Grace builds upon nature, but does not destroy it.")
2. The Catholic Church is the one true Church founded by Christ, and all people everywhere should be in full visible communion with her. (see CCC, 811 and Lumen Gentium, 14)
I believe these two things, precisely because the Church believes them. Many people see these two statements as embracing a contradiction, but I do not. My new friend Cara Wiskow has some thoughts on Christian unity, and I appreciate so much of it, because I have been a non-Catholic and a Protestant before, and I am now a Catholic. For my part, the motivating factor in my decision to seek full communion with the Catholic Church was twofold: 1. internal inconsistencies within my paradigm of being a Christian up to that point; and 2. A thread of truth common to both my Protestant paradigm, and to the Catholic paradigm--and the Church which subsists in it--and no reasonable way to account for the common thread between them, but for the fact that the Son of God established the Catholic Church. True God of true God is but one, though somehow He is three--I bow before the blessed Mystery!--which is to say, Presbyterian Jesus does not exist. Jesus, the Son of God, loves all of us to the end at this very moment, no matter where we are, but truth binds us, and bids us always to seek it, indeed Him.
It was easier, and relatively easy, to abandon Presbyterian dogmas if and when I realized that I would not lose Christ--nor the Blessed Trinity--to abandon them. Two dogmatic claims cannot be simultaneously true, if in fact they are mutually exclusive. Consider this simple syllogism:
The Catholic Church teaches that bread and wine are totally changed substantially into the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ by the words of consecration in the Liturgy of the Eucharist; (transubstantiation) (see CCC, 1376)
The Catholic teaching of transubstantiation is true; (see the Profession of Faith more generally)
Lutherans do not hold to this dogma; (see here, for example)
Therefore, the Lutheran teaching on the Eucharist--as distinct from the Catholic teaching--is false.
---
This is but one example of disagreement. And to be fair to Lutherans, one good reason to deny the Catholic teaching is the sincere belief that the teaching is not true. I cannot and should not coerce or compel adherence to the truth proclaimed by the Catholic Church, but neither should I be neutral about whether the Catholic Church's teaching on any particular matter of faith or morals is true. The reason I believe what the Catholic Church teaches (even if I do not know it in any one particularity) is that God has spoken in Christ, and speaks authoritatively through the Church today. She cannot err in this, because God cannot err, nor can he deceive, or be deceived. (For the nature of divine faith is to assent to whatever God reveals.)
Where does that leave us, in ecumenical dialogue? It means that, when we celebrate what we hold in common, with Christians, or with anyone else, we celebrate with care. We celebrate and affirm ideas with great care, because we have an obligation to the truth, but also because we respect the freedom of another's conscience. A false unity erases difference, and refuses to acknowledge that a difference is sincerely held. It also pretends that an imperfect unity is perfect. The truth is that differences between Christians are rarely minor, and the reality of division is painful. Even though I find myself inadequate to the task of direct ecumenical dialogue with the Reformed for instance, I pray in a special way in those words of the Mass, "and gather to Yourself all Your children, scattered throughout the world." I know that literally billions of people could be in a living, saving relationship with Jesus Christ, despite their dogmatic, or even moral errors, and I pray therefore that all error be burned away like chaff, as I pray for myself, and all who are dear to me.
One reason not to accept the "branch" theory of ecclesiology is that the branch theory fails to distinguish between heresy and schism. To schism is to separate from the Church that Christ founded. A heresy is, in simple terms, to hold a false opinion concerning a matter of revealed truth. (see CCC, 2089) It is possible of course to be joined to a schism without being personally guilty of the sin of schism (see CCC, 818). I can absolutely tell you though, when I understood what schism was, and that I might be a part of one, the desire to heal that breach, firstly with respect to myself, became nearly overwhelming. The heart demands things that the intellect and conscience cannot abide, at least not right away. As CCC, 820 says, "The desire to recover the unity of all Christians is a gift of Christ and a call of the Holy Spirit." I praise God for this gift and call in my heart, and in Cara's heart! There are always dangers afoot, and many ways to err, even in this desire. But it's a good desire, and may we all be purified, so that we may enjoy its good fruit without fear.
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