G
guanophore
Guest
Good point.Those passages I quoted from Paul and others, were talking about the justified by faith in baptism, i.e. baptised members of the Church. Afterall, in the sense Paul is using division, one has to be baptised to be a member of the Church 1st, before one can be charged with division from the Church…right?
I am not even sure that it can be said that they are “still brothers and sisters in Christ”. To be “in Christ” necessarily means that one is in right relationship with His One Body, the Church. When the separate, they automatically excommunicate themselves, thereby losing their status of being “in Christ”.Code:Paul is warning the baptised, don't divide from the Church because those who do and live like that, i.e. remain divided, won't inherit heaven when they die. They are still brothers and sisters in Christ, but as Paul said, if they remain in that sin, they won't be going to heaven when they die.
Yes. The ignorance is no longer invincible.So as you point out What about people born into division? They aren’t personally guilty of division …that is …UNTIL they see ( become knowledgable) that they *ARE *divided from the Church and then do nothing about ending that division…THEN they become guiilty of division.
I would say, though, that most persons in these separated communities do not realize the Source of the graces, and are clueless about their being that call to unity. This is why the ecumenism and evangelization is so important.paragraph 818 which you cite doesn’t deny the following paragraphs
**819 **“Furthermore, many elements of sanctification and of truth” are found outside the visible confines of the Catholic Church: “the written Word of God; the life of grace; faith, hope, and charity, with the other interior gifts of the Holy Spirit, as well as visible elements.” Christ’s Spirit uses these Churches and ecclesial communities as means of salvation, whose power derives from the fullness of grace and truth that Christ has entrusted to the Catholic Church. All these blessings come from Christ and lead to him, and are in themselves calls to "Catholic unity."
Yes, but the reason the catechism states that salvation can be obtained through these separated ecclesial communities BECAUSE they are part of the One mystical Body of Jesus Christ, and are somehow (though not visibly) members of the Church. Baptism begins this unity, and following in the faith that they have received continues this unity.iow, scripture and tradition says it’s not okay to just be a good protestant and all will be well. The scriptures were written in by for the Catholic Church. All those wonderful promises mentioned in scripture is a call to be Catholic in the Catholic Church. Apart from which, there is no salvation. Scripture is clear on that.
I would even say that a baptized person who does not persevere in charity is joined to the Body more like a paralyzed or “dead” limb, not being able to take his rightful and functional place in the Body, and detracting from the body by being dead weight. It is this condition of the Church militant that prevents her from being more successful in society. The more “dead weight” she has to carry, the more she is slowed in the process of storming the Gates of hell.Code:**837 **"Fully incorporated into the society of the Church are those who, possessing the Spirit of Christ, accept all the means of salvation given to the Church together with her entire organization, and who - by the bonds constituted by the profession of faith, the sacraments, ecclesiastical government, and communion - are joined in the visible structure of the Church of Christ, who rules her through the Supreme Pontiff and the bishops. Even though incorporated into the Church, one who does not however persevere in charity is not saved. He remains indeed in the bosom of the Church, but 'in body' not 'in heart.'"
