As SyCarl has stated are there many churches started later , if we refer back to the 70 and 3000 annoited by the Holy Spirit after the 12 Apostles received their annoiting, As those 70 and 3000 persons began to spread out to the Gentiles and establishing worship places, I suppose these would qualify. Is their an edict from any of the recent papal leaders that accepts the offshoots or recognizes certain churches as trinitarian in nature, even though not necessarily in full agreement on doctrine?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains, starting with paragraph 846 that “outside the Church there is no salvation.” Throughout history, many Papal encyclicals have been written to support this statement, and certain council writings stand out, including the Second Vatican Council document “Lumen Gentium” which states:
14. This Sacred Council wishes to turn its attention firstly to the Catholic faithful. Basing itself upon Sacred Scripture and Tradition, it teaches that the Church, now sojourning on earth as an exile, is necessary for salvation. Christ, present to us in His Body, which is the Church, is the one Mediator and the unique way of salvation. In explicit terms He Himself affirmed the necessity of faith and baptism(124) and thereby affirmed also the necessity of the Church, for through baptism as through a door men enter the Church. Whosoever, therefore, knowing that the Catholic Church was made necessary by Christ, would refuse to enter or to remain in it, could not be saved.
Lumen Gentium 14 (1962-1968)
Sometimes, however, the question could arise as to what exactly the Catholic Church is. Does the “Universal Church” include all 30,000-40,000 Christian denominations or is She the “Catholic” Catholic Church that we know of today, which is the same Catholic Church that was built by Jesus Christ Himself 2,000 years ago? Perhaph St. Irenaeus, the Bishop of Lyons explained it best during a time when the Church was still developing and growing, not long (relatively) after Christ Himself built His Church (St. Matthew 16:17-19)
2. Since, however, it would be very tedious, in such a volume as this, to reckon up the successions of all the Churches, we do put to confusion all those who, in whatever manner, whether by an evil self-pleasing, by vainglory, or by blindness and perverse opinion, assemble in unauthorized meetings; [we do this, I say,] by indicating that tradition derived from the apostles, of the very great, the very ancient, and universally known Church founded and organized at Rome by the two most glorious apostles, Peter and Paul; as also means of the successions of the bishops. For it is a matter of necessity that every Church should agree with this Church, on account of its preeminent authority – that is, the faithful everywhere – inasmuch as the Apostolic Tradition has been preserved continuously by those who are everywhere.
St. Irenaeus, “Adversus Haereses” Book III, Chapter III, verse II.
To add to that, St. Irenaeus proves the lineage of the Church, which extends from the “Blessed Apostles, Peter and Paul” right onto the present Bishop of Rome, at the time of this writing, Eleutherius:
*3. The
blessed apostles, then, having founded and built up the Church, committed into the hands of
Linus the office of the episcopate. Of this Linus, Paul makes mention in the Epistles to Timothy. To him succeeded
Anacletus; and after him, in the third place from the apostles,
Clement was allotted the bishopric.
This man, as he had seen the blessed apostles, and had been conversant with them, might be said to have the preaching of the apostles still echoing [in his ears], and their traditions before his eyes. Nor was he alone [in this], for there were many still remaining who had received instructions from the apostles. In the time of this
Clement, no small dissension having occurred among the brethren at Corinth, the Church in Rome dispatched a most powerful letter to the Corinthians, exhorting them to peace, renewing their faith, and declaring the tradition which it had lately received from the apostles, proclaiming the one God, omnipotent, the Maker of heaven and earth, the Creator of man, who brought on the deluge, and called Abraham, who led the people from the land of Egypt, spake with Moses, set forth the law, sent the prophets, and who has prepared fire for the devil and his angels. From this document, whosoever chooses to do so, may learn that He, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, was preached by the Churches, and may also understand the apostolical tradition of the Church, since this Epistle is of older date than these men who are now propagating falsehood, and who conjure into existence another god beyond the Creator and the Maker of all existing things. To this Clement there succeeded
Evaristus. Alexander followed Evaristus; then, sixth from the apostles, Sixtus was appointed; after him, Telephorus, who was gloriously martyred; then
Hyginus; after him,
Pius; then after him, **Anicetus. Sorer *
having succeeded Anicetus, Eleutherius does now, in the twelfth place from the apostles, hold the inheritance of the episcopate. In this order, and by this succession, the ecclesiastical tradition from the apostles, and the preaching of the truth, have come down to us. And this is most abundant proof that there is one and the same vivifying faith, which has been preserved in the Church from the apostles until now, and handed down in truth.
St. Irenaeus, Adversus Haereses, Book III, Chapter III, Verse III
If you’d like more information regarding Church writings which have spoken on this matter, I’d be happy to provide you with the information. Thank you for that great question, as I hope the answer really helps to bring the OP into some clarity.
