Schisms and the Holy Spirit

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mattling said:
I don’t ask this in an effort to hijack this thread, so please forgive me if it seems like I am.

Would you say that regardless of whether the Holy Spirit acted to cause schism, is it true to say that Christians in communion with Rome do not have a monopoly on the Holy Spirit, that He may be inspiring Protestants to follow Him in the same way as He calls to those in full communion with the Holy See?
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You didn’t hijack my thread. In fact you asked my question far better than I did. Thanks.
 
You’re welcome, it’s a question that has been puzzling me. Having lived in the United Kingdom my entire life, seeing all the good works that Christians of all denominations are involved in, I can’t help but feel that the Holy Spirit is inspiring a great deal of it, not least because they themselves believe that the Holy Spirit is inspiring them, and they share the sacrament of Baptism (in large part).
 
The Holy Spirit is active everywhere and also not in Christianity exclusive. From a Christianity alone perspective it is the Universal Church.
 
For me, there is a lot of good in other denominations as well as the catholic church. I am sure the holy spirit is with them just as much. The big thing that is important for me is the belief in Jesus as the Son of God, Loving god, serving god well and reading and putting into your life the scriptures to the best of your ability. I would never say that the Catholic church is the only church. I would never say that one cannot worship god if he is not a catholic.

God loves us all and is an all forgiving god who welcomes all that believe and love him.

I am a catholic but i am also a christian. 👍
 
mattling said:
Would you say that regardless of whether the Holy Spirit acted to cause schism, is it true to say that Christians in communion with Rome do not have a monopoly on the Holy Spirit, that He may be inspiring Protestants to follow Him in the same way as He calls to those in full communion with the Holy See?
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I still believe that schism is not the work of the Holy Spirit. Christians are humans too and we err. Christian history is filled with both sins and graces. As is consistent with God, even though men sinned, he never did give up. He looked for them, he brought them together, he healed the sick and bandaged their wounds. He gave them good pasture.

Even though the schism happened in the Church, likewise the Holy Spirit is still at work with imperfect human beings, pouring out graces, bringing restoration and forgiving sins. Even though the Catholic Church is the true Church (from our view) we never claim that God is prevented from working in other people and other organizations especially for those who genuinely seeking him regardless of what background they are in.

So yes, the Holy Spirit could work in the churches that had been splintered and fractured even though it is not him that caused the splintering and the fracturing.
 
mattling said:
I don’t ask this in an effort to hijack this thread, so please forgive me if it seems like I am.

Would you say that regardless of whether the Holy Spirit acted to cause schism, is it true to say that Christians in communion with Rome do not have a monopoly on the Holy Spirit, that He may be inspiring Protestants to follow Him in the same way as He calls to those in full communion with the Holy See?
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Yes! The sacraments are guaranteed places where the Lord’s grace may be found. That doesn’t mean that those are the only places where His Spirit is at work.

Ironically, I most agree with the perspective of an old Orthodox friend of mine who said, “We do not say where the Holy Spirit is not, only that He is most fully here.”

I think a part of the reason Catholics can have trouble engaging non-Catholic Christians is that they might assume that the non-Catholic essentially doesn’t know God or has not had fellowship with His Spirit, when the reality is that many very much do know Christ, and deeply so. “Wherever two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in their midst.”
 
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