I appreciate all the comments.
Understanding the word “Catholic” certainly does apply to the question in my OP regarding whether or not the Body of Christ and the Church are one and the same.
The Catholic Encyclopedia has an excellent history of the word “Catholic,” and the way in which it has evolved. The article opens with “The word
Catholic (
katholikos from
katholou — throughout the whole, i.e., universal) occurs in the Greek classics, e.g., in
Aristotle and Polybius, and was freely used by the
earlier Christian writers in what we may call its primitive and non-ecclesiastical sense.”
The universal sense is the way in which Anglicans, at least in our Parish, use the word Catholic, as we profess belief in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church through the Nicene Creed in our Liturgy. It is interesting to note that the Catholic Encyclopedia article refers to “confused thinkers of the Anglican Communion,” regarding use of the word “Catholic.”
The article goes on to say, “. . . .Although
belief in the “holy Church” was included in the earliest form of the Roman Creed, the word Catholic does not seem to have been added to the Creed anywhere in the West until the fourth century. Kattenbusch believes that our existing form is first met with in the “Exhortatio” which he attributes to Gregorius of Eliberis (c. 360). . . .”
The article does make a good case for “Catholic” as used by Catholics in Communion with Rome, today.
Even if the word “Catholic” is defined as “universal,” rather than an exclusive reference to Catholics in Communion with Rome; it still leads us to the undeniable fact that there is only one Body of Christ and One Church (which are one and the same.)
I think the biggest issue between Catholics in Communion with Rome and non-Catholic Christians is not One Body and One Church; but Rome’s claim to authority over all of Christendom—which is a topic often discussed on CAF and is not the emphasis of this particular thread.
Catechism of the Catholic Church:
791 The body’s unity does not do away with the diversity of its members: "In the building up of Christ’s Body there is engaged a diversity of members and functions. There is only one Spirit who, according to his own richness and the needs of the ministries, gives his different gifts for the welfare of the Church."222 The unity of the Mystical Body produces and stimulates charity among the faithful: "From this it follows that if one member suffers anything, all the members suffer with him, and if one member is honored, all the members together rejoice."223
Finally, the unity of the Mystical Body triumphs over all human divisions: "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus."224
So, the CCC of the Catholic Church does say that the baptized into Christ have put on Christ and the “Mystical Body triumphs over all human divisions.” Yet, we are still considered “separated brethren,” a label we do not reciprocate when speaking of Catholics in Communion with Rome.
Anna
uch:]
Very helpful.