The Body of Christ

[Paul_theApostle]

Hi I have heard or read that the Church is called and is the Body of Christ.

But I don’t understand how Christs Church has now split up into thousands of different churches.

From a Catholic view,is it believed that Eastern Orthodox churches (not in union with Rome) are part of the Body of Christ?

what about any Protestant Churches?

Are Anglicans part of the Body of Christ?

I know Rome may not recognize Protestants but I know that Rome considers Orthodoxy valid with valid Sacraments.

So then what happens to Christ Body?is it separated or severed,can the Body of Christ be disunified or is it that either the Catholics are cut off or that the Orthodox are cut off out of the Body.

I hate all this conflict and confusion and not knowing the real truth of what the real reality is between the division with these two Churches .

I just go with my heart now and have spent many years at both churches and been baptized by both churches and don’t know if il ever feel at peace mentality from this baptism problem.

Anyway whatever come and throw thorn bushes into my grave and say good luck in there you wretch of a human being

 

[ConstantineTG]

Yes, the Orthodox are part of the Body of Christ as they have the same faith and Apostolic heritage and tradition. The separation is man made and its imperative that we week unification as soon as possible because it is not right that the members of the Body of Christ are at odds with each other.

 

[Barbkw]

scborromeo.org/ccc/p123a9p2.htm#781

Catechism of the Catholic Church:

Paragraph 2. The Church - People of God, Body of Christ, Temple of the Holy Spirit

I. THE CHURCH - PEOPLE OF GOD

781 "At all times and in every race, anyone who fears God and does what is right has been acceptable to him. He has, however, willed to make men holy and save them, not as individuals without any bond or link between them, but rather to make them into a people who might acknowledge him and serve him in holiness.

He therefore chose the Israelite race to be his own people and established a covenant with it. He gradually instructed this people. . . . All these things, however, happened as a preparation for and figure of that new and perfect covenant which was to be ratified in Christ . . . the New Covenant in his blood; he called together a race made up of Jews and Gentiles which would be one, not according to the flesh, but in the Spirit."201

Characteristics of the People of God

782 The People of God is marked by characteristics that clearly distinguish it from all other religious, ethnic, political, or cultural groups found in history:

• It is the People of God: God is not the property of any one people. But he acquired a people for himself from those who previously were not a people: "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation."202

• One becomes a member of this people not by a physical birth, but by being “born anew,” a birth "of water and the Spirit,"203 that is, by faith in Christ, and Baptism.

• This People has for its Head Jesus the Christ (the anointed, the Messiah). Because the same anointing, the Holy Spirit, flows from the head into the body, this is “the messianic people.”

• “The status of this people is that of the dignity and freedom of the sons of God, in whose hearts the Holy Spirit dwells as in a temple.”

• "Its law is the new commandment to love as Christ loved us."204 This is the “new” law of the Holy Spirit.205

• Its mission is to be salt of the earth and light of the world.206 This people is “a most sure seed of unity, hope, and salvation for the whole human race.”

• Its destiny, finally, "is the Kingdom of God which has been begun by God himself on earth and which must be further extended until it has been brought to perfection by him at the end of time."207

A priestly, prophetic, and royal people

783 Jesus Christ is the one whom the Father anointed with the Holy Spirit and established as priest, prophet, and king. The whole People of God participates in these three offices of Christ and bears the responsibilities for mission and service that flow from them.208

784 On entering the People of God through faith and Baptism, one receives a share in this people’s unique, priestly vocation: "Christ the Lord, high priest taken from among men, has made this new people ‘a kingdom of priests to God, his Father.’ The baptized, by regeneration and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, are consecrated to be a spiritual house and a holy priesthood."209

785 “The holy People of God shares also in Christ’s prophetic office,” above all in the supernatural sense of faith that belongs to the whole People, lay and clergy, when it "unfailingly adheres to this faith . . . once for all delivered to the saints,"210 and when it deepens its understanding and becomes Christ’s witness in the midst of this world.

786 Finally, the People of God shares in the royal office of Christ. He exercises his kingship by drawing all men to himself through his death and Resurrection.211 Christ, King and Lord of the universe, made himself the servant of all, for he came "not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."212 For the Christian, “to reign is to serve him,” particularly when serving "the poor and the suffering, in whom the Church recognizes the image of her poor and suffering founder."213 The People of God fulfills its royal dignity by a life in keeping with its vocation to serve with Christ.

The sign of the cross makes kings of all those reborn in Christ and the anointing of the Holy Spirit consecrates them as priests, so that, apart from the particular service of our ministry, all spiritual and rational Christians are recognized as members of this royal race and sharers in Christ’s priestly office. What, indeed, is as royal for a soul as to govern the body in obedience to God? And what is as priestly as to dedicate a pure conscience to the Lord and to offer the spotless offerings of devotion on the altar of the heart?214

 

[Barbkw]

II. THE CHURCH - BODY OF CHRIST

The Church is communion with Jesus

787 From the beginning, Jesus associated his disciples with his own life, revealed the mystery of the Kingdom to them, and gave them a share in his mission, joy, and sufferings.215 Jesus spoke of a still more intimate communion between him and those who would follow him: "Abide in me, and I in you. . . . I am the vine, you are the branches."216 And he proclaimed a mysterious and real communion between his own body and ours: "He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him."217

788 When his visible presence was taken from them, Jesus did not leave his disciples orphans. He promised to remain with them until the end of time; he sent them his Spirit.218 As a result communion with Jesus has become, in a way, more intense: "By communicating his Spirit, Christ mystically constitutes as his body those brothers of his who are called together from every nation."219

789 The comparison of the Church with the body casts light on the intimate bond between Christ and his Church. Not only is she gathered around him; she is united in him, in his body. Three aspects of the Church as the Body of Christ are to be more specifically noted: the unity of all her members with each other as a result of their union with Christ; Christ as head of the Body; and the Church as bride of Christ.

“One Body”

790 Believers who respond to God’s word and become members of Christ’s Body, become intimately united with him: "In that body the life of Christ is communicated to those who believe, and who, through the sacraments, are united in a hidden and real way to Christ in his Passion and glorification."220 This is especially true of Baptism, which unites us to Christ’s death and Resurrection, and the Eucharist, by which "really sharing in the body of the Lord, . . . we are taken up into communion with him and with one another."221

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

“Christ is the Head of this Body”

792 Christ "is the head of the body, the Church."225 He is the principle of creation and redemption. Raised to the Father’s glory, "in everything he [is] preeminent,"226 especially in the Church, through whom he extends his reign over all things.

793 Christ unites us with his Passover: all his members must strive to resemble him, “until Christ be formed” in them.227 "For this reason we . . . are taken up into the mysteries of his life, . . . associated with his sufferings as the body with its head, suffering with him, that with him we may be glorified."228

794 Christ provides for our growth: to make us grow toward him, our head,229 he provides in his Body, the Church, the gifts and assistance by which we help one another along the way of salvation.

795 Christ and his Church thus together make up the “whole Christ” (Christus totus). The Church is one with Christ. The saints are acutely aware of this unity:

Let us rejoice then and give thanks that we have become not only Christians, but Christ himself. Do you understand and grasp, brethren, God’s grace toward us? Marvel and rejoice: we have become Christ. For if he is the head, we are the members; he and we together are the whole man. . . . The fullness of Christ then is the head and the members. But what does “head and members” mean? Christ and the Church.230
Our redeemer has shown himself to be one person with the holy Church whom he has taken to himself.231

Head and members form as it were one and the same mystical person.232

A reply of St. Joan of Arc to her judges sums up the faith of the holy doctors and the good sense of the believer: "About Jesus Christ and the Church, I simply know they’re just one thing, and we shouldn’t complicate the matter."233

More explanation follows at: scborromeo.org/ccc/p123a9p2.htm#781

 

[Samuel63]

There is a body of Christ. There is a Bride of Christ too - the Church.

It is a little confusing but we have to say to ourselves, “Jesus I trust in you.”

After all there is another lurking about that wants to create divsion and has had some success. With this in mind, stay close to the Way, Truth, Life.

Help others in your life once you have gained enough strength - like Peter.

Some day, you will hear these words, “Well done my good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Master’s house.”

It is that simple.

 

[JRKH]

Perhaps It wold be good for you to begin by reading what the Catholic Church Catachism has to say on the subject:
**Wounds to unity **

817 In fact, “in this one and only Church of God from its very beginnings there arose certain rifts, which the Apostle strongly censures as damnable. But in subsequent centuries much more serious dissensions appeared and large communities became separated from full communion with the Catholic Church - for which, often enough, men of both sides were to blame.” The ruptures that wound the unity of Christ’s Body - here we must distinguish heresy, apostasy, and schism - do not occur without human sin:

Where there are sins, there are also divisions, schisms, heresies, and disputes. Where there is virtue, however, there also are harmony and unity, from which arise the one heart and one soul of all believers.

818 “However, one cannot charge with the sin of the separation those who at present are born into these communities [that resulted from such separation] and in them are brought up in the faith of Christ, and the Catholic Church accepts them with respect and affection as brothers . . . . **All who have been justified by faith in Baptism are incorporated into Christ; they therefore have a right to be called Christians, and with good reason are accepted as brothers in the Lord by the children of the Catholic Church.” **

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.”
​

There is more that can be read HERE.

Peace
James

 

[jbarbaretta]

Hi I have heard or read that the Church is called and is the Body of Christ.

But I don’t understand how Christs Church has now split up into thousands of different churches.

From a Catholic view,is it believed that Eastern Orthodox churches (not in union with Rome) are part of the Body of Christ?

what about any Protestant Churches?

Are Anglicans part of the Body of Christ?

I know Rome may not recognize Protestants but I know that Rome considers Orthodoxy valid with valid Sacraments.

So then what happens to Christ Body?is it separated or severed,can the Body of Christ be disunified or is it that either the Catholics are cut off or that the Orthodox are cut off out of the Body.

I hate all this conflict and confusion and not knowing the real truth of what the real reality is between the division with these two Churches .

I just go with my heart now and have spent many years at both churches and been baptized by both churches and don’t know if il ever feel at peace mentality from this baptism problem.

Anyway whatever come and throw thorn bushes into my grave and say good luck in there you wretch of a human being

All Christians are part of the body of Christ. Catholics, Orthodox as well as protestants. I think saying that the Church doesn’t recognize Protestants is slightly inaccurate. The Church is very aware that they exist and is constantly in discussion with both Orthodox and Protestant leaders seeking common understanding and eventual re-unification.

Protestant baptisms are valid as long as it is Trinitarian. Protestant communion is not, since they have no priests and do not believe in the real presence. The Church treats protestants as “ecclesial communities” that are imperfectly joined , but none the less joined to the Catholic Church. (CCC 838) The Church, therefore, sees them as part of the Body of Christ.

The good news: reading the end of the gospel of John, the apostles out fishing - with Jesus on the shore cooking breakfast. The apostles at Jesus’ direction cast the net and catch a load of fish which they drag onto the shore. Think of this typologically. The apostles are fishers of men and catch 163 fish (163 known nations on the world at that time). The apostles bring into their net people from all the world. The net would typologically be a symbol for the Church. It says that when they arrived on the shore the net was full to bursting but was not torn – in Greek was “without Schism”. Not sure how it will happen, but the body of Christ will be unified in the end.

 

[Paul_theApostle]

Jbarbaretta,

Ok,I thought that Protestant priests were not recognized so therefore have no Sacraments and if having no Holy Communion or the Body and Blood of Christ how then can they be part of Christs body the Church if they don’t receive Jesus in Communion.

 

[ConstantineTG]

Jbarbaretta,

Ok,I thought that Protestant priests were not recognized so therefore have no Sacraments and if having no Holy Communion or the Body and Blood of Christ how then can they be part of Christs body the Church if they don’t receive Jesus in Communion.

Those who have valid baptism validly enter those baptized into the Church of Christ,which is His Body.

 

[JRKH]

Jbarbaretta,

Ok,I thought that Protestant priests were not recognized so therefore have no Sacraments and if having no Holy Communion or the Body and Blood of Christ how then can they be part of Christs body the Church if they don’t receive Jesus in Communion.

The Church does NOT recognize their “priests” and so you are correct in that they do not have a valid Holy communion.
However, they DO have valid baptism (trinitarian) and valid faith in Christ.

Peace
James

 

[jbarbaretta]

Jbarbaretta,

Ok,I thought that Protestant priests were not recognized so therefore have no Sacraments and if having no Holy Communion or the Body and Blood of Christ how then can they be part of Christs body the Church if they don’t receive Jesus in Communion.

A priest, to be a priest, needs to receive Holy Orders from a successor of an Apostle, i.e. a bishop. Catholics and Orthodox have a valid claim to that. Some of the high protestant religions - most obviously Anglicans, can make a claim to that. Most cannot and don’t even try. They don’t refer to themselves as priests and don’t want to be associated with the concept of priesthood, since priests, most notably, offer sacrifices.

However, not all sacraments require a priest. Anyone can baptize as long as it is Trinitarian (the person administering the sacrament doesn’t even have to be Christian). As Catholics, we would only do it in emergencies, relying on the priest or deacon for more normal circumstances. I know my mother, as a nurse, baptized a baby once. Also, the sacrament of marriage is administered by the spouses. The priest is a witness.

That being said, you become a member of the Church, the body of Christ, by baptism. A protestant has a valid claim to being a member of the body of Christ by his/her baptism…