The nature of the Church?

[Brendan_64]

Following a recent conversation with a friend and then a talk I attended in a parish, I find my understanding of the nature of the Church challenged.

Is the Church made up just of Catholics, or is it wider? Yes, all baptised people (Catholic or otherwise) become children of God, and presumably become part of the Body of Christ on Earth. Are they (as individuals) then part of the Church in some way, but in imperfect communion with the Church, or are they outside of the Church, yet still part of the Body of Christ as a result of their baptism?

 

[bobperk]

Your best and most concise resource is the Catechism from paragraphs 836-848.

 

[sko]

Regarding the nature of the Church, there is also the dogmatic constitution Lumen gentium and the followup document Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine on the Church. I’d say that the Wikipedia article on the phrase subsistit in, which Lumen gentium uses to equate the Catholic Church with Christ’s Church, gives a good overview, especially questions 2 and 3.

 

[Genesis315]

The one Church, as professed in the Creed, can only be said to be the Catholic Church subject to Peter–this society and only this society will always be that one Church. Other baptized persons and communities of such persons have a certain bond or partial communion with the Church, but they cannot be said to be the Church. Likewise, their communities can have elements of the Church, but again, they cannot be the Church.

That’s what the controversial phrase “subsists in” used by Lumen Gentium intends to convey–unfortunately, some misinterpreted this to mean the Catholic Church did not have a unique identity as the Church of Christ, but that the Church of Christ could include these other communities, which the CDF clarified in the link sko posted.

 

[GodSpawned]

My definition of church is “everyone whose name is written in the Book of Life across the whole of space and time”. Can be much wider and narrower than just people who turn up on a Sunday morning.

 

[joeybaggz]

Nature of the Church
One
Holy
Catholic
Apostolic

That says it all.

 

[joeybaggz]

Think of the word “apostolic” in your thought. No other “church”, can say that about their organization.

Don’'t totally understand your post. It might be my fault. To clarify. When I see the word Church, I think of the Roman Catholic Church. It contains the four characteristics I stated. If one if talking about all Christian “churches” I personally use the word denomination. I think we are saying the same thing?

 

[joeybaggz]

I hope you are saying “Christ’s Church” because Church of Christ is a fundamentalist denomination that views the Catholic Church as akin to a cult in league with you know who. They like the term “whore of Babylon.”
And other Protestant denominations that claim to be Christian do not have apostolic succession of their clergy.
Fellowship is found in all churches, in the fundamentalist and Pentecostal denominations it is akin to a dogma of their faith.

 

[Dan_Defender]

I would add that the Catholic church has the fullness of truth while other churches have a partial truth.