Yes it does. It says it right there. In that sentence.
"…certain, although imperfect,
communion with the Catholic Church"
Which goes to the point someone made a long time ago in this thread: that us Protestants are Catholic even if we
don’t know it, or care to be.
Think about that statement.
Intention is everything.
Let’s look at this from the practical position. If protestants are Catholic they could receive the Eucharist in the Catholic Church. Protestants can’t do that. Why? As the bishops say, it presupposes a unity that doesn’t exist. So where do people get the idea they are “in” the Church? BTW, How do you take that? It’s obvious to me they are outside the Church. They are not Catholic and they are NOT “in” the Church. Do you have another explanation?
A:
Not a position I agree with, but definitely the position clearly stated in the CCC, if by Catholic Church you mean universal community of baptized, believing Christians.
That’s NOT my understanding of what Catholic means.
Melkite bishop John said it well.
According to the Catholic teaching, Christ did not create a church with five heads of equal importance. He established One Holy Catholic and Apostolic church whose invisible head is the Lord, but whose visible head is the Pope of Rome.
The Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches states it in these terms: “The bishop of the Church of Rome, in whom resides the office (munus) given in a special way by the Lord to Peter, first of the Apostles and to be transmitted to his successors, is head of the college of bishops, the Vicar of Christ and Pastor of the entire Church on earth; therefore in virtue of his office (munus) he enjoys supreme, full, immediate and universal ordinary power in the Church which he can always freely exercise.” (Canon 43 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches)
If an Orthodox subscribes to the Canon quoted above, he/she can be called Catholic and be considered “united to Rome” or in full communion with the Catholic Church.
https://melkite.org/eparchy/bishop-j…ited-with-rome
If that is so for Orthodox who have valid sacraments, how could this apply to Protestants who don’t have the sacramentsa because they have no valid orders?
A:
Some people on this thread have asserted that as the definition. Others have used a different definition. Until we clearly define and agree upon the meaning of “catholic” and “church” (and it hasn’t been done yet in this thread), arguing over membership is pointless.
All the proper definitions are there. There is no confusion.