| Traditional Roman Catholicism |
| The True Church of Jesus Christ |
The Church of Jesus Christ was given to all men by Our Lord. " A Catholic Dictionary" says, " The Church of Jesus Christ is the
visible religious society, distinct from the Synagogue, instituted directly by Christ, under one head, St. Peter and his successors,
the popes, for the purpose of preserving and propagating his teaching, and of safeguarding and using the means of salvation (
sacrifice and sacraments). It has certain marks by which it may be known. It enjoys the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and Christ
has promised to be with it " all days, even to the consummation of the world"
(Matt: x x v I I i, 20), so that it is indefectible. He has commanded all men to join the Church, which is the one ark of salvation for
all".
But the question of today is who is really Catholic? Who are the members of the true Church? Why is this so important? To
answer the last part first, it is a matter of one's salvation if he is a member of the Church of Christ or he is not. Saint Robert
Bellarmine gives us the answer as to who is Catholic and who is not. In his work,
" Disputationes de controversiis", he states: " Our sentence is that there is only one Church, not two; and that the only one true
Church is the community of men united by the profession of the true Christian faith and the communion of the same sacraments,
under the goverment of legitimate sheperds and above all, of the sole Vicar of Christ on earth, the Roman Pontiff." From this
definition it is not difficult to see who is a member of the true Church of Christ. The Jews, Muslims and pagans are excluded in
the first part of this definition as well as those who were once in the Church and later fell away like heretics and apostates. The
second part excludes the catechumens and excommunicated since the former are not admitted to the sacraments and the latter
are excluded from them.
In his Encyclical, " Mystici Corporis" His holiness Pope Pius XII states who are actually members of the Church:
"Actually only those are to be counted among the members of the Church who have receieved the laver of regeneration and
profess the true faith, and have not, to their misfortune, seperated themselves from the structure of the Body, or for very serious
sins have not been excluded by lawful authorities. " For in one Spirit," says the Apostle, " were we all baptized into one Body,
wheather Jew or Gentiles, whether bond or free". ( I Cor. 12:13 ) So, just as in the true community of the faithful of Christ there is
only one Body, one Spirit, one Lord, and one Baptism, so there can only be one faith ( Eph. 4:5 ) ; and so he who refuses to hear
the Church, as the Lord bids " let him be as the heathen and publican ( Matt. 18:17 ). Therefore, those who are divided from one
another in faith or in goverment cannot live in the unity of such a body, and in its one divine spirit."
So please pray for those who have not yet cooperated with grace and come home to the one true Church, and pray also for
those who have left her for we know that it has been defined that there is no salvation outside the Church of Christ. I end this with
the words of His Holiness Pope Gregory XVI:
" He who is seperated from the body of the Catholic Church, however praiseworthy his conduct may otherwise seem, will not be
saved."
Pope Gregory XVI " Perlatum Ad No
visible religious society, distinct from the Synagogue, instituted directly by Christ, under one head, St. Peter and his successors,
the popes, for the purpose of preserving and propagating his teaching, and of safeguarding and using the means of salvation (
sacrifice and sacraments). It has certain marks by which it may be known. It enjoys the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and Christ
has promised to be with it " all days, even to the consummation of the world"
(Matt: x x v I I i, 20), so that it is indefectible. He has commanded all men to join the Church, which is the one ark of salvation for
all".
But the question of today is who is really Catholic? Who are the members of the true Church? Why is this so important? To
answer the last part first, it is a matter of one's salvation if he is a member of the Church of Christ or he is not. Saint Robert
Bellarmine gives us the answer as to who is Catholic and who is not. In his work,
" Disputationes de controversiis", he states: " Our sentence is that there is only one Church, not two; and that the only one true
Church is the community of men united by the profession of the true Christian faith and the communion of the same sacraments,
under the goverment of legitimate sheperds and above all, of the sole Vicar of Christ on earth, the Roman Pontiff." From this
definition it is not difficult to see who is a member of the true Church of Christ. The Jews, Muslims and pagans are excluded in
the first part of this definition as well as those who were once in the Church and later fell away like heretics and apostates. The
second part excludes the catechumens and excommunicated since the former are not admitted to the sacraments and the latter
are excluded from them.
In his Encyclical, " Mystici Corporis" His holiness Pope Pius XII states who are actually members of the Church:
"Actually only those are to be counted among the members of the Church who have receieved the laver of regeneration and
profess the true faith, and have not, to their misfortune, seperated themselves from the structure of the Body, or for very serious
sins have not been excluded by lawful authorities. " For in one Spirit," says the Apostle, " were we all baptized into one Body,
wheather Jew or Gentiles, whether bond or free". ( I Cor. 12:13 ) So, just as in the true community of the faithful of Christ there is
only one Body, one Spirit, one Lord, and one Baptism, so there can only be one faith ( Eph. 4:5 ) ; and so he who refuses to hear
the Church, as the Lord bids " let him be as the heathen and publican ( Matt. 18:17 ). Therefore, those who are divided from one
another in faith or in goverment cannot live in the unity of such a body, and in its one divine spirit."
So please pray for those who have not yet cooperated with grace and come home to the one true Church, and pray also for
those who have left her for we know that it has been defined that there is no salvation outside the Church of Christ. I end this with
the words of His Holiness Pope Gregory XVI:
" He who is seperated from the body of the Catholic Church, however praiseworthy his conduct may otherwise seem, will not be
saved."
Pope Gregory XVI " Perlatum Ad No
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