How does the Church view the many nondenominational churches?
How does the Church view the many nondenominational churches?
Question: What is the perspective of the Catholic Church regarding nondenominational congregations that have surged in recent years?
— Bob Kusek, Eastpointe, Michigan
Answer: The Church views these communities similarly to how it perceives other non-Catholic yet Christian groups. They represent a fracture to the oneness that ought to exist and for which Christ fervently prayed. Nevertheless, they possess positive attributes that merit respect and could potentially serve as a pathway to future unity.
Regarding them serving as a hurt to unity, we ought to remember that Christ’s longing for oneness among his disciples was articulated on the evening prior to his death: “I pray not only for these, but also for those who will come to believe in me through their message, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you sent me.”
(Jn 17:20-21).
Jesus did not establish 30,000 distinct churches; he established one Church. While there is ample fault to share among all parties, the Catholic Church justly contends that it is, and must be, the foundation and objective of reunification. The Catechism of the Catholic Church articulates: “The one Church of Christ is that which our Savior, after his Resurrection, entrusted to Peter’s pastoral oversight, commissioning him and the other apostles to expand and govern it. … This Church, constituted and organized as a society in the current world, subsists in the Catholic Church, which is led by the successor of Peter and by the bishops in communion with him” (No. 816). Christ does not possess numerous bodies, but one body; he does not have multiple brides, but one bride.
It is historically verifiable that the Catholic Church is the institution established by Christ and that we have diligently preserved that unity centered on Peter and through the Sacrament of Holy Orders. The various Protestant denominations and their non-denominational branches separated from the Church Christ instituted or from one another, originate from humans and are under 500 years old.
To be just, the splits within Christianity are not solely attributable to one party; however, the departure and establishment of groups apart from the Church that Christ established continues to be a significant injury to the Body of Christ, the Church (cf. CCC, No. 817).
However, the Catechism quickly emphasizes: “Yet, one cannot hold responsible for the sin of separation those who are born into these communities stemming from such separation and who are nurtured in the faith of Christ; the Catholic Church welcomes them with regard and love as brethren. … All who have been justified by faith through Baptism are included in Christ; thus, they hold the right to be designated as Christians, and for good cause are recognized as brothers in the Lord by the members of the Catholic Church” (CCC, No. 818).
“Additionally, numerous aspects of sanctification and truth” exist beyond the tangible boundaries of the Catholic Church: “the scriptures; the state of grace; faith, hope, and love, along with other internal gifts of the Holy Spirit, as well as observable elements … whose efficacy stems from the abundance of grace and truth that Christ has committed to the Catholic Church. All these gifts originate from Christ, guide toward him, and are intrinsically invitations to ‘Catholic unity’” (CCC, No. 819).
And, in fact, The Catholic Church has welcomed numerous converts throughout the years from these denominations. They undoubtedly bring various qualities with them, including a passion for Scripture, a deep personal devotion to Jesus, evangelical fervor, and more.
The increase of nondenominational organizations highlights a critical weakness in the Protestant belief that the Bible alone serves as the foundation of unity. The issue lies in the necessity for an authoritative interpreter of the text. Numerous denominations reference Scripture, yet interpret it in various ways, resulting in both pastoral and doctrinal conflicts and separations among themselves.
This is the reason the Lord did not compose a book; instead, he created a Church built with a line of authority to instruct and convey what he had imparted. The New Testament Scriptures emerged from the apostles as an invaluable treasure, yet the correct comprehension of those writings necessitates the authoritative interpretation from the successors of the apostles, the bishops in communion with Peter.
Msgr. Charles Pope is the pastor of Holy Comforter-St. Cyprian in Washington, D.C., and writes for the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. at blog.adw.org. Send questions to msgrpope@osv.com.
