[PCUSANEWS] Stated Clerk issues statement to Presbyterians concerning latest Vatican declaration

Stated Clerk issues statement to Presbyterians concerning latest Vatican declaration

by Presbyterian News Service LOUISVILLE - Clifton Kirkpatrick, General Assembly stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has issued an open letter to Presbyterians joining other churches and ecumenical groups in questioning a recent pronouncement by the Vatican that Protestant churches "are not churches in the proper sense."

Kirkpatrick said the July 10 statement, which the Vatican said was endorsed by Pope Benedict XVI, "mischaracterizes our faith" and "reopens questions of Christian unity..."

We join with other churches and ecumenical bodies in raising concern about the statement released July 10, 2007, by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) and ratified by Pope Benedict XVI, regarding certain aspects of the Doctrine of the Church. In seeking to clarify its understanding of the Christian faith, we are rightfully concerned that the Roman Catholic leadership has mischaracterized our own faith and re-opened questions of Christian unity for all church bodies.

We appreciate the attached letter from the General Secretary of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC), in which he expresses deep concerns about the statement. We also affirm the recent statement of the World Council of Churches, "Called to Be One Church: An invitation to the churches to renew their commitment to the search for unity and to deepen their dialogue,"which testifies that,"Each church is the Church catholic and not simply a part of it. Each church is the Church catholic, but not the whole of it. Each church fulfils its catholicity when it is in communion with the other churches." (For the full statement, go to the World Council of Churches Web site. [http://www.oikoumene.org/])

Our confessions and our Form of Government continually affirm that there is one holy catholic and apostolic Church, called into being, sent into mission, and governed by Jesus Christ alone. We affirm that the Church universal consists of all persons in every nation, together with their children who profess faith in Jesus Christ and commit themselves to live together under his rule. Our Book of Order states:

Visible oneness, by which a diversity of persons, gifts, and understandings is brought together, is an important sign of the unity of God's people. It is also a means by which that unity is achieved. Further, while divisions into different denominations do not destroy this unity, they do obscure it for both the Church and the world. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) affirming its historical continuity with the whole Church of Jesus Christ, is committed to the reduction of that obscurity and is willing to seek and to maintain communion and community with all other branches of the one, catholic Church. (G-4.0203)

While honesty is always important in ecumenical dialogue, we are concerned that after more than forty years of Reformed/Roman Catholic dialogue in the United States, thirty-seven years of international dialogue between the Vatican and WARC, and forty-two years of joint cooperative work through the World Council of Churches, the issuance of such a statement by the CDF calls into question the important theological progress in our bilateral dialogues, the recent ecumenical agreements on justification, and practical relationships that have been established.

The 213th General Assembly (2001) acknowledged the Roman Catholic Church as church and instructed the General Assembly Committee on Ecumenical Relations to form appropriate language to characterize that relationship. The 215th General Assembly (2003) amended the definition of "churches in correspondence" to include churches with which the PC(USA) has formal ecumenical dialogue. This action placed the Roman Catholic Church in correspondence with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). We are in the seventh round of dialogue with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. We recognize that congregations, presbyteries, and synods throughout the PC(USA) are in dialogue and work cooperatively with their Catholic counterparts. We have made significant progress. However, yesterday's statement by the Vatican is a reminder that there is much work before us. Our commitment is to continue to live as faithful witnesses to the unity given to us in Jesus Christ. We will neither abandon our relationships with the Roman Catholic Church, nor deny our own confessional understanding of what it means to be the church universal. We remain dependent upon the Holy Spirit to move in the ecumenical task of seeking Christian unity.

This press release is seven years late. From Dominus Iesus (2000):

On the other hand, the ecclesial communities which have not preserved the valid Episcopate and the genuine and integral substance of the Eucharistic mystery,61 are not Churches in the proper sense; however, those who are baptized in these communities are, by Baptism, incorporated in Christ and thus are in a certain communion, albeit imperfect, with the Church.62 Baptism in fact tends per se toward the full development of life in Christ, through the integral profession of faith, the Eucharist, and full communion in the Church.63

“The Christian faithful are therefore not permitted to imagine that the Church of Christ is nothing more than a collection — divided, yet in some way one — of Churches and ecclesial communities; nor are they free to hold that today the Church of Christ nowhere really exists, and must be considered only as a goal which all Churches and ecclesial communities must strive to reach”.64 In fact, “the elements of this already-given Church exist, joined together in their fullness in the Catholic Church and, without this fullness, in the other communities”.65 “Therefore, these separated Churches and communities as such, though we believe they suffer from defects, have by no means been deprived of significance and importance in the mystery of salvation. For the spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as means of salvation which derive their efficacy from the very fullness of grace and truth entrusted to the Catholic Church”.66

My suggestion to the PCUSA:

Breathe.
Breathe again..
Note that this doesn't say you aren't Christians. I've known many fine Christians who are in the PCUSA.
Breathe again
Note that the USCCB cannot speak with the full authority of the Catholic Church, and shouldn't be treated as if it can. Talk with the CDF or the Pontifical Council on Interreligious Dialogue instead.
Breathe again.
Carry on.

There has been a lot of nonsense written about the CDF statement. It is remarkable, after 40 years of dialogue intended to improve mutual understanding between Catholics and Protestants, that intelligent Protestants and even highly placed Protestant leaders show ZERO understanding of the Catholic view of the nature of the Church.
The word “church” has two meanings in the Catholic understanding: (a) there is the universal (or “Catholic”) Church, i.e. the one Church of Christ, and (b) there are local or “particular” churches, i.e. the churches of particular regions or groups.
The “particular” churches are bound together to form the one universal Church by various bonds: holding the same teachings, having the same sacraments and priesthood, and having a common structure of authority into which each particular church is integrated. An example of a particular church would be a diocese or a collection of dioceses forming a province, say.
The pope is saying that the “eastern Orthodox” churches are indeed particular churches and are “sister churches” of the Roman Catholic particular churches. They have the same faith and sacraments. Because they do not recognize the authority of the pope, their integration into one organized body with all the rest of the particular churches is impaired. So there is an impaired unity between the eastern Orthodox particular churches and the Roman Catholic ones.
The Protestants are in a different situation. Protestants, considered as individuals, are certainly Christians. But the denominations to which they belong are not “particular churches” in the same way that eastern Orthodox and Catholic dioceses are. They do not share the same faith and sacraments and do not have the sacramental priesthood of bishops, priests, and deacons.
What is new here? Absolutely nothing! This is what Vatican II taught, and what the Catholic Church has said for the last forty plus years. Only, it seems a lot of people were not listening. Many people read into the statements of Vatican II what they wanted to hear, both liberal Catholics and non-Catholics. It is because of these misreadings that the CDF felt a need to clarify what the Catholic Church’s teaching has always been. It was not meant as a “put down”, but as a clarification of what a “church” is, as the Catholic Church understands it.

“It is remarkable, after 40 years of dialogue intended to improve mutual understanding between Catholics and Protestants, that intelligent Protestants and even highly placed Protestant leaders show ZERO understanding of the Catholic view of the nature of the Church.”

That is an EXCELLENT point! The Catholic position has not changed. It may be more comfortable to “dialogue” with cronies who are equally clueless about the Church’s ancient teaching and powerless to change it, but true ecumenism (as opposed to feel-good photo-ops and “prayer services”) is dealt a real disservice when one side (in this case, many mainstream - read liberal - Protestant bodies) has spent DECADES in “dialogue” and in efforts for “mutual understanding” without ever taking the time to really understand the other side’s LONG-HELD and CLEARLY STATED position.

And then to run to the press, adding fuel to this week’s already-blazing anti-Catholic media fire, whining and acting surprised by the Catholic Church’s restatement of (to reiterate) its own long-held beliefs. There is a picture of disingenuous engagement if there ever was one.

T for terrible.

As an Orthodox Christian, I do not find the CDF’s pronouncement to be offensive at all. It is consistent with the CDF’s earlier “Dominus Iesus,” which pretty much reflects the teaching of Vatican II. I see the Russian Orthdox Church’s reaction to the document as far more sensible than that of the Romanian Orthodox Patriarch (whom I’m not even sure read the document).

Certainly, the Roman Catholic Church’s view of the Eastern Orthodox Church is generally more charitable than the Orthodox view of the Roman Catholics. The Roman Catholic Church at least calls Orthodoxy “a true church” with real sacraments and a real priesthood, and real apostolic succession. OTOH, the Orthodox view of Roman Catholicism has not always been as consistent or positive. There are opinions within Orthodoxy that view Roman Catholicism as not having any validity as a church or with any real Holy Mysteries. There are also opinions within Orthodoxy that view the Roman Catholics in a way that is analogous to the way the Roman Catholic Church views Orthodoxy. So, from an Orthodox POV, I take no offence whatsoever.

I find it remarkable that certain Protestants and Evangelicals would be offended. Rome’s position is not different than it was 40 years ago. If anything, it’s friendlier towards Protestantism and Evangelicalism now than it was before Vatican II. At least the Roman Catholic Church acknowledges elements of truth and sanctity within those communities. The main issue is regarding the name “church.” However, given the notion that a bishop with the presbytery, the diaconate and laity, celebrating a true Eucharist at the altar is essential for the church, it should be no small wonder that the name “church” is not applied by the Roman Catholic Church to the Protestants and also the Evangelicals. The Reformation fundamentally disagreed with Rome on the nature of the priesthood and the sacrifice of the Mass and the change of the bread and wine. The Reformers called the Catholic Mass an “abomination” and “idolatry” (Jack Chick still does!), and the Roman Catholics, in turn, denied that the Protestants had a true Eucharist and priesthood. With this in mind, I am struggling to understand why anyone would be in an uproar over the Roman Catholic Church expressing a view fairly consistent with its historical teaching—albeit now with more positive reckognition of good within Protestantism and the newer Evangelicals, which came from Protestantism.

Certainly Rome’s view towards especially Evangelicalism is, in generally, far more charitable than Evangelicalism’s view towards Rome. I have had many discussions with Fundies and heard their strong denunciations of “Romanism” and “Popery” and affirm confidently that Roman Catholics are hellbound. Jack Chick is not a minority within Evangelicalism WRT how Roman Catholics (and probably by similarity—Eastern Orthodox) are viewed.

Thus, I find any offence at the CDF’s pronouncement to be somewhat irrational.

The PCUSA is sufficient confused to have had, beginning several years ago and AFAIK continuing to the present day, coverage for abortion included in their group health insurance program offered to clergy and their families.

IMO, any "church" which can't decide whether carving up innocent babies is wrong or right has forfeited its right to speak at the Christian table.

I respect what Albert Mohler has to say, although I obviously disagree with him about some things. He is courageously pro-life, enough so even to call into question the overwhelming Protestant consensus in favor of contraception.

I have no respect for the PCUSA's opinion on any topic.

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