Just wondering if there’s a particular reason the title is using the term “Universal Church”? The article then goes on to speak of the Catholic Church specifically.
I believe all true Christians are part of the universal church of Jesus Christ and that the word catholic is supposed to mean universal, but obviously not all Christians are members of the Catholic Church (under the pope of Rome).
Please clarify the use of this term in the title. I haven’t seen it used this way before on the RF.
Well, if you follow the pope’s teaching, you are certainly part of the Universal Church established by Christ.
But if you don’t follow the pope’s teaching, then it is hard to know what you are part of. You may actually be following Christ, or you might not be.
The Bible is a book that does not specifically address many things in life - and so an actual authority is needed to teach definitively in accord with the truth found in the Gospel. If there is more than one final earthly authority, unity is impossible. Only those who share the same final earthly authority can have unity.
I agree with your sentiment. It is true that Catholic means “universal”, but in today’s world such usage is misleading, especially when the topic is demographical.
May the true Catholics increase. May the heresies decrease.