The unicity of the Catholic Church – Dominus Iesus

On 6 August 2000 the Congregation of the Roman Curia published a decla-ration beginning with Dominus Iesus on the unicity and salvifi c universality of Jesus Christ and the Church, which veritably summarises the character and unicity of the Catholic Church.

The believers must profess that – stemming from the apostolic legal continuity³¹ – there is historical continuity between the Church founded by Christ and the Catholic Church: “Christ’s only Church, (...) which our Redeemer after his resurrection gave over to the shepherd Peter (Jn 21,17), and bestowed him and the other apostles to spread and govern it (cf. Mt 28,18), and ordered it to be the pillar and bulwark of the truth (1Tim 3,15), lives on in this world in the Catholic Church as a constitutional and organised society governed by the successor of Peter and the bishops living together with him [subsistit in].”³²

So Christ has only one Church which exists in the Catholic Church governed by the successor of Peter and the bishops living together with him.³³ Churches, [here we can think of the churches with Byzantine rite de-tached from Rome] which are not in complete community with the Catholic Church yet have very tight bonds with it – the apostolic legal continuity and Eucharistia – are particle churches.³⁴

31 Cf. II. Vatican Synode: Lumen gentium constitution 20. p.; Szt Ireneusz: Adversus Hae-reses, III, 3, 1–3: SC 211, 20–44; Saint Cyprian: Epist. 33,1: CCL 3B, 164–165; Saint August: Contra advers. legis et prophet. 1, 20, 39: CCL 49, 70.

32 II. Vatican Synode: Lumen gentium constitution 8. p.

33 Congregation of the Roman Curia: Mysterium Ecclesiae 1. p.: AAS 65 (1973) 396–408.

34 II. Vatican Synode: Unitatis redintegratio 14–15. p.; Congregation of the Roman Curia:

Communionis notio letter 17. p.: AAS 85 (1993) 838–850.

Thus Christ’s Church is present and functioning in these churches, although the complete community with the Catholic Church is missing, because they do not accept the Catholic teaching of the primate which ac-cording to God’s will is objectively possessed and practiced by the Bishop of Rome over the whole Church.³⁵

However, those churches which did not preserve the valid episcopates and the original and entire reality of the myth of Eucharistia [these are typi-cally protestant communities],³⁶ are not churches in the specifi c meaning of the word; nevertheless all those who are baptised in these communities will be incorporated with Christ, so they are in community though incomplete, with the Church.³⁷

Because Christianity by its nature is aiming at full development of life in Christ through professing entire faith, Eucharistia and full commonality within the Church.³⁸

5.2 Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus

Lord Jesus proclaims faith in him and belonging to the Church precondi-tions for salvation: “He who believes and is baptised will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” (Mk 16,16)

The meaning of the fundamental principle of the doctrine of grace: extra ecclesiam nulla salus (Lat. ‚there is no salvation outside the Church’) is that salvation can only be achieved through the Church. The traditional root of the principle is the Peter’s explanation of Lord Jesus’ proclama-tion about salvaproclama-tion: as Noah’s ark was the tool to escape from the fl ood so is Christianity the tool of salvation (cf. 1Pet 3,20). Christ is the only communicator of salvation even after his ascension. The relationship with him is expressed and ensured by the sacraments, and the Church provides the frame for this union. The sacrament is the only proper way of com-municating salvation. Christianity is the sacrament of being initiated into the people of God. Since Jesus entrusted baptism to the Church, salvation

35 Cf. I. Vatican Synode: Pastor aeternus constitution: DS 3053–3064; II. Vatican Synode:

Lumen gentium constitution 22. p.

36 Cf. II Vatican Synode: Unitatis redintegratio 22. p.

37 Ibid

38 Ibid

can only be achieved through the Church. This principle already appears with the ecclesiastics: Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Saint Ireneus, Origenes, Saint Cyprian all used it.

However, the Saviour also teaches that there are true spirited, religious people in search of god outside legitimate religious communities (then the Jews), and the Church is the real home for them too: “And I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will heed my voice. So there shall be one fl ock, one shepherd.” (Jn 10,16)

The tidings of the world of God are meant for all people of all ages. The mission of the Church extends all over the world. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have com-manded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.” (Mt 28,19) Servant of God, Pope Pius XII in his encyclical beginning with Mystici Corporis distinctly differentiates those who really belong to the Church and those who only wish to do so:

“Actually only those are to be included as members of the Church who have been baptized and profess the true faith, and who have not been so unfortunate as to separate themselves from the unity of the Body, or been excluded by legitimate authority for grave faults committed.”³⁹

At the end of the encyclical the Pope mentions those who “by an uncon-scious desire and longing (...) have a certain relationship with the Mystical Body of the Redeemer” and who are by far not excluded from the eternal salvation.⁴⁰

Here the pope alludes to what theology expresses with the notion of baptism of desire (lat. baptismus fl aminis). The ecclesiastics taught that, although baptism is the only way to salvation, but well-meaning benevo-lent people can also fi nd salvation. The Council of Trident teaches that the sincere desire for baptism, which stems from love can substitute epiphany (votum sacramenti). We can see at the conversion of Cornelius that the Holy Spirit uses such effects of grace that originate from baptism (Acts 10,44–45). Baptism of desire does not imprint the baptismal character and does not give real Church membership, but grace itself can be really rich as a result of the person’s zeal, and goodwill.

39 Pope Pius XII: Mystici Corporis, In: DH 3802.

40 Ibid

So, in a certain sense, conferring sanctifying grace is possible without the sacrament, but we must see that the sacraments are in fact based on Christ’s redeeming activities, communicating their graces, and their ultimate source is the glorifi ed Christ. He has the radiating power and this is the power that people who have not reached the real faith and the sacraments encounter.

So salvation is possible beyond the visible boundaries of the Church, but it is far from being easy. Grace which is inevitable for salvation can only be received in the Church. Pius XII mentions that non-Christians search-ing for god are in a “state in which they cannot be sure of their salvation.

For even though by an unconscious desire and longing they have a certain relationship with the Mystical Body of the Redeemer, they still remain deprived of those many heavenly gifts and assistance, which can only be enjoyed in the Catholic Church.”⁴¹

These words of the Pope on the one hand reject people who completely exclude from salvation those, who do not belong to the Church, but on the other hand rectifi es the opinions of those who fallaciously state that people can receive salvation equally in any religion. However, “we must not think that any intention to join the Church is suffi cient for salvation.

For it is desirable that the wish which turns a person towards the Church be imbued with total love; and the unexpressed (hidden) desire can only succeed, if man has supernatural faith.⁴²

All these mean two things. On the one hand salvation is possible beyond the boundaries of the Church, but defi nitely not in opposition to the Church it! A person of a different religion receives his salvation from the Catholic Church, because his possible goodwill joins him to it. A person of a different religion can only be redeemed by Christ. So this person is redeemed not by his heathen religion, but rather opposite his fallacious religion, because God observes his human invincible error (error invincibilis).

However, this does not apply to a man without faith in God. The one and true God, our Creator and Lord can surely be recognised from his deeds at the natural light of human intellect. The existence of God can be proven. If an adult person does not know God, it must be because of his own grievous sin and not because of circumstances beyond his control.

41 Pius XII: M. C. DH 3804.

42 DH 3872.

The salvation of a man without religion is in serious danger. Saint Paul Apostle proclaims: “Ever since the creation of the world his invisible na-ture, namely his eternal power and deity has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse; for although they knew God, they did not honour him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking and their senseless minds were darkened.

Claiming to be wise, they became fools.” (Rom 1,20) In his letter to the Jews he writes: “And without fate it is impossible to please him. For whatever would draw near to God must believe that he exists.” (Heb 11,6)

If a person consciously and willingly forsakes the Church and does not return to it until his death, his fate is doomed: “I am the wine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If a man does not abide in me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fi re and burned.” (Jn 15,5)

5.3 “The pillar and bulwark of the truth”

The Catholic Church openly professes that Jesus Christ is the Lord and consequently no other religion can grasp and announce the truth of God in its entirety.

Lord Jesus is the divine person of the incarnated Word of God “the true God and true man” so God’s redeeming ways carry the defi niteness and entirety of his revelation even if the depth of the divine mystery remains transcendent and abundant. Truth is one, entire and perfect, because he who says and does it, that is, the acting subject is the incarnated son of God.

The words, acts and historic character of Lord Jesus are limited regard-ing their human reality. Nevertheless, the truth said about God is still valid and does not lose its authenticity because it is not said in a human voice.

According to our religion we profess that the incarnated Word in the entire mystery of the history of salvation – from the incarnation to the glorifi cation – is the real source, coming from the Father, and realisation of God’s entire redeeming revelation to mankind. The Holy Spirit who is from the Father and the Son teaches the Apostles and through them the whole Church of all ages “all the truth” (Jn 16,13). Therefore the Catholic religion proclaims that “the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth”.

(1Tim 3,15)

The followers of Christ know that the message of the gospel will remain the sign of contradiction until the end of the world. Christian man identi-fi es with his master in his fate too: “Remember the word that I said to you

’a servant is not greater than its master’. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also.” (Jn 15,20)