of January 22, on ecumenism, stated in part:
“With his choices, Benedict XVI has shown that he is open to all possibilities, supporting them and encouraging them so that Jesus’ prayer for Christian unity is realized.”
The problem with that statement is that it is erroneously assumed that God the Father has not yet conceded to His Son the answer to His prayer for unity. But He has! The Church, from its very institution, has been given the gift of unity exactly as our Lord Jesus Christ requested.
From The Manuel of the Catholic Church, 1906: [T]he Church is shown to be one body, of which Christ is the head, and that all her members are united to Him in his body, by having all one and the same faith, being all in one communion, and subject to one supreme church authority. It also appears manifest, from the manner in which the Church is constantly represented to us in scripture, for there she is called the kingdom of God, “that shall never be destroyed, that shall not be delivered up to another people – but shall stand forever,” Dan. ii.44. It is also called,”the city of the living God – the Church of the first born,” Heb. xii.22; of which God says, by His prophet David, “the Lord hath chosen Sion, He hath chosen it for His dwelling. This is my rest forever and ever; here will I dwell, for I have chosen it,” Ps.cxxxi.13. St Paul also calls it “the house of God, the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of truth,” 1Tim. iii.15.
Seeing therefore, that this kingdom, this city, this house of God, shall never be destroyed, but shall stand forever, it necessarily follows that it can never be divided against itself, cannot possibly consist of jarring sects, or separate communions, contradicting and condemning one another, but must always be one body, and all its members must be perfectly united in one faith, and one communion, for Christ Himself expressly declares, “That every kingdom divided against itself shall be made desolate; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand, “ Matth. xii.25. St. Paul also shows this unity of the Church, when he affirms, that “We being many, are ONE [emphasize in the original] body in Christ, “Rom. xii.5.; and that there is but “one body, one spirit, one Lord, one faith, one baptism,” Eph. iv.; and Christ Himself, in plain terms, says, that “there shall be one fold and one shepherd,” John x. 16. which clearly shows, that all the members of the Church of Christ make up but one body, having all one faith, and are governed by one shepherd.
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There are other problems with other parts of the Archbishop’s statement, but addressing them will require a much lengthier post. Perhaps later.
