“Just as there is only one Christ, there is only one body of Christ, one Bride of Christ: 'one Catholic and apostolic Church.' —Dominus Iesus.
This is how a Roman Catholic cardinal, Joseph Ratzinger, exposed his church's teaching that there can only be one true church. This church, he said, is "a Church of Christ, subsisting in the Catholic Church."
"These are not churches in a good way"
Although Pope John Paul II insisted that Dominus Iesus's document "contained no arrogance or lack of respect for other religions", the leaders of the Protestant Church reacted strongly to it. For example, at the Presbyterian General Assembly in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in June 2001, a minister said the document was the work of “a powerful faction of the Roman Catholic Church. . . frightened by the spirit of openness introduced by Vatican II. "
Robin Eames, the Primate of the Church of Ireland, said he would be "bitterly disappointed" if the document was "a return to the pre-Vatican II period". Commenting on the Vatican's claim that churches which reject certain Catholic doctrines "are not churches in a good way," Eames said, "it may be an insult to me."
What motivated Dominus Iesus? It seems that the Roman Catholic Curia was preoccupied with what was called religious relativism. According to The Irish Times, “the rise of pluralistic theology - essentially asserting that one religion is worth another. . . Cardinal Ratzinger is increasingly worried. It seems that this point of view generated his comments about a real church.
Does the church you belong to matter?
Certainly, for some, "religious relativism" or "pluralist theology" is much more reasonable and attractive than any suggestion that there can be only one true church. For them, religion should be purely a matter of personal preference. “At the end of the day,” they say, “it doesn't matter what church you belong to”.
This may seem like the more tolerant view, although one of its effects has been the fragmentation of religion into myriads of different denominations. “Such diversity of religion,” many say, “is nothing more than a healthy expression of individual freedom”. However, according to writer Steve Bruce, such “religious tolerance” is nothing more than “religious indifference”. Divided house: Protestantism, schism and secularization.
So what is the correct view? Is there only one true church? Does it survive only in the Roman Catholic Church? Are other churches also acceptable to God? Since these questions concern our relationship with our Creator, it is certainly important to know your opinion on them. How can we do it? Looking at the inspired Word of God, the Bible. (Acts 17:11; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17.) Let's see what this has to say about a true church.
nice