Is The Catholic Church Universal In Any Meaningful Sense Of The Word?

[cooterhein]

There are lots of Christians that don't belong to your particular church, and you acknowledge them as Christians. Clearly, it's not universal in the sense that all Christians are part of it. So in what sense is the CC actually universal? Or is it just a name that doesn't necessarily connect back to universality?

[cappie]

The Church is Catholic (meaning "universal") in two ways. First, the Church is universal because Christ is present in her. She receives from him "the fullness of the means of salvation." In this fundamental sense, the Church was Catholic on the day of Pentecost and will be so until Christ returns.

 

Second, the Church is Catholic because she has a mission to the whole world. The new People of God (while remaining one) must spread throughout the world. God made human nature one and now he decrees that all the scattered people be gathered together. By its gift of universality, the church seeks the return of all humanity under Christ the Head (Second Vatican Council).

 

The Church is really present in all legitimately organized local groups of the faithful united to their pastors (called "churches" in the New Testament). These communities might be small and poor. Yet, in these particular churches Christ is present and the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church is constituted (Second Vatican Council).

 

The diocese (or eparchy) is a community of faithful headed by a bishop ordained in apostolic succession. These particular churches are modeled after the universal Church. In them the one and unique Catholic Church exists.

 

Particular Churches are fully Catholic by their unity with Rome "which presides in charity" (St. Ignatius of Antioch). "For with this Church (Rome), by reason of its pre-eminence, the whole Church must necessarily be in accord" (St. Irenaeus). "All Christian Churches have held the great Church of Rome as their basis and foundation since, the gates of hell have never prevailed against her" (St. Maximus the Confessor).

 

The universal Church is not just a federation of different particular Churches. The universal Church is rooted in a variety of cultures and takes on different external expressions. The rich variety shows forth the Catholicity of the undivided Church (Pope Paul VI).

 

The fully incorporated are those who accept all the Church's means of salvation and who, by profession of faith, the sacraments, church government, and communion, are united in the visible structure of the Church. However, a Church member who does not persevere in charity is not saved. He is in the Church's bosom, but "in body" not "in heart" (Second Vatican Council).

 

Others who are baptized and are called Christian but who do not profess the Catholic faith are still joined to the Catholic Church in many ways. They enjoy a certain, although imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church. The unity with the Orthodox Church is so profound that it lacks little to attain the fullness to permit a common celebration of Eucharist (Pope Paul VI).