We Are One Church…but Are We?

Today on a discussion group, there was a statement that saying the church is the Body of Christ. But the implication was that somehow Catholics and Protestants are in agreement. This is not true.

To claim the One Church as the Body of Christ, and to include those who do not agree on doctrine, is intellectually dishonest. You cannot be One Body if you are not unified in thought and belief. Could you call your personal physical body ‘one body’ if your heart and all other parts were trying to go to the right, but your left foot was trying to go to the left? They would be in contradiction to each other.

That is why the Catholic Church has remained since its inception in the 1st century and has not changed. In contrast, 500 years ago the Reformation spawned to date 40,000 plus denominations, non-denominations, sects, churches in people’s homes, et cetera. And in those new organizations, there are contradictory beliefs…beliefs critical to salvation. That is not the one body Christ spoke of.

We are one church only as long as we reflect how the Father and Jesus are One… and they do not disagree on doctrine and belief. It is only possible to agree as Christians when you have an authority over all to discern objective truth in answer to morals, faith and doctrine.

And that is exactly how Jesus established it, placing St. Peter in charge as the authority and visible head on Earth and with the apostle’s forming the 1st Magisterium. Their 1st council was the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15. They disagreed on circumcision. Even St. Peter was wrong on that, and had to finally agree with St. Paul and the full composition of that magisterium… [SIDEBAR NOTE: even the Pope is not infallible BY HIMSELF on doctrinal definition in Councils.] That is how the Church is to work under one authoritative body. It is our only safeguard to protect against the gates of Hell.

So while we pray for unity, please be careful not to claim it prematurely. It does not help the cause of Christ and His One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic True Church.