Ordered to the People of God

Authority level: Authoritative doctrine
Theological status: Theological synthesis
GuideThe entry presents Catholic teaching together with theological explanation. The exact note of each proposition depends on the teaching act and sources cited.
Contents

Ordered to the People of God describes the relationship of non-Christians to the one saving plan fulfilled in Christ and entrusted to the Church, without falsely classifying them as baptized Christians in Imperfect Communion.

The boundary from baptismal communion

Validly baptized non-Catholic Christians are joined to the Church through a sacramental bond. Jews, Muslims, adherents of other religions, and persons without explicit religion are not thereby baptized or members of an ecclesial community. Lumen gentium instead says that those who have not received the Gospel are related or ordered to the People of God in diverse ways.[1]

Israel and the Jewish people

The Jewish people have a unique relation through election, the covenants, the Law and prophets, worship, promises, and the patriarchs; from them Christ came according to the flesh. God's gifts and calling are irrevocable. This singular relation does not establish a separate saving path independent of the one Messiah.[2]

Muslims and other seekers

The council says that Muslims profess to hold the faith of Abraham and adore the one merciful God, while Catholic doctrine still rejects Islamic denials of the Trinity and Incarnation. Those who without fault do not know the Gospel but seek God and follow conscience under grace may attain salvation only through Christ's saving work.

Neither indifferentism nor despair

Ordered toward does not mean that all religions are equally true, that religious error saves by its own power, or that evangelization is unnecessary. It means that creation, conscience, providence, truth, goodness, and every movement of saving grace have their source and fulfillment in Christ and are directed toward the unity of his people.[3]

The formula also forbids the opposite error of treating the unbaptized as abandoned by grace or outside God's concern. The Church prays and works for every person, recognizes truth and goodness wherever found, opposes coercion and contempt, and proclaims without qualification that Christ is the unique Savior.

Exact encyclopedic classification

Articles should reserve Imperfect Communion and separated brethren for validly baptized Christians. For non-Christian religions they should describe the distinctive relation actually taught—especially Judaism's unique status—without converting respect into a fictional sacramental communion or converting doctrinal difference into hostility toward persons.

References

  1. 1.Lumen gentium — Vatican II's dogmatic constitution on ecclesial communion, the episcopal college, hierarchical communion, and canonical mission
  2. 2.Catechism of the Catholic Church, 748–975 — The authoritative catechetical synthesis of the mystery, marks, membership, structure, communion, and saving mission of the Church
  3. 3.Dominus Iesus — The CDF declaration on the unicity and saving universality of Christ and the Church, especially the distinction between true particular Churches and ecclesial communities