“…to testify to the truth”

We learned in the previous lesson that there can only be one truth, God’s truth. Now we must turn our gaze from Heaven and discuss how that truth manifests itself in faith and religion on Earth. The one true Church, established by Christ to teach the one truth, is the Holy Catholic Church.
 
Is there only one Church? [1] Yes. We can think of the Church as one big Church with a big “C” that contains 23 smaller churches with a small “c”. Within the Catholic Church, there are 23 sui juris Churches. They are called "sui juris" because each Church is governed by its own set of laws.  Each Church is in communion with Rome, and they all share the same beliefs, but each Church has its own unique liturgy, "rites", spirituality, hierarchy, and laws. According to the Code of Canon Law of the Eastern Churches, "A rite is the liturgical, theological, spiritual and disciplinary patrimony, distinct by the culture and circumstances of history of a people, by which its own manner of living the faith is manifested in each church Sui Juris". [2]

Why are there different sui-juris Churches or rites? “When the apostles brought the Gospel to the major cultural centers of their day the essential elements of religious practice were acculturated into those cultures. This means that the essential elements were clothed in the symbols and trappings of the particular people, so that the rituals conveyed the desired spiritual meaning to that culture. In this way the Church becomes all things to all men that some might be saved (1 Cor. 9:22). There are three major groupings of Rites based on this initial transmission of the faith, the Roman, the Antiochian (Syria) and the Alexandrian (Egypt). Later on the Byzantine derived as a major Rite from the Antiochian, under the influence of St. Basil and St. John Chrysostom. From these four derive the over 20 liturgical Rites present in the Church today.” [3]

All of these rites are fully incorporated in one Church and all give the Bishop of Rome, the Holy Father primacy. “Fully incorporated into the society of the Church are those who, possessing the Spirit of Christ, accept all the means of salvation given to the Church together with her entire organization, and who – by the bonds constituted by the profession of faith, the sacraments, ecclesiastical government, and communion – are joined in the visible structure of the Church of Christ, who rules her through the Supreme Pontiff and the bishops. Even though incorporated into the Church, one who does not however persevere in charity is not saved. He remains indeed in the bosom of the Church, but ‘in body’ not ‘in heart.’” [4]
 
What about other “churches” (i.e. the Lutheran church, the Baptist church, Methodist church, etc.)? These “churches” should not be called churches, for they are not fully incorporated into the society of the Church. The correct name for these groups would be a “community of believers” for this most accurately describes the group. The First Baptist Church is not a “church” because they are not joined in the visible structure of the Church of Christ, who rules her through the Supreme Pontiff and the bishops. First Baptist is a community of believers in Christ and although they may share many things in common with the Church, they do not share the same profession of faith, the sacraments, ecclesiastical government, and communion. Although we are connected to these believes because we are all brothers and sisters in Christ, our fraternity is wounded because we do not yet have the same mother. Although they recognize God as their Father, they do not recognize Holy Mother Church.
 
Who belongs within the Catholic Church? Everyone is called into the one true Church. “All men are called to this catholic unity of the People of God…And to it, in different ways, belong or are ordered: the Catholic faithful, others who believe in Christ, and finally all mankind, called by God’s grace to salvation.” [5] The phrase “belong or are ordered” is important. The Catholic faithful belong to the Church. Others who believe in Christ and all mankind are “ordered” to the Church, in other words their proper order is to be in the Church and we pray for this end.
 
How is the Church joined to those that are not Roman Catholic? “The Church knows that she is joined in many ways to the baptized who are honored by the name of Christian, but do not profess the Catholic faith in its entirety or have not preserved unity or communion under the successor of Peter. Those who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are put in a certain, although imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church. In the orthodox Churches, this communion is so profound that it lacks little to attain the fullness that would permit a common celebration of the Lord’s Eucharist.” [6]
 
Doesn’t the Church say “Outside the Church there is no salvation”? Yes, the Church does teach this. How are we supposed to understand this statement? “[I]t means that all salvation comes from Christ the Head through the Church which is his Body: Basing itself on Scripture and Tradition, the Council teaches that the Church, a pilgrim now on earth, is necessary for salvation: the one Christ is the mediator and the way of salvation; he is present to us in his body which is the Church. He himself explicitly asserted the necessity of faith and Baptism, and thereby affirmed at the same time the necessity of the Church which men enter through Baptism as through a door. Hence they could not be saved who, knowing that the Catholic Church was founded as necessary by God through Christ, would refuse either to enter it or to remain in it.” [7]
 
How can someone achieve salvation if they are not of the Church? The Second Vatican Council spoke of this matter and the Church teaches that “Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience - those too may achieve eternal salvation.” [8]
 
“Although in ways known to himself God can lead those who through no fault of their own, are ignorant of the Gospel, to that faith without which it is impossible to please him, the Church still has the obligation and also the sacred right to evangelize all men.” [9] What the Church is saying if someone is a Jewish person, or a Muslim, or even an atheist, and had not heard the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ, but they lived a moral, upstanding life, then it is possible that they too can be saved.
 
What if any person, regardless of their faith or lack of faith avoids or rejects the Truth? If any person is given the truth or comes to understand that there is a greater truth than what they thought to be true, they are obligated to embrace the truth. We are also obligated to seek the truth. If a person does not seek the truth or embrace the truth their salvation is in jeopardy.
 
How does the Church see other major religions? How do other faiths share in some of the truth? What about those who are not Christians? The Church speaks on four major faith groups other than the fullness of truth, the Catholic Church: Judaism, Islam, Protestant Christians, and non-Christians. In regards to the Protestant Christians, we have already spoken about how they share in some of the truth above.
 
Relationship to Judaism: “When she delves into her own mystery, the Church, the People of God in the New Covenant, discovers her link with the Jewish People, ‘the first to hear the Word of God.’ The Jewish faith, unlike other non-Christian religions, is already a response to God’s revelation in the Old Covenant. To the Jews ‘belong the sonship, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; to them belong the patriarchs, and of their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ;, ;for the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.’” [10] Jews are waiting for their Messiah as we await the return of Him. [11]
 
Relationship to Muslims: “‘The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind’s judge on the last day’.” [12]
 
Relationship to all other non-Christian religions: “All nations form but one community. This is so because all stem from the one stock which God created to people the entire earth, and also because all share a common destiny, namely God. His providence, evident goodness, and saving designs extend to all against the day when the elect are gathered together in the holy city…” [13]
 
“The Catholic Church recognizes in other religions that search, among shadows and images, for the God who is unknown yet near since he gives life and breath and all things and wants all men to be saved. Thus, the Church considers all goodness and truth found in these religions as ‘a preparation for the Gospel and given by him who enlightens all men that they may at length have life.” [14]
 
Activity – Fullness of Truth Circle/Mountain Chart
You will need a chalkboard/chalk or whiteboard/marker. Draw one circle in the middle of the board and write the word “truth” in the middle. Tell the group that everything inside the circle is the truth and nothing is missing. Now, the Catholic Church claims it is the fullness of truth.
 
Then ask this question: If you were to draw a circle for Protestants how much of the truth would they have? Let them discuss. Ultimately, we know that Protestants and Catholics have quite a few things in common, but in some ways, like the Eucharist, Protestants have left truth behind or invented false doctrine, like that of sola scriptura.
 
Repeat this with any other religion or belief, for example, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, atheism, etc. Some circles may be close to the fullness of Truth but all will have part of their circle outside the main circle. When it comes to atheist, the majority of the circle will be outside the main circle, but they will have a small piece within the fullness of truth because they follow moral and natural law and laws of the land, as do we.
 
The goal of this activity is to show that everyone person, regardless of faith tradition or lack of faith, share in part of the fullness of truth. This can help to explain the Church’s teaching on salvation. While there is no salvation outside the fullness of truth, the Catholic Church, everyone shares at least a part of this truth, and therefore has a chance of salvation. The source of all truth flows from the Fullness of Truth, the Catholic Church.
 
An alternative way to execute this activity: Give each person a piece of paper, and have them do the activity on their own.  Then, for each group, call one person up to draw one religion’s circle of faith and see how much/little they put in the fullness of truth circle. Ask them how they came up with their answer and see if the group agrees with their statement. Lastly, compare their answer to what is actually true about that religion. Repeat for all other religions.

The Mountain Chart is the same concept but with the analogy of a mountain.

[1] http://www.alexnvv.axspace.com/religion/eastcath/
[2] Can. 28:1
[3] http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/catholic_rites_and_churches.htm
[4] CCC 837
[5] CCC 836
[6] CCC 838
[7] CCC 846
[8] Lumen Gentium 16; cf. DS 3866-3872
[9] CCC 848
[10] CCC 839
[11] Cf. CCC 840
[12] CCC 841
[13] CCC 842
[14] CCC 843