Lumen Gentium: Dogmatic Constitution on the Church

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It goes on to describe "the sole Church of Christ which in the Creed is professed as one, holy, catholic and apostolic, which our Saviour, after His Resurrection, commissioned Peter to shepherd, and him and the other apostles to extend and direct with authority, which He erected for all ages as 'the pillar and mainstay of the truth.' This Church, constituted and organized as a society in the present world, subsists in the Catholic Church, which is governed by the successor of Peter and by the bishops in communion with him, although many elements of sanctification and of truth are found outside its visible confines." (8) Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium)". www.ourladyswarriors.org . Retrieved 2019-11-24. Cum autem Regnum Christi de hoc mundo non sit (cf. Io 18,36), ideo Ecclesia seu Populus Dei, hoc Regnum inducens, nihil bono temporali cuiusvis populi subtrahit, sed e contra facultates et copias moresque populorum, quantum bona sunt, fovet et assumit, assumendo vero purificat, roborat et elevat. Memor est enim se cum illo Rege colligere debere, Cui gentes in hereditatem datae sunt (cf. Ps 2,8), et in Cuius civitatem dona et munera adducunt (cf. Ps 71[72],10; Is 60,4-7; Apoc 21,24). Hic universalitatis character, qui Populum Dei condecorat, ipsius Domini donum est, quo catholica Ecclesia efficaciter et perpetuo tendit ad recapitulandam totam humanitatem cum omnibus bonis eius, sub Capite Christo, in unitate Spiritus Eius(24). Est Ecclesia agricultura seu ager Dei (cf. 1Cor 3,9). In illo agro crescit antiqua oliva, cuius radix sancta fuerunt Patriarchae, et in qua Iudaeorum et Gentium reconciliatio facta est et fiet (cf. Rom 11,13-26). Ipsa plantata est a caelesti Agricola tamquam vinea electa (cf. Mt 21,33-43 par.; Is 5,1ss.). Vitis vera Christus est, vitam et fecunditatem tribuens palmitibus, scilicet nobis, qui per Ecclesiam in ipso manemus, et sine quo nihil possumus facere (cf. Io 15,1-5).

Dogmatic Constitution on the Church". The Holy See. 21 November 1964 . Retrieved 8 August 2016, chapter III, paragraph 29. Ad fideles ergo catholicos imprimis Sancta Synodus animum vertit. Docet autem, Sacra Scriptura et Traditione innixa, Ecclesiam hanc peregrinantem necessariam esse ad salutem. Unus enim Christus est Mediator ac via salutis, qui in Corpore suo, quod est Ecclesia, praesens nobis fit; Ipse autem necessitatem fidei et baptismi expressis verbis inculcando (cf. Mc 16,16; Io 3,5), necessitatem Ecclesiae, in quam homines per baptismum tamquam per ianuam intrant, simul confirmavit. Quare illi homines salvari non possent, qui Ecclesiam Catholicam a Deo per Iesum Christum ut necessariam esse conditam non ignorantes, tamen vel in eam intrare, vel in eadem perseverare noluerint.Idem praeterea Spiritus Sanctus non tantum per sacramenta et ministeria Populum Dei sanctificat et ducit eumque virtutibus ornat, sed dona sua "dividens singulis prout vult" (1Cor 12,11), inter omnis ordinis fideles distribuit gratias quoque speciales, quibus illos aptos et promptos reddit ad suscipienda varia opera vel officia, pro renovatione et ampliore aedificatione Ecclesiae proficua, secundum illud: "Unicuique... datur manifestatio Spiritus ad utilitatem" (1Cor 12,7). Quae charismata, sive clarissima, sive etiam simpliciora et latius diffusa, cum sint necessitatibus Ecclesiae apprime accommodata et utilia, cum gratiarum actione ac consolatione accipienda sunt. Dona autem extraordinaria non sunt temere expetenda, neque praesumptuose ab eis sperandi sunt fructus operarum apostolicarum: sed iudicium de eorum genuinitate et ordinato exercitio ad eos pertinet, qui in Ecclesia praesunt, et quibus speciatim competit, non Spiritum exstinguere, sed omnia probare et quod bonum est tenere (cf. 1Thess 5,12 et 19-21).

Huius corporis Caput est Christus. Ipse est imago Dei invisibilis, in Eoque condita sunt universa. Ipse est ante omnes et omnia in Ipso constant. Ipse est caput corporis quod est Ecclesia. Ipse est principium, primogenitus ex mortuis, ut sit in omnibus primatum tenens (cf. Col 1,15-18). Magnitudine virtutis suae caelestibus et terrestribus dominatur, et supereminenti perfectione et operatione sua totum corpus gloriae suae divitiis replet (cf. Eph 1,18-23)(7). Though they differ from one another in essence and not only in degree, the common priesthood of the faithful and the ministerial or hierarchical priesthood are nonetheless interrelated: each of them in its own special way is a participation in the one priesthood of Christ. The ministerial priest, by the sacred power he enjoys, teaches and rules the priestly people; acting in the person of Christ, he makes present the eucharistic sacrifice, and offers it to God in the name of all the people. But the faithful, in virtue of their royal priesthood, join in the offering of the Eucharist. They likewise exercise that priesthood in receiving the sacraments, in prayer and thanksgiving, in the witness of a holy life, and by self-denial and active charity.(10) Possibility of salvation outside the Church [ edit ] All human beings are called to belong to the Church. Not all are fully incorporated into the Church, but "the Church recognizes that in many ways she is linked with those who, being baptized, are honored with the name of Christian, though they do not profess the faith in its entirety or do not preserve unity of communion with the successor of Peter."(15) In addition, the Church declares the possibility of Salvation for non-Christians and even non-theists:

Vi huius catholicitatis, singulae partes propria dona ceteris partibus et toti Ecclesiae afferunt, ita ut totum et singulae partes augeantur ex omnibus invicem communicantibus et ad plenitudinem in unitate conspirantibus. Inde fit ut Populus Dei non tantum ex diversis populis congregetur, sed etiam in seipso ex variis ordinibus confletur. Adest enim inter membra eius diversitas, sive secundum officia, dum aliqui sacro ministerio in bonum fratrum suorum funguntur, sive secundum condicionem et vitae ordinationem, dum plures in statu religioso, arctiore via ad sanctitatem tendentes, fratres exemplo suo stimulant. Inde etiam in ecclesiastica communione legitime adsunt Ecclesiae particulares, propriis traditionibus fruentes, integro manente primatu Petri Cathedrae, quae universo caritatis coetui praesidet(25), legitimas varietates tuetur et simul invigilat ut particularia, nedum unitati noceant, ei potius inserviant. Inde denique inter diversas Ecclesiae partes vincula intimae communionis quoad divitias spirituales, operarios apostolicos et temporalia subsidia. Ad communicandum enim bona vocantur membra Populi Dei, et de singulis etiam Ecclesiis valent verba Apostoli: "Unusquisque sicut accepit gratiam, in alterutrum illam administrantes, sicut boni dispensatores multiformis gratiae Dei" (1Pt 4,10). Opere autem consummato, quod Pater Filio commisit in terra faciendum (cf. Io 17,4), missus est Spiritus Sanctus die Pentecostes, ut Ecclesiam iugiter sanctificaret, atque ita credentes per Christum in uno Spiritu accessum haberent ad Patrem (cf. Eph 2,18). Ipse est Spiritus vitae seu fons aquae salientis in vitam aeternam (cf. Io 4,14; 7,38-39), per quem Pater homines, peccato mortuos, vivificat, donec eorum mortalia corpora in Christo resuscitet (cf. Rom 8,10-11). Spiritus in Ecclesia et in cordibus fidelium tamquam in templo habitat (cf. 1Cor 3,16; 6,19), in eisque orat et testimonium adoptionis eorum reddit (cf. Gal 4,6; Rom 8,15-16 et 26). Ecclesiam, quam in omnem veritatem inducit (cf. Io 16,13) et in communione et ministratione unificat, diversis donis hierarchicis et charismaticis instruit ac dirigit, et fructibus suis adornat (cf. Eph 4,11-12; 1Cor 12,4; Gal 5,22). Virtute Evangelii iuvenescere facit Ecclesiam eamque perpetuo renovat et ad consummatam cum Sponso suo unionem perducit(3). Nam Spiritus et Sponsa ad Dominum Iesum dicunt: Veni! (cf. Apoc 22,17). Schelkens, Karim (2010). Catholic Theology of Revelation on the Eve of Vatican II: A Redaction History of the Schema De Fontibus Revelationis (1960-1962). BRILL. ISBN 978-90-04-18105-2. Haec est unica Christi Ecclesia, quam in Symbolo unam, sanctam, catholicam et apostolicam profitemur(12), quam Salvator noster, post resurrectionem suam Petro pascendam tradidit (cf. Io 21,17), eique ac ceteris Apostolis diffundendam et regendam commisit (cf. Mt 28,18ss.), et in perpetuum ut columnam et firmamentum veritatis erexit (cf. 1Tim 3,15). Haec Ecclesia, in hoc mundo ut societas constituta et ordinata, subsistit in Ecclesia catholica, a successore Petri et Episcopis in eius communione gubernata(13), licet extra eius compaginem elementa plura sanctificationis et veritatis inveniantur, quae ut dona Ecclesiae Christi propria, ad unitatem catholicam impellunt.

One point of confusion was the document's treatment of the possibility of salvation outside of the Catholic Church. In 2000, Pope John Paul II issued Dominus Iesus with the theme of "the unicity and salvific universality of Jesus Christ and the Church". He later stated in an encyclical, Redemptoris Missio, "The universality of salvation means that it is granted not only to those who explicitly believe in Christ and have entered the Church." This affirmed the belief that not only Catholics can achieve salvation and sanctification. Such a belief would prove to be controversial among many traditionalist Catholics, even to this day. Sacerdotium autem commune fidelium et sacerdotium ministeriale seu hierarchicum, licet essentia et non gradu tantum differant, ad invicem tamen ordinantur; unum enim et alterum suo peculiari modo de uno Christi sacerdotio participant(16). Sacerdos quidem ministerialis, potestate sacra qua gaudet, populum sacerdotalem efformat ac regit, sacrificium eucharisticum in persona Christi conficit illudque nomine totius populi Deo offert; fideles vero, vi regalis sui sacerdotii, in oblationem Eucharistiae concurrunt(17), illudque in sacramentis suscipiendis, in oratione et gratiarum actione, testimonio vitae sanctae, abnegatione et actuosa caritate exercent. The eight chapters of the document can be paired thematically: chapters one and two treat the church's nature and historical existence, chapters three and four treat different roles in the church, chapters five and six treat holiness and religious life, while chapters seven and eight discuss the saints and Mary. [2] Contents [ edit ] Chapter 1: The Mystery of the Church (1-8) [ edit ] Ex Eo "totum corpus per nexus et coniunctiones subministratum et constructum crescit in augmentum Dei" (Col 2,19). Ipse in corpore suo, scilicet Ecclesia, dona ministrationum iugiter disponit, quibus Ipsius virtute nobis invicem ad salutem servitia praestamus, ut veritatem facientes in caritate, crescamus in illum per omnia, qui est Caput nostrum (cf. Eph 4,11-16 gr.).Ad hanc igitur catholicam Populi Dei unitatem, quae pacem universalem praesignat et promovet, omnes vocantur homines, ad eamque variis modis pertinent vel ordinantur sive fideles catholici, sive alii credentes in Christo, sive denique omnes universaliter homines, gratia Dei ad salutem vocati. The concept expressed by 'is' (to be) is far broader than that expressed by 'to subsist'. 'To subsist' is a very precise way of being, that is, to be as a subject, which exists in itself. Thus the Council Fathers meant to say that the being of the Church as such is a broader entity than the Roman Catholic Church, but within the latter it acquires, in an incomparable way, the character of a true and proper subject. Possibility of salvation outside the Catholic Church [ edit ]

Christus Dominus, ad Populum Dei pascendum semperque augendum, in Ecclesia sua varia ministeria instituit, quae ad bonum totius Corporis tendunt. Ministri enim, qui sacra potestate pollent, fratribus suis inserviunt, ut omnes qui de Populo Dei sunt, ideoque vera dignitate christiana gaudent, ad eumdem finem libere et ordinatim conspirantes, ad salutem perveniant. The Note achieved its purpose: on the following day, 17 November, the No votes against chapter III dropped to 46, a number that may have included some who opposed it because they felt the Preliminary Note of Explanation had weakened the concept of collegiality. [7] In the final vote on 18 November only five of the 2200+ participants voted against the dogmatic constitution as a whole. [5] [7]

Only [ disputed – discuss] those who "knowing that the Catholic Church was made necessary by Christ, would refuse to enter or to remain in it, could not be saved."(14) Cura Evangelium ubique terrarum annuntiandi ad corpus Pastorum pertinet, quibus omnibus in commune Christus mandatum dedit imponendo commune officium, ut iam Papa Coelestinus Patribus Ephesini Concilii commendavit(71). Unde singuli Episcopi, quantum propria eorum perfunctio muneris sinit, in laborum societatem venire tenentur inter se et cum successore Petri, cui grande munus christiani nominis propagandi singula