The Road to Unity - Old Catholic Church of North America

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furthermore by the unity of their liturgical and sacramental life, their unity in the basicprinciples of canonical order and of Church government, as well as by the unity of theepiscopate. Authentic expression has been given to these basic principles in the canons of theseven Ecumenical Synods and the acknowledged local synods or they are attested in theFathers of the Church. Since the Church in this present time still awaits deliverance from allevil and must therefore pray God so to deliver it, to make it perfect in his love and bring ittogether from the ends of the earth into his Kingdom (Didache 10.5; 9.4), the local Churchesmust devotedly maintain the essential unity given to them, and constantly struggle against theforces of sin and division.6. In the course of history, the local Churches, which in specific geographical regions haveestablished a deeper unity with a particular b i shop as principal head, affirm and practice theirfellowship by the common reception of the eucharistic gifts by their members, by the exchangeof visits between their leaders and representatives, by the interchange of messages of greeting,as well as by mutual aid and intercession, and in other ways in accordance with thedistinctive gifts received by each. Each is careful to observe the rule forbidding interventionor meddling in the domestic affairs of the others.7. On matters of faith and other common concerns, i.e. where issues arise which concern themall and exceed the competence of each individual Church, the local Churches take counseltogether and make common decisions, faithfully observing in such synods the order ofhonour and rank canonically established in the Church. They do so, above all, in ecumenicalsynods, which are the supreme authority in the Church, the instrument and the voice throughwhich the Catholic Church speaks, whereby there is a constant effort to preserve andstrengthen its unity in love.In the view of the Joint Orthodox–Old Catholic Theological Commission, the abovetext on "The Unity of the Church and the Local Churches" represents the teachingof the Orthodox and Old Catholic Churches.Bonn, August 24, 1979Signatures191
III/3 The Boundaries of the Church1. The love of God and his purpose of salvation are unlimited and embrace all men of alltimes in the whole of creation, for it is his will "that all men be saved and come to theknowledge of the truth" (1 Tim. 2:4). In accordance with the divine plan of salvation, it isin and through the Church founded by God and not at a distance from it and independent of itthat man comes to partake of salvation, for in the Church is found the divine truth, to it theSaviour has entrusted the means of achieving beatitude; the Church is the sure way to salvationand eternal life. Salvation is offered to believers in the Church by the Holy Spirit whichabides always in it. This is why Irenaeus also says: "For where the Church is, there is theSpirit of God, and where the Spirit of God is, there is the Church and every kind ofgrace" (Irenaeus of Lyons, haer. 3.24.1 - PG 7.966).2. Because of sin, not everyone accepts the saving grace of God and comes to the fellowshipof the Church. But not all those who do come to the Church confess the divine truth asrevealed by Jesus Christ in the fullness of time. Journeying through history, the Church ofChrist has become divided into many Churches which disagreed with each other because thefaith and doctrines handed down from the Apostles were debased. Today Christian Churchesand confessions differ not only in unessential respects, but also do not teach the same in evenfundamental points of Christian doctrine. This led among other things to the false andunacceptable theory that the true visible Church, the Church of the age of the Apostles andChurch Fathers, no longer exists today but that each of the individual Churches retains onlya portion, greater or less, of the true Church and that none of them, therefore, can be regardedas a genuine and essentially complete representation of the true Church.3. But from the day it was founded right down to our own day, the true Church, the one,holy, catholic and apostolic Church, has gone on existing without any discontinuity whereverthe true faith, worship and order of the ancient undivided Church are preserved unimpaired asthey are reflected and formulated in the definitions and canons of the seven EcumenicalSynods and the acknowledged local synods and in the Fathers of the Church.4. Our Joint Commission gives heresy and schism the appropriate significance and regardscommunities which continue in heresy and schism as in no sense as efficacious sites ofsalvation parallel to the192
Page 1 and 2: The Road to UnityA collection of ag
Page 3 and 4: I. Doctrine of GodI/1 Divine Revela
Page 5 and 6: Ezekiel, Daniel, Obadiah, Joel, Jon
Page 7 and 8: As for the Son, he is begotten of t
Page 9 and 10: II. ChristologyII/1 The Incarnation
Page 11 and 12: a human hypostasis but a human natu
Page 13 and 14: natures took place; therefore we co
Page 15 and 16: III. EcclesiologyIII/1 The Nature a
Page 17 and 18: Although the Church, the Body of Ch
Page 19: with the Body and Blood of Christ:
Page 23 and 24: The Lord, who had promised the Chur
Page 25 and 26: IV.1. The authority of the Church i
Page 27 and 28: council, making its decisions under
Page 29 and 30: cannot be changed or revoked. The C
Page 31 and 32: In the view of the Joint Orthodox -
Page 33 and 34: In the view of the Joint Orthodox -
Page 35 and 36: unsurpassable example of holiness a
Page 37 and 38: for which he has created us. The sp
Page 39 and 40: V. Doctrine of SacramentsV/1 The Sa
Page 41 and 42: V/2 Baptism1.1 Baptism is that God-
Page 43 and 44: followed Baptism, as is witnessed t
Page 45 and 46: It is the same sacrifice celebrated
Page 47 and 48: passed on by the Apostles to their
Page 49 and 50: V/7 Ordination1. The ordained minis
Page 51 and 52: the Old Covenant the marital union
Page 53 and 54: VI. EschatologyVI/I The Doctrine of
Page 55 and 56: and the dead," and concludes with a
Page 57 and 58: teaching and fellowship, to the bre
Page 59 and 60: List der Teilnehmer an den 7 Vollve
Page 61 and 62: 3. Vollversammlung vom 20.-24. Augu
Page 63 and 64: 5. Vollversammlung vom 3.-10. Oktob
Page 65: 7. Voliversammiungvorn 12.-19.Oktob

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