Catholic document cites ‘defects’ in Protestant denominations
The Layman Online, September 4, 2000
The Vatican has approved a document that says Protestant churches are not “proper” churches because they suffer from “defects,” according to a story published Sept. 4 in The Times of London.
The document, titled Declaration Dominus Jesus, is a surprisingly strong rebuke of Protestant Christianity in light of the conciliatory leadership of Pope John Paul II. The pope did not write the document, but it goes out under his authority.
In the United States, some leading Catholics and evangelical Protestants have become close on a number of public issues – such as abortion – and have pointed to a shared faith in Christ and the authority of Scripture. Notable among them have been Catholic William Bennett, former U.S. secretary of Education and author of The Book of Virtues, and Baptist Charles Colson, one of the leading evangelical thinkers in the Church.
According to The Times, the Vatican declaration takes an even harsher view of non-Christian religions, which it says are “gravely deficient” with rituals that constitute “an obstacle to salvation.”
One of the serious “defects” in the Protestant denominations – especially the Church of England – is its claim of “apostolic succession,” the document says. The Vatican says apostolic succession is limited to the Roman Catholic Church and some Orthodox bodies.
“The tenor of this document gives me a sense of disappointment and dismay,” said John Fitzsimmons, former Rector of the Scots College in Rome. “It is a return to the idea that the Catholic Church is the embodiment of the truth and anything that falls short of the Catholic Church is not the fullness of the truth. It is terrible.”