Separated brethren

Last updated

Separated brethren is a term sometimes used by the Catholic Church and its clergy and members to refer to baptized members of other Christian traditions. [1] The phrase is a translation of the Latin phrase fratres seiuncti. [2] It is largely used as a polite euphemism in contexts where the terms "formal heretics" or "material heretics" might cause offense.

Contents

Since the Council of Trent, which formally condemned Protestant doctrines as heretical, the Catholic Church officially deems Protestants as material or formal "heretics" and has always taught that "outside the Church there is no salvation". [3] However, Biblical passages like Romans 2:12-16 [4] point to the importance of conscience in Catholic soteriology, which the Roman Catholic Church states it has always recognized. In c. 1960 – c. 1962 preparation work for draft texts of Second Vatican Council documents, a "report urged respectful use of the terms dissidents or separated brethren, in place of heretics and schismatics." [5] After the Second Vatican Council, however, "that habit of unthinkingly hurling accusations of heresy at Protestants pretty much died out" in some contexts to avoid offense. [3] Since at least the mid-1990s, the term has often been replaced by Catholic officials with phrases such as "other Christians". [2]

A similar move to avoid causing offense occurred with some other religious groups as well. During a period of lessening tensions with Jewish groups, Pope John Paul II once referred to Jews as "elder brothers in the faith of Abraham", prior to a 1987 visit to the United States.

History

The concept and wording was published as early as 1793, in a discourse which examined two papal briefs to the Bishop of Chiusi-Pienza. [6] Frank Flinn wrote, in Encyclopedia of Catholicism, that in 1959 Pope John XXIII "addressed Protestants as separated brethren," in Ad Petri cathedram (APC), which Flinn saw as "an important step toward recognizing Protestants as legitimate partners in a future dialogue." [7] [lower-alpha 1] But Pope Leo XIII "was the first to speak of 'separated brothers'" according to John Norman Davidson Kelly's A Dictionary of Popes. [9] Edward Farrugia, in Gregorianum, describes the development from Pope Leo XIII's Orientalium dignitas (OD) to Orientalium Ecclesiarum (OE) to Unitatis Redintegratio (UR). "Yet if OE builds on OD, differences remain. Whereas OD" 186 "speaks of 'dissident bretheren' (fratres dissidentes), OE 28 speaks of 'separated bretheren' (fratres seiunctos), although it does not go as far as UR 14, where there is an inchoative use of the language of 'sister Churches' (inter Ecclesia locales, ut inter sorores) in regards to the sisterhood of Eastern Churches." [10] [11] [12] It does not refer to a sisterhood between Catholic and Orthodox Churches, nor between Catholic and Protestant Churches. Farrugia noted Austin Flannery's translations in Vatican Council II, "OE 29 speaks of the 'separated Churches' and OE 25 of 'any separated Eastern Christians', and OE 29 of 'Eastern separated brethren'." [10] [13] J. M. R. Tillard goes into detail, in New Catholic Encyclopedia , about "the development of a carefully nuanced vocabulary, consistent with Vatican II Ecclesiology," which evolved from "the idea of membership in favor of that of incorporation" and has its categorization found in the dogmatic constitution Lumen gentium (LG) which Tillard describes:

"Every shade of difference in meaning among these terms is important," emphasizes Tillard. "But the terms acquire their full force only in the light of the most authoritative commentaries on them," UR and Nostra aetate (NA). "Then, supposing the nuances indicated, the richness of such expressions as the following becomes clear: 'Churches and ecclesial communities'; [lower-alpha 5] 'separated brethren'; [lower-alpha 6] 'separated Churches and ecclesial communities'; [lower-alpha 7] 'full communion'—'imperfect communion'." [14] [lower-alpha 8]

"But thanks to its ecclesiology," wrote Tillard, "Vatican II was able to affirm at the same time that Churches or ecclesial communities separated from the Catholic Church are part of the single Church, and that nevertheless incorporation in Christ and His Church possesses within the Catholic Church the fullness that it does not have elsewhere." [14] Tillard's view, however, went far beyond the texts of the Second Vatican Council, which never stated that "churches or ecclesial communities" separated from the Catholic Church were somehow "a part of it"; indeed, the Council itself in the decree Orientalium Ecclesiarum explicitly stated just the opposite: "The Holy Catholic Church, which is the Mystical Body of Christ, is made up of the faithful who are organically united in the Holy Spirit by the same faith, the same sacraments and the same government[...]." Tillard's view was further refuted in the document Dominus Iesus issued by Pope Benedict XVI.

In 2007, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) clarified "the authentic meaning" of the ecclesiological expression "Church" which "according to Catholic doctrine", the texts of the Second Vatican Council and those of the Magisterium since the Second Vatican Council do not call Christian Communities born out of the Reformation of the 16th century as "Churches" because "these Communities do not enjoy apostolic succession in the sacrament of Orders, and are, therefore, deprived of a constitutive element of the Church." [15] William Whalen wrote, in Separated Brethren, that "'separated brethren' refers to Christians united by baptism and committed to Jesus Christ but divided by theological beliefs." [16] : 9  Whalen explained, that Protestant Reformation Christians broke "the bond of common faith" and "they became separated brethren." [16] : 11  "All Christians who are baptized and believe in Christ but are not professed Catholics" are separated brethren, according to John Hardon in Modern Catholic Dictionary. "More commonly the term is applied to Protestants." [17] Likewise, "separated brethren" according to Catholic Answers, in This Rock, "refers to those who, though separated from full communion with the Catholic Church, have been justified through baptism and are thus brethren in Christ." [18] UR "teaches that 'all who have been justified by faith in baptism are members of Christ's body, and have a right to be called Christian, and so are correctly accepted as brothers by the children of the Catholic Church'." [18] [19] [20] : n.99  J. A. Jungmann and K. Stasiak wrote, in New Catholic Encyclopedia, that "the Second Vatican Council's call for a greater spirit of ecumenism among churches and ecclesial communities reflects the understanding that Baptism is the effecting and the sign of the fundamental unity of all Christians." [21] [lower-alpha 9]

Exclusions

Because Mormonism is polytheistic in its understanding of the Trinity, [24] [lower-alpha 10] the Catholic Church does not recognize the validity of Mormon baptism [lower-alpha 11] and Mormons are not considered separated brethren." [34] Cardinal Urbano Navarrete Cortés clarified, in L'Osservatore Romano , "that in all of the effects of the pastoral, administrative and juridical practices of the Church, the Mormons are not to be considered as belonging to an 'ecclesial community not in full communion with the Catholic Church', but simply as non-baptized." [34]

Baptism conferred by The Christian Community, founded by Rudolf Steiner; [35] The New Church, founded by Emanuel Swedenborg; [36] conferred with the formula "I baptize you in the name of the Creator, and of the Redeemer, and of the Sanctifier"; [37] or, conferred with the formula "I baptize you in the name of the Creator, and of the Liberator, and of the Sustainer" are also deemed not valid. [37]

Notes

  1. ↑ The excerpt, from APC, 63 cited by Flinn, [7] is translated on the Vatican website as "the communities that are separated from the See of Blessed Peter" and a related excerpt, from APC, 64, is translated on the Vatican website as "those who are adorned with the name of Christian even though separated from Us and from one another." [8]
  2. ↑ LG 14.2 quoted by Tillard. [14]
  3. ↑ LG 14.3; 15.2 quoted by Tillard. [14]
  4. ↑ LG 16 quoted by Tillard. [14]
  5. ↑ UR 3.3 quoted by Tillard; cf. LG 15.1 cited in Tillard. [14]
  6. ↑ brothers divided; UR 3.4 quoted by Tillard. [14]
  7. ↑ UR 3.4 quoted by Tillard. [14]
  8. ↑ UR 3.1 quoted by Tillard. [14]
  9. ↑ According to the 1983 Code of Canon Law (1983 CIC), baptism "is validly conferred only by a washing of true water with the proper form of words." [22] :  can.849   The 1983 CIC states that "in a case of necessity any person with the right intention, confers baptism licitly." [20] : n.95.a  [22] : can.861§2  "Those baptized in a non-Catholic ecclesial community must not be baptized conditionally unless, after an examination of the matter and the form of the words used in the conferral of baptism and a consideration of the intention of the baptized adult and the minister of the baptism, a serious reason exists to doubt the validity of the baptism." [22] : can.869§2  See CCC. n. 1278. The essential rite of Baptism consists in immersing the candidate in water or pouring water on his head, while pronouncing the invocation of the Most Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.{{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help) [23] "The Catholic Church recognizes as valid baptisms performed by other churches and ecclesial communities if these two conditions are met, and if there is no serious reason to question either the intention of the minister and the free acceptance of Baptism by the one baptized." [20] : nn.93, 95.a–95.c  [21]
  10. ↑ The theologies of God in Christianity and God in Mormonism are different. [25] [26] [27] [28] Also see Richard Abanes in Inside today's Mormonism. [29] Pope John Paul II said: "The Christian doctrine on the Trinity, confirmed by the Councils, explicitly rejects any form of 'tritheism' or 'polytheism'." [30] See CCC. n. 2112. The first commandment condemns polytheism.{{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help) [23]
  11. ↑ Pope John Paul II approved the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith's 2001 decision. [31] Luis Ladaria, later head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, wrote in 2001, that the reasons for deciding that "it is not Christian Baptism" are that a "divergence on Trinity and baptism invalidates the intention of the Mormon minister of baptism and of the one to be baptized." [32] Contrast with Alonzo Gaskill in FARMS Review of Books . [33]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baptism</span> Christian rite of initiation into membership

Baptism is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by sprinkling or pouring water on the head, or by immersing in water either partially or completely, traditionally three times, once for each person of the Trinity. The synoptic gospels recount that John the Baptist baptised Jesus. Baptism is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. Baptism according to the Trinitarian formula, which is done in most mainstream Christian denominations, is seen as being a basis for Christian ecumenism, the concept of unity amongst Christians. Baptism is also called christening, although some reserve the word "christening" for the baptism of infants. In certain Christian denominations, such as the Catholic Churches, Eastern Orthodox Churches, Oriental Orthodox Churches, Assyrian Church of the East, and Lutheran Churches, baptism is the door to church membership, with candidates taking baptismal vows. It has also given its name to the Baptist churches and denominations.

<i>Dominus Iesus</i> Catholic document

Dominus Iesus is a declaration by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, approved in a plenary meeting of the Congregation and signed by its then prefect, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, and its then-secretary, Archbishop Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone. The declaration was approved by Pope John Paul II and was published on August 6, 2000.

Full communion is a communion or relationship of full agreement among different Christian denominations or Christian individuals that share certain essential principles of Christian theology. Views vary among denominations on exactly what constitutes full communion, but typically when two or more denominations are in full communion it enables services and celebrations, such as the Eucharist, to be shared among congregants or clergy of any of them with the full approval of each.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Confirmation</span> Christian religious practice

In Christian denominations that practice infant baptism, confirmation is seen as the sealing of the covenant created in baptism. Those being confirmed are known as confirmands. For adults, it is an affirmation of belief. It involves laying on of hands.

The Latin phrase extra Ecclesiam nulla salus is a phrase referring to a Christian doctrine about who is to receive salvation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Closed communion</span>

Closed communion is the practice of restricting the serving of the elements of Holy Communion to those who are members in good standing of a particular church, denomination, sect, or congregation. Though the meaning of the term varies slightly in different Christian theological traditions, it generally means that a church or denomination limits participation either to members of their own church, members of their own denomination, or members of some specific class. This restriction is based on various parameters, one of which is baptism. See also intercommunion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Open communion</span> Protestant Christian religious practise

Open communion is the practice of some Protestant Churches of allowing members and non-members to receive the Eucharist. Many but not all churches that practice open communion require that the person receiving communion be a baptized Christian, and other requirements may apply as well. In Methodism, open communion is referred to as the open table, meaning that all may approach the Communion table.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catholic Church</span> Major Christian church based in Rome

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2019. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a prominent role in the history and development of Western civilization. The church consists of 24 sui iuris churches, including the Latin Church and 23 Eastern Catholic Churches, which comprise almost 3,500 dioceses and eparchies located around the world. The pope, who is the bishop of Rome, is the chief pastor of the church. The bishopric of Rome, known as the Holy See, is the central governing authority of the church. The administrative body of the Holy See, the Roman Curia, has its principal offices in Vatican City, a small enclave of the Italian city of Rome, of which the pope is head of state.

Catholicity is a concept pertaining to beliefs and practices that are widely accepted by numerous Christian denominations, most notably by those Christian denominations that describe themselves as catholic in accordance with the Four Marks of the Church, as expressed in the Nicene Creed formulated at the First Council of Constantinople in 381: "[I believe] in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church." The English adjective catholic is derived from the Ancient Greek adjective καθολικός, meaning "general", "universal". Thus, "catholic" means that in the Church the wholeness of the Christian faith, full and complete, all-embracing, and with nothing lacking, is proclaimed to all people without excluding any part of the faith or any class or group of people. An early definition for what is "catholic" was summarized in what is known as the Vincentian Canon in the 5th century Commonitory: "what has been believed everywhere, always, and by all."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catholic Church and ecumenism</span> Dialogue between the Catholic Church and other Christian denominations

The Catholic Church has engaged in the modern ecumenical movement especially since the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) and the issuing of the decree Unitatis redintegratio and the declaration Dignitatis humanae. It was at the Council that the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity was created. Those outside of the Catholic Church were categorised as heretics or schismatics, but in many contexts today, to avoid offence, the euphemism "separated brethren" is used.

Subsistit in is a Latin phrase which appears in Lumen gentium, the document on the church from the Second Vatican Council of the Catholic Church. Since the council, the reason for use of the term "subsists in" rather than simply "is" has been disputed. Generally, those who see little or no change in church teaching in Vatican II insist on the equivalence of subsistit in and "is". Those who point to a new, ecumenical thrust in Vatican II insist that the term was introduced as a compromise after much discussion, and acknowledges new elements in the council's teaching.

Rebaptism in Christianity is the baptism of a person who has previously been baptized, usually in association with a denomination that does not recognize the validity of the previous baptism. When a denomination rebaptizes members of another denomination, it is a sign of significant differences in theology. Churches that practice exclusive believer's baptism, including Baptists and Churches of Christ, rebaptize those who were baptized as infants because they do not consider infant baptism to be valid.

Petrine privilege, also known as the privilege of the faith or favor of the faith, is a ground recognized in Catholic canon law allowing for dissolution by the Pope of a valid natural marriage between a baptized and a non-baptized person for the sake of the salvation of the soul of someone who is thus enabled to marry in the Church.

The expression "one true church" refers to an ecclesiological position asserting that Jesus gave his authority in the Great Commission solely to a particular visible Christian institutional church—what is commonly called a denomination. This view is maintained by the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox communion, the Assyrian Church of the East, the Ancient Church of the East, the Christian Churches/Churches of Christ, the Churches of Christ, and the Lutheran Churches, as well as certain Baptists. Each of them maintains that their own specific institutional church (denomination) exclusively represents the one and only original church. The claim to the title of the "one true church" relates to the first of the Four Marks of the Church mentioned in the Nicene Creed: "one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church". As such, it also relates to claims of both catholicity and apostolic succession: asserting inheritance of the spiritual, ecclesiastical and sacramental authority and responsibility that Jesus Christ gave to the apostles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sacraments of the Catholic Church</span> Catholic visible rites

There are seven sacraments of the Catholic Church, which according to Catholic theology were instituted by Jesus Christ and entrusted to the Church. Sacraments are visible rites seen as signs and efficacious channels of the grace of God to all those who receive them with the proper disposition.

The Jesus' name doctrine or the Oneness doctrine upholds that baptism is to be performed "in the name of Jesus Christ," rather than using the Trinitarian formula "in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." It is most commonly associated with Oneness Christology and the movement of Oneness Pentecostalism; however, some Trinitarians also baptise in Jesus' name and interpret it as on the authority of Jesus' name which most of mainstream Christendom justifies as referencing the existence of a Trinitarian Christian deity through the Great Commission among other precepts such as instances in the Old Testament.

The role of a Catholic catechist is to catechize the faith of the Catholic Church by both word and example. The Directory for Catechesis states that faith must be "known, celebrated, lived, and turned into prayer" in a personal and total encounter of the heart, mind and senses with Christ. St. John Paul II describes the aim of catechesis as putting "people not only in touch but in communion, in intimacy, with Jesus Christ."

In the Catholic Church, communicatio in sacris, also called communicatio in divinis or communicatio in ritibus, designates the regulations for the partaking of a Catholic person to a non-Catholic sacrament or liturgical celebration, or for the partaking of a non-Catholic person to a Catholic sacrament or liturgical celebration. The expression is also used to refer to said acts of partaking themselves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Criticism of Protestantism</span> Overview of criticism of Protestantism

Criticism of Protestantism covers critiques and questions raised about Protestantism, the Christian denominations which arose out of the Protestant Reformation. While critics may praise some aspects of Protestantism which are not unique to the various forms of Protestantism, Protestantism is faced with criticism mainly from the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, although Protestant denominations have also engaged in self-critique and criticized one another. According to both the Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodoxy, many major, foundational Protestant doctrines have been officially declared heretical.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catholic ecclesiology</span> Theological study of the Catholic Church

Catholic ecclesiology is the theological study of the Catholic Church, its nature, organization and its "distinctive place in the economy of salvation through Christ." Such study shows a progressive development over time being further described in revelation or in philosophy. Here the focus is on the time leading into and since the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965).

References

  1. ↑ Kroll, Paul (October–November 2007). "Church History Corner: Vatican II and the Future of Church Unity". Christian Odyssey. 3 (5): 18–19. Archived from the original on 8 March 2012. Retrieved 21 June 2010.
  2. 1 2 Wells, Christopher (2009). "The Singular Grace of Division's Wound". Ecclesiology. 5 (1): 10–11. doi:10.1163/174553108X378468.
  3. 1 2 Oakes, Edward T. (19 December 2007). "Are Protestants heretics?". First Things .
  4. ↑ Romans 2:12–16
  5. ↑ Wicks, Jared (Jul 2012). "Still More Light on Vatican Council II". The Catholic Historical Review . 98 (3): 483. doi:10.1353/cat.2012.0169. ISSN   0008-8080. JSTOR   23240055. S2CID   159814465.
  6. ↑ [Archbishops and Bishops of Tuscany?] (1793). "Dissertatio III: In qua examinantur duo summi Pontificis brevia ad Episcopum Clussio–Pientinum data". Acta Congregationis archiepiscoporum et episcoporum Hetruriae Florentiae anno MDCCLXXVII (in Latin). Vol. 4. Bambergae; Herbipoli: Goebhardt. p. 1003. OCLC   79652146 . Retrieved 23 January 2014. Verum tamen persuadere mihi minime possum, hanc animi venerationem in eo esse ponendam, ut eidem excessiua quaedam iura adscribantur, quae etdem non competunt, quae antiquitati erant ignota, quaeque maxima ex parte fatale illud schisma causarunt quod fratres nostros a nobis seiunctos tenet. Here, Clusinus et Pientinus is spelled Clussio - Pientinum and clusio - pientinus.
  7. 1 2 Flinn, Frank K (2007). "Protestant Reformation" . Encyclopedia of Catholicism. Facts on File Library of Religion and Mythology: Encyclopedia of World Religions. New York: Facts on File. p.  535. ISBN   9780816054558 . Retrieved 25 January 2014.
  8. ↑ Pope John XXIII (29 June 1959). "Ad Petri cathedram". Vatican.va. nn.63–64. Retrieved 25 January 2014. Using English translation from "The Pope Speaks". Our Sunday Visitor. 5: 359–83. Autumn 1959. ISSN   0032-4353.
  9. ↑ Kelly, John N. D.; Walsh, Michael J, eds. (2010). "Leo XIII". A Dictionary of Popes. Oxford paperback reference (2nd ed.). Oxford [u.a]: Oxford University Press. p. 317. ISBN   9780199295814.
  10. 1 2 Farrugia, Edward G (2007). "Re-reading Orientalium Ecclesiarum". Gregorianum. 88 (2): 355. ISSN   0017-4114.
  11. ↑ Pope Leo XIII (30 November 1894). Orientalium dignitas. Vatican City.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  12. ↑ Catholic Church. Second Vatican Council; Pope Paul VI (24 November 1964). Orientalium Ecclesiarum. Vatican City.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  13. ↑ Flannery, Austin, ed. (1996). Vatican Council II: the conciliar and postconciliar documents. Vatican collection. Vol. 1 (New rev. 2nd ed.). New York: Costello. pp. 419, 421. ISBN   9780918344397.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Tillard, J. M. R. (2003). "Incorporation into the Church (Membership)". In Carson, Thomas (ed.). New Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 7 (2nd ed.). Detroit: Gale. pp. 380–383. ISBN   978-0-7876-4011-8 . Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  15. ↑ Catholic Church. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; Levada, William (29 June 2007). Responses to some questions regarding certain aspects of the Doctrine on the Church. Vatican City: Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
  16. 1 2 Whalen, William J (2002). Separated brethren: a review of Protestant, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox & other religions in the United States (rev. ed.). Huntington, IN: Our Sunday Visitor. pp. 9, 11. ISBN   978-1-931709-05-7 . Retrieved 16 June 2010.
  17. ↑ Hardon, John A (2013). "Separated brethren". Catholic dictionary: an abridged and updated edition of Modern Catholic dictionary. New York: Image. p. 468. ISBN   9780307886347 . Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  18. 1 2 Catholic Answers Staff (Oct 2002). "Quick Questions". This Rock: The Magazine of Catholic Apologetics and Evangelization. 13 (8). ISSN   1049-4561. Archived from the original on 12 September 2004. Retrieved 25 January 2014– via Catholic.com.
  19. ↑ Catholic Church. Second Vatican Council (21 November 1964). Unitatis Redintegratio. Vatican City.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  20. 1 2 3 Catholic Church. Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (25 March 1993). Directory for the application of principles and norms on ecumenism . Retrieved 23 January 2014– via Vatican.va.
  21. 1 2 Jungmann, J. A; Stasiak, K (2003). "Baptism, Sacrament of". In Carson, Thomas (ed.). New Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 2 (2nd ed.). Detroit: Gale. pp. 66–67. ISBN   978-0-7876-4006-4 . Retrieved 24 January 2014.
  22. 1 2 3 Catholic Church (1999) [©1998]. "Codex Iuris Canonici". Code of canon law: new English translation. IntraText. Washington, DC: Canon Law Society of America. ISBN   978-0-943616-79-7 – via Vatican.va.
  23. 1 2 Catholic Church (2003) [©1993]. Catechism of the Catholic Church. IntraText. Vatican City: Libreria Editrice Vaticana. OCLC   68115621 . Retrieved 8 January 2014– via Vatican.va.
  24. ↑ Smith, Joseph Jr. (1938). Smith, Joseph Fielding (ed.). Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith. [Salt Lake City]: Deseret News Press. p. 370. LCCN   38008207. Archived from the original on 13 February 2005. Retrieved 25 January 2014– via Book of Abraham Project. I have always declared God to be a distinct personage, Jesus Christ a separate and distinct personage from God the Father, and the Holy Ghost was a distinct personage and a Spirit: and these three constitute three distinct personages and three Gods.
  25. ↑ Arbaugh, George B. (Jun 1940). "Evolution of Mormon doctrine". Church History. 9 (2): 157–169. doi:10.2307/3160352. ISSN   0009-6407. JSTOR   3160352. S2CID   162258235.
  26. ↑ Howsepian, A. A. (Sep 1996). "Are Mormons theists?". Church History. 32 (3): 357–370. ISSN   0009-6407. JSTOR   20019828.
  27. ↑ Ostler, Blake T. (September 1997). "Worshipworthiness and the Mormon concept of God". Religious Studies. 33 (3): 315–326. doi:10.1017/s0034412597003934. ISSN   0034-4125. JSTOR   20008108. S2CID   170662967.
  28. ↑ Heeren, John; Lindsey, Donald B.; Mason, Marylee (Dec 1984). "The Mormon concept of Mother in Heaven: a sociological account of its origins and development". Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. 23 (4): 396–411. doi:10.2307/1385727. ISSN   0021-8294. JSTOR   1385727.
  29. ↑ Abanes, Richard (2007). "One God versus many gods". Inside today's Mormonism. Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers. ISBN   9780736919685.
  30. ↑ Pope John Paul II (5 May 1999). General audience. n. 3. Archived from the original on 10 April 2001. Retrieved 25 January 2014– via Vatican.va.
  31. ↑ Catholic Church. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; Ratzinger, Joseph (5 June 2001). Response to a "dubium" on the validity of baptism conferred by "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints", called "Mormons". Archived from the original on 23 December 2001. Retrieved 25 January 2014– via Vatican.va.
  32. ↑ Ladaria, Luis (1 August 2001). "The question of the validity of baptism conferred in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints". L'Osservatore Romano (Weekly ed.). Vatican City. p. 4. ISSN   1563-6178. Archived from the original on 3 September 2001. Retrieved 29 January 2014– via Eternal Word Television Network.
  33. ↑ Gaskill, Alonzo (2001). "Maximus Nothus Decretum: a look at the recent Catholic declaration regarding Latter-day Saint Baptisms". FARMS Review of Books. 13 (2). ISSN   1099-9450. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  34. 1 2 Navarrete, Urbano (1 August 2001). "Response of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith about the validity of baptism conferred in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints". L'Osservatore Romano (Weekly ed.). Vatican City. p. 5. ISSN   1563-6178. Archived from the original on 30 January 2014 – via Vatican.va.
  35. ↑ Catholic Church. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (9 March 1991). Notification regarding the validity of the baptism conferred by the "Christian Community" or "Die Christengemeinschaft" of Rudolf Steiner. Archived from the original on 30 January 2014. Retrieved 25 January 2014– via Vatican.va.
  36. ↑ Catholic Church. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (20 November 1992). Notification on the validity of the baptism conferred in "The New Church". Archived from the original on 30 January 2014. Retrieved 25 January 2014– via Vatican.va.
  37. 1 2 Catholic Church. Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (1 February 2008). Responses to Questions Proposed on the Validity of Baptism. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 25 January 2014– via Vatican.va.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.