Finding the ‘one true Church’

““I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church,” we profess in the Creed. But where is the one true Church to be found?” That is the question posed by Irish Jesuit and author, Fr Michael McGuckian, in an article published in latest edition of The Canadian Journal of Orthodox Christianity »

Fr Michael, who is currently working with the Apostolic Vicariate of Istanbul, Turkey, goes on to explain how it is not just the Roman Catholic Church that believes this profession of faith but so too does the Orthodox Church. Furthermore, each of them believe that they are, in fact, they ‘one true Church’. But there cannot be two ‘one true churches’ so who is actually right?

The logical conclusion to their respective positions indicates that to be a member of the one true Church, one has to choose either to be an Orthodox or a Roman Catholic. But whilst this may seem a self-evident truth, in his article Michael argues that this is not so. Rather, he asserts, “I want to make the case that the question, as posed, does not have to be answered, for the one true Church is, in fact, the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church together as one and, while they are divided, neither the Orthodox Church nor the Catholic Church is fully the one true Church.” Fr Michael continues, “Until communion is restored between East and West, the one true Church is not visible as she is meant to be.”

Whilst Fr Michael’s conclusion might seem clear and simple, the path toward acceptance and indeed understanding of his proposed resolution is, like all things in the history of the Church and the papacy, a tricky one. The path is marked by varied, and sometimes tortuous, twists and turns, and the stumbling block of papal primacy or monarchy, and infallibility still remains.

Nontheless, Fr Michael believes it is a path worth travelling. There are ‘clear signs’ emanating from the Orthodox Church today indicating their willingness to consider the possibility of reunion once again. And Pope Francis’ has displayed an openness to reexamining the exercise of Papal primacy.

There are, according to Fr Michael, historical factors that must be mined in order to make the possibility of a one true church a reality. He has undertaken this excavation work presented in his recent article, and he comes to a conclusion that might satisfy both the Orthodox and Roman Catholic communion, hastening the day that the ‘one true church’ might become a reality. Read his full analysis here »