All baptized persons belong to the -> CHURCH of Jesus Christ. That is why also those Christians who find themselves separated from the full communion of the Catholic Church, in which the Church of Jesus Christ lives on, are rightly called Christians and are therefore our sisters and brothers. [817-819]
Instances of separation from the one Church of Christ came about through falsifications of Christ’s teaching, human failings, and a lack of willingness to be reconciled – usually on the part of representatives on both sides. Christians today are in no way guilty for the historical divisions of the Church. The Holy Spirit also works for the salvation of mankind in the -> CHURCHES AND ECCLESIAL COMMUNITIES that are separated from the Catholic Church. All of the gifts present there, for example, Sacred Scripture, -> SACRAMENTS, faith, hope, love, and other charisms, come originally from Christ. Where the Spirit of Christ lives, there is an inner dynamic leading toward “reunion”, because what belongs together wants to grow together.
