"The sole and one Church of Christ has its existence, permanence and stability within the Catholic Church", and thus, "the unity, the indivisibility and the indestructibility of the Church of Christ are not cancelled by the separations and divisions of the Christians". It was confirmed by the Pope today. While he received in hearing the participants in the plenary session of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, he examined again two "important documents" published by the Papal ministry last year ("Answers to questions concerning a few aspects about the doctrine of the Church" and "Doctrinal note on some aspects of evangelization"), which include "a few remarks" which are necessary "for carrying out the ecumenical dialogue and the dialogue with the religions and the cultures in the world correctly". Thinking of "the unity and the identity of the Church as qualities ‘hidden in Christ’, with the consequence that the Church would actually historically exist through multiple ecclesial configurations pointed out Benedict XVI, couldn’t but generate a slowdown, and lately, the paralysis of ecumenism itself". The "difference" between the different Christian confessions "in relation to the understanding of being Church", pointed out the Pope, "far from preventing real ecumenical commitment, will be a stimulus, because dialogue on doctrinal questions should always happen with realism and full awareness".
