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While Catholics believe that this week’s gospel from Matthew  teaches that the Church is founded by Christ upon the apostolic faith represented by Peter and that the Pope is his direct successor, a look around the broad landscape of Christian denominations reminds us that a lot of people over the course of history have chosen not to accept the Catholic interpretation and have put their own spin on what Christianity should look like. The most dramatic of the upheavals in Church tradition was surely the Reformation when, both on the continent and in Britain, serious challenges were made to some of the crucial aspects of the faith, including to the authority of the Pope and with regard to the Real Presence in the Eucharist. 

But does this make Anglicanism or Lutheranism or example, invalid forms of Christianity? According to Magisterium, the Catholic AI platform: 

‘The Catholic Church does not regard Anglicanism or Lutheranism as simply “false” or devoid of Christianity. It recognises genuine Christian elements in both, especially valid baptism, faith in Christ, Sacred Scripture, prayer, and many aspects of Christian moral life. However, it also teaches that neither Anglicanism nor Lutheranism possesses the fullness of the Church established by Christ, because they are not in full communion with the Catholic Church and do not retain, in the Catholic understanding, the complete sacramental and apostolic structure of the Church.’

The Catholic position can be summarised as follows:

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As many of us no doubt have friends and relatives who belong to non-Catholic denominations, it’s important to realise that, like us, they are followers of the true Lord, even if they’re not travelling in the vehicle of the true church.