1. Ordinarily, "local church" means diocese, e.g. the Diocese of Knoxville is called in canon law a "local church." It is headed by Rev. Richad Stika, the Bishop of Knoxville.
2. "Churches in union with us" means Catholic churches of other-than-Latin rite, such as Chaldeans, Maronites, Melkites, Ruthenian, etc. which have their wn Bishops.
In either of those two senses it always means a Church with a Catholic Bishop. That's how we use the word.
If "other Christian denominations are not considered "Churches," it means they do not have Catholic bishops.
It does not mean that the members of these denominations are not Christians, or that they do not have the spiritual riches of Scriptures, prayer, valid Baptism, grace, the love of God, faith in Our Lord Jesus Christ, the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, etc. etc. It certainly does not mean they are not "saved."
This ought not to cause ill-will. It's just a way Catholic-terminology distinguishes between groups-with-bishops and groups-without-bishops in our statements and documents.
I hope this conveys some measure of clarity and good will.
Fox carried an AP story where the reporter must not have even read the Vatican statement.
I’m only posting it again so the outraged might understand what happened.
From the 2007 article that was posted:
“...because it said they were not true churches but merely ecclesial communities and therefore did not have the “means of salvation.”
From what was released: “It follows that these separated churches and Communities, though we believe they suffer from defects, are deprived neither of significance nor importance in the mystery of salvation. In fact the Spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as instruments of salvation, whose value derives from that fullness of grace and of truth which has been entrusted to the Catholic Church”[12].
Pretty much the opposite of what was reported back in 2007. Shocking, I know.
Freegards