It's absolutely clear and simply written in 841. You're absolutely right: I'm not walking away from anything -- 841 says exactly what it says.
Catholics and Muslims "adore the one Merciful God" -- "together with us" is hard to take out of context when it's written in plain language.
Like you, I'd love to hear the context.
Hoss
It's absolutely clear and simply written in 841. You're absolutely right: I'm not walking away from anything -- 841 says exactly what it says. Catholics and Muslims "adore the one Merciful God" -- "together with us" is hard to take out of context when it's written in plain language.
Like you, I'd love to hear the context.The context is the relationship of the one holy catholic apostolic church to those who are not (yet) Christian. It declares how "we" are related to each other. Separated brethren. who are still regarded as Christian, are covered separately. - The Jewish people are mentioned first, and more extensively.
- They also profess to worship and adore "The God" of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
- Those who acknowledge "the Creator" come next, foremost among whom are the Moslems, who also, with us (the one holy catholic apostolic church and the Jewish people) profess to worship and adore "The God" of Abraham, Isaac. and Jacob.
The Church and non-Christians
839 "Those who have not yet received the Gospel are related to the People of God in various ways."325
The relationship of the Church with the Jewish People. When she delves into her own mystery, the Church, the People of God in the New Covenant, discovers her link with the Jewish People,326 "the first to hear the Word of God."327 The Jewish faith, unlike other non-Christian religions, is already a response to God's revelation in the Old Covenant. To the Jews "belong the sonship, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; to them belong the patriarchs, and of their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ",328 "for the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable."329
840 And when one considers the future, God's People of the Old Covenant and the new People of God tend towards similar goals: expectation of the coming (or the return) of the Messiah. But one awaits the return of the Messiah who died and rose from the dead and is recognized as Lord and Son of God; the other awaits the coming of a Messiah, whose features remain hidden till the end of time; and the latter waiting is accompanied by the drama of not knowing or of misunderstanding Christ Jesus.
841 The Church's relationship with the Muslims. "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day."330