THE SANCTITY OF THE CHURCH – THE CHURCH IS HOLY

The SANCTITY of the Church is NOT darkened by the intrusion of the world into the Church, or by the sinfulness of men. Everything sinful and worldly which intrudes into the Church’s sphere REMAINS FOREIGN TO IT AND IS DESTINED TO BE SIFTED OUT AND DESTROYED, LIKE WEED SEEDS AT SOWING TIME. The opinion that the Church consists only of righteous and holy people without sin DOES NOT AGREE WITH THE DIRECT TEACHING OF CHRIST AND HIS APOSTLES. The Savior compares His Church with a field on which the wheat grows together with the tares, and again, with a net which draws out of the water both good fish and bad. In the Church there are both good servants and bad ones [Matthew 18:23-35], wise virgins and foolish [Matthew 25:1-13]. "We believe," states the "Encyclical, of the Eastern Patriarchs, "that the members of the Catholic Church are all the faithful, and only the faithful, that is, those who undoubtingly confess the pure faith in the Savior Christ [the faith which we have received from Christ Himself, from the Apostles, and from the Holy Ecumenical Councils), even though certain of them might have submitted to various sins… The Church judges them, calls them to repentance, and leads them on the path of the saving commandments.  And therefore, despite the fact that they are subject to sins, they remain and are acknowledged as members of the Catholic Church as long as they do not become apostates and as long as they hold to the Catholic and Orthodox faith" (par. 11).