The statement brought swift criticism from Protestant leaders.
"It makes us question the seriousness with which the Roman Catholic Church takes its dialogues with the reformed family and other families of the church," the group says in a letter charging that the document took ecumenical dialogue back to the era before the Second Vatican Council.
The top Protestant cleric in Benedict's homeland of Germany complained that the Vatican apparently did not consider that "mutual respect for the church status" was required for any ecumenical progress.
In a statement "Lost Chance," Lutheran Bishop Wolfgang Huber argued that "it would also be completely sufficient if it were to be said that the reforming churches are 'not churches in the sense required here' or that they are 'churches of another type' - but none of these bridges is used."
These ecclesial Communities which, specifically because of the absence of the sacramental priesthood, have not preserved the genuine and integral substance of the Eucharistic Mystery cannot, according to Catholic doctrine, be called "Churches" in the proper sense. [citations omitted]
On the other hand, because of the division between Christians, the fullness of universality, which is proper to the Church governed by the Successor of Peter and the Bishops in communion with him, is not fully realised in history[citation omitted].
2. Is the Church of Christ in the Catholic Church? This is just stupid. The Church of Christ is a whole different Church - they meet in little white buildings and handle snakes and stuff. You'd think the Pope would know this kind of thing.
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