8.72. Isn’t it good that the Church now embraces diversity and welcomes all who seek God, no matter their beliefs?
The Catholic Church has always understood unity to mean unity in doctrine—a supernatural bond of one faith, one worship, and one visible government, protected by the Holy Ghost. This unity is one of the four marks of the true Church: One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic.
But Vatican II abandoned this divine unity and introduced a new concept: unity in pluralism. It no longer requires Catholics to profess the same faith or non-Catholics to convert. Instead, it welcomes “unity in diversity,” where different religions, sects, and beliefs are all seen as valid paths to God. This is not unity. It is division masquerading as peace.
Below is a comparison showing how the Catholic understanding of unity has been replaced by Vatican II pluralism.
| Category | Pre-Vatican II Catholic Unity | Vatican II Pluralism | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Definition of Unity | Unity of faith, sacraments, and submission to the pope | Unity in diversity; shared values across religions and sects | This is a sociological unity, not supernatural ecclesial unity |
| Source of Unity | One faith revealed by Christ and preserved unchanged | Common human dignity and goodwill among peoples | Replaces divine revelation with natural humanism |
| Doctrine | Must believe all that the Church teaches—error has no rights | Partial truths in all religions contribute to “shared understanding” | Truth becomes subjective, incomplete, and negotiable |
| Non-Catholics | Must convert to be saved and fully united to the Church | Are already “in some communion” with the Church | Destroys the necessity of conversion and the visibility of the Church |
| Salvation | Only through Catholic Faith and sacraments | Available to all of goodwill, regardless of belief | This is indifferentism, condemned by the Magisterium |
| Mission of the Church | Convert all nations to the one true Faith | Engage in dialogue and promote mutual enrichment | The Great Commission is replaced by ecumenical relativism |
| Marks of the Church | One: unity of belief, worship, and governance | “Unity” defined as peaceful coexistence of differences | This contradicts the very mark of “One Church” as defined in Tradition |
| Fruits | Clarity, conversions, vocations, strong Catholic identity | Confusion, apostasy, doctrinal fragmentation | “By their fruits you shall know them” (Matt. 7:16) |
Summary:
The Church’s unity is not based on dialogue, diversity, or coexistence. It is based on one supernatural Faith, outside of which there is no salvation. Vatican II’s pluralism replaced this unity with contradiction, leading millions to believe that truth no longer matters as long as we all “journey together.”
This is not unity. It is the apostasy of Babel, not the unity of Pentecost.
As Pope Leo XIII taught:
“The true Church is known by this perfect unity of all in one faith.”
If there is not one faith, there is no one Church. The post-Vatican II Church has many beliefs, many practices, many paths. Therefore, it cannot be the Church founded by Jesus Christ.