Theological Assessment of Separated Christians According to the Pre-Vatican II Council Theology

Abstract

The article aims to trace the broad lines of Catholic theological thought emerging from the so-called Ecumenical Movement, how the reflection on belonging to the Church and the evaluation of separated Christians and of Churches and Communities not in com-munion with the Catholic Church is maturing, and how the concept vestigia Ecclesiae is first used by the World Council of Churches and later by Catholic theologians to designate those nuclear elements of the Church of Christ common to all Christian confessions. One could consider the whole reality, invisible and visible, which constitutes the true Church, and call “Church element” all that is essential or proper to the Church. There would be, in this case, “elements of the Church” of an invisible nature, such as the presence of the Holy Spirit, and “elements of the Church” of a visible nature, such as the apostolic suc-cession. The thought of some of these theologians is also presented in summary form, or the most significant works of others are quoted. A thought which, in a more mature form, enters and crystallises in the Conciliar Aula.