DECLARATION OF PURPOSE

September 1968

The spectacle in our time of dissent and disunity within the Church is an offense to Christ which we, as His lay apostolate to the world, have an obligation to repair. We therefore undertake by this Declaration of Purpose, and through the continuing dedication it envisions, to try to remove the scandal and thus to aid Christ's purpose that all may be One.

We believe that the Truth of Christ has been confided to the Roman Catholic Church which is the extension of Christ in history. The Catholic Church holds that her solemn Magisterium, with Peter as its head, is the supreme authentic interpreter both of divine Revelation and the natural law, and is freed by Christ for all ages from the possibility of substantial error. We unqualifiedly accept this cornerstone of the Faith; and thank God for both the Promise and the Gift.

We believe further that when the Church speaks authoritatively through the ordinary Magisterium, her teaching is binding in conscience on all Catholics, as reaffirmed by the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, promulgated by the Second Vatican Council.

We, therefore, wish to affirm our unshakable loyalty to the Pope, and thus to the Church, and thus to Christ. We are convinced, moreover, that this affirmation can and should be heard from many voices, that it must ring through the Church and the world.

Therefore, we pledge that Catholics United for the Faith will continue in the days ahead to support, defend, and enthusiastically advance the efforts of the teaching Church—the Vicar of Christ and all the Church's shepherds—to give light and guidance to a confused and frightened world.