If Christ Promised Unity, Why Disagreements?

Brief Overview

• Christ did promise unity to His Church, particularly through His priestly prayer in John 17, where He petitioned the Father that all believers might be one as He and the Father are one.
• The unity Christ promised exists in the Catholic Church through the Trinity, the profession of one faith, common celebration of the sacraments, and apostolic succession, even though human sin has caused wounds to this unity throughout history.
• Disagreements among Christians stem from human free will and the reality of sin, which creates divisions, schisms, heresies, and disputes that would not exist if virtue and charity reigned.
• The Church distinguishes between essential unity in faith and doctrine, which cannot be compromised, and legitimate diversity in cultural expressions, theological opinions, and pastoral approaches.
• Scripture itself records disagreements among early Christians, including the Council of Jerusalem in Acts 15, demonstrating that the presence of disagreement does not negate Christ’s promise of unity.
• Catholics work toward Christian unity through prayer, conversion of heart, ecumenical dialogue, and collaboration, trusting that Christ’s promise remains active through the Holy Spirit’s guidance.

Understanding Christ’s Promise of Unity

Christ spoke directly about unity during His final hours before the Passion. In the Gospel of John, we find what theologians call the High Priestly Prayer, where Jesus prays specifically for the unity of His disciples. He asks the Father that all believers “may be one” just as He and the Father are one. This prayer extends not only to the apostles present with Him but also to all future believers. The significance of this prayer cannot be understated because it reveals Christ’s deepest desire for His Church. Jesus prays that this unity would be so visible and profound that the world would recognize the Father’s sending of the Son. The unity He desires reflects the perfect communion within the Trinity itself. This means Christian unity is not merely organizational or superficial but must be rooted in divine life and love. The Church teaches that unity is one of her four essential marks, along with holiness, catholicity, and apostolicity. Christ bestowed this unity on His Church from the beginning, and the Catholic Church maintains that this unity subsists in her as something she can never lose. However, this teaching requires careful understanding to explain how disagreements can coexist with Christ’s promise.

The nature of the unity Christ promised must be properly understood. This unity does not mean uniformity in all matters or the absence of any discussion or debate. Rather, it refers to a fundamental oneness in essential doctrine, sacramental life, and communion under the shepherding of the apostles and their successors. The Catechism explains that the Church is one because of her source in the Trinity, one because of her founder who reconciled all people in Himself, and one because of the Holy Spirit who dwells in believers and joins them intimately in Christ. These three bonds of unity form the foundation of the Church’s oneness. Within this unity, the Church has always contained great diversity. From the beginning, the one Church has been marked by variety in gifts, offices, conditions, and ways of life. Particular Churches retain their own traditions while remaining in communion with the universal Church. The richness of this diversity does not oppose the Church’s unity but enhances it. Sin and its consequences constantly threaten this gift of unity, which is why Saint Paul exhorts Christians to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. The unity Christ promised is both a gift already given and a task that requires constant effort and prayer.

The Reality of Human Free Will and Sin

When God created human beings, He endowed them with the gift of free will. This capacity to make genuine choices distinguishes humans from animals and angels, allowing for authentic love and moral responsibility. Free will enables humans to choose good or evil, to accept or reject God’s grace, to work for unity or create division. The Catholic Church has always defended the reality of human free will against deterministic philosophies that would reduce human action to mere biology or external forces. However, this gift of freedom comes with serious consequences. The doctrine of original sin teaches that the first humans misused their freedom by disobeying God’s command. This original sin affected all of human nature, weakening but not destroying free will. After the Fall, humans retain the ability to choose but are inclined toward sin and find it difficult to consistently choose the good. This wounded condition of human nature explains much of the discord and division we experience. The will of Adam, acting as head of the human race, caused the loss of original justice and introduced disharmony into human relationships. Each person inherits this fallen nature and commits personal sins through misuse of free will.

The connection between sin and division is explicit in Catholic teaching. Where there are sins, there are also divisions, schisms, heresies, and disputes. Where virtue exists, however, harmony and unity arise naturally, producing one heart and one soul among believers. This principle helps explain why disagreements emerged even among Christians who shared faith in Christ. Human sinfulness creates the conditions for disagreement, suspicion, pride, and stubbornness that prevent the full realization of unity. The Catechism teaches that ruptures which wound the unity of Christ’s Body do not occur without human sin. While Christ provided the Church with the gift of unity, humans must cooperate with grace to maintain, reinforce, and perfect this unity. The presence of disagreements among Christians reveals the ongoing struggle between grace and sin, between the Spirit’s work and human resistance. Original sin’s effects include darkened intellect and weakened will, making it harder for people to perceive truth clearly and choose it consistently. These cognitive and volitional limitations contribute to genuine confusion about doctrinal matters, not merely willful rejection of truth. Additionally, concupiscence, the disordered desire for created goods, turns people’s hearts away from God and toward selfish interests that can divide communities.

Disagreements in the Early Church

The New Testament itself provides ample evidence of disagreements among the first Christians. Far from being an embarrassment to the faith, these accounts demonstrate the authenticity of the biblical witness and offer instruction for handling conflicts. In his First Letter to the Corinthians, Saint Paul addresses serious divisions within that community. He writes that it has been reported to him that there are quarrels among them, with some saying they belong to Paul, others to Apollos, others to Cephas, and still others to Christ alone. Paul responds by asking whether Christ is divided, whether Paul was crucified for them, or whether they were baptized in Paul’s name. His rhetorical questions expose the absurdity of factionalism among those who share one baptism and one Lord. The Corinthian divisions apparently stemmed from attachment to different preachers and teachers rather than doctrinal differences. Nevertheless, Paul treats these divisions as serious threats to the Church’s unity and witness. He appeals to the Corinthians to be united in the same mind and the same purpose, indicating that unity requires more than external organization.

Perhaps the most significant disagreement recorded in Acts concerns the requirements for Gentile converts to Christianity. Some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees argued that Gentile converts must be circumcised and required to keep the Mosaic law. This teaching troubled many believers and led to serious debate. Paul and Barnabas engaged in sharp dispute with these teachers, prompting the Church to convene what became known as the Council of Jerusalem. At this council, described in Acts 15, the apostles and elders gathered to consider the question. After much debate, Peter rose and reminded the assembly that God had chosen him to be the first to preach to the Gentiles, and that God had given the Holy Spirit to them just as to the Jewish believers. Peter argued that God made no distinction between Jews and Gentiles but cleansed their hearts by faith. James then spoke, citing Scripture and proposing a solution that would welcome Gentiles without imposing the full burden of the Mosaic law. The council reached a decision and sent a letter explaining their judgment, which they said seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to them. This episode reveals several important truths about disagreements in the Church. First, serious doctrinal disputes existed from the earliest days. Second, the Church resolved these disputes through a process involving discussion, appeal to Scripture and experience, and authoritative decision-making by the apostles. Third, the resolution came through the guidance of the Holy Spirit working within the Church’s structures. Fourth, the decision required both those who wanted stricter requirements and those who wanted complete freedom to accept a middle way. The Council of Jerusalem demonstrates that unity does not mean the absence of disagreement but rather the ability to resolve disagreements through proper authority and reliance on the Holy Spirit.

The Distinction Between Unity and Uniformity

A critical concept for understanding how disagreements coexist with Christ’s promise involves distinguishing unity from uniformity. Unity refers to oneness in essential matters of faith, morals, sacraments, and communion under legitimate authority. Uniformity would require sameness in all expressions, practices, opinions, and customs. The Catholic Church has never demanded uniformity in non-essential matters. From its earliest days, the Church encompassed diverse cultures, languages, liturgical practices, and theological schools. The Eastern and Western Churches developed distinct liturgical rites while maintaining communion in faith and authority. Different religious orders emphasize various aspects of Christian spirituality while sharing the same Catholic faith. Theologians propose different explanations for doctrinal truths, engaging in scholarly debate that enriches the Church’s understanding. Catholics hold diverse political opinions, economic theories, and cultural preferences. This legitimate diversity flows from the variety of God’s gifts and the diversity of those who receive them. Within the unity of the People of God, a multiplicity of peoples and cultures is gathered together.

The Church distinguishes three levels of teaching authority and required response. Some teachings belong to the deposit of faith and must be believed by all Catholics with divine faith. These include dogmas like the Trinity, the Incarnation, and the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Other teachings, while not formally defined as dogma, represent the ordinary teaching of the Church’s magisterium and require religious assent of intellect and will. Examples include many moral teachings and disciplinary norms. A third category includes theological opinions, legitimate customs, and pastoral strategies where Catholics may hold different views without threatening unity. Problems arise when people confuse these categories, either treating opinions as dogmas or dismissing essential doctrines as mere opinions. The Catholic understanding of unity preserves essential doctrinal agreement while allowing legitimate diversity. This explains why Catholics can disagree about certain political issues, scientific questions, or pastoral approaches without rupturing unity. However, disagreement about defined doctrines or authoritative moral teaching represents a different kind of problem that threatens unity.

Wounds to Unity Throughout History

The Catholic Church acknowledges that serious ruptures have wounded the unity of Christ’s Body throughout history. These wounds did not happen all at once but developed through various crises and conflicts. The Catechism identifies three types of ruptures that wound unity. Heresy occurs when a baptized person denies or doubts a truth that must be believed with divine and Catholic faith. Apostasy refers to the total repudiation of the Christian faith by a baptized person. Schism means the refusal of submission to the Pope or communion with the members of the Church subject to him. These three categories represent different ways unity can be broken. Canon law provides specific definitions of each to help identify when these ruptures have occurred. The Catechism emphasizes that such ruptures do not occur without human sin. This statement does not necessarily mean that every individual in separated communities personally sinned in causing the division. Rather, it acknowledges that sin created the conditions for rupture. Pride, ambition, misunderstanding, theological error, moral failure, political manipulation, and cultural conflicts all contributed to major breaks in Christian unity.

The Eastern Schism, which gradually developed between the 11th and 13th centuries, separated the Eastern Orthodox Churches from full communion with Rome. This division involved complex theological disputes, cultural differences, political factors, and personal conflicts between leaders. Mutual excommunications in 1054 symbolized the rupture, though full division took longer to solidify. The 16th-century Protestant Reformation created even more dramatic divisions in Western Christianity. Martin Luther’s protests against certain practices and teachings quickly escalated into theological disputes about justification, authority, sacraments, and ecclesiology. Various reform movements produced multiple Protestant denominations with different beliefs and practices. The Catholic Church convened the Council of Trent to clarify its teachings and address abuses. While the council’s work strengthened Catholic identity, it also hardened divisions between Catholics and Protestants. Subsequent centuries saw further fragmentation within Protestant communities, producing hundreds of distinct denominations. Each major rupture involved men of both sides bearing some responsibility. Catholic leaders sometimes failed in charity, pastoral care, or needed reforms. Reformers sometimes acted hastily, with insufficient authority, or out of mixed motives. The point is not to assign blame but to recognize that sin on multiple sides contributed to division.

The Catholic Understanding of Unity

The Catholic Church teaches that Christ’s promised unity subsists in the Catholic Church as something she can never lose. This claim requires careful explanation to avoid misunderstanding. It does not mean that the Catholic Church has never experienced internal conflicts, sinful members, or practical failures. Rather, it means that the essential bonds of unity remain intact within the Catholic Church. These bonds include profession of one faith received from the Apostles, common celebration of divine worship especially in the sacraments, and apostolic succession through the sacrament of Holy Orders. The Church believes that Christ entrusted the fullness of the means of salvation to the Catholic Church governed by the Pope and bishops in communion with him. This fullness includes correct and complete confession of faith, full sacramental life, and ordained ministry in apostolic succession. Other Christian communities possess real but incomplete communion with the Catholic Church depending on how many of these elements they retain. The Second Vatican Council taught that many elements of sanctification and truth are found outside the visible confines of the Catholic Church. These include the written Word of God, the life of grace, faith, hope, charity, interior gifts of the Holy Spirit, and visible elements. Christ’s Spirit uses these Churches and ecclesial communities as means of salvation, though their power derives from the fullness that Christ entrusted to the Catholic Church.

This teaching has important implications for how Catholics understand disagreements with other Christians. First, Catholics recognize genuine Christian faith and elements of the Church in other communities. The baptism performed in most Christian churches is recognized as valid by the Catholic Church. Christians outside full communion are called “separated brothers and sisters” rather than simply non-believers. Second, the degree of communion varies significantly. The Orthodox Churches maintain apostolic succession, valid sacraments, and most Catholic doctrines, lacking only full communion with the Pope. Protestant communities vary widely in how much they retain from Catholic faith and practice. Third, the goal is restoration of full unity rather than conversion in a purely individualistic sense. Ecumenism seeks to heal the wounds to Christ’s Body by addressing theological disagreements, building relationships, and praying for the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Fourth, Catholics have an obligation to work for Christian unity while maintaining the integrity of Catholic faith. This means neither compromising essential doctrines nor dismissing other Christians as having nothing to offer. The tensions inherent in this position require wisdom, charity, and patience.

Responding to Disagreements Today

The Catholic Church calls all members to actively work for unity while living with the reality of disagreements. Several concrete practices help Christians respond appropriately to divisions and conflicts. Prayer stands as the foundation of all ecumenical effort. Christ Himself prays for unity, and Christians must join their prayers to His. Spiritual ecumenism, which includes prayer for unity along with personal conversion and holiness of life, is called the soul of the ecumenical movement. Catholics are encouraged to pray with other Christians when possible, though certain restrictions apply to sacramental worship. Conversion of heart is essential because disunity often stems from personal sin, pride, and unwillingness to forgive. Each Christian must examine whether their attitudes and actions promote or hinder unity. Renewal of the Church in greater fidelity to her vocation drives the movement toward unity. Catholics must address their own failures, sins, and need for reform before criticizing other Christians. Fraternal knowledge of other Christians helps break down stereotypes and build understanding. Catholics should learn about other traditions, not merely to prove them wrong, but to appreciate what the Holy Spirit has accomplished among them.

Dialogue between theologians and church leaders addresses doctrinal disagreements that separate Christians. These conversations require expertise, patience, and willingness to listen. Catholic participants must understand both Catholic teaching and the positions of other Christians. Progress has been made through bilateral dialogues on justification, ecclesiology, Marian doctrines, and other disputed topics. Collaboration in service provides opportunities for Christians to work together even while doctrinal disagreements persist. Joint efforts in defending life, serving the poor, promoting justice, and protecting religious freedom demonstrate substantial unity in Christian moral witness. Such collaboration can build trust and friendship that facilitate theological dialogue. However, Catholics must be careful not to give the impression that doctrinal differences are unimportant. Sharing truth in charity sometimes means respectfully explaining why Catholics cannot accept certain Protestant or Orthodox positions. Authentic dialogue requires honesty about real disagreements while maintaining respect and affection for separated brothers and sisters. Catholics trust that the Holy Spirit guides these processes and will bring about the unity Christ desires in God’s time and way.

The Role of Authority in Preserving Unity

One of the fundamental disagreements between Catholics and other Christians concerns the nature and location of authority. Catholics believe that Christ established His Church with a visible structure of authority to maintain unity and guard the deposit of faith. This authority resides in the college of bishops in communion with the Pope, who succeeds Saint Peter as head of the college. Protestant reformers rejected papal authority and episcopal governance in favor of various alternatives including congregational governance, elder rule, or reliance on Scripture alone. Many Protestant communities recognize no earthly authority as infallible or binding in the same way Catholics understand the magisterium. This disagreement about authority makes other doctrinal disputes harder to resolve because the parties lack agreement about who can settle disputes authoritatively. When Catholics and Protestants disagree about justification, the Eucharist, or Mary, they also disagree about who has the right and power to define these doctrines definitively. The Catholic position holds that Christ provided the Church with teaching authority specifically to preserve unity. Without such authority, each person becomes their own final interpreter of Scripture and tradition, inevitably leading to multiplication of opinions and divisions.

The Catholic understanding of authority is not arbitrary or tyrannical but serves the truth and unity Christ desires. Bishops exercise authority as servants of the Gospel, not as inventors of doctrine. They must faithfully transmit what has been received from the Apostles. The magisterium’s teaching authority exists to preserve the deposit of faith, not to create new doctrines according to personal preference or cultural trends. The Holy Spirit assists the magisterium to teach without error when defining matters of faith and morals. This gift of infallibility serves the Church’s unity by providing certainty about essential truths. While individual bishops can err and have erred, the college of bishops in union with the Pope does not err when teaching definitively. This charism does not eliminate the need for careful theological study, consultation, prayer, and reasoning. It means that ultimately the Church can settle doctrinal disputes with divine assistance. Historical evidence shows that without such authoritative teaching office, Christianity fragments into competing interpretations. The thousands of Protestant denominations, each claiming to follow Scripture faithfully while disagreeing with others, demonstrate this problem. Catholic teaching about authority offers a solution to the problem of how Christ’s promise of unity can be maintained amid human disagreement and sinfulness.

The Distinction Between Disagreement and Division

Not every disagreement constitutes a rupture of unity. Catholics can and do disagree with each other about many matters without ceasing to be in communion. Distinguishing legitimate disagreement from destructive division helps maintain unity while allowing healthy diversity. Legitimate disagreement occurs within the bounds of Catholic faith and communion. Two Catholics might disagree about political policies, economic systems, scientific theories, historical interpretations, or pastoral strategies without threatening unity. They might hold different opinions about which theological school best explains a particular doctrine. They might prefer different forms of liturgy, devotional practices, or apostolic work. Such disagreements do not rupture unity because they do not touch essential matters of faith and communion. Destructive division occurs when someone rejects defined doctrines, refuses communion with legitimate authority, or separates from the Church’s visible unity. Denying the Real Presence, rejecting papal authority, or leaving to form a separate community would constitute ruptures of unity rather than mere disagreements.

The Church distinguishes between formal and material heresy, which matters for understanding disagreement. Formal heresy involves knowingly and willfully rejecting a truth that must be believed with Catholic faith. Material heresy means holding an erroneous position due to ignorance, misunderstanding, or inadequate instruction. Someone who grew up in a Protestant community and sincerely believes Protestant teaching may be in material but not formal heresy. They have not personally rejected Catholic teaching because they never properly understood or encountered it. The Church treats such persons with respect and affection as separated brothers and sisters rather than as willful heretics. This distinction helps explain how many non-Catholic Christians remain in good conscience while holding positions that objectively contradict Catholic doctrine. It also shows why Catholics can maintain charitable relationships with other Christians despite doctrinal disagreements. Similarly, within the Catholic Church, someone might hold an opinion that approaches heretical territory without formally breaking communion. Church authorities might need to correct the person’s teaching, but unless the person obstinately persists in error after clear correction, they remain in communion. This pastoral approach balances truth and mercy, firmness and patience.

Living With Unresolved Disagreements

Some disagreements among Christians have persisted for centuries despite extensive dialogue and prayer. Catholics must learn to live faithfully within this reality while maintaining hope for eventual unity. This requires several virtues and practices. Humility acknowledges that while Catholic teaching is true, individual Catholics’ understanding remains limited. We see through a glass darkly and know only in part. This recognition prevents arrogance and opens us to learning from others’ insights. Patience accepts that unity will not be achieved quickly or easily. God’s timing differs from human timing. Just as the Israelites waited generations for the Messiah, Christians may wait long periods for full unity. Charity must govern all interactions with other Christians. Saint Paul teaches that if we have not charity, even perfect knowledge profits nothing. How we disagree matters as much as what we disagree about. Defending truth without charity accomplishes little and may actually hinder unity by confirming stereotypes about Catholic intolerance.

Hope trusts that Christ’s prayer for unity will be answered. The Holy Spirit continues working to bring about the unity Christ desires. Evidence of this work includes theological agreements reached through dialogue, joint statements on social issues, and growing friendship between communities that were once hostile. Catholics believe that ultimate unity will require other Christians to enter full communion with the Catholic Church because this is where Christ’s promised unity subsists. However, Catholics also recognize that they must grow in holiness and fidelity to make the Church more attractive and credible to separated brothers and sisters. Unity will come not through political maneuvering or mere compromise but through the Spirit’s work of converting hearts and illuminating minds. In the meantime, Catholics can celebrate the real though incomplete communion that already exists with many Christians. We can cooperate where possible, pray together when appropriate, and build friendships that transcend doctrinal boundaries. We can also examine our own failures to live up to Catholic teaching and address ways that Catholic behavior has caused scandal or obstacle to unity.

The Example of Saints

Throughout Church history, saints have modeled how to maintain unity amid disagreements and conflicts. Saint Francis de Sales demonstrated remarkable charity toward Protestants during the Catholic Counter-Reformation. Rather than merely condemning Protestant errors, he sought to understand their concerns and present Catholic teaching winsome­ly. His gentleness and respect won many back to the Catholic Church. His example shows that defending truth need not involve harshness or contempt. Saint John Henry Newman’s conversion from Anglican­ism to Catholicism showed integrity in following conscience despite great personal cost. He lost his position, reputation, and many friendships when he entered the Catholic Church. Yet he maintained respect for his Anglican upbringing and continued relationships with Anglican friends. His writings helped both Catholics and Protestants understand each other better. Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, born Edith Stein to Jewish parents, converted to Catholicism after reading Saint Teresa of Avila’s autobiography. Her philosophical work built bridges between different intellectual traditions. Her martyrdom at Auschwitz united her with her Jewish people even as she lived as a Catholic religious sister.

Saint Josemaría Escrivá emphasized that unity does not require uniformity in non-essential matters. His teaching about freedom within the Church encouraged Catholics to hold diverse opinions about temporal matters while maintaining unity in faith and charity. This approach prevents unnecessary conflicts over matters where legitimate disagreement is possible. Blessed Charles de Foucauld lived among Muslims in North Africa, showing profound respect for their faith while remaining firmly Catholic. He never converted a single person but laid groundwork for dialogue and mutual understanding between Christians and Muslims. His witness demonstrates that one can hold firmly to Catholic truth while appreciating elements of truth in other religions. More recently, Saint John Paul II made ecumenism and interreligious dialogue central to his papacy. He met with leaders of other Christian churches and with representatives of non-Christian religions. He asked forgiveness for Catholic sins that contributed to division and encouraged Catholics to work tirelessly for unity. His example shows that ecumenical commitment need not compromise Catholic identity but rather expresses it fully. These saints and many others demonstrate that faithfulness to Catholic teaching can coexist with charity toward those who disagree, respect for conscience, and commitment to dialogue.

The Eschatological Dimension

Catholic teaching about unity includes an eschatological dimension, meaning that perfect unity belongs ultimately to the fullness of God’s kingdom. While Christians must work for greater unity now, complete unity will come only when Christ returns and gathers all the elect into the heavenly Jerusalem. This perspective helps Catholics maintain hope despite slow progress toward unity. It also prevents both unrealistic expectations and discouragement. Some Christians expect that sufficient dialogue and effort will produce visible organizational unity in the near future. This expectation can lead to disappointment when disagreements persist. Other Christians despair of any progress and stop working for unity. The eschatological perspective avoids both extremes by recognizing that unity is both already and not yet. Christ has already given unity to His Church, and this gift cannot be lost. Yet the full manifestation of unity awaits the end of time when the Church will exist without spot or wrinkle. In the meantime, Christians experience partial unity, work for greater unity, and trust God to complete what He has begun.

The Book of Revelation describes the heavenly Jerusalem as having walls with twelve foundations bearing the names of the twelve apostles. This image connects the Church’s earthly apostolic foundation with her heavenly fulfillment. The diversity of the redeemed will be maintained and transfigured in heaven. People from every nation, tribe, people, and language will stand before the throne of God. The Church’s catholicity reaches its perfection in gathering all peoples into one. The Catechism teaches that the Church is ultimately one, holy, catholic, and apostolic in her deepest and ultimate identity because the Kingdom of heaven already exists in her and will be fulfilled at the end of time. The kingdom has come in the person of Christ and grows mysteriously in hearts of those incorporated into Him until its full eschatological manifestation. Then all those Christ has redeemed will be gathered together as one People of God. This future hope should motivate present effort rather than encouraging passivity. Because we know God wills unity and will bring it about, we work confidently for greater unity now, even when progress seems slow or difficult.

Conclusion

Christ’s promise of unity to His Church remains valid despite the reality of disagreements among Christians. Understanding how these two truths coexist requires careful attention to what unity means, how sin affects human relationships, how Scripture portrays early Church conflicts, and what the Catholic Church teaches about unity and division. Unity does not mean uniformity or the absence of legitimate diversity. The unity Christ promised exists in essential bonds of faith, sacraments, and authority rather than in agreement about every question. Human free will and sin create conditions for disagreement and division, not because unity is impossible but because people resist God’s grace. The early Church experienced serious disagreements yet maintained unity through authoritative decision-making guided by the Holy Spirit. The Catholic Church believes Christ’s promised unity subsists in her while recognizing elements of truth and sanctification in other Christian communities. Working for greater unity requires prayer, conversion, dialogue, and collaboration while maintaining integrity of faith. Saints throughout history have modeled how to combine firm conviction with charity toward those who disagree. Finally, perfect unity belongs to the eschatological fulfillment of God’s kingdom, though Christians must work for greater unity in the present. This comprehensive understanding helps Catholics appreciate both the gift of unity already possessed and the task of unity still to be accomplished. It also provides a framework for living faithfully amid persistent disagreements while maintaining hope that Christ’s prayer for unity will ultimately be answered through the Holy Spirit’s work in human hearts and Christian communities.