Nothing quoted above is meant to denigrate our Orthodox and Protestant brothers and sisters. Unlike some others we believe our separated friends can and are saved, although we also feel they are mistaken at times. However, people forget that the very existence of scripture, its preservation and transmission, as well as the core doctrines shared by virtually all Christians came long before the Reformation. These truths were proclaimed and practiced for centuries in the Roman Catholic Church though the action of the Holy Spirit, who continues to teach and guide us within that Church. Sometimes people criticize the Roman Catholic Church for various problems and even crimes that existed in the past.
Every human institution consists of good people and bad people.
It is illogical to condemn an entire institution because of the bad behavior of some of its members. Nor was it entirely one sided, as could be seen from a history of English persecution of Roman Catholics. Finally, all those people have gone to judgment and it is time to move on, to share as common ground the search for truth. The Roman Catholic Church is the only institution or organization that has existed continuously from Ancient time down to the present. It has survived Roman persecution, barbarian invasion, the growth of ignorance in the Dark Ages, Muslim invasion, political turmoil and secular efforts to dominate it or limit its power.