His
destiny was bound up with that of the whole
human race, though of course its
universal significance can be realized only through encounter with the kerygma and the response of faith.
It is significant that Vatican II (and also the Uppsala Assembly of the World Council of Churches) defines the church as the sacramental sign of the unity of all humanity, and also speaks of the presence of the Paschal Mystery among all peoples (see Decree on the Church, and the document on the Pastoral Constitution of the Church in the Modern World) This approach assumes that in Christianity, acknowledgment of Salvation (understood as the transcendent ultimate
destiny of
human beings) finds expression and witness in the
universal struggle for Humanization (understood as the penultimate
human destiny) in world history which is shaped not only by the forces of goodness and life, but also by the forces of evil and death.