Separated brethren

Separated brethren is a term sometimes used by the Roman Catholic Church and its clergy and members to refer to baptized members of other Christian traditions. The phrase is a translation of the Latin phrase fratres seiuncti. It is largely used as a polite euphemism in contexts where the terms "formal heretics" or "material heretics" might cause offense.

Since the Council of Trent, which formally condemned Protestant doctrines as heretical, the Catholic Church officially deems Protestants as material or formal "heretics", and has always taught that "outside the Church there is no salvation". However, Biblical passages like Romans 2:12-16 point to the importance of conscience in Catholic soteriology, which the Church states it has always recognized. In c. 1960 – c. 1962, preparatory work for draft texts of Second Vatican Council documents "report urged respectful use of the terms dissidents or separated brethren, in place of heretics and schismatics." After the Council, however, "that habit of unthinkingly hurling accusations of heresy at Protestants pretty much died out" in some contexts to avoid offense. Since at least the mid-1990s, the term has often been replaced by Catholics with phrases such as "other Christians".

There are similar moves to avoid offense to other religious groups. During a period of improving Catholic-Jewish relations, Pope John Paul II once referred to Jews as "elder brothers in the faith of Abraham", prior to his 1987 visit to the United States.