1.
The
Second Vatican Council has envisaged a shift from a centralist and uniform to a
collegial and pluriform Church.
2.
The
college of bishops with the Pope as the head is the supreme authority & at
the service of unity of the whole Church (LG 22, EA 25).
3.
The
Church as communion of Churches (LG 23) welcomes the legitimacy of a plurality
of cultural and ecclesial diversities within the church (LG 13, GS 58).
4.
It
is particularly significant within ecumenical dialogues (UUS 80-82) and offers
hope for the ecumenical movement to reach its goals of reconciliation and unity
among Christians (LG 8, 15; UR 4-11) and to foster a sense of solidarity among
all human beings.
Introduction
The
thesis deals with the paradigm shift in the nature, self understanding of the
church a regard to its structure,
functioning and governance from an ecumenical perspective. The present structure
of the catholic church gives us a way to have a participatory church. The
thesis captures the spirit of Jesus’ prayer that – “that they all may be
one and Jesus” teaching on leadership
that – I came to serve and not to be served.
1.
The second Vatican council has envisaged a shift from centralist and
uniform to a collegial and pluriform church.
-
The institutional model gave prominence to
visible structures and the emergence of the papacy marking the beginning of centralist
and uniform attitude of the church., adversely affecting the place and function
of Bishops.
-
Local churches were mere departments of
the universal church.
Vatican
II brought a radical change by emphasizing -collegiality
over centralist position.
-Pluriformity
over uniformity
Collegial
and pluriform implies a shift from
i). Hierarchy to people
of God.
i.
Papal Monarchy(Centralist) to
Collegiality.
ii.
Universal church to communion of
churches.
Dialogue
at all levels - among bishops, b/w bishops and priests, b/w hierarchy and
laity.
2.
The Collegiality of Bishops with the Pope as the head of the supreme
authority and at the service of unity of
the whole church.( LG 22, EA 25)
Episcopal College
·
Bishops together form a permanent body
called Episcopal College.
·
Collegiality is that the power of the
episcopacy lies in the power of the community of Bishops rather than individual
bishops.
Collegiality
·
All bishops by virtue of their
Episcopal(LG 22) communion and their hierarchical communion among themselves
and the Pope as the head of the College of bishops have a corporate responsibility for
unity
of faith and communion in the universal church.
Collegiality
is expressed through
·
Consultation
·
co-reponsibility
·
Participation
·
Partnership
·
Collaboration
·
Transperancy
The Pope and the
Episcopal college
·
Pope who is the bishop of Rome belongs
to the college of Bishops and presides over it.
-
There is no Episcopal college without
the Pope.
-
Episcopal college has authority only as
far as it has Pope as its head and its member.
Magisterium
·
The teaching authority of the church.
Composition - teaching
o the college of Bishops
Pope
Councils
in Matters of faith and morals.
Role
·
Safeguard the - Faith
·
Right doctrine
·
Unity of the church.
DV 10
·
Magisterium is not above the word of
God. But is at the service of the Word.
·
It listens
to the word of God devoutely.
·
Guard
it with dedication.
·
Expounds
it faithfully.
2 types of Magisterium
– Ordinary and Extraordinary.
Petrine Ministry:
·
In Ut
Unnum Sint(1995) Pope John Paul II asks all the churches to reconsider and
redefine Papacy which should be more acceptable to all the Christian churches.
·
It is called Patrine ministry.
·
It I sacramental. ( Mt 16,18-19)
·
Divine institution (CD 2): Visible sign
of Christ.
·
It is Pastoral (Jn 21,15-17; Lg 25)
·
Strengthen and support his brother
bishops(Lk 22: , LG 23)
·
Charismatic and Service (Mk 10,45; Jn
13,3-11, EA 25)
·
Infallible in teaching – definitive
teaching.(dogmas)
·
It’s a ministry of unity.
Infalliability:
·
It literally means the absence of actual
error.
LG 25 lays down conditions for
statements of infallibility:
Ø Pope
speaking not as private person but as supreme Pontiff.
Ø Agreement
with Sacred Scripture and Tradition
Ø Agreement
with Universal Episcopate
Ø Made
with sufficient investigation before teaching.
Ø In
agreement with the present faith of the Church.
3.
The Church as communion of churches (LG 23) welcome the legitimacy
of a plurality of cultural and ecclesial diversities within the church (LG
13,GS 58)
LG 23 :
·
Individual
Bishops -
Visible Principle in their
particular churches.
Foundation
of Unity
·
Individual Bishops exercise their pastoral
governance over –
·
People of God committed to their care
·
Not over other churches
·
Not over the universal church.
Local Churches:
·
Before: Universal Church (Uniformity and
centralization)
·
Vat II: Shift from - Universalist Ecclesiology
(Rome Centered) – to communion of Churches.
Types of Local Churches
·
Canonical Understanding: - Particular is diocese.
Individual is rite.
Individual Church:
Sui Iuris = Communion within the Catholic Church.
Classification
– Own Liturgy, own rite, cultural background, Own hierarchy, spiritual
heritage, tradition,law….
Particular Church: diocese - an aggregate of church in terms of
region.
Communion within the
church:
1.
Communion among the local churches.
Local churches have their own identity.
(LG
23 speaks about the many local churches of east which have their own –
tradition , theology etc.
2.
Communion between the hierarchy and the
laity(CD 2)
3.
Communion between Pope and Bishops(LG Ch
3)
4.
Communion between priests and Bishops
Thus
within the church, communion at all levels is encouraged.
Communion outside the
church
-
Before Vat II, Catholic Church had
negative attitude – towards the world, other religions, culture etc.
-
After Vat II there is openness for
communion at different levels outside the church.
1.
Communion with other churches/
Christians
2.
With other religions ( LG 16, NA) : They
have seeds/rays/element of salvation.
3.
All cultures and the world.(GS)
World is affirmed. The church is in the world.
Church as communion welcomes the plurality of cultures and Ecclesial
diversities within the church.
·
LG 13: All people are called to belong
to the new people of God. They are present in all nations of the earth.
·
The faithful scattered throughout the
world are in communion with each other in the spirit.
·
GS 58:
the church can enter into communion with different forms of cultures, thereby
enriching itself and culture themselves.
4.
It is particularly significant within Ecumenical dialogues (UUS 80
-82) and offers hope for the ecumenical movement, to reach its goals of -
reconciliation and unity among Christian (LG 15, UR 4, 8,11) and foster a sense
of solidarity among all human beings.
Ecumenical
dialogues: WHY?
·
For long Catholic Church thought that it
was the true church and so kept away from ecumenical movement which had
developed among the non-catholic churches from second decade of the 20th
century.
·
It is a stumbling block
So
why..? Reason:
·
UR 1:
The division within the church openly contradicts the “Will of Christ”.
·
It is a stumbling block to the mission.
Therefore ecumenical dialogue(ecumenism) is important.
UUS
80-82
·
Examines the role of papacy as visible
sign and guarantor of unity while pointing out the divisions between churches
and the painful sufferings due to Papacy.
·
The principle of collegiality is a
better way for ecumenical dialogue.
·
Ecumenical dialogue raises hope for
reconciliation and unity among Christians.
LG 8: The one church of Christ – Holy,
catholic, apostolic, subsists in the catholic church.
·
(Formerly the church of Christ (is) was
the Roman catholic Church but in Vat II, the church of Christ alone rather Church
of Christ subsists in the Roman catholic Church.
·
Subsists in: marks a definitive fact that outside the Catholic
Church, elements of true church are also found like - Salvation, Grace, Truth.
·
It admits that the mystical body of
Christ( One , Holy, Catholic Church) is larger than the catholic church.
LG 15:
·
Christians who do not profess the
catholic faith in its entirety and are
not in communion with Pope but
·
They are sealed by – baptism
·
Belief in SS
·
Profess the Trinitarian Faith.
·
Receive other sacraments beside baptism.
·
Posess episcopate
·
Holy Eucharist
·
Devotion to BV Mary
They
are also joined to us in the HS.
·
UR
4 : defines ecumenical movement as – the initiative and
activity, encouraged and organized to promote Christian Unity.
·
UR
4 : Defined Ecumenical
movement as a means to foster Christian unity.
·
UR
7 : Speaks of the need for interior conversion; need to
change attitudes, mindsets etc.
·
UR
8: Speaks of
spiritual ecumenism – need for private common prayer.
·
UR
11 : speaks of hierarchy of truths, since they vary in
their relation to the foundation/ core Christian faith. Not all truths defined
by the catholic church belong equally to the core of faith.
·
There is a need to explain the hierarchy
of truths to the people.
Why do we
need ecumenical dialogue (in India)
·
We are a minority especially in India.
·
Ecumenism is a sign of unity(EA)
·
We are a small flock. We cannot be a
witness if we are not united.
·
Divisions make dialogues and
proclamations difficult.
·
Scandal of a divided church I a counter
witness to Jesus.
