Joseph Doré

1. Questioning oneself again on the Church

With regard to the vast and profound examination of conscience, which in the Tertio Millennio Adveniente, invites the "episcopate, clergy and faithful" to ready themselves to the Jubilee, John Paul II made efforts to expressly ask the question on the "reception of the Council, this grand gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church, at the closing of the second millennium." And, at the base of that question, he did not forget to leave a fundamental role for a reflection on the dogmatic Constitution consecrated by Vatican II to the Church itself, universal in its mystery, which is its own. He does it in these concise and intense words: "In the universal Church and in the particular Churches, is the ecclesiology of communion described in Lumen Gentium being strengthened? Does it leave room for charisms, ministries, and different forms of participation by the People of God, without adopting notions burrowed from democracy and sociology which do not reflect the Catholic vision of the Church and authentic spirit of Vatican II? (Tertio Millennio Adveniente, 36).

Without ceding to a systematic spirit, which in this seat would be completely out of place, I will examine one by one, the three points in this passage which invite us to reflect:

- the search for communion,

- the respect for a just diversity,

- the spirit of Catholicism

It is understood that, by doing this, I will not make distinctions between the different levels which can be echoed in the question asked by the Pope, and I will please myself to evoke (without exhausting each theme): the concrete life of the Church in the diversity of its members, the personal life of each believer who is also called to conversion, the realm of theology, even this absolutely susceptible, of opportune adjustments.

I would like also to emphasis, before going any further, that taking into consideration the necessity of being concise, not only do I not expect to make an exhaustive re-reading of Lumen Gentium [LG], but I will also forgo listing the citations of that document, which I will use, therefore, as a constant point of reference. I am happy, at any rate, to recommend the re-reading of it in its entirety and a deep meditation: having done this, it can be said that the situation of the Church and the world, on the threshold of the third millennium, will render it more instructive!

2. The search for communion

a) A mystery of communion

Not only is the putting into practice of the LG, unequivocal in the thirty years that separate us from its inception, but also the theoretic interpretations are still apt today.

For this, there is no doubt that one of the most important contributions made by the Council's Constitution deals with, in the scope of comprehension of the ecclesial reality, the relative insistence to its character of mystery, and mystery of salvation. The key to the comprehension of the reading of this which is the Church, consists therefore in looking at it with the optic of historic-saving, which is the same as the Scripture and which makes it appear as coming forth, by the initiative of the Father through the Holy Spirit, from the revealing and redeeming worked of the incarnate Son, who died and resurrected - and who presents it therefore essentially as a "mystery of communion."

It is more important, then, to give back the primacy to this way of looking at the Church, as much as it allows the attention of Christians to be reawakened, at least in three areas, which at the end of the century cannot but underline the decisive importance.

b) Three points of reflection

First of all, after all the profuse efforts both from "the top" and from "the bottom" to transform and improve the Church, it is opportune to restate that only God can be the "guarantor" of the Church, Christ, its foundation, and the Spirit, its cement. The numerous bodies created after the Council (think for example, in Rome, the many Commissions and Secretariats), just as the numerous initiatives taken by the Church, so many from an organization point of view, as well as in the charismatic movement, have certainly favored the vitality and the expansion of the Body of Christ; but, sometimes, they went too far, or fell on their steps, or disillusioned. That today, it could deal with recuperating the original slant or readjusting way, in any case, it can be done right only if we do not lose sight of that first reality, remembered with insistence in the first chapter of LG: if it is not the Lord to build the house, the builders work in vane; if it is not the Lord to protect the city, the guard watches in vain.

The second auspicious awakening could be tied to the new awareness of conscience of a fundamental nature for communion with the Church: there is a level or an aspect for which all its members are fundamentally equal. They can be truly united, especially because they are of the same rank, they have the same dignity, they participate to the same and sole privilege of being children of the same Father, brothers of the same Lord, temples of the same Spirit - and by consequence, united by the insignia of the same fundamental vocation of today and of the same living hope for always. If the weight, considerable in this sense, of the decisions which brought the authors of LG to issue the II chapter (on the people of God) in front of chapter III (on the ecclesiastical ministry) it was not fully explicated in the same constitution, one can think that the grand lesson was not sufficiently acquired in the ecclesial life during the last thirty years. Christians should not lose sight the fact that only their dignity as Christians authorizes them to make their "role" within the Church valid - that it can be great, as it will come up -, and certainly not just any kind of spirit of secular revindication. But at the same time they will have, no power, office or responsibility, just an ecclesiastical sense, if not in the measure of those who have them and those who enforce them in name, and together with those for whom they are exercised, according to the famous formula of Augustine "vois sum episcopus, vobiscum christianus."

Finally, the reactivating of the Church in its fundamental character of communion, long enough to make its institutional aspect superfluous, cannot but better place the necessity to underline forcibly the effective ecclesiastic conditions. The Church, especially because it is a real mystery of communion in Christ, must have the means to accomplish it as such. To acquire a more just conscience of this aspect is exactly the best way to clearly perceive the importance of the sacraments and, by consequence, the necessity of a hierarchical organization internally in the Body of the Lord. But, it is also the best point of reference to best control every temptation of organization movement, of administrative sclerosis and of bureaucratic mentality.

3. Respecting a just diversity

While being at the same time mystery and reality of communion, the Church is called to reunite, in the unity which it constitutes in the name of the Father, the Son and of the Holy Spirit, a multiple diversity: diversity of Church (particular and local) and, in the breast of each of these Churches, diversity of ministries and functions. On this point, just as on that of the reality of the Church according to the vision of LG Christians of this end of the century are called to examine themselves.

a) Diversity of Churches

We cannot consider that at the standard of a grace and richness for the entire Church the evaluation which was given, internally and after the Council of "particular" Churches - that is diocesan -. is tightly connected with the teaching given in Lumen Gentium (n. 21) on the sacramentality of the episcopate. The constitution of Presbyterian and pastoral advice, the indication of diocesan synods, the reorganization of the parishes, etc, have enormously contributed to the responsiblitzation of different members of the Church, at the same time in which it was permitted for the dioceses, the parishes and of every form of ecclesial intermediary or transversal aggregation, to adapt themselves to the new conditions of announcing the Gospel and of the life of the Church. Apart from the particular/diocesan Churches, we must also consider the importance of the most vast aggregations in "local" Churches, or better yet, let's say in groups more or less homogeneous of particular Churches, constituted on the basis of geographic and historic, linguistic and cultural elements and organized in the sphere of the Episcopal conferences on a national scale and/or (sub) continental.

Without doubt, the essential thing is to progress on the slant of these great gifts which the Holy Spirit bestowed upon the Church of the Council. However, it is necessary not to forget that every bishop constitutes part of the integral Episcopal College, or that the latter is constitutively "united to the Roman Pontiff, successor of Peter" (LG, 22). It is well known the damage caused to the Church by those who - amongst the "conservatives" as well as the "progressives" - forget these fundamental elements. It is not excluded that we have to guard carefully, also for the future, to not repeat the same errors.

b) Diversity of functions

Having said all this, the Tertio Millennio Adveniente 36 invites us also to ask ourselves if room was made for the "charisms, ministries, and different forms of participation by the People of God." The indication here, refers to all levels of accomplishment in the Church (local, particular...and universal) and deals with the diversity of functions and obligations, of services and ministries which we are called to fulfill. Without wanting to get into too much detail, I underline in particular three points.

Firstly, the "charisms," which LG deals with in the 12 chapter. It is known that these were the object of live discussions during and after the Council. We can conclude that the propositions of the Council remain valid regarding: "the need to welcome them with action and grace and spiritual joy;" but it is the work of ecclesial leaders to "judge the authenticity of such gifts and the modality of their use." Therefore, the double consignment of Paul: "do not extinguish the Spirit," certainly, but also "examine everything, and keep all that is good" (1 Ts 5, 19. 21)

Following between the "diverse forms of participation of the People of God," we can conclude that Churches well understand that the vocation of the laity, as such, inserts them in the world and that they can effectively become part of that world of authentic witnesses and actors of the Kingdom of God. On the contrary, however, it is not so clear what role they play in the Church of "ministries," real ministries but not ordained, and by consequence it would not make them neither competitors nor substitutes of priests (or deacons). Cf LG 31, 33, 35, 41. And this, probably for the future, will be a focal point for the Church. It would be a sin, we are not afraid to say, that the establishment of real drifts or the fear of effective confusion and of possible unboundings, deduct the community in the future of a type of service, the need of which becomes ever more pressing.

And finally, because of the cause of the diversity of functions and of ministries, it's necessary to add a word on deacons. With regards to this matter, the first thing that must be said is that the entire Church is invited to render thanks to the Lord for the fact that Vatican II (LG 29) reopened the possibility, for the diaconate, "to be reintegrated in its own role and permanent within the hierarchy," after many centuries of invisibility (under the form of monks). Certainly, the Fathers did not then deepen at great lengths the theological definition of this third grade of the sacrament of Ordination - and therefore there exists in the realm a true path to take for theological reflection -; and it is also certain that it is necessary to evaluate the concrete measures of the effects of this re-institution effective in all the Churches. But, up until now, we can affirm that the Church of the year 2000 cannot but gain, rendering firmly decisions of its role, in the community and in the dioceses, to this "grade of hierarchy" which had been neglected for too long. With the condition that it effectively becoming a reflection of faith, the same practice should allow for the precision of the specific character of the service that the diaconate would be allowed to offer "within the diaconate the liturgy, the word and the charity, in communion with the bishop and his presbytery."

4. The spirit of Catholicism

There remains a final point, on which, notwithstanding its importance, it will be possible to be succinct: it must be emphasized that , according to John Paul II, the search for the communion and the respect of a just diversity must be cultivate according to "the Catholic vision of the Church, [second] the authentic spirit of Vatican II" - let's say, to synthesis: in the spirit of Catholicism (LG 14).

a) Catholicism and universality

Karl Rahner strongly insisted to underline that Vatican II was the "first Council in which, officially, the Church became conscience of being Church universal." Certainly, this aspect surpasses by quiet a lot all that strictly deals with LG, characterizing the whole of the Counciliary event as such. From all of this, it is not very evident to find traces in the dogmatic Constitution on the Church, of the value of the "universality or 'Catholicism' of the people of God."

With regard to this we can say that the Counciliary Catholicism and post-Council was wanted and lived as an effective passage for a Church that remained, in many aspects, still prevailingly "western," towards an authentically universal Church. Synods of Bishops, called with regularity, aside from and beyond an internationalization still allowed by the Curia, but at the same time the impulse generalized by incultration in the light of the creations of ecclesial structures at the same time respectful and beneficiary of the diversity of human cultures, and yet still greater attention and support of the Churches of the first world in favor of those of the third world: there are many signs of diversification of Catholicism of the Church intended as a completion of its ministry of reunion of the Christian richness spread out everywhere...

And we can still speak of the efforts made to bring together the other Christian confessions, to the other religions and finally, to all this there is good, justice and truth in the world...but this is not deduced explicitly from LG.

b) Catholicism and particularity

We must not however retain that the terms Catholicism and universality equal each other purely and simply. In fact, we must not forget, as the LG reminds us, that the particular Churches are not simply administrative districts of a federation or a confederation that, being universal, because of this are valid as Church. On the contrary, every particular Church arranges itself in the prerogatives which permit it to let its faithful fully and integrally live the mystery of Christ. "In virtue of [this aspect of Catholicism], each of the parts brings to the other and to the Church full benefit of its special gifts, in a way in which each and every part of it is enriched in a mutual universal exchange, with one common effort towards the fullness of unity." There is there, a coming and going on which the members of the Church must always be put on notice. The celebration of the Jubilee 2000 can for this be a certainly, particular occasion, but also particularly significant.

Two words are all that are necessary to conclude, in that each of these postpones an entire chapter of LG. All this is said of the Church in the dogmatic Constitution which was consecrated by Vatican II, it would not make sense if it was not tied, on the one side, by "the universal call to holiness which reverberates incessantly within it" (chapter V), and on the other side with the function of "eschatological character of [a Church] on a path" (chapter VII) which does not stop living for an instant "its unity with the Church of the heavens." Holiness and hope: two words truly "jubilary, no?