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I
PAGE 2—The Southern Cross, December 3, 1964
Summary Of Constitution On The Church
^ : mio nf the Blessed Virein forth to a new
(CONTINUED FROM
LAST ISSUE)
The fourth chapter, on the lai
ty, declares that 1 a y people
“are by baptism made one body
with Christ and are constituted
among the People of God; 'they
are in their own way made
sharers in the priestly, prophet
ical, and kingly functions of
Christ; and they carry out for
their own part the mission of
the whole Christian people in
the Church and in the world.”
The constitution goes on to
say:
“The laity, by their very vo
cation, seek the kingdom of
God by engaging in temporal
affairs and by ordering them
according to the plan of God.
They live in the world, that is,
in each and all of the secular
professions and occupations. In
this way they may make Christ
known to others, especially by
the testimony of a life resplen
dent in faith, hope and charity.
“Therefore, since they are
tightly bound up in all types of
temporal affairs it is their spe
cial task to order and to throw
light upon these affairs in such
a way that they may come into
being and then continually in
crease according to Christ fo
the praise of the Creator and
the Redeemer.”
The council document cites
the teaching of St. Paul and
declares: “There is, therefore,
in Christ and in the Church no
inequality on the basis of race
or nationality, social condition
or sex.”
As “the laity have Christ for
their brother,” the constitution
states, so too do they have as
brothers the other members of
the Church, including the priests
and bishops. Then it states:
“The laity are gathered to
gether in the People of God and
make up the Body of Christ un
der one head. Whoever they are
they are called upon, as living
members, to expend all their
energy for the growth of f he
Church and its continuous sanc
tification, since this very ener
gy is a gift of the Creator and
a blessing of the Redeemer . . .
“The laity are called in a spe
cial way to make the Church
present and operative in these
places and circumstances where
only through them can it because
the salt of the earth. Thus ev
ery layman, in virtue of the
very gifts bestowed upon him,
at the same time a witness and
a living instrument of the m ; s-
s:on of the Church itself . . .”
The council stresses that
Christian laymen cannot separ
ate their daily life from their
religion: “All their works, pray
ers and apostolic endeavors,
their ordinary married and fam
ily life, their daily occupations,
their physical and mental re
laxation, if carried out in the
Spirit, and even the hardships
of life, if patiently borne — all
these become ‘spiritual sacrific
es acceptable to God through
Jesus Christ.’ Together with the
offering of the Lord’s Body,
they are most fittingly offered
in the celebration of the Eu
charist. Thus, as those every
where who adore in holy activi
ty, the laity consecrate t h e
world itself to God.”
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Concerning the advancement
of brotherhood in Christ, the
constitution declares:
“The faithful, therefore, must
learn the deepest meaning and
the value of all creation, as
well as its role in the harmoni
ous praise of God. They must
assist ‘each other to live holier
lives even in their daily occupa
tions. In this way the world
may be permeated by the Spir
it of Christ and it may more
effectively fulfill its purpose in
justice, charity and peace.
“The laity have the principal
role in the overall fulfillment of
this duty. Therefore, by their
competence in secular training
and by their activity, elevated
from within by the grace of
Christ, let them vigorously con
tribute their effort, so that cre
ated goods may be perfected by
human labor, technical skill and
civic culture for the benefit of
all men according to the design
of the Creator and the light of
His Word.
“May the goods of this world
be more equitably distributed
among all men, and may they
in their own way be conducive
to universal progress in human
and Christian freedom. In this
manner, through the members of
the Church, will Christ progres
sively illumine the whole of hu
man society with His saving
light.”
Concerning the promotion of
atheism, the council Fathers
have this to say:
“Thai* ominous doctrine which
attempts to build a society with
no regard whatever for religion,
and which attacks and destroys
the religious liberty of its citi
zens, is rightly to be rejected.”
,The document recognizes that
lay people not only have a right
to speak out about the affairs
of the Church, but states that
sometimes they have a duty to
do so. It says:
“The laity have the right, as do
all Christians, to receive in a-
bundance from their pastors the
Spiritual goods of the Church
especially the assistance of the
word of God and of the sacra
ments. They should openly re
veal to them their needs and
desires with that freedom and
confidence which is fitting for
children of God and brothers in
Christ.
“They are, by reason of the
knowledge, competence or out
standing ability which they may
enjoy, permitted and sometimes
even obliged to express their
opinion on those things which
concern the good of the Church.”
But the constitution states
that when the need to speak
out arises, it must be done “in
truth, in courage and in pru
dence, with reverence and chari
ty . .
Chapter V of the constitution,
entitled “The Universal Call to
Holiness in the Church,” states
as a principle that “the follow
ers of Christ are called by God,
not because of their works, but
according to His own purpose
and grace.” Thus all members
of the Church have been warn
ed by St. Paul “to live ‘as be
comes saints.’ ...
“They must devote themselves
with all their being to the glory
of God and the service of their
neighbor.”
The chapter makes this point
about priests’ relationships to
their bishops:
“All priests, and especially
those who are called ‘diocesan
priests,’ due to the special title
of their ordination, should keep
continually before their minds
the fact that their faithful loy
alty toward and their generous
cooperation with their bishop is
of the greatest value in their
growth in holiness.”
The document treats of the
call to holiness of both married
couples and the single and wid
owed. It states:
“Married couples and Chris
tian parents should follow their
own proper path (to holiness)
by faithful love. They should
sustain one another in grace
throughout the entire length of
their lives. They should imbue
their offspring, lovingly welcom
ed as God’s gift, with Christian
doctrine and the evangelical
virtue. In this manner, they of
fer all men the example of un
wearying and generous love: in
ARMENIAN RITE Mass was celebrated in St. Peter’s basilica (Nov. 18) by Armenian
Patriarch Ignace Pierre XVI Batanian in the presence of Pope Paul VI and the council
Fathers. (NC Photos)
this way they build up the bro
therhood of charity . . .
“A like example, but one giv
en in a different way, is that
offered by widows and single
people, who are able to make
great contributions toward holi
ness and apostolic endeavor in
the Church.”
Chapter VI, on Religious, de
clares that religious communi
ties “offer their members the
support of fraternal association
in the militia of Christ and of
liberty strengthened by obedi
ence.”
Praising the evangelical coun
sels of poverty, chastity and
obedience, it states:
“All men should take note
that the profession of the evan
gelical counsels, through entail
ing the renunciation of certain
values which are to be undoubt
edly esteemed, does not detract
from a genuine development of
the human persons, but rather
by its very nature is most bene
ficial to that development.
“Indeed the counsels, voluntari
ly undertaken according to each
one’s personal vocation, con-
ribute a great deal to the purifi
cation of heart and spiritual
liberty . . . Let no one think
that Religious have become
strangers to their fellow men or
useless citizens of this earthly
city by their consecration.”
Chapter VII of the constitu
tion concerns the Church’s move
ment toward full unity with
Christ in heaven, and the pres
ent union that exists between
OUTLINED
Council Document
On Marriage
by Patrick Riley
(N.C.W.C. News Service)
VATICAN CITY—The sugges
tions for canonical legislation on
marriage which the council has
sent to Pope Paul VI for his
own consideration take up little
more than two pages of printed
text.
But if accepted and enacted,
they could give the Church’s
matrimonial laws a much mild
er countenance.
All so-called “minor” impedi
ments to marriage would be
suppressed.
Future legislation on marri
age between Catholics and bap
tized non-Catholics, or between
Catholics and unbaptized per
sons, would be oriented along
the council’s guidelines on ecu
menism.
The legal procedure in marri
age cases would be streamlin
ed. All persons would be assur
ed the help of a qualified law
yer without cost.
The original schema on mar
riage was drawn up in 1963 dur
ing the interim between the
council's first and second ses
sions. The Commission on Dis
cipline of the Sacraments pre
pared this document by synthes
izing the extensive studies on
marriage carried out by its pre
decessor, the preparatory com
mission.
However, in January of 1964,
the Coordinating Commission
decided to reduce the schema to
a simple series of suggestions
for reform of the Church’s law
on marriage. Such reform would
be determined by the demands
of the care of souls, or what is
called the pastoral ministry.
Marriage as a sacrament * is
not treated in detail by this set
of suggestions. However, the
sacrament of Matrimony is
touched upon by the council's
documents on the nature of the
■Church, on the apostolate of the
laity, and on the Church in the
modern world.
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The present text is divided in
to three parts:
The first part recalls a num
ber of basic principles, such as
matrimony’s sacred character
and holiness of marriage con
tracted between two baptized
persons as members of Christ.
Their union can be close^ re
lated to Christ’s union with His
Church, it says.
It touches on the Church’s
competence in safeguarding the
integrity of the sacrament of
Matrimony and its consequent
right to make laws on marri
age.
The second part offers guide
lines for a revision of Church
law in view of the needs of our
times, especially those created
by more fluid emigration and
the emergence of new states.
It suggests suppression of mi
nor impediments, among which
are consanguinity in the third
degree of the collateral line, af
finity in the second degree of
the collateral line, and spiritual
relationships arising from spon
sorship in Baptism or Confir
mation.
It recommends simplification
of the formalities required for
marriage in the presence of a
priest authorized to bless the
marriage. The local bishop will
have closer control over the so-
called extraordinary form of
marriage, that is, when t h e
presence of a priest is impos
sible.
The third and last part urges
pastors of souls to regard prep
aration for marriage as a seri
ous duty of their ministry. Pas
tors should seek the collabora
tion of other priests or compe
tent lay persons, both men and
women, in this instruction and
preparation for marriage. They
should try to know the engaged
couple personally in order to
strengthen them in Christian
faith and Christian living.
Pastors should carefully car
ry out the required premarriage
investigation and never permit
a marriage unless they are ful
ly convinced that both parties
have given full consent. They
should make sure the marriage
ceremony reflects the deep
meaning of sacrament, allowing
those at the ceremony to par
ticipate actively in the liturgy.
. Pastors should continue their
interest in the couple even af
ter their marriage, counselling
them on new problems that will
arise in the education of their
children.
the earthly and the heavenly
Church.
The chapter opens, by noting
that the Church will obtain its
full perfection only in heaven.
Yet at the same time it ob
serves that this restoration has
already begun in Christ, who
“sitting at the right hand of
the Father ... is continually
active in the world that He
might lead men to the Church
and through it join them to
Himself and that He might
make them partakers of His
glorious life by nourishing them
with His own Body and Blood.”
Until this final unity is a-
ichieved, however, the Church
will remain a pilgrim Church
tied to the world and dwelling
among suffering creatures.
Those who belong to the earth
ly Church must be constantly
vigilant and should look for
ward to heaven with faith and
hope.
The chapter then declares
that all the faithful, whether on
earth, in purgatory or in heav
en, are “in various ways and
degrees’’ united with each other
in the charity of God. The un
ion of those who are living and
those who have died “is not in
the least weakened or interrupt
ed,” but on the contrary “is
strengthened by a communica
tion of spiritual goods.” Those
who are in heaven, the consti
tution states, “establish the
whole Church more firmly in
holiness, lend nobility to the
worship which the Church of
fers to Giod here on earth and
in many ways contribute to its
greater edification.”
The constitution declares that
those in heaven, the saints and
the angels, constantly intercede
for those on earth. On the oth
er hand, the earthly Church
continually looks toward the
saints for inspiration, and “still
more in order that the union of
the whole Church may be
strengthened in the Spirit by
the practice of fraternal chari
ty-
“For just as Christian com
munion among wayfarers brings
us closer to Christ, so our com
panionship with the saints joins
us to Christ, from whom as
from its fountain and head is
sues every grace and the very
life of the People of God.” And
this unity, the chapter continues,
is best expressed and achieved
in the liturgy of the Church.
In closing, the chapter warns
that “any abuses, excesses or
defects” which have crept into
the veneration of the saints
should be corrected. The faith
ful should be instructed that
the veneration of saints “con
sists not so much in the multi
plying of external acts, but ra
ther in the greater intensity of
our love . . .’’ On the other
hand, it should also be made
known that the veneration of
saints in no way detracts from
the higher worship we owe to
God.
The eighth and final chapter
of the constitution turns to the
Blessed Virgin. In an introduc
tion to the subject, Mary is de
scribed as “a preeminent and
singular member of the Church,
and as its type and excellent
exemplar in faith and charity.”
The introduction also carefully
notes that the council “does not
. . . have it in mind to give a
complete doctrine on Mary, nor
dees it wish to decide those
questions which the work of
theologians has not yet fully
clarified.”
The introduction states that
“those opinions” which are not
considered in the constitution
and which are propounded by
various schools “may be law
fully retained . . .”
The chapter next takes up
the role of the Blessed Virgin
in the economy of salvation,
noting that she is prefigured in
many of the women of the Old
Testament. Most specifically
she is a second Eve who
brought life into the world just
as Eve brought the spiritual
death of sin. Like the Church,
Mary was pure and obedient to
God, working with Him in the
mystery of redemption. The
chapter cites many instances in
which Mary cooperated with
God’s will before, during and
after the earthly life of her
Son.
“Taken up to heaven, she did
not lay aside this salvific du
ty,” the chapter states, “but by
her constant intercession con
tinued to bring us the gifts of
eternal salvation.” Because she
continues to help those on earth,
she is invoked under the titles
of Advocate, Auxiliatrix, Adju-
trix and Mediatrix.
However, the constitution not
es that this action of Mary does
not a d d or detract anything
from Christ. It declares that
there is but one mediator be
tween man and God, and that
is Christ.
Her salvific influence does not
flow from inner necessity but
from divine pleasure. ’’It flows
from the superabundance of the
merits of Christ, rests on His
mediation, depends entirely on
it and draws all its power from
it. In no way does it impede,
but rather does it foster the
immediate union of the faithful
with Christ.”
The constitution observes that
St. Ambrose taught that Mary
is a “type” of the Church, since
she brought Christ into the
world. “The Church indeed, con
templating her hidden sanctity,
imitating her charity and faith
fully fulfilling the Father’s will,
by receiving the word of God
in faith becomes herself a mo
ther.”
“By her preaching she brings
forth to a new and immortal
life the sons who are born to
her in baptism, conceived of the
Holy Spirit and born of God.
She herself is a virgin,, who
keeps ’ the faith given to her by
her Spouse whole and entireg^^
Imitating the mother of h
Lord, and by the power of the
Holy Spirit, she keeps with vir
ginal purity and entire faith, a
firm hope and a sincere chari
ty.”
The chapter next takes up,
the veneraton of the Blessed
Virgin in the Church .It ob
serves that the cult of the Bless
ed Virgin goes back to the ear
liest Church, but that it has al
ways differed essentially from
the adoration offered to Christ.
The constitution urges a con
tinuation of this cult, but at the
same time warns against “false
exaggerations” and “narrowness
of mind in considering the sin
gular dignity of the Mother of
God.”
Preachers and theologians are
exhorted % to “keep away from
whatever, either by word or
deed, could lead separated
brethren or any other into er
ror regarding the true doctrine
of the Church. Let the faithful
remember moreover that true
devotion consists neither in ste
rile or transitory affection, nor
in a certain vain credulity, but
proceeds from true faith . . .’’
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