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PAGE 8 GEORGIA BULLETIN THURSDAY, AUGUST 27, 1964
KEYSTONE OF COUNCIL OUTCOME
Schema On Nature Of The Church
I s Central Topic Of Vatican II
BY FATHER DONNELLY
(N.C. W. C. News Service)
VATICAN CITY— Standing
as an umbrella over the deli
berations of the Second Vatican
Council is the virtually all-in
clusive draft proposal, on sche
ma, on the nature of the Church,
It has been characterized in
numerable times as the central
subject of the council, the most
important discussion the bis
hops of the world will under
take, and the keystone on which
will depend the ultimate suc
cess or disappointment of coun
cil sessions for future genera
tions of the Church,
IT IS necessary to define the
Church properly before one
can proceed to describe and in
tensify its activities properly.
But the fact remains that thro
ughout the history of the
Church, there has never been
a clear, definite pronouncement
on the nature of the Church
which has had the effect of clos
ing the subject to the satisfa
ction of everyone.
Progress has been made
throughout the centuries. Ideas
have been developed and ex-
Oifiontait
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panded which have formed a
working basis on which to pur
sue other aspects of Church
theology. There has been a
working definition developed
at this or that time in his
tory. But always it seems such
definitions have been formulat
ed in reference to some par
ticular heresy or false not
ion which has stimulated theo-
logetlc, definition.
SUCH WAS the case during
the Reformation, when the aut
hority of the Church and its
Institutions were called into
doubt by the reformers and its
Juridical structure was at
tacked from all sides. In this
context, Robert Cardinal Bel-
larmlne, a giant of the Coun
ter reformation and the Council
of Trent, formulated the follow
ing definition:
“There is only one Church,
not two, and this one true Church
is the community of men gath
ered together by the profession
of the true faith, communion
in the same sacraments and un
der the government of legiti
mate pastors and principally
the one vicar of Christ on earth,
the Roman pontiff."
IN THIS definition, the car
dinal was stressing three speci-
aspects of the Church:
1. Possession of one true
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BY ARCHBISHOP
PAUL J. HALLINAN
With a Foreword By
Joseph Cardinal Ritter,
Archbishop of St. Louis.
The first concise guide for the
laity. An invaluable aid for
parochial groups.
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Atlanta, Ga. 30305.
faith.
2. Participation in a common
sacramental system,
3. Allegiance to one central
authority.
In other words, membership
in the Church called for a re
cognition of the three aspects
of the priestly function; to teach,
to sanctify and to rule. So ex
ternalized was this concept of
membership' in the Church that
Cardinal Bellarmlne could go a
step further and admit that
"in order that someone be de
clared a member of this true
Church, of which the Scriptures
speak, we do not think that any
interior virtue is required of
him."
WITH THIS concept there
fore, it is easier to see how
there developed in the Church
an’ emphasis on external mem
bership, on the requirement of
baptism in its external rite as
a necessity ofr salvation, and on
the Juridical power and res
ponsibility of the Church to
make laws and devise norms for
the external conduct of the Chri
stian. In some areas this con
cept became confused with the
actual pursuit of the spiritual
life.
Such extemalism has never
been admitted in principle by
the Church. Always the insis
tence has been on the spiritual
development of the soul in its
relationship with God. But in
some quarters the emphasis has
been such that many have been
confused into hoping that by ex
ternal acts alone they are just
ified in the eyes of God.
CHRIST'S teaching in the New
Testament gives the lie to this
philosophy. His striking parable
of the pharisee (the external
practioner of all the laws and
rites of the Church) and the
publican (the inner commit
ment of the soul to God in
humility and dependence) shows
what He thought of the former.
Indeed the whole pattern of
scrlptual theology points to
the one essential aspect of
membership in the Church-
love, charity and the commun
ion of the soul with the source
of all love, which is Christ.
In this framework, St. Paul
speaks of the "Mystical Body
of Christ"—a body not merely
because of some external or
ganizational linking, but a body
in the supernatural sense of
unity of function, unity of goal,
unity of thinking with Christ and
unity of love of God after the
pattern of Christ and in com
munion with Him.
THE GOSPELS, particularly
that of St. John, are filled
with this notion of love as the
bond of union and the factor es
sential to the unity of Christ
ians. Christ himself Insisted on
it: "By this shall all men
know that you are My disciples:
that you have love for one ano
ther."
In the Epistles of St. Paul
there is a further expansion of
this notion of discipleshlp. St.
Paul does not stress an exter
nal unity of Christians, or a
physical reality of membership.
Rather he casts his description
of the Church in terms of the
mystical and the sacramental-
mystical because the link is the
sharing in the invisible reality
of grace conferred through the
merits of Christ; sacramental
because this conferral of grace
is brought about through an ex
ternal manifestation.
THE CHURCH is a sacrament
in Paullfie terms, since it is
the external sign of the union
of members with their head,
Christ, and their participation
in the merits of His redemp
tion. Far from being merely
an external organization, the
Church is for St. Paul a mys
tery of unity in the charity
of Christ.
Another biblical keynote of
the Church was developed later
by St. Thomas Aquinas, who
said that the focal point of unity
in the Church is in the sacra
ment of the Eucharist. It is
called in fact the sacrament
of unity. Just as Christ is the
sacrament (external manifes
tation) of God in history and for
all eternity, so the Eucharist
is the sacrament of Christ's
presence among the members of
the Church. Essential then to
the unity of members in the
Church is their participation in
the sacrament of the Eucharist.
ANOTHER aspect of the Mys
tical Body is its ministers.
Since Mass cannot’ be cele
brated without ordained minis
ters, that unity of the mem*
bers of the Mystics}. Body of
Christ must come about through
their grouping around the
ministers and their partici
pation with thorn in the cele
bration of the Mass.
This results in a hierarchy,
or differentiation of function,
among the members and an ex
ternal grouping of the mem
bers about their priests, who
in turn are grouped around a
central high priest, or bishop.
AT FIRST there was no need
of subdivision. All ministers
were called bishops in some
areas of the Church. In others,
all were called priests. Both
fulfilled the same function. Only
as the Church expanded and the
need for further organization
became necesary were some
ministers designed as bishops,
sharing in the "fullness of the
priesthood" conferred by
Christ. Others were designated
as priests, with only a partial
share in this fullness. The bish
ops as successors to the Col
lege of Apostles derive their
authority and their power from
this succession. This power
they delegate partially to the
priests working with them.
In this concept of the hier
archy, the emphasis is on the
spiritual, with the external dif
ferentiation of function coming
as a logical consequence. The
external structure of the Church
is what it is, then, because of
the need for such a structure
to bring about the union of the
members of the Mystical Body
of Christ in the Eucharist.
THESE ideas have been dis
cussed by theologians through
out the course of history, with
shifts of emphasis on this or
that aspect, but with basic
agreement. Actual definition by
the Church, however, has been
slow, in coming and to date has
been minimal, considering the
basic nature of the subject. Thus
the concern of the present coun
cil.
The First Vatican Council in
1869-1870 was called to dis
cuss such definitions. But a
civil war in Italy forced its
recess before the council Fath
ers has finished the first topic,
the infallibility of the pope.
Therefore, the Second Vati
can Council must take up
where the first left off, using
as a starting point the defini
tion of papal infallibility pro
nounced by the first and at
tempting to pursue the impli
cations of that doctrine into
other branches of the Church-
bishops, priests, deacons, reli
gious and laity.
THE DRAFT on the nature of
the Church was first introduced
in the present council very
late in its first session during
the fall of 1962, At that time,
according to official council
press bulletins, speakers "gen
erally praised the substance
and structure of the project,"
but the draft also received much
criticism. It was sent back to
the commission to be revised,
but with the hope that it "be
considered the central work of
the council," At the beginning
of the second session on Sept.
30, 1963, the revised draft was
introduced to the council Fath
ers. It consisted of 11 chapt
ers divided into 45 points in
a 90-page manuscript.
It discussed the Church in
terms of a mystery deeper
than any external structure. It
talked about the members of this
mysterious union as the
"people of God," and then broke
them down into the hierarchy—
bishops, priests and deacons—
and the laity. It pursued the
"call to holiness" inherent in
membership in the Church. It
discussed the relationships bet
ween this mysterious union and
its contemporary and external
companion, the state,
In any event, it is certain
that with the discussion of the
council on this fundamental sub
ject, there has already come a
revival of interest in the imp
lications of Church member
ship. And certainly, the council
will have made a massive amp
lification of existing theology
on the nature of the Church.
MEMBERS of the Latin School, for boys Interested in the priesthood, are shown at the close
of this summer's session. They are. left to right, seated: Sam McQuaid, Rev. Mr. Glenn Davis,
instructor, Msgr. Patrick J, O'Connor, Archdiocesan Secretary for Education, Billy McLeer
and Gerald McBrearity. Second row: Michael Schaaf, Joseph Sullivan, Damian Whitaker, and
Bobby Reilman. Top row: Steve Courchaine, Paul Langsfeld, Pat Schliessmann, Charles Lang
ston and Paul Hudson.
NUNjmmm
USE BULLETIN
CLASSIFIEDS
Mass More Vital
FOR FAST SERVICE
- ■ , - ■ i
Kennedy
Library
con’t from page 1
terviews are with Americans
and the remainder with foreign
figures.
This project is approximately
half-finished, with 40 inter
views complete and another 150
underway. It is anticipated that
the interviews will be comp
leted by the end of the summer.
ANOTHER aspect of the Li
brary will be microfilmed cop
ies of the records of various
government agencies which are .
relevant to major decisions
made during President Ken
nedy’s Administration.
That project, conducted by the
National Archives, also is about
half-finished, with approxima
tely 1,500,000 records micro
filmed so far. This project is
expected to be completed during
the summer.
Remodeling
Frt«
Estimates & Planning
Room Additions
Kitchens Modernized
Roofing-Siding
Painting
Concrete & Block
^References Gladly Given
F.H.A. Terms
N. Atlanta Consir. Co.
23L-J5M
Than Classroom
ST. LOUIS (RNS)~ Roman
Catholic elementary and pre
school teachsrs were told here
that they sometimes "tend to
make what goes on in the chur
ch subordinate to the religion
class rather than the other
way around,"
Sister Jans Stier, ai Ursu-
line teaching nun, speaking at
the annual Liturgical Week
here, said some teachers have
regarded the rites of worship
as "doing their job whether the
people were aware of what was
going on or not. And so it
was the religion class where
the truths of the faith were made
meaningful,"
SHE said that the renewal in
sacramental theology demands
that the religious formation at
home and school lead the child
to deeper personal involvement
in the actual celebration of the
sacraments,
SHE said that modem psy
chology proves "what the
writers of Scripture always
knew—man is all one.
“You cannot separate him
into parts. What he hears
forms his thoughts, what he
thinks governs his actions."
Holy Land
Tour Set
Christmas
Alitalia Airlines has an
nounced a special Christmas
pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
Departming from New York De
cember 13, pilgrims will
visit Rome, Cairo, Jerusalem,
Bethlehem, Jericho, Samaria,
Haifa, Ain Karem, Nazareth,
Tiberias, Caphamaum, Mt. Ta
bor, Mt. Carmel, and Tel Vlv.
Christmas eve and day will be
spent in Jerusalem.
THE all-inclusive rate of
$1058 includes transportation
by Alitalia, hotels, mostmeals,
sightseeing, transfers, etc.
Further information for this un
ique 17-day trip is available
from the Catholic Travel Office
in Washington, D. C. or Ali
talia Airlines, 666 Fifth Ave
nue, New York City.
ARCHBISHOP Joseph M.
Cordlero of Karachi. Pakis
tan. leader of the Catholic
hierarchy in that predomin
antly Moslem country.
"Our children," she said,
"will never really grasp their
oneness with the other num
bers of the family of God un
til what they see in their
parish church makes this
fact of oneness evident,"
English Mass
Is Offered
con’t from page 1
guide for the future for dioceses
across the nation.
Convention deliberations be
gan the same night with a wel
come by Joseph Cardinal Rit
ter, host bishop and one of the
42 members of the ecumenical
council's liturgy commission.
The Cardinal read a personal
message sent by Pope Paul VI
for the occasion. He voiced a
special welcome to the many
on hand representing other
faiths.
Father Gerard S, Sloyan,
president of the Liturgical Con
ference and head of the depart
ment of religious education at
the Catholic University of
America, also extended a wel
come to other Christians and to
"our Jewish friends,.here as
our elder brothers."
The main address of the open
ing session was given by Fath
er Gregory Baum, O.S.A., of
the theological faculty of St.
M.chael's College, Toronto,
who is a consultant to the Vat
ican Secretariat for Promoting
Christian Unity,
Speaking on the subject, "Why
There Was a Council," he be
gan by stating surprise that the
recent papal encyclical, Ec-
clesiam Suam, was not well re
ceived by the press, "Yet in it,"
he said, "Pope Paul expresses
his mind in a terminology and
with a methodology which are
proper to contemporary Cath
olic thought. Ecclesiam Suam is
a wholly modern document."
Voting
Change
con’t from page 1
lications containing immoral
pictures and literature.
In other business, six mem
bers of the K of C board of
directors were re-elected and
two new members were
maned,
Ke-elected to three-year
terms were John H, Griffin
of Hugesville, Md.; D, Fran
cis Sullivan of New Haven,
Conn.; Francis J. Heazel of
Ashville, N.C.; Harold J, Lam-
boley of Monroe, Wis.; Gerald
J. Lunz of Hamilton, Ontario,
and N.A, Quintanilla of San
Antonio, Texas.
DANIEL L, McCormack of
Maplewood, N.J., was named
to complete the unexpired two-
year term of the late Supremo
Knight Luke E, Hart who died
in February, Jose Cardenas
Stilie of Mexico City was elect
ee to a three-year term.
In 1965, the Supreme Coun
cil wili nutt at Baltimore,
DYNAMIC DEKALB DESERVES
ENERGETIC-
) LEADERSHIP
ILECT
ARNOLD L.
(DONALD
SENATOR - 43rd DISTRICT
DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY September 9
LIKE TO BEAD OUR MAIL?
CHILDREN WRITE THE MOST WONDERFUL LETTERS.
Here are some samples:-
T am Dorothy Krug. I am giving
.vou money (65c) to buy things for
lepers. This is out of my allowance.
I will try to send more money when
I (ft it." . . . "Dear Monst(nor:
This year we (aye a benefit show
Cm Ja for your Heston*- There was en act
titled. '*The Mosquitos. America's
Answer to the Beetles." Admission
was 3c. A total of $3 was made,
which is enclosed." (Signed: Priscil
la, Tamara, Dennis, Rodney) . . •
„ . - . . u .. j,. "Dear Monsignor: We found 31 on
Tbt Holy Ptibtr i Minion Aid ^ sfdewaVla. Please use it for the
for tbt Ori**ial Cbatcb poo,./. (Signed: Bob and Jim) . . .
Innocent and full of lore, ehildren like these are generous. Our
Lord said we must be childlike to enter the Kingdom of Heaven
. . . Six Sisters of the Visitation, who teach the ealechism to
poor children in PALATHURUTH, INDIA, need 32.200 urgently
for bedrooms and a chapel. Can you spare $1. 35, 310, 3100,
or 32.200 to help the Sisters along?
God will reward you generously.
Please send it now.
WORLD ON A SHOESTRING
THE CATHOLIC NEAR EAST WELFARE ASSOCIATION
was established in 1926 by the American bishops lo support
mission activity in 18 underdeveloped countries, some of them
In the Holy Land itself. It’s a far-flung mission world—and
we’re holding it by a shoestring. That’s why your help is so
important
□ 32—Buys a blanket for a Bedouin.
□ 33—Cares for an orphan In Bethlehem for one week.
□ 35—New shoes for a native Sister in Ethiopia.
□ 37—Supports a priest in Iran for one week.
□ 310—Feeds a Palestine refugee family for one month.
□ 325—A crucifix for a mission church In India.
□ $100—A Mass kit for a mission Church in Syria.
ANTS AT WORK
WHITE ANTS HAVE EATEN the coeoa-leaf roof of St.
Anthony** Church In MACH AD, one of the poorest Tillages
In southern INDIA. To replace the roof, thus saving the church.
Father Jacob Ainkkal needs $350 immediately. He promises that
his penniless parishioners will pray for benefactors regularly,
YOUR 2-CENTS’ WORTH
THAT’S ALL IT COSTS to join this Association—2 cents a
day. You share in the Masses and good works of Pope Paul VI,
Cardinal Spellman, and all our Priests and Sisters.—And your
membership dues *31 a year for an individual. $5 for a family)
build churches and schools, feed orphans and the aged. In the
Holy Land itself .. . Y'ou may, of course, enroll deceased persons,
too. The offering for perpetual membership is $20 for an in
dividual, 9100 for a family.
Dear Monslgnor Ryan:
Enclosed please find for
Name
Street
City Zone State
HANOI CARDINAL PIUMAN, Pmld.nl
W«f*. In,,, T. tfM, tM'l Im>
Sand sN hmmiImIIm fat
CATMOUC NIAIt IAIT WlUAftl ASSOCIATION
39# Msdbsa Aw*, a* 4lad U. Horn Ya*. N. Y. I HIT