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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 MOTOR HOTEL • F-RCE PARKING • TV A AIR CONDITIONING • RESTAURANT • ICC A BEVERAGE STATIONS • CORPSE MAKER EACH ROOM C. O. Hultmy, Manager American E*orasa Credit Carat Accepted j CONE AT LUCKIE ST ( A Good Addra*% In All,ml,i 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 A FRESH JpT' seafood TO Acne t&e ie&t jidA BUD AND TOIvFS SEA FOOD 5441 PEACHTREE ROAD TELE PHONE 457-9890 CHAN1BLEE, GA.. JUST PUBLISHED! "How To Understand Changes In The Liturgy ” 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. 25< per copy. Bulk orders of 100 or more 20< Order now from: G.B. Publications, P.O. Box 11667,Northside Station, 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