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a DEFINES BISHOPS’ ROLE THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1964 GEORGIA BULLETIN PAGE 3 * v * 'i * Church Constitution Completes Program GREETING U. S. Bishops in Rome, Pope Paul VI talks with Bishop Francis F. Reh, rec tor of the North American College. Awaiting their turns to speak with the Pontiff are Bishops Robert F. Joyce of Burlington, Vt.. and Walter W. Curtis of Bridgeport. Conn., while (extreme left) Msgr. Paul Marcinkus, a Chicago priest working in the papal Sec retariat of State introduces the prelates. VATICAN CITY— With its dogmatic Constitution on the Nature of the Church, the Sec ond Vatican Council has com pleted the program of the First Vatican Council, thus blurring the distinction between the two councils and virtually making them a unified whole. The outstanding doctrine in this declaration on the Church is the doctrine which was left in the inkwells of the First Va tican Council: the role of the bishops in the Church. Where the first council defined the pri macy and infallibility of the Pope, the second teaches that the Church's bishops succeed the apostles in a college or sta ble group which is headed by the Pope and with him has su preme and full power over the universal Church. The constitution gives this teaching in its third chapter. The subjects of the seven otherchapters are as follows: First chapter, the mystery of the Church. Second chapter, the People of God. Fourth chapter the laity. Fifth chapter, the universal call to holiness in the Church. Sixth chapter, Religious. Seventh chapter, the eschato logical nature of the pilgrim Church and its union with the Church in heaven. Eighth chapter, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, in the mystery of Christ and the Church. THE constitution is so rich in doctrine it defies condensa tion. But here is a sketch of its contents. The brief introduction ex plains that the council desires to give a fuller explanation of the inner nature and universal mission of the Church. This explanation is addressed not only to the Church's . faithful but to 1 the whole"world.' The fist chapter, on the mys tery of the Church, describes a fore shadowing of the Church from the very beginning of the world. It traces preparations for the Church in the people of Israel and the Old Covenant. “IN THE present era of time the Church was constituted. . . At the end of time it will gloriously achieve completion when. . . all the just . . . will be gathered together with the Father in the universal Church." The document then refers to the Church as "the Kingdom of Christ now present in mys tery." The constitution says "in the Old Testament the revelation of the kingdom is often conveyed by means of metaphors. In the same way the inner nature of the Church is now made known to us in different images. Taken either from tending sheep or cultivating land, from buiding or even from (family lifeandfrom husband and wife, the images receive preparatory shaping in the books of the Prophets." THE document then lists some of these images; asheep- fpld whose one door is Christ; a flock of sheep; a piec<. of land to be cultivated; a vine yard; the building done by God; the house of God in which His family dwells; the Holy Temple into which we on earth are built as living stones; our mother; the spotless spouse of the Lamb. Going beyondthesefigures, - the constitution says that "by- communicating His spirit Christ made His brothers, who were called together from all nations, mystically the compon ents of His own Body. "In that Body the life of Christ is poured into believers who, through the sacraments, are united in a hidden and real way to Christ who suffered and was glorified." The constitution then explains the function of baptism and of the Eucharist in uniting the members of the Church. AFTER .explaining, that Christ is the head of this Body which is the Church, the consti tution says, “He has shared with us His spirit who, exist ing as one and the same Being in the Head and in the members, gives life, unifies and moves through the whole body." The Holy Spirit does this in such a way that "His work could be compared. . . with the func tion which the principle of life, that is, the soul, fulfills in the human body." CHRIST established and sust ains His Church as "the com munity of faith, hope and char ity, as an entitiy with visible delineation. . . Mystical Body of Christ are not to be consid ered as two relaities, nor are the visible assembly and the spiritual community, nor are the earthly Church and the Church enriched with heavenly things; rather they form one complex reaity which coalesces from a divine and a human ele ment." The council noted that Christ carried out His work of redem— tion in poverty and oppression, and the Church is called to fol low the same path. "THUS the Church, although it needs human resources to carry out its mission, is not set up to seek earthly glory but to proclaim, even by its own example, humility and self sacrifice." While Christ was utterly un defiled and came solely to ex piate sins of others, the Church “embracing sinners in its bos om, holy and at the same time always in need of purification, follows the endless path of pen ance and renewal." The second chapter, on the People of God, begins by de claring that God does not sanc tify and save men merely as isolated individuals. "Ithasra- .ther pleased Him to bring men to gather as one people, a people which acknowledges Him in truth and serves Him in holiness." God therefore chose the race of Israel, made a covenant with it, taught it and prepared it. But this was a figure of the new and perfect covenant which was to be ratified in Christ, and of the fuller revelation which was to be given through the Word of God made flesh. “CHRIST instituted this new covenant, the New Testament that is, in His blood I Cor. 11, 25 , calling together a people made up of Jew and Gentile, making them one not according to the flesh but in the spirit. This was to be the new People of God." The constitution then speaks of the priesthood of the faith ful and the ministerial or hie rarchical priesthood. They “differ from one another in es sence and not only in degree." Yet they are interrelated. “Each of them in its own spe cial way is a participation in the one priesthood of Christ. The ministerial priest. . .tea ches and rules the priestly people; acting in the person of Christ he makes present the Eucharistic sacrifice and offers it to God in thename of the people. But the faithful in vir tue of their royal priesthood join in the offering of the Eu charist. They likewise exercise that priesthood in receiving the sacraments, in prayer and thanksgiving, in the witness of a holy life, and by self denial and active charity. Besides participating in the priesthood of Christ, "the Holy People of God shares also in Christ's prophetic office." The council explained that role as follows: “It spreads abroad a living witness to Him, especial ly by means of a life of faith and charity and by offering to God a sacrifice of praise." THE constitution then declar ed "the entire body of the faithful, anointed as they are by the Holy One (I John 2, 27), cannot err in matters of bel ief. They maifest this special property by means of the super natural discernment of the whole people in matters of faith when ‘from bishops down to the last of the lay faithful' they show universal agreement in matters of faith and morals." The Holy Spirit sanctifies and leads the People of God not only through the sacraments and ministeries of the Church, but by special graces or “cha- risms” which He distributes among the faithful of every rank. “But the judgment as to their genuinesses and proper use belongs to those who are appointed leadersin the Church, to whose special competence it belongs not indeed to extinguish the spirit but to test all things and hold fast to that which is good." Since all men are called to belong the new People of God, "it follows that though there are many nations there is but one People of God, which takes its citizens from every race. . . ." HOWEVER not only is the People of God composed of dif ferent peoples but also of var ious ranks. "This diversity arises either by reason of their duties, as is the case with those who exer cise the sacred ministry for the good of their brethren, or by reason of their condition and •state of life, as is the case with those many who enter the religious state and, tending to ward holiness by a narrower path, stimulate their brethren by their example. “Moreover, within the Church particular churches hold a rightful place; these churches retain their own tra ditions, without in any way op posing the primacy of the Chair of Peter, which presides over the whole assembly of charity and protects legitimate differ ences while at the same time assuring that such differences do not hinder unity but rather contribute toward it." The council dealt with the question of membership in the Catholic Church. “ALL MEN are called to be part of this Catholic unity of the People of God which im- promoting universal peace presages it. And there belong to, or are related to it in var ious ways, the Catholic faithful, all who believe in Christ, and indeed the whole of mankind, for all men are called by the grace of God to salvation." Th e council first turned its attention to the Catholic faith ful. “They are fully incorpora ted into the society of the Church who, possessing the spirit of Christ, accept her entire sys tem and all means of salva tion given to her, and are unit ed with her as part of her visible bodily structure and through her with Christ, who rules her through the Supreme Pontiff and the bishops. The bonds which bind men to the Church in a visible way are the profession of faith, the sacra ments and ecclesiastical gove rnment and communion." The council warned that he is not saved who, though part of the body of the Church, does not persevere in charity. CATECHUMENS who seek explicitly to be incorporated into the Church are "by that very intention joined with her." About non-Catholic Christ ians the council had this to say: “Th e Church recognizes that in many ways she is linked with those, who being baptized, are honored with the name of Christian though they do not profess the Faith in its entire ty or do not preserve unity of communion with the successor of Peter." The constitution lists many links between Catholics and oth er Christians: Honor of Holy Writ, aposotlic zeal, belief in God and in Christ consecra tion by Baptism, recognition of sacraments. Many also have the episcopate, the eucharist and love of the Blessed Virgin. “LIKEWISE we can say that in some real way they are join ed with us in the Holy Spirit, for to them too He gives His gifts and graces .... Some indeed He has strengthened to the extent of the shedding of their blood." Mother Church never fails to pray, hope and work for the peaceful unity of the one flock under one shepherd. "She extorts her children to purifi cation and renewal so that the sign of Christ may shine more brightly over the face of the earth." The council then turned to non-Christians. It spoke first of the Jews “to whom the testa ment and promises were given and from whom Christ was born according to the flesh." It next spoke of the Moslems “who profess Abraham's faith, along with us. of the One, mer ciful God." “NOR is God far distant from those who in shadows and im ages seek the unknown God. . . "Those also can attain to sal vation who through no fault of their own do not know the Gospel of Christ or His Church, yet sincerely seek God and, moved by grace, strive by their deeds to do His will as it is known to them through the dic tates of conscience." To proceurt the salvation of all, the Church fosters missi ons. “THROUGH Her work what ever is good on the minds and hearts of men, whatever good lies latent in the religious pra ctices and cultures of diverse peoples, is not only saved from destruction but is also cleansed, elevated and perfected unto God’ glory, the devil’s confusion and man’s happiness. “The obligation of spread ing the Faith is imposed on every disciple of Christ accor ding to his state." In chapter three, on the Church’s hierarchical struc ture and particularly on the episcopate, the council recalls the first Vatican Council's teaching on the founding of the Church by Christ, His sending fourth of the apostles, His plac ing of Peter over the other ap ostles as a permanent and visi ble source of foundation of the unity of faith and communion. “Continuing in that same un dertaking, this council is resol ved to declare and proclaim before all men the doctrine con cerning the bishops, successors of the apostles, who together with the successor of Peter, the Vicar of Christ, the visible head of the whole Church, gov ern the House of the Living God." CHRIST formed the apostles "after the manner of a college or a stable group, over which He placed Peter, chosen from among them." The divine mis sion which Christ entrusted to His apostles "will last until the end of the world" and for this reason the apostles, who had been appointed as rult- ers over the Church," took care to appoint successors." The council teaches “that bishops by divine institution have succeeded to the place of the apostles as shepherds of the Church, and he who hears them hears Christ, and he who rejects them rejects Christ and Him who sent Christ." Other key passages from the text on bishops: “AND the sacred council tea ches that by episcopal conser- ation the fullness of the Sac rament of Orders is conferred, that fullness of power which both in the Church’s liturgical practice and in the language of the Fathers of the Church is called the high priesthood, the supreme power of the sac red ministry." “One is constituted a member of the episcopal body in virtue of sacramental consecration and hierachical communion with the head and members of the body. "But the college or body of bishops has no authority unless it is understood together with the Roman pontiff, the successor of Peter, as its head. The pope’s power of primacy over all, both pastors and faith ful, remains whole and intact." “. . . The Roman pontiff has full, supreme and univer sal power over the Church. And he is always free to exercise this power. The order of bishops, which succeeds to the college of apostles and gives this apostolic body continued existence, is also the subject of supreme and full power over the universal Church, provid ed we understand this body to gether with its head, the Ro man pontiff, and never without this head. This power can be exercised only with the con sent of the Roman pontiff." "A council is never ecumeni cal unless it is confirmed or at least accepted as such by the successor of Peter; and it is the prerogative of the Roman pon tiff to convoke these councils to preside over them and to - confirm them." "THE Roman pontiff... is the perpetual and visible principle and foundation of unity of both the bishops and the faithful. Individual bishops, however, are a visible principle andfoun- dation of unity' in their par ticular churches. . . . "Individual bishops who are placed in charge of particu lar churches exercise their pastoral government over the portion of the People of God committed to their care, and not over other churches or over the universal Church. But each of them, as a member of the episcopal college and as a legi timate successor of the apost les, is obliged by Christ’s in stitution and command to be sol- icitious for the whole Church,- and this solicitude, though not exercised by an act of juris diction, contributes greatly to the advantage of the universal Church. For it is the duty of all bishops to promote and to safeguard the unity of faith and the discipline common to the whole Church. . . . “THE task of proclaiming the Gospel everywhere on earth pertains to the body of pas tors “The canonical mission of bishops can come about by legi timate customs that have not been revoked by the supreme and universal authority of the Church, or by laws made or recognized by that same autho rity, or directly through the successor of St. Peter himself; and if the latter refuses or de nies apostolic communion, such bishops cannot assume any of fice. “Among the principal duties of the bishops, preaching the Gospel occupies an eminent place. . . In matters of faith and morals, the bishops speak in the name of Christ and the faithful are to accept their teaching and adhere to it with a religious assent. This religious submission of mind and will must be shown in a special way to the authentic magisterium of the Roman pontiff, even when he is not speaking excathedra; that is, it must be shown in such a way that his supreme magisterium is acknowledged with reverence, the judgments made by him are sincerely ad hered to according to his man ifest mind and will. His m’.nd and will in the matter may be known either from the charac ter of the documents, from his frequent repetition of the same doctrine, or from his manner of speaking. "ALTHOUGH individual bis hops do not enjoy the preogra- tive of infallibility, they never theless proclaim Christ’s doc trine infallibly whenever, even though dispersed throughout the world, but still maintaining the bond of communion among themselves and with the suc cessor of Peter, they are in agreement on one position de finitively to be held." The council explains infalli bility of the Pope and infalli bility of the bishops in terms of the infallibility of the Church itself. The council said the bishops "have legitimately handed on to different individuals in the Church various degrees of par ticipation" in the ministry; pr iests and deacons. Priests, “al though they do not possess the highest degree of the priest hood," are nonetheless united with the bishops in priestly dig nity. "AT A lower level of the hie rarchy are deacons, upon whom hands are imposed ‘not unto the priesthood but unto a min istry of service*. . . “It is the duty of the deacon to administer baptism solem nly, to be a custodian and dispenser of the Eucharist, to assist and to bless marriages in the name of the Church, to bring the Viaticum to the dy ing, to read the Sacred Scri pture to the faithful, to ad minister sacramentals, to offi ciate at funeral and burial ser vices. . . "It pertains to the competent territorial bodies of bishops of one kind or another to decide whether and where it is oppor tune for such deacons to be established for the care of souls, with the consent of the Roman pontiff, this diaconate can in the future be conferred upon men of mature age, even upon those living in the marr ied state. It may also be conferred upon suitable young men for whom the law of celebacy must remain intact. UnAunance in all iti Jp’ini'i! 91 U'i written, ute w^ule it . . . Sutter & McLe!tan 1422 RHODES HAVERTY BLDG. JAckson 5-2086 WHERE INSURANCE IS A PROFESSION NOT A SIDELINE, Archbishop’s Notebook • A WORD FROM EMORY— FROM ROME One of the distinguished Atlantans to attend the Vatican Coun cil as a guest was Dr. Theodore Runyon of the Candler School of Theology. He recently attended three general congregations, as well as press briefings and press panels. I am sure that he will not mind my sharing his generous comments with you: "All in all, the three weeks proved an invaluable experience, and a chance to see church history in the making. There is no doubt but that this Council will be as significant as Trent, for it will usher in a whole new era, the extent of which we cannot yet see. “In comparing notes with both Catholics and Protes tants from the United States at the Council, I found that our Atlanta area has made some of the best progress in the "dialogue"." We are proud of our Catholic associations with Emory’s Theologians, which Fr. Theophilus McNulty, O.F.M., has cons tantly encouraged, and we are grateful to Dr. Runyon for his refreshing comments. • REBEL BISHOP (I) A fascinating biography is that of a predecessor of Bishop Thomas McDonough and mine—the third bishop of Savannah, Augustin Verot. After nine years in Savannah (1861-1870) he was transferred to the new Diocese of St. Augustine, Florida, whose Ordinary now is Archbishop Joseph Hurley. Father Michael V. Gannon, of St. Augustine, has done a docu mented and thoroughly readable account of this stalwart figh ter. It is called "Rebel Bishop,” and that he was. In the Civil War, in public and private education, in the Vatican Council, he blazed new trails. He was seldom on the popular side. About the only Catholic prelate ever to enter politics in matters not directly ecclesiastical, he openly fought the Union and its army leaders, and espoused the Confederacy. But his rather doctrinnaire defense of slavery' as not evil in itself has left a one-sided distortion of a very balanced pre late. First, we must note the voice of the Church in his ringing rebuke of slave-owners who abused their slaves; “A man, by being a slave, does not cease to be a man, retaining all the properties, qualities, attributes, duties, rights and responsibilities attached to human nature Whoever would view his slaves merely as beasts would deserve to be expelled from human society." In our times, Bishop Verot's conditions for “the legitimate possession of slaves" sound strange and unchristian. They are surely invalid in the full light of the gospel. But Verot’s care and concern for the dignity of the Negro, especially in the post war days, was real and dynamic. His white parishioners, he reminded of their failure to give the Negro a Christian educa tion. To the Negroes, he spoke of “a slavery far worse than the one from which you have just emerged the slavery' of bad habits and evil practices." Verot was answering, in fact, the naive question of so many Northern Catholics in our time; "Why did the Church ever estab lish "Negro Churches"? (1) On February 9, 1867, in his new school in Savan nah, "the two races now necessarily in presence of each other can be benefitted by proper instruction and education." (2) But on May 4 of the same year, he found that the dislike of whites for integration was matched by Negro failure to use the schools: “They may, no doubt, attend our instructions, but it is our duty to at tract them by founding fob them churches, schools and orphan asylums." A Frenchman by descent, he was a true Georgian, sharing the State’s glories and agonies. He was a rebel, but a practical one. • A CLIP IN TIME It is reassuring to have your hair-cut by a fine barber. It is exciting to find that the young fellow on the other end of the clip pers is a barbering student. But I had a new experience last week. 1 found myself at the hands and mercy of a barber-school drop out! He vowed he’d give me the best "Flat top" I ever had. I vow ed I’d never had one, and would rather fight than switch. Since we had no mirror, he was gaining ground, or rather, scalp. I was irescued, by a kindly nurse after the surrender of enough hair to fill a dozen pillows. It was at this point that I learned he had quit barber-school and was entering the Marines! If they ever assign him t6 barbering, the Marines will soon for get the horrors of Iwo Jima! ARCHBISHOP OF ATLANTA KM you Can £al ! • FRIED FLORIDA PEACHTREE AND SPRING "Where Peachtree Meet* Spring” Complete Sea Food Menu Free Parking— TrUnity 5-2288 and Your Favorite Beverage OPIN DAILY 'TILL MIDNIGHT - MEMtEft AMUICAN EXPRESS