CAN SINFULNESS BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE CHURCH?
In answering the above question, one should consider
the Church from two aspects, that is, as a pilgrim entity and the
eschatological gift that she possesses at the same time. Many will rush to
affirm that sin can be attributed to the Church, a response which is not
absolutely wrong but cannot be explicitly true at the same time.
The sinfulness of the Church is attributed to the
individual members who resort to living a life of unrepented sins. According to
Lumen Gentium (LG 8), the Church (with reference to individual members) is in
constant need of renovation, purification and reform since she exists and lives
in a sinful world. In this regard, we can confidently say that sins of the
individual members affect the Church and that is why she has to take the blame
and responsibility of the sins committed by the leaders who are entitled to
teach her doctrines. In the real sense, it is not the Church that has sinned
but rather the individual leaders.
As such, sin in its formal nature cannot be attributed
to the Church because she does not involve herself in addressing them nor do
they affect her in any way. However, the material perspective of sin which
affects the guilt of its members makes it possible to attribute sinfulness to
the Church. This is so because some organs (members) in the Church will have
been affected by sin, thus making the Church to get involved in the entire
scenario.
In order to keep the Church safe and free from this
indirect attribution to sins, we are encouraged to confess our sins through the
sacrament of penance which is a vital instrument and ingredient for holiness.
We do believe that it is more saintly for one to repent his or her sins than
claim a false sainthood by not repenting. In other words, it is only a saint
who repents his or her sins. Through the discovery of our sinfulness, we get to
repent hence experience the divine grace of God and at the same time making the
Spirit take control or possession of our hearts. In this manner, we get freed
from sins and as members of the Church, keep her safe and free from any
attribution to sinfulness.
In conclusion, it will be a wrong idea to directly
conclude that the Church is sinful. It is better to first distinguish between
the pilgrim Church as it exists in this sinful world with its individual
members, from the eschatological gift bestowed to her by God and which gives
her the holiness. We can thus concluding that the Church is attributed to sins
only through its individual members, whether leaders or non-leaders.
***
A REFLECTION OF ECCLESIOLOGY OF VATICAN II ON THE
CHURCH AS THE BODY OF CHRIST
a) Image of
the Mystical Body:
As a mystical body, the Church is not any other
external “organ”, it is something that exists within us. We are thus reminded
of her being more than an institution or organization since it is governed and
guided by the Holy Spirit. Realizing and being aware of the Church as the
mystical body and an organization of the Holy Spirit, we get that innermost
touching and livelihood that she brings to us. In other words, we see the new
and liberating experience of the Church. The Church is a unique body,
throughout history; she has been changing from within through development but
at the same time remained the same by being enjoined to her innermost nuclear,
Jesus Christ. Through our living faith, we bring the Church to limelight. In
this same way, the mystery of incarnation is brought to life in the Church and
thus Christ, God incarnate, will always remain expressed in the Church. Christ
is the founder of the Church and all the good works that he did during his time
here on earth find fulfillment in and within the Church. If we are to find
Christ, we are first called to become members of this mystical body found on
earth, which surpasses all the temporal boundaries of race, colour and tribe;
body that embraces universality of humanity and communal co-existence and
responsibility. The Church as a body has remained identical to itself in that
despite the renewals that she undergoes in history, there is no contradiction
in her doctrines; all we see is the discovery of new ideas hence a living
continuity of within the same body.
b) Eucharistic
Ecclesiology
As the body of Christ, the Church is inseparable from
the Eucharist in which Jesus Christ is fully present in body and from which we,
as members of the Church get our nourishment. Since the Eucharist was
instituted at the Last Supper by Jesus together with his disciples, the Church
traces her roots back then and by this fact she gets the mandate to bring all
people together through the celebration of the Eucharist, just as Jesus did
during the last supper. The presence of Christ in the Church is manifested
during any Eucharistic celebration. During the celebration, Christ is one and
cannot be divided into parts and it is from this unity and indivisibility of
Christ that all local churches derive their identity of being one, holy catholic
and apostolic: This is the Eucharistic Ecclesiology.
In a nutshell, the Ecclesiology of Vatican II on the
Church as the Body of Christ partly entails the mystic nature of this body as
well as the implication of Eucharistic collectivity which acts as the uniting
factor of all the “parts” (local churches) of the One body of Christ (Universal
Church).
***
THE CHURCH AND PROCESS OF EVANGELIZATION (A REFLECTION ON THE APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION EVANGELII NUNTIANDI OF HIS HOLINESS POPE PAUL VI)
The Church by its nature and foundation is called to
be the prime agent of Evangelization. Pope Paul VI reminds us that Jesus
himself began this work of evangelization and left it in the safe hands of the
Church for continuation. However, this work is not easy since the Church exists
among a people who already have their perceptions and culture and so she has to
strive to find her way into these people’s heart without hurting their
attachment to their cultures. Each member of the Church who has been touched by
the art of evangelization has to help in the spreading of the Good News which
forms the gist of evangelization.
The entire process of evangelization has to be
centered in Jesus Christ who was sent by God the Father and it is through him
that humanity gain salvation. In other words, it is by means of evangelization
that we are heirs of salvation. This form of modern evangelization should be
aimed at alleviating human life spiritually and materially since a healthy and
sound evangelized soul should reside in a healthy and sound body.
Evangelization should be based on concrete actions which are aimed at
alleviating the people’s standard of life in all circles. The insistence is on
true liberation which gives man the freedom to feel comfortable in the world by
embracing the proclaimed faith. The act of evangelization involves transmission
and passage of that which one believes from one generation to another for
purposes of growth as well as maintaining continuity. We are encouraged to
effectively use the resources around us to facilitate this transmission. It can
be our own selves as witnesses of the Gospel, the media (radio, television,
newspapers etc), proper and continuous catechesis in the parishes and living as
an example to that which we have embraced and believed through evangelization.
Evangelization is to be done to all humanity even
those who consider themselves as non-Christians. It is a universal practice and
thus its message has to reach everyone, since all, in one way or the other are
in search of a greater and transcendental truth. The Church should beat any
obstacle and deliver the Gospel message to as many people as possible while at
the same time taking care of the already evangelized since there is a danger
that they could lose their faith and commitment if not encouraged and given
continuous catechesis in such a secular and rapidly changing world. It is the
duty and responsibility of every Christian, whether clergy or lay; in any place,
in the family, place of work, among others to take the burden of spreading the
Word. This work will be effective if guided by the Holy Spirit, done under the
unity of the ministers driven by internal zeal and love for the Gospel. There
has to be a permanent link with the saints and Mary, mother of the universal
Church in the entire work of evangelization.
In a nutshell, evangelization is the fundamental work
of the Church and has to be executed by every Christian who is baptized and
rooted in the faith. It has to be done in unity with the central figure being
Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is a universal exercise and the message should
reach all humanity, that is, both Christians and non-Christians who are eager
to know the transcendental truth.
***
THE
PILGRIM CHURCH
(A REFLECTION BASED ON CHAPTER VII OF VATICAN COUNCIL
II DOCUMENT ON THE HEAVENLY CHURCH: 48-50).
Wycliff Ochieng
When we talk of the pilgrim church, what immediately
erupts in our thoughts is the earthly church which struggles to balance between
the faith she proclaims and the fast changing world in which she is rooted with
all its challenges and difficulties. We only consider the present journeying
church, forgetting that the eschatological church is part of this church in
pilgrimage. It is worthwhile noting that
the climax or apex of the church’s achievements and good deeds here on earth
will be given meaning in the glory of God the Father when the time comes for
everything to be renewed. As far as the Church exists in this world, we are
reminded she is not perfect since she is composed of mortal and sinful human
beings who try to find spiritual meaning in their lives on a daily basis.
The Church is inclusive of both the living and the
dead. Once one dies, he or she does not cease to be a member of the Church but
rather continues to be part of this larger family. We believe that some of those
who are dead and are in heaven are given the recognition of sainthood by the Church.
Under this privilege, they pray for the earthly Church as well as receive the
petitions of her members and intercede to the Father for the good of this same
Church. It is vital to maintain the bond between the two “branches” of the Church;
that is, that of the living and of the dead since this communion brings the Church
closer to Christ. If we disregard this bond, then there is a danger to break
the unity between the saints and the earthly pilgrim Church. This union is
executed by the liturgy in which through the sacraments, the Holy Spirit’s
power is laid upon us thus making us one people celebrating God’s marvelous
deeds despite our tribe, race, gender or colour. Through the celebration of the
Eucharist, the earthly church is made to worship in the union of the heavenly
church and in participating in the holy communion we share the joy of this
great family since we honor the Blessed virgin Mary, apostles and many others
who have died before us.
In a nutshell, the
pilgrim church does not only entail the visible earthly church, but also those
members who are dead (with the saints given a special role and position). These
two branches of the Church are united by the power of the Holy Spirit laid upon
us through the celebration of the sacraments. The earthly and the heaven church
are one and there is no difference in anyway whatsoever. The pilgrimage
expressed here is of union and thus no distinction is to be made, the “two
churches” walk hand in hand towards a common goal under the influence of the
Holy Spirit. THE CHURCH AS A VESSEL OF PEACE, JUSTICE AND RECONCILIATION
A Reflection based on the
Post-synodal Exhortation Africae Munus by
Pope Benedict XVI.
 |
| Wycliff Ochieng |
This
Apostolic Exhortation is basically concerned with the Pope’s address to the
Chruch of Africa’s commitment towards promoting peace, justice and
reconciliation. Africa is considered the worst hit continent on earth when it
comes to lack of peace and calmness. People live in constant battles of war and
thus there is an urgent need, for the “African Church” to restore normalcy if
progress and other developments are to be achieved.
The
important thing to acknowledge is that building a peaceful, just and reconciled
society is a process which needs total and absolute dedication from all the
concerned parties. It involves both spiritual and material aspects of our lives
as human beings and members of the church. The first step is to be ready and
willing to embrace change of attitude and inculturation of Gospel values in our
lives as foundations for the realization of an equitable society.
The
Church, through her teachings, has the obligation to see to this process of
bringing about peace, justice and reconciliation. Each member of the church is
to participate in building this state through the different capacity and
situation they find themselves. In other words, everyone, regardless of his or
her status in the church is to work for a peaceful environment; whether clergy
or lay. As a church, we are called to be committed in making this continent a
better place to live in, not only among ourselves but also with our
environment, that is, the ecosystem. Like Jesus, we are called to have a
holistic view of having a serene atmosphere. For many people, the concept of
peace, justice and reconciliation entails the absence of war and abrasion, but
there is an extra mile in this concept which has to do with giving the best of
personal contribution under the different fields and areas of specialization.
Each individual; from the family, place of work or profession, gender among
other accidentals, has a role to play. All these efforts in committing
ourselves for a changed Africa have to be done in line with the teachings of
Jesus Christ who is the head of the Church. The Church doctrines and traditions
offer a rich source from which we can refer in dealing with issues of peace,
justice and reconciliation. We have to live in harmony with those who are not
in agreement with us in matters of faith and see them as brothers; we should
lead by examples the way Jesus Christ did.
In conclusion, all of us as church members are obliged
to establish mutual co-existence and peaceful environment in the continent of
Africa. We should not feel inferior when it comes to giving our contributions
towards the achievement of this virtue since each of us a role to play. As a
church, we are the torch bearers with the mandate to lead the way towards a new
Africa.
No comments:
Post a Comment