Imagining the Catholic Church : structured communion in the spirit / Ghislain Lafont ; translated by John J. Burkhard ; foreword by Rembert G. Weakland.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Lafont, Ghislain.

Standardized Title:

Imaginer l'Eglise catholique. English

Language:

English

French

Subjects (All):

Catholic Church--Government.

Catholic Church.

Political science.

Catholic Church--Doctrines.

Physical Description:

xxi, 225 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Collegeville, Minn. : Liturgical Press, [2000]

Summary:

Father Lafont challenges the Church to offer a renewed image and to speak credibly, without abandoning any essentials given by God to the Church and without sacrificing the radicalism of the Gospel message. This "new evangelization" imposes certain tasks upon believers. First, we must resume the task of analyzing the secular conflict between modernity and hierarchy. Next, we must define why during the last millennium the Church has seen fit to preserve its institutions in spite of far-reaching social changes. Then, we must show how Vatican II, sometimes boldly, sometimes timidly, faced the challenge of the conflict and envisioned a new approach. Finally, we must engage our theological and canonical imaginations in an effort to formulate concrete proposals applicable to all the troubling areas for Christians today. These include marriage and the problem of divorce, religious life, local initiatives regarding mission, catechesis and liturgy, the freedom of theology, episcopal collegiality, and the reform of the electoral processes for the papacy.

Contents:

Crises in the World and in the Church 1

Open Possibilities 2

Regarding Ecumenism 2

Regarding Human Institutions 2

Regarding Evangelization 3

For More Imagination in the Church 6

Part I An Attempt at a Diagnosis of the Condition

Chapter 1 Hierarchy and Modernity: A Failure of Western Civilization? 13

The Emergence of the Hierarchical Figure in Western Christianity 13

The Contribution of Christian Revelation: The Creed 13

The Contribution of Hellenistic Culture: A Mystical and Hierarchical World 14

Plato 15

Aristotle 16

Limited Inculturation of the Church: The Acceptance of Hierarchy and Partial "Disenchantment" of the World 17

The Preference for Plato 18

Spiritual Dynamism and the View of the World 19

Institutional Images and Leading Ideas 20

Modernity: Arrival of Space Created for the Human

Exercise of Power 21

A Brief Chronology of Events 22

Conflict and Eventual Separation of the Two Worldviews 23

Declarations of the Approach of the "End" 25

The End of Modernity 26

The Close of Western Civilization 27

An End Incapable of Fresh Initiatives? 28

The End of Western Christianity? 29

Judgments 30

The World of Culture 31

Christianity 32

Chapter 2 The Gregorian Form of the Church 37

The Defense and Elucidation of Truth 38

Truth and Salvation 38

The Doctrinal Aspect 38

The Linguistic Aspect 39

The Ecclesiological Aspect 40

"Evidence" of the Truth 41

The Episcopal Function of Teaching 41

The Correction of Error 42

The Sin of Heresy and Its Condemnation 42

The Constant Elements of the "Inquisition" 44

The Primacy of the Pope 46

The Background: The Roman Empire and Its Religious Interpretation 46

The West 48

The Role of the Bishop of Rome 48

The Central Question: The Salvation of Souls 49

The Medieval Problematic: Pope and Emperor 50

The Development of the Form in Modern Times 52

The Humiliation of the Papacy 53

The Glorification of the Papacy 54

The Priest 56

The Holiness of the Priest 56

The Pope and Priests 58

The Traditional Image of the Priest: Sacramental Character and Ministry 59

The Priesthood and the Sacred 60

A Text of Pius XII 61

Toward an Evaluation 62

Part II Vatican II: Toward a New Form of the Church

Chapter 3 The Status of Truth 69

Style 70

The Forms of Discourse 70

Lumen gentium 1 and 2 70

Story, Image, Concept 72

The Meaning (Direction) of Discourse 74

Story, Time, and Truth 74

The Engagement Truth Demands 75

Reason and Faith: A New Status 78

The Human Sciences 78

On Law 80

The Exact Sciences: On Physics and Metaphysics 81

The Status of Christian Knowing 83

A Return to the Primacy of Scripture 83

Theologies 84

Dialogue 85

The Primacy of Witness 86

God Alone Saves in Jesus Christ 86

The Church, Disciple of the Truth 87

The Church, One and Plural 87

The Eschatological Quality of the Tradition 88

Chapter 4 The Church: A Structured Communion 91

Body and People 91

Expressing the Whole 91

Body 91

People 93

A Communion of Communities 94

Ambiguities and Uncertainties 96

The Holiness of the Church 96

The Mission of the Church: Subjects and Those Responsible 98

Dogmatic Constitution on the Church 17 and 18 98

Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation 7 and 8 99

Decree on Missionary Activity in the Church 5 and 6 100

The Hierarchical Constitution of the Church 101

On the Spirit and Institution in the Church 104

The Might of the Spirit 104

Might and Charisms 105

An Approach to Charisms 105

Charism, Institution, Power 106

Chapter 5 Charisms of the Christian Life: Spiritualities and States in Life 109

Descriptive Account 110

Human Situations 110

Sexuality 110

Sexual Life and Human Existence 112

The Choice of a State in Life 113

Vocation 113

Freedom, Promise, Liturgy 114

Two Proposals 114

Institutional Elements 115

Intellectus fidei et actionis 116

Organization 119

Authority 119

The Stability of Charisms of State in Life: Considerations and Problems 120

Marriage 121

Indissolubility and Instability 121

"Excommunication" and Pastoral Work 122

Penance and the Eucharist 122

The Process and the Declaration of Nullity 125

Epistemology of the Practical Judgment: Judgment, Criteria, and Procedures 126

Toward Expanding the Criteria 127

Uncertainties and Inquiries 128

Religious Life 131

Chapter 6 Christian Service: Charisms of Diakonia 135

Discernment 136

Service of the Word of God 136

Mission 136

Liturgy 137

Experts and Creativity 138

Permanence of the Reform 139

Instruction 140

Catechesis 141

Theology 142

The Charismatic Status of Theology 143

Verification and Its Institutions 144

Theology and the Clerical State 147

The Ministry of Compassion 148

The Diakoniai of Assistance 148

Spiritual Compassion 149

An Example: Hospital Pastoral Care 150

The Service of Administration 151

Conclusion: The Ordained Diaconate 152

Chapter 7 The Diversified Charism of Presiding 155

Presidency, a Charism and a Sacrament 155

Changes Initiated by Vatican II 157

Bishops 157

Authority and Community 158

The Episcopal "Character" 158

Collegiality 160

Priests 161

Breadth of Change 161

The Age of Priests 162

Celibacy 163

The Pope 166

Literary Changes 166

Doctrinal Change 167

Pastoral Change 168

Election of Leaders 169

Introduction: The Roman Model 169

The Responsibility of the Community of Rome 169

Proposals for the Composition of the Electoral College of the Bishop of Rome 171

The Election of the Local Bishop 172

The "Nomination" of Bishops 172

Proposals 173

Visits 176

"Episkope" 177

The Areas of the Exercise of "Episkope" 177

Modalities 178

Listening 178

Speaking 178

Sectors 179

Liturgy 179

Holiness 181

The Style of "Episkope:" Personal, Collegial, Universal 184

Retrievals in the Spirit of the Gospel 185

Obedience 185

Authority 186

Collegial Institutions 187

The Magisterium of the Faith: Proclamation, Theology, Defense 189

Points of Reference for an Assessment 190

The Return of Theology 190

The Tempered Permanence of the Primitive Form of the Magisterium 191

Verification of the Faith in the New Contexts of Truth and of Communion 194

The Christian Community, the Place of Truth 195

Doctrine in Testimony 196

Signed Documents 197

Definitions and Condemnations 197

The Need for Time 199

The Universal Episkope of the Bishop of Rome 199

The Primacy of Peter in the Context of Collegiality 200

The Diaconal Organization of the Primacy of Peter 202

Church and State 203

From Utopia to Reality 211

Possibility 211

Authority 212

Conditions 214

Abuses and Fear 215

Theological Foundations 217.

Notes:

"A Michael Glazier book."

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

0814659462

OCLC:

44578965