“Notes for Chapter 5” (PDF)
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1 Notes for Chapter 5 5–A Any cleric should identify the acts Jesus wishes him to make present for others’ salvation, and determine precisely what words and gestures will be appropriate. 2 Cor 4’s treatment of apostolic ministry, which is ministry of the new covenant that is communio in the Spirit (3.6), provides a model for clerical service. The ministry is given by God (4.1, 6). The minister is strictly a servant (4.5): “For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord with ourselves as your servants [slaves] for Jesus’ sake.” That point also is made clear by 3.3: “You show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us.” Since the content to be communicated by the minister of the new covenant is entirely from God and since the covenant itself is in the Spirit, the minister must not obscure much less alter what has been entrusted to him, and must do what he can by living a good life to make himself credible in presenting it (4.2): “We have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways; we refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.” Victor Paul Furnish, II Corinthians, AB 32A:246, says: “In v. 2 one learns what kinds of things Paul has especially in mind when he writes about the forthrightness of apostles. Expressed negatively it means not hiding shameful things, not acting craftily, and not adulterating the word of God. The latter part of v. 2 expresses the positive side of apostolic boldness. While others may act craftily and preach a false gospel, the Pauline apostolate is devoted to a full disclosure of the truth.” Fully disclosing the truth requires living in full harmony with what one preaches, and that commends one to every person’s conscience—providing that person is decent. In carrying out the responsibilities of ministry, the weakness of the minister is not so much a handicap as he might think; in a way it is a real asset for doing what he has undertaken (4.7): “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us.” If ministers were really impressive people, those they serve might focus on them rather than on Christ, credit them with the message and its benefits, be distracted by relating to them. Their very weakness makes it clear that they are only conveying what is not their own, preaching not themselves but Christ. The suffering the apostle experiences in carrying out his ministry (and that others observe him experiencing) manifests the life of Jesus present and at work in him (4.10–11); (4.12): “So death is at work in us, but life in you.” And ministers’ humility and dedication should make it clear that they are acting not out of any short-run self-interest (4.15): “For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.” Those who receive this munus need not lose heart (4.1, 16). Why not? (1) Both ministers and those served experience themselves being transformed by the Spirit (3.18). (2) Doing what God wants (avoiding episcopal wrongdoing and commending themselves to others’ consciences by exemplary lives: 4.2), ministers will be effective unless those served are blinded (4.3–4). (3) The ministry is directed toward the kingdom to come, and so the ministers’ focus must not be on present suffering and personal decline as one ages and wears out but on the glory to come (4.7–18). 2 Notes for Chapter 5 A priest should care for the sick and dying, and use the Church’s words; he should make Christ present in the bad situation, by both his actions and his words. Just as in giving homilies, a priest should not say anything unless sure beyond reasonable doubt that Jesus wants him to say it, so here—which means that priests will be conservative. The forum is for acting in persona Christi, and so if he acts without assurance it is Jesus’ will, he usurps Jesus’ forum—takes his pulpit from him. Obviously, priests should not act in persona Christi with any reasonable doubt that he wants it said or done. But that is a weak criterion. Beyond it, in important situations, a bishop and a priest should check each sentence and be confident beyond reasonable doubt that Jesus wants it said. (If this norm were followed, bishops’ pastorals and papal documents would shrink!) But what about circumstances in which spontaneity is required or reasonable? Priests should use appropriate means to assure they do not go over the line: pray to use only the words Jesus wants (and that the hearers will hear what Jesus wants heard), prepare for the occasion as well as reasonably possible, but above all have a habitual commitment to limiting themselves to faith and solid teaching of the Church and only adding what will help get that across. If priests fulfill their responsibilities in this matter, they can be confident that what they are saying is what Jesus wants said, because he would not give them the responsibility to speak for him and then leave them unable to fulfill it. But they should not utter theology or exegesis that is neither faith nor Church teaching. For instance, nobody should give my theology of sharing in divine nature, nor give the neo-Platonic theology of that, but keep close to Scripture, to other witnesses to the faith of the Church, and to examples that help people attend to that faith. In making the commitment of Christian faith, people entrust what is most valuable to Christ— namely, their very souls, and the souls of those who must depend upon their judgment in matters religious, a group that always includes their small children and sometimes includes other dependents who are incapable of either accepting or rejecting the Gospel. In making the commitment of Catholic faith, people not only entrust themselves to Christ but to the Church, whose clerical ministers they believe can act in his person. So, clerics have very great fiduciary responsibilities, not only for the Church’s temporalities and other means but for the faith of the Church, for her sacraments, for her laws, and for very souls of believers. Therefore, whenever a cleric in the exercise of the functions for which he has been ordained deliberately or negligently delivers something else in place of the action Christ wishes to make available, he betrays his trust. And if some cleric sincerely believes that what the Church has to offer is somehow defective and not what Jesus really wishes to make available, he ought to resign rather than pretend to act as a minister of the Church while proceeding as he thinks best. DV 10 relates both Scripture and tradition to the magisterium. Tradition and Scripture are a deposit, to which the bishops and faithful together hold fast, going on accepting the apostles’ teaching and way of life, celebrating the Eucharist and praying. They hold, practice, and bear witness together to what they received. The task of authoritative interpretation is entrusted to the bishops—the magisterium—“whose authority is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ.” It is not above the word of God but serves it, teaching nothing but what is handed down. 3 Notes for Chapter 5 PO 4 makes it clear that presbyters are to communicate the word to absolutely everyone, and that no matter what activity of evangelizing and catechesis they engage in, their duty “always is to teach, not their own wisdom, but God’s word and urgently to summon all to conversion and holiness.” In this regard, the job is very like that of the prophet who has the word of the Lord to convey—he would be a false prophet if he conveyed something else and claimed authority for it, and a derelict prophet if he wasted time honestly offering unauthorized advice of his own. And the goal is twofold: making the commitment of faith and fulfilling it perfectly. In the outline, 5, A, 3, b, I say that clerics should not choose words and gestures on the principle that they must please people and keep them in the Church. The cleric should try to choose words and gestures that won’t needlessly alienate people and drive them out. But pleasing and keeping in must not be the principle—for in that case he will choose by that and compromise or conceal truths that he should preach, hoping they will do good by grace. CIC, c. 834, §1, opens the code’s treatment of the sanctifying munus of the Church, saying this is chiefly by the liturgy “which is an exercise of the priestly function of Jesus Christ.” It also says: “In the sacred liturgy, the whole public worship of God is carried out by the Head and members of the mystical Body of Jesus Christ.” So, the liturgy is the action of Jesus and his people together. §2 adds: “Such worship takes place when it is carried out in the name of the Church by persons legitimately designated and through acts approved by the authority of the Church.” From this it follows that anyone who does what he/she is not designated to do, thereby fails to carry out liturgy. Anybody who substitutes for the specific acts approved by the authority of the Church, thereby replaces liturgy with his/her own personal action.