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The exercise of the magisterial function takes on different forms in
the Holy Father, Paul VI. There are in the first place the homilies
delivered during eucharistic and sacramental celebrations. These have a
particularly solemn value, as we pointed out on another occasion ("L'aspetto
sacramentale dell'episcopato di Paolo VI", L'Osservatore
Romano 28-29 June - 1 July 1976) because, forming one thing with
liturgical action, they communicate its supreme degree of efficacy: the
word of God, eucharistic worship and sacramental sanctification; the
magisterial function and the priestly function are one unit. There are
furthermore the addresses delivered on special occasions to various
categories of persons: in the first place, to bishops and priests, to
scholars, to men working in the various fields of contemporary life.
There are also the meetings every Wednesday with faithful coming from
all over the world. On these occasions Paul VI is accustomed to offer as
nourishment of Christian life a permanent catechesis on the various
points of faith, choosing from among those that are most important and
topical. This teaching is of special significance because of its aspect
of continuity, thus becoming part of that ordinary magisterium which
guarantees the rectitude and certainty of Catholic faith. Paul VI nearly
always takes as the subject of his discourse a formula of the Creed. In
this way it would be possible to reconstruct, around the symbol of
faith, a synthesis of the Holy Father's teaching.
In the four audiences on 27 July, 3, 10, and 17 August 1977 he gave a
concise catechesis on the Church in her characteristic as holy, catholic
and apostolic; it is useful to dwell on this.
The Properties of the Church
Referring to the article of the Nicene-Constantinople Creed which we
proclaim in the festive eucharistic celebration, "I believe in the
Church one, holy, catholic and apostolic", Paul VI described it:
"a beautiful expression, because it reviews the four essential
causes from which the Church derives her transcendent life: because of
her efficient cause the Church is apostolic, because of the formal cause
she defines herself one, because of the material cause she is catholic,
and because of the final cause we must call her holy" (L'Osservatore
Romano, 17-18 August, 1977).
In connection with these four characteristics the Pope illustrates
the traditional doctrine that sees in them the mysterious aspects and at
the same time the visible signs of recognition: "Those prerogatives
can take on two meanings: one, that of characteristic properties of the
Church, that is, ways of being, qualities inherent in the nature of the
Church; in this sense they are mysterious truths that only faith
gathers, meditates and celebrates; the other meaning, on the contrary,
is that derived from their exterior manifestation; from this standpoint
those blessed words become characteristics, that is, humanly
recognizable signs which document, to those who are able to observe them
well, the miraculous splendour of the Church" (O.R. 28 July
1977).
In this way, these prerogatives show to the experiences of the
Christian the basis for certainty in belonging to Christ's true church.
"We believe that these titles are intrinsic properties of this
great and extraordinary institution which is called the Church
because that is how Christ her founder wished her to be. Thus we know
that these properties normally appear also externally in the historical
and human life of this mystical body of Christ which is precisely the
Church, and they serve us as a guarantee that, remaining faithful to
her, we are by the grace of God on the right way" (O.R. 11
August 1977).
After the concise illustration of the value of these four words that
qualify the Church in her mysterious interior reality and in her
external manifestation and visibility, Paul VI gives a short instruction
oil each of them.
Unity of the Church
First and foremost on the unity of the Church. Paul VI's address
proceeds in this way: setting out from the mystery of unity as an object
of faith, he then comes to its tangible expression, and from this goes
back to contemplation of the mystery. "Let it be remembered how
Christ himself proclaimed it (unity) in his last words, those of the
ineffable prayer after the supper on the night preceding his passion (Jn
17:11, 21, 22): that all may be one. Here is a mystery. Jesus himself
lets this be understood by declaring that this unity, characteristic of
the followers of Christ, springs from the very unity of the Son with the
Father, and that therefore it cannot be fathomed by our thought. We must
proclaim it and live it but we cannot understand it; we must believe
it" (O.R. 28 July 1977).
The mystery thus described, in the experience of Christians, in
particular of the pilgrims who visit the Pope, has a visible
manifestation of its own "here in Rome at the tomb of the apostle
Peter and precisely in this period of the Church's life, so agitated, so
oppressed and yet so sure of herself" (ibid.). From the experience
of unity the reflection of faith returns to its source which is the
Trinity: "The unity of the Church and in the Church induces us to
think of the origin from which it comes, God himself, and then Christ,
the head of the Church in her fullness, identified with his one Church,
and the Holy Spirit, uncreated soul of the Church herself, who nourishes
her life, which is grace, which is charity".
In this way the essential features of the movement of faith: from the
mystery of God to the mystery of the Church in her unity, and from the
visibility of the latter back to the mystery of God, Father and Son and
Holy Spirit.
Holiness of the Church
In connection with the holiness or the Church, Paul VI refers in the
first place to the objection widely made against her: her members,
living and operating in this world, are sinners. He replies by referring
to the various reasons that make the Church holy. The first lies in her
relationship with Christ: "To say that the Church is holy means in
the first place that she has an essential relationship with Christ, the
mediator between God and men and the meritorious cause of their
salvation" (O.R. 17-18 Aug. 1977). The second lies in her
sacramental nature: "we must say that the Church is holy because
all her members have been sanctified by baptism, and then by the other
sacraments" (ibid); furthermore in the action of the Holy Spirit
"which is, as it were, the divine breath which she, the Church,
continually offers to her sons, instructing them in the faith, exhorting
them to a conduct in conformity with divine and natural law"
(ibid).
Finally, sanctity is present in the eschatological destiny of the
Church beyond the earth, time and history: "this title fixes the
goal of her tiring pilgrimage in time, a goal which is precisely the
holiness of the faithful, admitted by divine mercy to its holy final
possession" (ibid.). With these simple remarks a starting point is
offered to everyone for reflection, meditation, prayer and consciousness
of one’s own being in the Church.
Catholicity of the Church
In connection with the catholicity or the Church, Paul VI points out
in the first place its inseparable connection with unity, and then its
mysterious aspect which calls for faith: "The word catholic means
universal and refers directly to the body of the Church, just as unity
refers to the Spirit which causes her to live in a divine way. The two
properties or characteristics, catholicism and unity, complete each
other to signify catholicity; a marvellous mystery which we cannot know
in its transcendent plan except through the faith, which makes us
discover and admire God's love in the whole of mankind (O.R. 4
August 1977).
The Pope then illustrates the dimension of catholicity. It is
implemented first and foremost in the capacity of the Church to embrace
all men: "The ability to extend all over the earth, to comprise
all, that is, to take her place in every people and make all men
brothers'' (ibid.). Then it is implemented in the capacity to assume in
man as such his human totality: "This title 'catholic' is
essentially integrated in the authentic economy of the Gospel and is
outpoured on our vocation as followers of Christ to widen our hearts to
the boundless abundance of God's love for us" (ibid.). This
characteristic, too, is shown by Paul VI not only in its aspect of
co-extension to humanity as a human community, but also in its intensive
aspect in relation to humanity as a single human personality.
Apostolicity of the Church
The characteristic of apostolicity places the Church in the
mainstream of history. The word itself indicates derivation from a
mandate which can have happened only in time and is based on the
authority of Christ and therefore has again its foundation in faith. The
Holy Father says: "We believe in one apostolic Church, not invented
by a man of genius or having sprung from a social movement; we wish her
to be apostolic, that is, derived from the apostles since they and only
they were directly and exclusively charged by Christ with being
authentic witnesses of his word and his work". (O.R. 1.1
August 1977).
This characteristic of the Church, though binding upon all the
faithful, applies particularly to those among them who have been
invested with the mandate so that they may be faithful in carrying out
their duty: "This feature of apostolicity regards in practice the
transmission of the message of the faith, which is a hard and binding
truth; a transmission that demands absolute faithfulness, and forbids
any arbitrary intervention precisely where it confers hierarchical
authority on the apostles invested with it. To break away from
apostolicity means breaking away from Christ" (ibid.). Paul VI's
firmness in teaching the truth is clearly manifested once more in these
words.
We have set forth briefly the essential points of this living
catechesis which renews in our time nourishment of the faith and the
youth of the Church. On many other occasions Paul VI has dealt with
these subjects with varied expression yet identical doctrine. Let it be
enough to recall the exultant hymn to the characteristic of the Church
which he caused to resound at the beginning of his Roman and supreme
episcopate on opening the second solemn session of the second Vatican
Ecumenical Council.
The catechesis continues. In the address that followed those that we
have considered, Paul VI gives the reason for his speaking about the
Church. He sets it in the specific function of his mission: "We
cannot exempt ourself from the mysterious and fundamental function that
has been divinely entrusted to us" (O.R. 25 August 1977).
The catechesis continues, as he promises: "We will speak about it
again, God willing" (ibid.).
Often at the gatherings every Wednesday before Paul VI, the Creed is
sung. This hymn of faith sets the seal on the ancient and ever new
catechesis of the Pope on the "unam sanctam catholicam et
apostolicam Ecclesiam".
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