Diagnosis of todays church

1. 1. Mother Church is sickhierarchologyDisquieted when

confronted with the outside world on equal terms.
2. 2. church must rely on those who live in the world and are versed in
different institutions and specialties Gaudiem et Spes, 44
3. 3. DIAGNOSIS OF A CHURCH HISTORIAN Reformation- reform
the Church in head and members. Return to the core of the
Christian faith. We are saved by Gods gratuitous initiative in the
person of Jesus of Nazareth.
4. 4. Trent and Counter-Reformation hierarchical society.ory
Perfect summary of the history of the Catholic Church from Trent
(1545-1563) to the Vatican II Council (1962- 1965). Luther,
monarchs of the 17th century, Enlightenment, French Revolution,
Marx, Modernism, Socialism. Result- fortress. Vatican I
Supernatural, unchangeable, perfect institution, guided by a monarch,
surrounded by an elite corps of generals , with a unified doctrine,
unified worship, and unified laws.
5. 5. Superior institution- necessary for the salvation of souls.
Vatican II- renewal: polarization in the church Panic-stricken church
officials who wanted to return to the more secure pre-Vatican II
fortress.
6. 6. DIAGNOSIS OF A SOCIOLOGIST Many church leaders are
allies of rich politicians- Bsp. De dios Church privileges (tax
exemptions) etc. reciprocated through its silence or actual support
of dubious state programs. Respect the Church-State separation.
Bishops are in- charge of souls and thus should stay out of politics.
7. 7. In Latin America, we have a capitalist society controlled by a
small elite which tries to consolidate its power by creating strong ties
with the local church leadership, a leadership which is partly in control
of the realm of ideology. Bishops and clergy , pampered by the rich,
would tend to create the same pattern of domination within the
Church. The clergy control the means of production within the
institution. They produce the sacraments and rituals which are
consumed by the laity Church: Charism & Power- Leonardo Boff
8. 8. Hegemony of the rich; Ecclesiastical hegemony-develops own
ideology, develops its own theology to support its power structure.
Ideological manipulation of theology-presentation of the four marks of
the church in pre-Vatican II apologetics.
9. 9. Oneness- uniformity in liturgies, doctrine, laws, and moral codes,
and the following of one leader, the pope. Holiness- found in
obedience. Holy-obedient religious Apostolicity- owned by the
hierarchy. (popes and bishops are the successors of the apostles,
hence they alone are apostolic. Catholicity- seen in terms of
number. Creed- Church is apostolic
10. 10. BOFF Re-interpretation from the point of view of the whole
people of God- concern for the poor and the oppressed. Oneness-
common option and mission to reach out to the poor; Holiness-
militant struggle to bring about justice. Apostolicity- resides in the
whole people of God. Catholicity-search to bring about a new world
in w/c the universal values of justice and peace will reign.
11. 11. The Church has always compromised to be at the side of
the winner. The Church is not Gods kingdom; it tries to be a sign
of the kingdom. Christianity- reduced to one unique and exclusive
expression of dogma laws, liturgy and power structures
12. 12. DIAGNOSIS OF A SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGIST Matthew
Fox- behavior patterns of church leaders: dysfunctional family.
Addict-try to hide the fact from anyone outside their limited family
circle. No outside professional help is sought (suffer in silence).
Pattern- dysfunctional organization. Fortress Church of the Post-
Enlightenment era and the post Vatican II recreate such fortress-
example of dysfunctional organization.
13. 13. CHARACTERISTICS Obsession with power and sex;
Grandiosity; Desire to control everything; Loss of memory;
Failure to focus on one mission; Refusal to engage in self-criticism;
14. 14. DIAGNOSIS OF A FEMINIST AUTHOR JCT- impregnated
with a male bias w/c define women as secondary and inferior
members of the human species. cursed be the man who teaches
his daughter Torah. Early Christian tradition which did not permit a
woman to teach or to have authority over men; she is to keep silent.
(1 Tim. 2:12) Prevented women w/in the church to become shapers
of religious culture.
15. 15. Not the whole of the Christian story: Men and women
are equal in the image of God and restored to that equality through
baptism in Christ (Gal. 3:28) Foreign prophecy- to set lose the
demands for womens equality. Deaf: Insensitivity of the leadership
of the Church for issues:
16. 16. Clerical celibacy; Hierarchical control over women
religious; Divorce; reproductive rights; Homosexuality;
Ordination of women.
17. 17. MARKS OF THE CHURCH Defining characteristics of the
church, stated in the creeds of christendom. Four adjectives-
notes/marks
18. 18. ONEDisunited at the institutional level.Apparent tension:
theoretical belief in one church and the observable reality of a
plurality of churches.
19. 19. IMPERIALIST APPROACH One empirical, observable
church- deserves to be known and treated as the true church. All
others are pretenders to the title Vatican I Vatican II- recognized
others Christian churches as separated Christian brothers and
sisters.
20. 20. PLATONIC APPROACH Fundamental distinction between
the empirical church and the ideal church. Better interpreted along
escathological lines.
21. 21. ESCHATOLOGICAL APPROACH Present disunity in the
church will be abolished in the last day. Present situation is
temporary and will be resolved at the time of eschatological
fulfillment.
22. 22. BIOLOGICAL APPROACH Historical evolution of the
church is likened to the development of the branches of a tree.
Different empirical churches seen as possessing an organic unity,
despite their institutional differences.
23. 23. Ubi Christus, ibi ecclesia Unity of the Church: Christ
rather than historical or cultural factor. NT: diversity of local
churches is not regarded as compromising the unity of the church.
Possesses unity throughout its common calling from God which
expresses itself in different communities in different cultures and
situations.
24. 24. Unity must not be understood sociologically or
organizationally, THEOLOGICALLY Unity of the church is
grounded in the saving work of God in Christ
25. 25. The unity of the church presupposes a multiplicity of
churches; the various churches do not need to deny their origins or
their specific situations; their language, their history, their customs
and traditions, their way of life and thought, their personal structure
 will differ fundamentally, and no one has the right to take this from
them. The same thing is not suitable for everyone, at every time, and
in every place. The Church- Hans Kng
26. 26. Essentials common to the whole church of God;
Distinctive features lie in its application of the Gospel to a specific
historical situation. Fundamental unity of the Christian church, while
noting the need for adaptation to local circumstances.
27. 27. HOLY morality, purity, sanctity Bear little relation to
the behavior of fallen human beings. Kadad- being cut off; being
separated Strong overtones of dedication People are holy in that
they are dedicated to God. Church- separated from the world, in
order to bear witness to the grace and salvation of God. Theological
not moral
28. 28. CATHOLICUniversal & all-embracing church- underlies
and undergirds individual local churches.Local church was the
representative of the universal church.
29. 29. A church which is orthodox in its theology Strongly
prescriptive and polemical tone. Catholicism is now contrasted
with schism and heresy Individuals place themselves outside the
boundaries of a doctrinally orthodox church.
30. 30. A church which extends throughout the world. 1st phase
of the Christian church- implausible (localized character) Strongly
missionary character led to the expansion of the church throughout
the Mediterranean.
31. 31. Senses of katholikos The church is thus called catholic
because it is spread throughout the entire inhabited world
(oikumenei), from one end to the other, and because it teaches in its
totality (katholikos) and without leaving anything out every doctrine
which people need to know relating to things visible and invisible,
whether in heaven and earth. It is also called catholic because it
brings to obedience every sort of person-whether rulers or their
subjects, the educated and the unlearned. It also makes available a
universal (katholikos) remedy and cure to every kind of sin Cyril of
Jerusalem
32. 32. The church is catholic, universal, first with respect to
place, because it is throughout the entire world (per totum mundum),
against the Donatist. This Church, moreover, has three parts. One is
on earth, another is in heaven, and the third is in purgatory.
Secondly,, the cburch is universal with respect to the condition of
 people, because no one is rejected, whether master or slave, male or
female. Thirdly, it is universal with respect to time. For some have
said that the church should last until a certain time, but this is false,
because this church began from the time of Abel and will last to the
end of the world. Thomas of Aquinas
33. 33. Catholic- retained the central and universally recognized
elements of Christian doctrine. Maintained continuity with the
apostolic church at the level of teaching by eliminating non-biblical
practices.
34. 34. APOSTOLIC Originating from the Apostles; having a direct
link with the apostles. Some one who was commissioned by Christ,
and charged with the task of preaching the good news of the
kingdom Someone who was a witness of the risen Christ, or to
whom Christ revealed himself as risen.
35. 35. Apostolicity Planted in the world by the Apostles;
Adhering to the teachings of the Apostles; (expressed in Creeds)
(Apostolic writings); Carrying on the succession of the Apostolic
ministry