The word “Catholic” means universal. which is frustratingly ambiguous. What exactly does universal mean?
We argue that universal means every place. So the Catholic church is every place. Christians are to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world. This is what Christ commanded as he ascended into heaven (described in Matthew 28:19).
Universal also means everyone. All people are invited to the community of disciples. Culture, color, language and social class mean nothing when it comes to receiving the invitation to be part of the Body of Christ.
Being Catholic hasn’t been easy for the church. While all are invited, getting people of different cultures, political ideals, languages and social classes to live and work together is a challenge. From the beginning there was disagreement. The first major debate was whether the Church was part of Judaism, which meant that people coming into the church had to be Jewish or become Jews before they could be Christian, or it was open to gentiles and Jews alike. The more inclusive Catholic understanding won out and within a few years up to 10% of the Roman Empire was Christian; very few were Jewish.
During the persecutions, not all Christians had the courage to be martyred. Some denied Christ and then a few years later repented of their cowardice and asked to be forgiven and readmitted into the life of the Church. Some Christians took a bitter and unforgiving attitude toward the sinners who were trying to be readmitted. They essentially took the position that the church was better off to be rid of the cowards. The more Catholic Christians took the position that all people are sinners and that Christ told us to forgive one another. Let the turncoats publicly repent, perform their penance and be reunited to the body of the Church. This was hotly debated for many years but over several centuries the Catholic position won out.
There seems to be a need among humans to separate from the crowd and go above and beyond what is expected of the average person. The desire to excel is admirable, as can result in communities of believers who take on heroic acts of service and virtue. On the negative side, sometimes this attitude results in looking down on those who don’t go to the extremes that we do. That was the problem with those who wouldn’t forgive the turncoats.
During the Middle Ages there arose a number of religious communities, such as the Benedictines, Augustinians and later the Franciscans, that became great pillars of support to the Church. There were always a few who went too far but the Church could deal with that through fraternal correction.
The Church was big enough and universal enough to make room for just about everyone. When the Church is at its best, it can have Franciscans and Dominicans working together, as well as diocesan clergy and religious sisters. There is even room for the laity.
Looking back over the history of the Church, it is obvious that everything wasn’t all light and harmony. Disagreements and internal conflicts have continued throughout the years. The bishops and theologians of the first five hundred years of the Church were always arguing, sometimes over the most minute of issues. They served the same Lord and were part of the same Church but they had very different ideas on how to serve the Lord. Our contemporary debates are little more than patty-cake games when compared to the animosity and conflict apparent in the debates among the Church Fathers. Loss of a debate could involve exile or even your life. John Damascene lost a hand in the process of a doctrinal conflict over the use of icons in worship. While his side won in the long run, the short run loss cost him dearly.
The disagreements helped to shape the Church and forced it to respond to the challenges of each new generation of Christians. We see this same process of fraternal debate and dialog at work in recent years as well. It was apparent in the Second Vatican Council. It is apparent today in the debates over marriage, the role of science and the environment.
It is part of the genius of Pope Francis to encourage such dialog and not fear disagreement in the context of open discussion. While it may be more peaceful when there is no debate, it stifles the Holy Spirit. Dialog is essential to the life of the Church. Such dialog is a big part of what it means to be Catholic. There are many different points of view in the Church, arising from different cultures, different environments, different life experience and different ways of expressing their faith. All of these different points of view have something to offer and enrich the Church, so that it is Catholic not just in name but in reality.
Epilog… When I discuss a topic I try to do so from a Catholic perspective as I understand it. I try to avoid taking the perspective of any particular approach to theology and the life of the Church. You will not see any articles that are overtly “reactionary” or overtly “liberal”. I may not succeed all the time, but I try to take the balanced approach that is characteristic of Pope Francis. If I have a bias, it is toward the universal, inclusion and a focus on Gospel values as guiding principles over too narrow a focus on rules and regulations. Of all people, I appreciate the value of rules and regulations, being a canon lawyer, but I also appreciate their limitations and ultimate goal…the salvation of souls.
Finally, Along the Way columns are now available as a blog at alongthewayns.com I treat the blog as an archive for the ATW articles published in the North Star at least since last year (2014). I’m currently trying to get old articles posted to the blog but over time it should develop into a complete archive, as least for the 2014 to the present articles. Feel free to visit the site anytime, read and offer comments if you want. Older articles and resources are available at atwstories.tripod.com.