Dunne - Pickup Discussion
Proposition: "The Roman Catholic Church Of Today Is The Church Established By Jesus Christ"
(First Affirmative)
(Note: All scriptural references are taken from the Confraternity Text as found in The Holy Bible, published by The Catholic Press, Inc., Chicago, Illinois.)
In the September, 1952, issue of Son-Light there appears an article by James R. Cope which may well serve as a springboard for this discussion. The principle defended in this article is that of the authority of bishops. It is Mr. Cope's contention that the church established by Christ is a hierarchal church: that is to say, that in Christ's church there must be found a principle of authority and that this authority resides not in the general membership expressing its will by majority vote, but in the bishops or elders who govern the local church.
The writer makes this hierarchal principle one of the tests by which to judge the validity of any church's claim to be the church established by Christ. He says, among other things, that its denial is equivalent to "overt rebellion against God and the gospel. It denies the authority of Christ and brings His body to shame." (For the benefit of any who might have emotionally charged prepossessions against the word "hierarchy" let me insert this note of clarification: the word "hierarchy" comes from two Greek words which mean simply "sacred authority." Wherever I employ the word either as a noun or as an adjective I mean only what Mr. Cope means when he insists that Christ delegated authority to His church and that this authority is exercised by bishops appointed to govern. Mr. Cope and I undoubtedly disagree about the scope of that authority, but that is another question which does not concern us at this point.)
The point of the article referred to is that, whatever the merits of democracy in the political order, Christ did not make democracy the organizational principle of His church; quite the contrary. A church which rejects the principle of episcopal authority in favor of majority rule cannot possibly be Christ's church for the quite simple reason that Christ did not establish that kind of a church. copal authority is equally true: only a church which recognizes the principle of episcopal authority can make any claim to be the church established by Christ. This, as I understand it, is Mr. Cope's thesis. I agree with it entirely.
This thesis was defended by arguments drawn chiefly from reason. Had he wished to do so, the writer could also have proved his point by arguments taken from the Bible.
As we read the New Testament the organizational structure of Christ's church takes shape gradually rather than all at once. There is first a period of preparation: From among His disciples Christ chooses twelve whom He calls apostles, by the word itself indicating their mission. (The word "apostle" is derived from two Greek words meaning "to send.") From the very outset these twelve clearly constitute a "collegium," a moral unity distinct from the other disciples and endowed with special prerogatives. (CL Matt. 19:28; Luke 22:30) To these twelve Christ imparts special instruction and reveals more openly to them than to others the doctrines and mysteries of the kingdom of God. (Matt. 13:11-36; 15:15f; Mark 4:11,34; 7:18ff; Luke 8:10; John 15:15; 16:12ff; Acts 1:3-8). These twelve He sends on their first mission to preach "to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." (Matt. 10:5-7)
Later, the form of Christ's plan for His church begins to emerge distinctly when He promises His apostles that He will confer upon them the full authority which will be necessary to enable them until the end of the world to carry out the universal mission which, after His resurrection, He would impose upon them. "Amen I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound also in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed also in heaven." (Matt. 18:18)
With these words Christ promised to His apostles full legislative, judicial and coactive authority or power to govern and to teach. When Christ speaks of a power to bind and to loose. He is obviously not referring to physical chains but to moral obligations which bind, not bodies, but minds and wills. (Cf. Matt. 23:4; John 5:18; 7:23; Rom. 7:2; 1 Cor. 7:37,39) The words of Christ ("whatever you bind — whatever you loose") leave no room for doubt as to the fullness of authority conferred upon the apostles. One cannot possibly bind or loose in the forum of human conscience unless one possesses power to legislate, to judge, and to impose sanctions. If these powers were not included in the delegation of authority promised by Christ, His words would be devoid of meaning. Christ was not given to the use of words, let alone the making of promises, which are meaningless.
It should hardly be necessary to point out that the authority of which there is here question must be understood in terms of the mission of the apostles which is limited to the salvation and sanctification of souls. It does not extend to the political sphere. The kingdom of God, as Christ repeatedly made clear, is not political, but spiritual.
Within the limits of their spiritual mission, however, the authority promised the apostles is universal ("whatever you bind"), efficacious, and independent of any human power. This follows as a necessary consequence from the the fact that, according to Christ's promise, whatever obligations they decree, judgments they render, sanctions they impose will be ratified by God (". . .. shall be bound also in heaven .... shall be loosed also in heaven.").
If the words of Christ mean anything, they certainly mean that He promised the apostles the authority to govern in the strict sense of the word. That this is what He did mean is also confirmed by the word of Christ immediately preceding the text which I have been here discussing. The obstinate sinner who refuses to obey the church is to be rejected "as the heathen and the publican." (Matt. 18:17)
Finally, after His resurrection Christ clearly and directly conferred upon the apostles the power to teach, to govern and to sanctify: "All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you, and Behold, I am with you all days, even unto the consummation of the world." (Matt. 28:18ff.)
(To be continued)