Rev. Raymond G. Carey NEW VISION SERIES NEW VISION SERIES WHAT IS THE CHURCH OF CHRIST? The Problems and Challenges of Vatican II By Rev. Raymond G. Carey AVE MARIA PRESS Notre Dame, Indiana 46556 NIHIL OBSTAT: John L. Reedy, C.S.C. Censor Deputatus IMPRIMATUR: *Most Rev. Leo A. Pursley, D.D. Bishop of Ft. Wayne-South Bend January 27, 1967 Cover Design: Robert L. Mutchler Copyright 1 9 6 7 A V E M A R I A P R E S S All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced by means in whole or in part without prior permission. Printed in the United States of America. CONTENTS Introduction 5 PART I Key Themes in Understanding The Nature of the Church I. The Church: The New People of God 7 II. Who Belongs? 8 III . Relationship of the Pope, Bishops and Priests Within the People of God 11 IV. Relationship Between the Laity, Clergy and Religious of the People of God 13 V. Universal Vocation to Holiness 14 VI. Mary's Relationship to the People of God 17 PART I I Challenges in Church Reunion I. Convert-Making Vs. Ecumenical Dialogue 19 II. Dialogue With Honesty and Charity 20 III . The Challenge of Artificial Renewal 21 Summary 22 Questions for Further Discussion 23 Bibliography 24 About the Author Rev. Raymond G. Carey, a priest of the Archdiocese oi Chicago, has a master of arts degree in psychology (pas- toral counseling) from Loyola University, Chicago. He has served in parishes in Chicago and as a marriage coun- selor for the Catholic Family Consultation Service. Cur- rently he serves as Notary to the Matrimonial Tribunal of the Archdiocese of Chicago. The New Vision Series This excellent new series has been prepared and edited by Ronald Wilkins, Director of Teacher Training for the Chicago Archdiocesan Confraternity of Christian Doc- trine for ten years. Co-author of the popular TO LIVE IS CHRIST high school religion series, he has also written TEACHING IN THE C.C.D. HIGH SCHOOL and TRAINING LAY TEACHERS FOR THE PARISH HIGH SCHOOL OF RELIGION. INTRODUCTION A healthy confusion and anxiety may have been one of the first results of the Second Vatican Council. One might hear it expressed this way: " I used to think that I knew what it meant to be a Catholic, but since the Vatican Council, I 'm not sure any more. We used to talk of the Church as 'The Mystical Body of Christ'; now everyone is talking about the 'new People of God.' What is my relationship to Christians of other communions? What is the difference between being a layman and a cleric? Does 'collegiality' mean that the pope no longer exercises authority over the bishops? Are we supposed to de-emphasize our devotion to Mary to win the friendship of the Protestant Christians? Is there any point in encouraging conversion to the Roman Cath- olic Church any more? Does it make any difference to which Christian Church we belong?" This pamphlet represents an approach toward resolving these confusions. I t is not meant to be a complete treatise on the Church, nor is it addressed to theologians. It is ad- dressed to parents, teachers, and anyone who is interested in Christian education, with the hope that it may give them some clear and precise ideas on the Church. Part I presents the basic doctrine on the Church as envisioned by the Second Vatican Council's Constitution on the Church. I t contains a discussion of six key themes in understanding the nature of the Church. I. The Church: The New People of God. II. Who Belongs? III . Relationship of the Pope, Bishops and Priests Within the People of God. 5 IV. Relationship Between the Laity, Clergy and Religious of the People of God. V. Universal Vocation to Holiness. VI. Mary's Relationship to the People of God. In Part I I , there is a presentation of three challenges involved in relating the doctrine on the Church to real- life situations. They are challenges that did not exist 10 years ago, but have arisen from the Church's deeper understanding of itself. I. Convert-Making Versus Ecumenical Dialogue. II . Dialogue With Honesty and Charity. I II . The Challenge of Artificial Renewal. 6 PARTI KEY THEMES IN UNDERSTANDING THE NATURE OF THE CHURCH I. The Church: The New People of God What is wrong with the old images of the Church? Is it wrong now to speak of the Church under the image of the vine and the branches, the shepherd and his flock, the Mystical Body of Christ? Certainly not. But the Consti- tution on the Church of the Second Vatican Council chooses the scriptural image of the "new People of God" for sev- eral reasons. First of all, it places the Church in the context of salva- tion history; that is, it shows the relationship of the Church to the Old Testament and to the Second Coming of Christ. This is important because it shows how God deals with His people, and consequently with us, individ- ually and collectively. Chapter two of the Constitution explains how God chose to make men holy and to save them, not merely as individuals, but as a community. He, therefore, chose the people of Israel to be His people, with whom He made a covenant, to whom He revealed His love, from whom He expected a response of love, through whom He would prepare a new and a more perfect covenant. Christ fulfilled this prophecy, instituting the new cove- nant, the New Testament, and including in this "new People of God" not just the Jew, but also Gentile. The new messianic people, with Christ as its head, calls all men to itself, . . although it does not actually include all men, and at times may look like a small flock " As the People of God in the Old Covenant looked forward to 7 the first coming of Christ, so now the new People of God look forward to the Second Coming of Christ. The People of God still retain their characteristic of being a pilgrim people. Secondly, the image of the People of God brings out more clearly the family character of the Church. The Church is not divided into two sections, the clergy and the laity, because prior to the distinction brought about by the sacrament of Holy Orders, the sacraments of Bap- tism and Confirmation constitute the faithful as a brotherhood, a single people of brothers. Chapter two of the Constitution emphasizes that the entire brotherhood, and not just the clergy, participate in the priesthood of Christ, the teaching office of Christ, the prophetic minis- try of Christ. This is not to deny, however, that through the sacrament of Holy Orders some of the brotherhood re- ceive a fuller share in the priesthood of Christ and are entrusted with the responsibility of guiding the Church in fulfilling its teaching role. But the bishops fulfill this role as servants of the brotherhood, not as ecclesiastical bureaucrats in a spiritual power structure. Thirdly, the image of the People of God has greater ecumenical appeal, as will be seen in the following pages. The use of this image enables the Church to explain its relationship to the other Christian communities in a way that is more in keeping with the scriptural basis on which the idea of the Church is founded. II. Who Belongs? A change in emphasis has taken place since the encyclical on the Mystical Body of Pope Pius XII with regard to the historical existence of Christ's body. According to Father Gregory Baum, O.S.A., a peritus of Vatican II, in his commentary on the Constitution on the Church, Pius XII identified, without any qualifications, the Mystical Body of Christ with the Catholic Church. But the Constitu- tion, beginning with membership in the Mystical Body as 8 communion of life with Christ, does not come to the same conclusion. "Instead of simply identifying the Church of Christ with the Catholic Church," Father Baum as- serts, "the Constitution rather says more carefully that the Church of Christ 'subsists in' the Catholic Church. The body of Christ is present in the Catholic Church, but, at the same time, without losing its historical and incar- nate character, transcends it." This new, enlarged view of the Church of Christ is of the greatest importance in understanding our relationship to other Christians. Whereas Pius XII spoke of those who are "really" members of the Church (Roman Catholics) and those who belonged to the Church "by desire," the Constitution speaks of those who are "fully incorporated" into the Church of Christ (Roman Catholics), and those who are not fully incorporated. Therefore, Father Baum concludes that the Constitution teaches that ". . . only the Catholic Church perfectly embodies the Church of Christ on earth, but, because of the transcendence of Christ's Church, this does not preclude the possibility that there may be partial realizations of this Church among men." Regarding the status of separated Christians, the Con- stitution says that "The Church recognizes that in many ways she is linked with those who, being baptized, . . . do not profess the faith in its entirety or do not preserve unity of communion with the successor of Peter." Regarding non-Christians, the Constitution says that ". . . those who have not yet received the Gospel are re- lated in various ways to the People of God." Here, men- tion is made of the Jews, Moslems, and finally those who without blame on their part have not yet arrived at an explicit knowledge of God but strive to lead a good life. The Constitution warns Catholics against presuming they will be saved just because they have the privilege of being fully incorporated into the Church of Christ. "If they fail to respond to that grace in thought, word and deed, not only shall they not be saved but they will be the 9 more severely judged." Catholics, therefore, may be con- sidered to have a greater spiritual potential, objectively speaking, and may expect a just God to reward them ac- cordingly, if they live up to that opportunity. But they can expect a greater punishment if they fail to respond to God's love. Finally, who does not belong to the Church of Christ in any sense of the word? The Constitution does not ex- plicitly say, but we are left to conclude that those do not belong who, either through pride, laziness, or selfishness, never make an effort to seek God or His will, but seek only their own personal fulfillment in this world. "Some there are who, living and dying in this world without God, are left finally in a state of hopelessness." The following diagrams summarize the change in empha- sis and terminology from the encyclical on the Mystical Body to the Constitution on the Church: Who Are Members of the Church? A. In the encyclical on the Mystical Body, Pope Pius XII taught that only Catholics are really members of the Church of Christ. Others may be saved by being re- lated to the Church by "unconscious desire." Church of Christ (Mystical Body) B. The Constitution on the Church of Vatican Council I I teaches that the Church of Christ transcends the his- Separated Christians and non-Christians of good will are related by unconscious desire. 10 torical entity of the Roman Catholic Church. Only Catholics are fully incorporated. But there are degrees of incorporation. Church of Christ (People of God) Partial realizations of Church of Christ in other Christian churches. Jews, Moslems, atheists in good faith are not fuHy incorporated. III. Relationship of the Pope, Bishops and Priests The doctrine of collegiality was one of the sharply con- tested issues of the Vatican Council. Understanding the meaning of collegiality is essential to understanding the governmental structure of the Church. It means that the bishops of the Church together with the pope constitute a body, or a college, that succeeds the College of Apostles. Jesus chose the College of Apostles, with Peter as its head, to teach, sanctify and govern the People of God on earth. While the Pope is the supreme head of this College, every bishop shares with him the care of the whole Church. In addition to sharing the care of the universal Church, each bishop receives jurisdiction over a part he serves. The doctrine of collegiality has two important conclu- sions. First, it is no longer correct to view the universal Church as a pyramid-type power structure, with the pope and bishops at the top and the laity at the bottom of the pyramid. The Church is, rather, a family of episcopal churches united under the pope. The bishops are men chosen from among the People of God to serve the family. (See diagrams on the next page.) 11 Monarchical Versus Collégial Concept of Church A. In the monarchical concept, the pope is the head of a pyramid-type power structure with the laity at the bottom. POPE B. In the doctrine of collegiality, the Episcopal College is at the center of the People of God—entrusted with the care of the whole Church. The pope is the center and head of the College, while each bishop governs a 12 The second important conclusion of the doctrine of col- legiality affects the Curia, the pope's administrative body, made up of the heads of various departments of ecclesiastical government. From now on, the members of the Curia will no longer be the sole advisers of the pope, no longer be alone in formulating Church policy with the pope. The bishops, whose concern extends to the universal Church, will, through the Senate of Bishops (to be estab- lished) , share more intimately with the pope in formulat- ing universal Church policy. In the diagram it should be noted that the bishop (B) is located in the inner circle surrounding the pope to show that each bishop must share the concern of the pope and other bishops for the whole Church. And the individual diocesan family entrusted to a particular bishop (arrow) must also share with their bishop his care for the needs and problems of the universal Church. Thus far we have considered the laity and the bishops in this renewed concept of the Church. What is the role of the priest? The priest is the representative of the bishop in the various parish families within a particular episcopal family. At various liturgical celebrations, the President's chair is really representative of episcopal authority, and the priest presides over the assembly in the bishop's name. He receives his jurisdiction directly and immedi- ately from the bishop. IV. Relationship Between the Laity, Clergy and Religious of the People of God There was a time in the not too distant past when a lay- man thought it was his job to save his own soul, while it was up to the priests to look to missionary and conversion work. The Constitution on the Church makes it clear that the layman is a person who has been incorporated into the People of God by his Baptism, who shares the priestly, 13 prophetic and teaching office of Christ, and who will save his soul by working to spread the kingdom of God on earth. The work of Christianizing a secular world is his; the work of conversion is his; the work of unifying the People of God is his. The clergy, that is, the bishop and diocesan priests, have been chosen from among the People of God to serve the People of God, so that all Christians will be closely united to Christ and better enabled to fulfill their task of Christianizing the world. The diocesan priesthood is the sacrament of spiritual service to the Christian people. The religious are those among the People of God who practice the counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience in the stable form of a community life. According to their own particular vocation, through prayer or active works, they strive to spread Christ's kingdom. But their unique contribution is the prophetic sign they give through the practice of their vows: that the good things of this life will eventually all pass away; that we do not have a last- ing city here on earth; that our true hope for happiness is our future resurrection with Christ and the glory of a heavenly kingdom. V. Universal Vocation to Holiness "How can I have eternal happiness with the least amount of suffering, with tjje least amount of effort?" is perhaps the question that toojfca few of the People of God ask them- selves. "I 'm never going to be a saint. But I try not to hurt anyone. I 'm certainly better than a lot of people I see around me. Just what does God expect?" The answer to that question in one word is— "Holi- ness!" Jesus said, "This is the will of God, your sanctifica- tion." This was addressed to all the People of God, not just a few. And the Constitution on the Church felt this idea was important enough to set aside a separate chapter on the "Universal Vocation to Holiness." 14 False Humil i ty A spiritual laziness can hide behind the facade of humility. We can lower our eyes and strike our breast, saying, "Lord, I know that I was not called to sanctity like the priests, brothers and nuns. I am just an ordinary man. I will be pleased if I can just avoid mortal sin, as the moral- ists of the Church have explained it to me." But behind these "pious" feelings can lurk a laziness that makes us unwilling to put out the effort and sacrifice to love God and our neighbor with our whole heart. The Constitution says ". . . all the faithful of Christ of whatever rank or status, are called to the fullness of the Christian life and to the perfection of charity. . . . They must devote them- selves with all their being to the glory of God and the service of their neighbor." But there will be many and varied forms of holiness. Each person has his own special gifts and his own special duties through which he will serve God with faith, hope and love. Holiness does not consist in performing a special series of actions, but in faithfully performing the duties of our state in life. The bishop's program for personal holi- ness will differ somewhat from that of his priests, and the path to holiness for a Christian parent will still be differ- ent. Single people and widows will each have their own special opportunities for holiness. The Constitution singles out two paths to holiness for special commendation: martyrdom and the celibate state of life. "The Church, then, considers martyrdom as an exceptional gift and as the fullest proof of love. Though few are presented such an opportunity, nevertheless, all must be prepared to confess Christ before men in the midst of persecutions. . . . Likewise, the holiness of the Church is fostered in a special way by the observance of the counsels. . . . An eminent position among these is held by virginity or the celibate state . . . a special source of spiritual fecundity in the world." This statement regarding the life of the counsels, and 15 celibacy in particular, is not meant to relegate the laity to the state of "second-class citizens." The war to recognize the importance of the laity in the People of God is now over. But the Council does not want to overlook the sacrifices of those who have taken vows of poverty, celi- bacy and obedience so that they might serve the People of God with undivided attention. It might also be observed that vows of poverty, celi- bacy and obedience are not necessarily restricted to the religious state of life—but can and are taken privately by laity in special conditions of life. And finally, in a broader sense, the spirit of the counsels can and should be prac- ticed by everyone within the People of God. Perhaps the biggest danger in the pursuit of holiness is the danger of legalism. This attitude is represented by such questions as, "What am I strictly obliged to do by Church law in this matter? I'll do that, but no more"; or, "How far can I go before it is a mortal sin?" The motive most worthy of a Christian is a generous love of God, not a servile fear of punishment. We should be less concerned with theological hair-splitting, and more concerned about increasing our spirit of sacrifice and generosity. We should be less concerned with avoiding mortal sin, and more con- cerned about the positive practice of virtue. The relaxa- tion of the laws of fast and abstinence for Lent in 1966 should be seen in this light: as a move toward abolishing the spirit of legalism, and fostering a voluntary and gen- erous spirit of prayer, penance, and a positive practice of virtue. One final important point on the pursuit of holiness is this: that holiness is not a turning away from, but an in- volvement in, society. True love of God demands the effort to bring the world to Christ and Christ to the world. To remain indifferent to and fatalistic about the evil in the world, is neither to love God nor the world. There is chal- lenge in helping the poor to help themselves—the chal- lenge of racial justice, the challenge of honesty in busi- ness, the challenge of integrity in political life. In some 16 way, according to our ability and opportunity, we have to make the effort to bring Christian principles to bear on modern problems. This will involve an element of risk. There is a risk that we will have our own principles watered down by the very people we are trying to help. There is the risk of hostility from people who do not enjoy having their consciences awakened. There is the risk of personal discouragement and despair when our efforts produce little in the way of results. But these are the risks of love; these are the risks of Christianity. VI. Mary's Relationship to the People of God In the post-Vatican Council era, is the Church now at- tempting to "play down" the traditional honor and cult that she has rendered to the Blessed Mother? By a very narrow margin, the Council Fathers voted against treat- ing Marian doctrine in a separate schema and voted to include it as a chapter in the Constitution on the Church. What is the significance of this? On the parish level, nove- nas are being eased out and Bible vigils are now "in." What does it all mean? The Constitution says that the work of the Council on the subject of the Blessed Mother is not meant to be ex- haustive or final. It did not wish to decide those questions which the work of theologians has not yet fully clarified. However, the Council makes a statement in three areas: Mary's Role in the Economy of Salvation; Mary's Rela- tionship to the Church; Veneration to Mary. Mary is the chosen member of our human race through whom the expectation and promise of the Old Testament is fulfilled. When the Son of God came into the world to accomplish our Redemption, it was from Mary that He took His human nature. The motherhood of Mary is, there- fore, the central privilege from which all devotion, honor and praise to Mary is derived. All other privileges, such 17 as the Assumption and Immaculate Conception, are hinged on Mary's divine motherhood. Her titles of "co- redemtrix" and "mediatrix" must be interpreted in terms of her motherhood. Mary's motherhood is also the key to her relationship to the Church. The Constitution says that Jesus is the one unique Mediator between God and men. "The maternal duty of Mary toward men in no way obscures or dimin- ishes this unique mediation of Christ. . . ." But Mary ". . . conceived, brought forth and nourished Christ, she presented Him to the Father in the temple, and was unit- ed with Him by compassion as He died on the Cross. In this singular way she cooperated in the work of the Saviour by her obedience, faith, hope and burning charity in giving back supernatural life to souls. Wherefore she is our mother in the order of grace." Many writers and au- thors have used the expression "through Mary to Jesus," but this must not be interpreted in a way that we are in need of a mediator to come to Jesus, but rather that Mary deepens and intensifies the direct union between Je- sus and the believer. Our devotion to Mary must not ob- scure the centrality of Jesus in the plan of salvation his- tory; our main emphasis is always "through Jesus to God the Father." As regards our veneration of Mary, the Constitution says that the motherhood of Mary is the criterion with which all cult must be evaluated. We are encouraged to foster the devotion and exercises of piety toward Mary that the Church has recommended throughout the centu- ries. We are warned against the extremes, that is, false exaggeration as well as too great narrowness of mind con- sidering the singular dignity of the mother of God. With- out being specific, the Constitution indicates that certain practices have led our separated brethren into error re- garding the true devotion of the Church to Mary. 18 PART II CHALLENGES IN CHURCH REUNION I. Convert-Making Vs. Ecumenical Dialogue In his last Lenten pastoral letter to the people of Chicago (1964), the late Albert Cardinal Meyer posed the prob- lem: In view of the growing success of the ecumenical movement, should we relax in our efforts to obtain con- verts to the Catholic Church? He answered the question by saying that the "contradiction" between convert- making and the fruitful ecumenical dialogue is only an apparent one. To answer this question satisfactorily, he said that we ought to distinguish several levels of reli- gious discussion: 1) First, there is the ecumenical dialogue, whose pur- pose is mutual understanding and removal of prejudices. At this level, attempts at conversion are entirely out of place. 2) Secondly, there is the level of the formal negotia- tions for reunion among churches. Here the problem is that of corporate reunion and no form of proselytism should interfere with the discussions which are conducted only by responsible authorities acting as representatives of their respective churches, not merely as individuals. 3) Finally, there is the level of the direct apostolate to individual persons. "It would be a great mistake for Cath- olics to cease to carry on the apostolate to individuals on the grounds that it hinders the ecumenical movement (my italics). . . . Undoubtedly our apostolate should be especially di- rected to those who know little of the gospel and who are not affiliated to any Christian group, but we should also 19 make available to Christian inquirers from any Church the opportunity to hear what the Catholic Church teach- es. At the same time, we must scrupulously avoid attack- ing other religious groups. Let us not open old wounds, nor let us drive others away by an attitude of arrogance as if we had nothing to learn from them. It is true that in the Catholic Church is contained the whole of Christ's teachings, but non-Catholics often teach us much by their example . . . to which we Catholics perhaps have paid too little attention." Chapter two of the Constitution on the Church reminds us of the Church's missionary mandate, and says that "The obligation of spreading the faith is imposed on every disciple of Christ, according to his state." But we do not engage in missionary work as though eternal damnation were at stake, but rather so that the grace of God which may already be present may come to full fruition. As Father Baum says, . . the action of God outside the Church is a preparation for the full presence of the Gos- pel and hence invites the action of the Church to supply the cooperation necessary that the divine initiative come to its full fruition." Through missionary work we are ful- filling the explicit command of Christ to preach the Gospel to all nations. II. Dialogue With Honesty and Charity In an effort to engage in dialogue on the nature of the Church with those of other faiths, it will require great tact and delicacy to be gentle, humble and understand- ing—while at the same time being firm, clear and honest with respect to our differences. In his encyclical letter, His Church (1964), Pope Paul expresses some apprehen- sion that there may be a tendency to seek peace at the cost of hiding real differences. The pope presents as his principle for dialogue: ". . . Let us stress what we have in common rather than what divides us . . . But we must add that it is not in our power to compromise with the integ- 20 rity of the faith or requirements of charity. We foresee that this will cause misgiving and opposition. . . ." "Honesty compels us to declare openly our conviction that there is but one true religion, the religion of Chris- tianity," which we hope all men might one day joyfully and freely share with us. (This does not mean that non- Christian religions are "false" in the sense that they have no moral or spiritual values that we can admire, defend and promote. But it means that God's public revelation of himself reached its complete and full form in Christian- ity alone.) We must not hide our belief that full incorpo- ration in the Church of Christ is experienced only in the Catholic Church. (And that Catholics, therefore, may be considered to have a greater potential, objectively speak- ing, and may expect a just God to reward them accord- ingly, if they live up to that opportunity.) We must not hide our belief that the pope is the suc- cessor to Peter, the Vicar of Christ on earth, who enjoys a primacy not only of honor, but of jurisdiction. We must not hide that we owe religious assent even to those teach- ings of the Holy Father that are not infallibly pronounced "ex cathedra." True and lasting unity can be reached only by facing these differences in a spirit of charity, not by pretending that they do not exist. III. The Challenge of Artificial Renewal Pope Paul, in the above mentioned encyclical, also ex- presses his concern about "many faithful who think that the reform of the Church should consist primarily in adapting its sentiments and habits to those of the world." The pope says this is evident in the field of phi- losophy, and also in the practical field, where it is becom- ing more and more uncertain and difficult to point out the line of moral rectitude and right conduct. "Relativism, which justifies everything and treats all things as of equal value, assails the absolute character of Christian princi- ples. The tendency of throwing overboard every restraint 21 and inconvenience from the conduct of life finds the dis- cipline of Christian asceticism burdensome and futile . . .' Is it not perhaps true that often the young clergy or in- deed even some zealous religious, moved by the good in- tention of penetrating the masses or particular groups, tend to get mixed up with them instead of remaining apart?" The Pope says the Church will renew herself, not so much by changing her exterior laws or adapting herself to moral relativism that will please others, but "by inte- riorly assimilating her true spirit of obedience to Christ and accordingly by observing those laws which the Church prescribes for herself with the intention of follow- ing Christ." The principal needs of renewal he then sin- gles out for special mention are an increased appreciation for the spirit of poverty, and the spirit of charity toward God and neighbor. Summary In this pamphlet, we have presented several key themes on the nature of the Church as envisioned by the Second Vatican Council: The Church is the new People of God preparing for the Second Coming of Christ; the Church of Christ transcends the historical entity of the Roman Catholic Church, although only Catholics are fully incor- porated; the pope is at the center of the Episcopal Col- lege entrusted with the care of the whole Church, not at the top of a pyramid-type power structure; the layman shares the priestly, prophetic and teaching office of Christ; all the faithful are called to holiness, which con- sists in fulfilling the duties of their respective states in life out of love for God; and, Mary's motherhood is the key to understanding her relationship to the Church. On the practical level, we do not engage in missionary work as though eternal damnation were at stake, but rather so that the grace of God which may already be 22 present may come to full fruition. We must not seek peace at the cost of hiding real religious differences, but exercise tact and gentleness in discussing them. Finally, interior renewal is even more important than revising laws and practices. Questions for Further Discussion 1. What is the significance of the title, the "new People of God"? Does this mean we should forget about the images of the Church as the vine and the branches or the shepherd and his flock? 2. Who does the Constitution on the Church claim are members of the Church? How are all other people, Christian and non-Christian, related to her? 3. What does the doctrine of collegiality mean for the bishops? For the Church as a whole? Does it have any- thing to do with the laity? Should it be thought of only in terms of government, but also in terms of broadening the base of responsibility, initiative and service? 4. What does it mean that the laity "shares the priestly, prophetic and teaching office of Christ"? Give some examples of how they can do this most effectively? 5. How would you define "holiness" in the world today? What are the dangers and advantages of a kind of withdrawal from the world? Of an involvement in it? 6. What does it mean that Vatican Council II considered the Blessed Mother in terms of her relationship to the People of God? Does this indicate a lessening of devo- tion to her? 7. Is "dialogue" with other Christians something differ- ent from trying to "convert" them? 23 BIBLIOGRAPHY The Constitution on the Church of Vatican Council I I , Deus Books, Paulist Press, 1965. (Study-club paper- back edition includes commentary by Gregory Baum, Baum, O.S.A., Gregory, Commentary on the Constitution on the Church. (Included in the study-club paperback edition of the Constitution.) Flanagan, O.S.M., Neal, Salvation History, Sheed & Ward, New York, 1964. Meyer, Albert Cardinal, Ecumenism, The Spirit of Chris- tian Unity, Lenten Pastoral Letter, 1964. Pope Paul VI, His Church (Ecclesiam Suam), First En- cyclical Letter, 1964. The Pastoral Mission of the Church, Volume 3 of Con- cilium, Paulist Press, Glen Rock, New Jersey, 1965. 24 I NEW VISION SERIES | A new series of pamphlets translating Catholic doctrine and practice into the language and spirit of the post- Vatican II Church. CCD teachers, parents, clergy and religious, adult-edu- cation classes, study and discussion groups—anyone in- terested in Christian education and his own spiritual formation—will find these booklets especially helpful. The first seven titles in a planned, continuing series are listed below: MODERN CATECHETICS Updating the Teaching of Religion by Ronald Wilkins 2 MORALITY FOR THE NEW AGE New Approaches to Teaching Morality by William J . Jacobs 35g WHAT IS THE CHURCH OF CHRIST? The Nature of the Church Today by Rev. Raymond G . Carey A CHURCH OF SERVICE Christ's Mission in the Modern World by Rev. Stanley M. Grabowski "WHAT THINK YOU OF CHRIST?" New Scriptural Insights by Rev. Stanley B. Marrow, S.J. 15g DISCOVERING GOD AMONG US Persons and Things as Signs and Symbols of Christ by Sister Frances Mary Myers, S.L. LOVE AND LIFE About Sex, Love and Courtship by Rev. Joseph M. Champlin 25# AVE MARIA PRESS • Notre Dame, Indiana 46556