Repost - Towards Ongoing Church Reform

 14 Points Toward Ongoing Church Reform

Often, if we pay attention, we see and hear bodies and disciplines outside the Church using our insights and methods to good advantage.  After hearing an interview on National Radio about the 14 points of Management as enunciated by W Edwards Deming, who helped rebuild the Japanese economy after World War II, I thought that maybe the science of economics has something to teach us as we face the challenge of a changing Church.  These ideas were designed for industry to create and maintain maximum efficiency.  Variation was seen as the enemy by Deming.  For Christians disunity is the enemy.  I would also count as enemies hypocrisy, fatalism and cynicism. 

When we look at the verbs used in the 14 Points we can see an obligation on the manager to take initiatives.  He cannot be a man who falls victim to negative influences but rather seeks to act against them.  Deming’s imperatives instruct the manager not to be an overseer or taskmaster but to be a true leader with vision and courage.  This is apparent when the verbs are listed: create-adopt-cease-move towards-improve-institute-institute-drive-out-break-down-eliminate-eliminate-remove-institute.  Only the fourteenth point, significantly, does not place an onus on the manager and qualifies the previous thirteen points, “The transformation is everyone’s job”.

Transformation is not a revolution.  Deming was not looking to recast Japanese society totally but to remodel its industrial and management processes.  A distinction must be made between reform and revolution.  In the former the old state of affairs is renewed from within and ultimately transformed although in continuity with that which preceded it.  The latter is a radical change which creates essentially a new reality.  In this change there is effectively a new creation.  In terms of Church history the work of Saints Francis and Dominic can be seen as reform while the Reformation, in the countries where it prevailed, was revolutionary.  The application of Deming’s principles would not be to create a new revolutionary church but a transformed Church involving existing people and structures but realigning power structures and focusing mission.  For the Church the revolution of the resurrection can be the final goal.

Each commentary is followed by Scripture quotes.  This shows that the early Church had at its disposal an ideal resource in the Bible for establishing and maintaining an organization consistent with Deming’s ideas.  Maybe he was even affected by them!

1. “Create constancy of purpose towards improvement”

At heart this is a question of vision.  The impetus behind a purpose of improvement is a higher value.  In the case of Deming it might be the value of quality.  Such a value transcends the identity of the collective and draws it on.  This desire for self-transcendence means that the participation of the managers and workers becomes not just a question of productivity but of identity.  The organization serves something or someone beyond itself and the desire to improve finds its motivation there.  The purpose ultimately feeds on itself as the improvements are made and the identity is affirmed the greater the desire to continue the process of improvement.

The manager therefore should always be looking toward the long term and not be satisfied with short-term reactions or expediency.  Occasional mistakes or missteps should not derail the strategy and plan of the Parish.  The constant purpose of the priest in liturgy and administration with an eye to improvement means that the parish and its staff are not going to stagnate.  Hopefully this desire to improve will catch on with the parishioners who will also strive to make their parish a more faithful, loving and hospitable community.

Rev 21:1-3 “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.  And I was the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out from heaven from god, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”

1 Cor 9:24 “Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize?  Run in such a way that you may win it.”

Heb 3:12-14 “Take care, brothers and sisters, that one of you may have an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.  But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” so that no one of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.  For we have become partners in Christ, if only we hold our first confidence firm to the end.”

Phil 3: 12-14, “Not that I have already reached this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.  Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.”

2. “Adopt the new philosophy”

Since Vatican II, the most recent reform of the Catholic Church, was a conservative reform with the intention of getting the Church back in touch with its first inspiration and Mission, it was at the same time a radical reform.  This is because Jesus challenged and subverted the human structures of the time that were not in conformity with the Father’s will.  Thus, the Church at almost 2,000 years old was asked to return to its primary sources.  Such a change is always going to be difficult to do for an organization that is 100 years old let alone 2000.  The new philosophy is therefore an attitude rather than a concrete set of directives.  The management are not always sure what will happen because the inspiration and energy of the original vision was so powerful in the first place.

We can apply this to the intentions and the spirit of Vatican II.  The main principles being that the paradigm of baptism is adult baptism, the Church is the People of God, the Church must engage with and empathize with the world and that all of us are called to holiness.  All of these have implications far beyond the present and the short or medium term.  The management, even though it cannot see what exactly the fruit of the reform will be, has to trust that the philosophy is a sound structure and that the reform will yield fruit even when the times get tough.  To do otherwise is to lose faith in the reform and to compromise or go backwards which will end in failure.   

Lk 5:37-38 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed.  But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins.”

3. “Cease dependence on inspection”

Dependence on inspection, or he gaining of permission radically inhibits the dynamism of an organization.  It also derails the principle of subsidiarity whereby the person closest to the problem is the one who should deal with it.  Two problems are apparent: Firstly, people who must wait for inspection or permission lose ownership of their local situation and leave problem solving to others.  They decline to take initiatives and wait to be asked to accomplish tasks which may be self-evident.  Secondly, people who lose confidence in the management structure are tempted to either leave the organization altogether or set up structures within the structure to suit themselves.  This naturally enough this causes tension as those who wait for permission resent those who grant themselves license and those who initiate new structures are frustrated with the larger structure.

This relates to enabling and encouraging lay participation.  To empower people in the parish to take legitimate initiatives, to pray and work without the need to be supervised personally by the priest, is a laudable objective.  It means that the priests will have to end being control freaks and that the people will not always wait for “Father” to come up with all the ideas.  Just because the priest is not there doesn’t mean that the activity is less Catholic.  The concept of the sensus fidelium underpins this concept.  This means that the people themselves have an awareness of what it means to be Catholic which is predictable since they are as much Church as are the hierarchy.

The reputation of the Church in the past decades has been that it is authoritarian in its approach.  However, a closer look will reveal that it is demand based.  The priests respond to the desires of the people and seek to meet their needs.  Since the people wish to be Catholic they are open to the priest and his teaching about what it means to be Catholic so they can undersand it more profoundly.  At the same time the priest is open to learning from them.

LK 9:49-50 “John answered, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us.”  But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him; for whoever is not against you is for you.”

Mtt 24: 45-47 “Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves their allowance of food at the proper time?  Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives.  Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions.”

4. “Move towards a single supplier for any one item.”

The Church is like a sacrament, or living sign of Christ who in turn is the living sign of God the Father.  Therefore, the church is limited to Christ but God is not limited to the Church.  Christ is the supplier of grace and our salvation.  The Church cannot be tempted to yield to other forms of spirituality or prayer which are contrary to the Gospel.  This will cause conflict and confusion since the people all need to work towards the same goal.

Lk 16:13 “No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other.”

Gal 1:7b-8 “there are some who are confusing you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.  But even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel contrary to the gospel contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed”

Mtt 23:8-12 “But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students.  And call no one on your father on earth, for you have one Father-the one in heaven.  Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah.  The greatest among you will be your servant.  All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.”

And

Eph 4:4-6 “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord , one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.”

5. “Improve constantly and forever.”

This principle looks very much like the first.  The purpose of improvement must be manifest in action.  To constantly improve saves the trauma of sporadic and occasional reform.  This is different from the ongoing revolution of Mao as it is not imposed on the people but emerges from the desire for transformation.

The reform of Vatican II has only really just begun.  It took forty years to get over the shock of having a Council and now we can start getting on with the real work.  The Church is always in need of reform and this will certainly be the case for our life time.  If the need to improve is embraced the results will be apparent in our own lives and in the lives of others.  The Church in New Zealand is at a precious stage of its growth.  For most of its existence it was informed by first French and then Irish history and experience.  It now has the opportunity to grow according to its own identity in an organic fashion rather than periodically shedding its exoskeleton.  For this to happen the members of the Church need to strive constantly to implement the vision of the Council and its reforms.

Mtt 5:48 “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Rom 14:17-19 “For the kingdom of God is not food an drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.  The one who thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and has human approval.  Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.”

And

Eph 4:15-16 “But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who I the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.”

6. “Institute training on the job.”

This can be applied to preaching and the way in which we relate to and deal with others.  To be truly collaborative, even if, on the face of it, it is inefficient will structure in continuity and a sharing of burdens.  No one is indispensable.  Since the training is on the job the danger of careerism is avoided as people get to employ their talents and skills rather than being promoted into them and then having to learn.  By living what is preached we are training others also how to be as Church. 

It is also important that the verb is institute.  It is not necessary for the manager to do the training.  If the skills base is wide enough and the workers are not dependant on inspection they are able to train one another.

1 Pet 5:1b-4 “I exhort the elders among you to tend the flock of God that is in your charge, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion but willingly, as God would have you do it-not for sordid gain but eagerly.  Do not lord it over those in your charge, but be examples to the flock.  And when the chief shepherd appears, you will win the crown of glory that never fades away.”

Also

Phil 3: 17 “Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us.”

7. “Institute leadership”

There is a difference between leadership and mere supervision.  The latter is quota and target based.  The good manager cannot simply be satisfied with having solid numbers and “overseeing” the parish.  The priest is a presence among the people not just inside but also outside of the Eucharist.  As an ontological change the Sacrament of Holy Orders conforms the priest in persona Christi Capitis.  It is not his function but his presence that is paramount.  His preaching but also in his life in the parish is of the greatest importance.    Occasionally the priest should be satisfied to do little but be present to events in the parish and community’s life.  He does not always have to say grace.

The word “institute” again alerts us to the reality that the priest or manager is not the only one who leads.  He may have a qualitative difference in terms of presence and role from the people but they are all capable of leading.  To allow for this to happen the priest needs to be aware of the boundaries of his role and have the flexibility to let others lead even if on occasions he could do so himself.  This is an integral part of training on the job.

Lk 22: 24-27 “A dispute also arose among them as to which one of them was to be regarded as the greatest.  But he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors.  But not so with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves.  For who greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves?  Is it not the one at the table?  But I am among you as one who serves.”

Mk 5: 35-37 When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour I now very late; send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and but something for themselves to eat.”  But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.”

8. “Drive out fear.”

Fear must be dealt with assertively by managers and it is primarily his responsibility.  This applies to fear exerted on the people from above and among them as well as within the manager himself.  The virtue of “fear of the Lord” is not a fear of punishment or judgment from some headmaster God.  Rather it is awe at the mystery of God and the strong desire not to offend one who is so good and loving to me.  Fear of change is natural and requires trust to overcome such obstacles.  The manager has to establish a relationship based on trust before being able to get the people to move forward.  This will not happen if the priest himself is captive to fear and will not make the first steps.

The last thing that our parishioners should do is fear the priest.  Occasionally it is tempting to use fear to get people to act in their own interest but this must be avoided  Even if the people get things wrong or are having trouble they need not fear the wrath of the priest but be encouraged to keep improving.  Much of the resentment against the Church when people have had the Church instill fear in them either when they were at school or from the pulpit.

1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love.”

2 Cor 2:3-4 “And I wrote as I did, so that when I came, I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice; for I am confident about all of you, that my joy would  be of joy of all of you.  For I wrote to you out of much distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain, but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you.”

Rom 8:15 “For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption”

9. “Break down barriers between departments.”

Barriers of any description impede the implementation of reform.  Sectors of the organization will strive to find ways of exempting themselves from the sometimes arduous process of transformation.  Barriers also do not allow for the flexibility demanded by the other points.

Barriers invite the danger of binary oppositions: winners and losers, Protestant and Catholic, conservative and liberal.  This encourages rivalry and unhealthy competitiveness rather than people working together regardless of where they are in the organization. Any manager will be labeled as belonging to a particular group which will automatically diminish his effectiveness.  The ensuing conflict with other managers who have identified with other factions results in internecine warfare which can be exploited by the more unscrupulous by gaining advantage purely for political motives.

For the Church we need to break down barriers within the Church and with other churches.  Other religions also need to be acknowledged in the areas in which we can work together.  To be brave enough to do this the Church needs to be aware of what is important and what is not.  It has a tendency to work on historical problems rather than those of the church today.  In this sense it has to break down barriers to living in the present either by remaining in the past or moving too quickly into a perceived future.  

Another factor is the reality that the local church is the Diocese and not the parish.  However, the idea of the “internal customer” means that we strive to look after all communities and groups of the faithful with regard to their needs rather than exploiting their good will or sacrificing smaller communities for the sake of bigger ones.  The key term for the priest or manager is complementarity.

1 Cor 1:10 “Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose.”

Gal 3:28 “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. 

Jn 1720 “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one.  As you, Father, re in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”

10. “Eliminate slogans”

“...it’s not people who make the most mistakes-it’s the process they are working within.  Harassing the workforce without improving the processes they use is counter productive.”  This, applied to the Church, can tell us not to motivate people without considering the bigger picture of how I actually work with them and the process of decision making in the parish.  A priest can be in danger of having the people tell him what they think he wants to hear or of waiting till he evinces an opinion before speaking their minds.

1 Cor 1:3 “For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters.  What I mean is that each of you says, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,’ or “I belong to Christ.”  Has Christ been divided?

11. “Eliminate management by objectives.”

This speaks of management not by managers but by objectives.  Such an impersonal approach cannot take account of the variations in conditions faced by workers.  Staff are burnt out by expectations and targets that often are impossible to meet.  Rather than admit failure or burn out the individuals trickle away leaving a greater burden on the staff who remain.  Consequently, this leads to a greater chance of that group leaving also.  The ability of managers to establish healthy ongoing relationships with motivated staff is always going to bring about the optimal result.

The Church needs to ask itself are there unspoken, implicit or explicit targets in the parish?  Does this encourage people to work in such away that the quality of education, catechesis or liturgy is impaired?  Often we are oppressed by the mass-count from last year or the planned giving total.  Such an approach is concerned with transformation but simply what will produce the best results in the short term.  This will always be damaging as the intention of the reform is not primarily about numbers but the conforming of the church to the Mission given it by Christ.

Mtt 6:34 “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own.  Today’ trouble is enough for today.”

Lk 15:7 “Just so I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”

12. “Remove barriers to pride of workmanship”

Barriers to pride of workmanship occur when workers are alienated from the product and treated as machines.  If they participate in the vision of the whole they will see how their respective efforts fit in.  Isolating sections of the work force and compartmentalizing them will serve to reinforce a situation where the workers and the management regard each other with jealousy and hostility.

This can be effected by continually praising and thanking those who make efforts to forward the Kingdom of God.  It is still important to affirm young people and the not so young.  The worst possible scenario is that the parishioners become so discouraged that they give up and drift away.  The enthusiasm of the pastor and the praising of a job well done cannot be underestimated.

1 Cor 3:5-9 “What then is Apollos?  What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each.  I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.  So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.  The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labour of each.  For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building.”

1 Thess 1:2-5 “We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labour of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.  For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God that he has chosen you because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake.”

13. “Institute education and self-improvement”

What does I mean to institute something?  It means to initiate and to establish something as a part of the life of the institution.  Ultimately it does not need to be questioned but is taken as a part of the way of life of those involved in the project.  People throughout the Church should take it for granted that they will have self-improvement and ongoing education as a part of their lives both spiritually and professionally.

There is always a need for the priest to maintain his reading and to refresh his ideas.  Priestly renewal prevents burnout and cynicism.  It is a shame if a priest travels for the whole of his priestly ministry on what he learnt at the Seminary.  If there is going to be ongoing improvement the priest will have to be open to improving and educating himself.  If the priest does not know what he is talking about how can the people be expected to know?

2 Tim 3:14-17 “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learnt it, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.”

Phil 4:8-9 “Finally beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.  Keep on doing these things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.”

14. “The transformation is everyone’s job.”

The scope of reform is open ended since the purpose of improvement is unending.  This means that reform, if it is to be successful, must affect the whole of the organization.  For the organization to be transformed the members of it also must be transformed according to the life and aims of the organization they constitute.  The job of transformation must necessarily belong to everyone because they ultimately are the organization and the transformation in themselves.  If the individuals change then the whole will change.  The job of the manager is to inspire, facilitate and coordinate the change that is achieved by everyone working together.

For the Church this can be seen as another major principle of Vatican II.  The individuals are Church together as the People of God.  They cannot exist as church as individuals. It is a hierarchical communion so there is a reality of the bishops and priests leading but they do so through service.  They are also primarily oriented to the welfare of the Church itself while the primary orientation of the laity is towards the world.  The priests and laity complement and support each other rather than compete for power, status or prestige.  The reform of the Church therefore belongs to everybody.

1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his own marvelous light.”

2 Cor 3:17-18 “And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.

“Deming has been criticized for putting forward a set of goals without providing any tools for managers (priests) to use to reach those goals (just the problem he identified in point 10).  His inevitable response to the question was: “You’re the manager (priest), you figure it out””

The letters of Paul as he strove to organize and manage his churches from a distance are especially helpful in seeing how modern principles of management and church reform can learn from each other.  The danger for the manager/priest is that he becomes timorous.  Held captive by the fear of failure, he becomes paralyzed and implements his tasks by using authority in rigid and unproductive ways.  2 Timothy is an excellent example of Paul exhorting his deputy not to lose sight of the vision and to keep striving despite opposition: 

“...I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline(1:6b-7)...Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.  Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us(1:13-14)...No one serving in the army gets entangled in everyday affairs; the soldier’s aim is to please the enlisting officer(2:4)...Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth.(2:15)...Shun youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.  Have nothing to do with stupid and senseless controversies; you know that they breed quarrels.  And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to everyone, an apt teacher, patient, correction opponents with gentleness(2:22-25)...as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learnt it(3:14)...I solemnly urge you: proclaim the message; be persistent whether the time is favorable or unfavorable; convince, rebuke and encourage, with the utmost patience in teaching(4:1b-2)...As for you, always be sober, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, carry out your ministry fully.”

Material for this article was taken from the webpage: http://www.hci.com.au/hcisite2/articles/deming.htm 

12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

 When I was at the seminary from 1995-2001 there was little discussion or teaching about what we might call "spiritual warfare." Angels were considered in scripture classes as a literary device. Over time, as I have been involved in house blessings of buildings afflicted by spiritual disorder and other situations of spiritual discomfort, I have come to realize the significance of the conflict between objective evil and the holy. Whenever we pray the Eucharistic Prayer we are reminded by the Church that we pray together with the angels and the saints. The Universe is not neutral. St Francis de Sales writes: "This life is a continual warfare and there is no one who can say, I am not attacked." (LR III, 48) In today's Gospel Jesus warns: "Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell." (Mt 10: 28) The sacraments help us to resist evil and to do good. St Francis assures us: "Our victory does not lie in our not feeling imperfections, but in not consenting to them." (In I 5) We also have the consolation of knowing that our heavenly Father supports us in our times of trial and loves us with an everlasting and merciful love: "So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows." (Mt 10: 21)

11th Sunday in Ordinary Time

 The theme of missionary discipleship is front and centre in today's Gospel. Can you see how it applies to us as it did for the original disciples? Jesus notices that the crowds are "harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd (Mtt 9: 36) In an age where mistrust in civil authorities is increasing and there are so many competing narratives it is apparent to many that those who have no sense of objective truth struggle. Jesus is not indifferent to this plight. It draws his compassion and it should ours. We, who serve him, need also to feel for the world and society rather than condemn it. The Council Fathers in their fourth constitution wrote: "The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ. Indeed, nothing genuinely human fails to raise an echo in their hearts." (GS, 1) The number of those ready to continue the work of Jesus is small. Jesus summons his disciples by name, just as he summons and commissions each one of us in Baptism and Confirmation, so that they can be sent out to gather the harvest. He gives his disciples, then and now, the authority to cast out evil and to heal, whether in body or in spirit. He urges them and us to start with the people closest to us. The good news we preach is the Good News that God's kingdom is a reality and is near to all who are prepared to accept it. Why would we embark on such an arduous task for no earthly reward? - "You received without payment; give without payment." (Mtt 10: 8) The answer is given in the Second Reading: "But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us... For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life." (Rm 5: 6 and 10)

Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

 The heart is the core of our being. The symbol of the heart is used to communicate the emotion of love. Our God, far from being the cold, aloof and unfeeling God of theism is a God of love. We hear in the First Reading: "It was not because you were more numerous than any other people that the Lord has set his heart on you and chose you." (Deut 7: 7) If we had any doubts as to this state of affairs we are given the consoling words of the image of God, the Son of the Father, that: "Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest for you souls." (Mtt 11: 28-29) The loving heart of God asks for a loving response not just to him but also for others whom he created and loves: "Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God, if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us his Spirit." (1 Jn 4: 11-13) To open our hearts to God's thus allows us to share in the Divine life of the Holy Trinity, as the Holy Spirit brings about unity and peace in all God's children.

How did the German Bishops get it so wrong?

 Many Catholics around the globe were astonished at the events that occurred in Germany over the last few years regarding the Synodal Path. In it the German Bishops Conference seemed on the verge of voting into being a supervisory or governance body, called a Synodal Council, comprised of laity and clergy. If it was put into effect, this body would denature the office of bishop as the Catholic Church understands it as well as other canonical structures. Pope Francis, interviewed on the airplane on his trip back from Bahrain, said: “I say to German Catholics: Germany has a great Protestant Church, but I don’t want another one, because it won’t be as good.” On 17 February 2024 it was confirmed that the German Bishops would not proceed to a vote on the Council.  It appears that the threat to Church unity has passed. The question I pose in this blog is: "How did the German Bishops get it so wrong?" (Please note that I have not given extensive footnotes for this presentation. If there is appetite for further discussion or queries about it I am happy to provide them)

My response to this is first to go back into the history of how lay people are thought to engage in the Church in governance. As the Church developed in the 19th Century many lay organizations started to come into existence. As time went by the issues arose as to how lay leaders in these organizations related to Church hierarchy. The issue came to a head when Pope Pius XI wrote a letter to cardinal Bertrams about the relationship, which at that time had no canonical description. He stated that: "“the laity participate in some way in the apostolate of the hierarchy” (laici apostolatum hierarchicum quodammodo participent)." This was ultimately unhelpful. What did "in some way" actually mean? What does this mean in Canon Law?

Without going exhaustively into the matter, on which I have written a doctoral thesis, we can say that prior to Vatican II two German theologians posited that laity could participate in the exercise of the power of governance through the bestowal of a mandate from an ecclesiastical authority. This could be interpreted in a broad or a strict manner. The broad interpretation was given by Karl Rahner while the strict was proposed by Sebastian Tromp. The former saw laity as effectively forming a parallel hierarchy while the latter saw the laity as instruments in the hand of the hierarchy with little freedom to act. Another German theologian, Joseph Ratzinger, writing in 1996 at the time of the Instruction Ecclesiae de mysterio, summed up the two positions in this way: 

"This appears extremely important to avoid, on the one hand, an undervaluing of the ordained ministry and a falling into a “Protestantization” of the concept of ministry and of the Church herself, and, on the other, the risk of a “clericalization” of the laity ... This gives rise to a “functionalistic” conception of the ministry which sees the ministry of “pastor” as a function and not as an ontological sacramental reality."

Effectively, Tromp and Rahner, were maintaining the distinction between the power of orders and the power of jurisdiction. They believed this meant jurisdiction would be given to suitable laity independent of Holy Orders. What they had not paid attention to was that if such a distinction did in fact exist the doctrine from the Nota explicativa praevia in Lumen gentium would have taught them that the ontologico-sacramental takes precedence with the canonico-juridico aspect being a further norm required for Church order. In reality, the Council Fathers has abolished the distinction and created a new category which is the "power of governance." The canon which brings this about is canon 129 from the 1983 Code of Canon Law.

In brief, the German Bishops' Conference had continued in the mistaken theology of Karl Rahner even though it had been repudiated by the Council Fathers in Lumen Gentium, 33 and Apostolicam Actuositatem, 24. This was prefigured prior to Vatican II by both the theologian Yves Congar in his book Lay People in the Church (1957) and Pope Pius XII in his address to the Second World Congress of the Lay Apostolate (1957). The juridical implications for this theology which set up that which was decided at Vatican II was formulated by Bishop Narciso Jubany Arnau in 1960 when he wrote: 

"The idea of participation has, perhaps, given place to inexact conclusions. If to participate signifies entering in the ladder of the hierarchy as if it was divided in two, then the term is seriously incorrect [Rahner’s approach]. If he means that the laity are those constituted as some subordinate auxiliaries, directors, engineers and robots of the apostolate who are part of the Hierarchy, then we are found outside the field of the true apostolate, because it supposes a negation of their theological values, that truly bases the action and the activity of the Christian inside the Body of the Church [Tromp’s approach]. If to participate intends to indicate the identity of the same holy end, then our understanding is right although incomplete. It must signify something more: that the laity, bound to the hierarchy, take part in the authentic apostolate of the Church, and participate, according to his capacity, in the same mission that Jesus Christ showed to his apostles in the Commission for the salvation of the world. In other words, the idea of participation in the hierarchical apostolate states more clearly, on one hand, the intimacy of the participant with the participation, and on the other, the intimate dependence of the first with the second. But such intimacy and dependence do not signify by themselves - in virtue of the force of the word - nothing else: they do not necessarily carry with them the communication of an ontological element, totally new, that changes the theological and juridical nature of the lay apostolate. In any case, that part is taken by an extrinsic principle: the mandate. But then the participation signifies a more intimate linking of the activity of the laity with the Hierarchy, to constitute a unique apostolate, that of the Church, that supposes necessarily the concrete realization of diverse functions and two distinct levels: that of the hierarchy and that of the laity."

What, then, you might ask was the correct approach? Jubany Arnau goes on to write: 

"The idea of collaboration, used in the pontifical texts [Pius XII in 1951 and 1957], clearly indicates the personality of the layperson who works according to his condition in a unique apostolate: which is that of the hierarchy, which is that of the Church. And for the other part, excludes all the possible bad ideas of participation [Rahner and Tromp]. Certainly, although an action proper to the laity exists, the apostolate of the laity, in its intrinsic sense, always supposes in one form or another an active association of various causes, works ordered to the acquisition of common ends. The hierarchy works in its field, principally through the hierarchical functions, the laity in theirs, however, always united to the hierarchy. Everyone must meet each other, across a collaboration that must be perfect, in the supreme synthesis of the whole true apostolate, that is, ecclesiality."

Jubany Arnau was present on the Group of Bishops which was charged, along with a Group of Experts, with finalizing Canon 129 paragraph 2 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law which legislates that: "In exercizio eiusdem potestatis, christefideles laici ad normam iuris cooperari possunt" (In the exercize of the same power (power of governance) the lay Christian faithful can cooperate according the norm of the law).

As a result, we see that the concept of the Synodal Council was from the outset a radical misunderstanding of what it means to be Church and the power of governance. The German Bishops had been following their own theology instead of listening attentively to Vatican II and the Papal Magisterium. Let that be a warning to all of us lest we make fools of ourselves as the German Bishops did! To paraphrase Oscar Wilde - Being to blame for one Protestant reformation may be regarded as a misfortune but to be blamed for two looks like carelessness!

Repost of Church as Bride in the Holy Eucharist

 Some time ago, on this blog, I published a post to investigate how we can understand the image of the Church as bride in the Holy Eucharist. On the feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ it occurs to me that how we engage with this great mystery has a lot to do with our images of Church. For the Mass in the extra-ordinary form the principle image is that of the Mystical Body of Christ. In the post-conciliar liturgy it has been the People of God. I do not intend to elaborate on these images here, however, each has far reaching implications for both celebrant and congregation in terms of their prayer and Eucharistic spirituality. Neither is wrong but then neither is completely correct or exhaustive. I would like to look at the image of the Church as Bride of Christ with the aim of helping us to understand the dynamics of Mass in the ordinary form.

To start with the image of Church as the Bride of Christ, who identifies himself in the Gospel as the bridegroom, is clearly a significant part of the official teaching of the Church. In Lumen gentium this image occurs prior to and after the exposition on the Body of Christ in article 8 and therefore can be taken to nuance and interpret it. The Fathers wrote:

"The Church, further, 'that Jerusalem which is above' is also called 'our mother.' It is described as the spotless spouse of the spotless Lamb, whom Christ "loved and for whom He delivered Himself up that He might sanctify her,' whom He unites to Himself by an unbreakable covenant, and whom He unceasingly "nourishes and cherishes,' and whom, once purified, He willed to be cleansed and joined to Himself, subject to Him in love and fidelity, and whom, finally, He filled with heavenly gifts for all eternity, in order that we may know the love of God and of Christ for us, a love which surpasses all knowledge. The Church, further, 'that Jerusalem which is above' is also called 'our mother.' It is described as the spotless spouse of the spotless Lamb, whom Christ 'loved and for whom He delivered Himself up that He might sanctify her,' whom He unites to Himself by an unbreakable covenant, and whom He unceasingly 'nourishes and cherishes,' and whom, once purified, He willed to be cleansed and joined to Himself, subject to Him in love and fidelity, and whom, finally, He filled with heavenly gifts for all eternity, in order that we may know the love of God and of Christ for us, a love which surpasses all knowledge." (LG, 6)

"Christ loves the Church as His bride, having become the model of a man loving his wife as his body; the Church, indeed, is subject to its Head. 'Because in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily,' He fills the Church, which is His body and His fullness, with His divine gifts so that it may expand and reach all the fullness of God." (LG, 7) 

In the Constitution on the Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium the image was applied to the work of the liturgy:

"Christ indeed always associates the Church with Himself in this great work wherein God is perfectly glorified and men are sanctified. The Church is His beloved Bride who calls to her Lord, and through Him offers worship to the Eternal Father." (SC, 7)

With this in mind let us imagine the Sunday Liturgy of the Holy Eucharist as a "date" where the Bride spends time apart with her Bridegroom to be renewed, refreshed and reinvigorated in her task of continuing the Bridegroom's salvific plan.

1. Gathering: The Bride fasts before Mass to prepare herself interiorly for the encounter with the Bridegroom. She is prompted by the Holy Spirit and gathers to meet with him on the eighth day, that is, the day of the Resurrection. This is the day of the new Creation when the Second Adam and the Second Eve experience the again the renewal of a Creation set free from sin and given the promise of eternal life. In the processional song she sings for joy to be in the presence of the Bridegroom on this special day.

2. Liturgical Greeting: The priest acting in persona Christi capitis (in the person of Christ the Head) greets the people, who are also a presence of Christ in the Eucharist. They could be said to act in persona Christi membris (in the person of the members of Christ) who respond acknowledging the presence of the Lord. The response given by the people to the greeting: "And with your spirit" acknowledges that the priest is ordained and conformed to Christ in his priesthood. The writer Jeremy Driscoll explains it thus: "The people are addressing the 'spirit' of the people; that is, the deepest interior part of his being where he has been ordained precisely to lead the people in this sacred action. They are saying in effect: 'Be the priest for us now,' aware that there is only one priest, Christ himself, and that this one who represents him now must be finely tuned to perform his sacred duties well." Jeremy Driscoll, What Happens at Mass, (Chicago: Liturgy Training Publications, 2005, 25)

3. Penitential Act: Mindful of her faults, the Bride confesses her sins while praising the Bridegroom for his mercy and love that are never ending. It also anticipates that the sacrifice which will be enacted in this sacred meal they are to share is: "The Blood of the new and eternal covenant, which will be poured out for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins." (Eucharistic Prayers in Roman Missal)

4. Gloria: The Bride glorifies the Bridegroom in the mystery of the Holy Trinity knowing his mercy is there for Her: "... you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us; you take away the sins of the world receive our prayer; you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us." (Roman Missal)

5. Collect: The opening prayer joins the congregation in prayer. The them articulates the Bride's desires and aspirations thus preparing the people to listen to the Bridegroom who is about to speak.

Liturgy of the Word

This part of the Mass is where the Bridegroom feeds the Bride with his Word. In the Constitution on Revelation, Dei verbum we read:

"The words of the holy fathers witness to the presence of this living tradition, whose wealth is poured into the practice and life of the believing and praying Church. Through the same tradition the Church's full canon of the sacred books is known, and the sacred writings themselves are more profoundly understood and unceasingly made active in her; and thus God, who spoke of old, uninterruptedly converses with the bride of His beloved Son; and the Holy Spirit, through whom the living voice of the Gospel resounds in the Church, and through her, in the world, leads unto all truth those who believe and makes the word of Christ dwell abundantly in them (see Col. 3:16)." (DV, 8)

"The Bride of the Incarnate Word and the Pupil of the Holy Spirit" (DV, 22).

6. First Reading: Taken from the Old Testament the Bride learns how from the beginning of Creation the Bridegroom has prepared her for his coming. During Eastertide the readings from the Acts of the Apostles speak of the Bridegroom working in, through and with the Church by the power of the Holy Spirit, until the end of Creation when the New Jerusalem will come down from the heavens: "And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out from heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." (Rev 21: 2)

7. Psalm: The Bride responds with ancient songs of praise which speak both of God's power but also the history and struggles of the Bride as foretold in the Jewish people.

8. Second Reading: The Bridegroom teaches the Bride how he is present to the Church and continues to guide her through history. The First Reading was the type with the Gospel being the reality and the Second Reading is the Church as sacrament.

9. Alleluia: Again, the Bride responds with praise at the workings of the Holy Spirit and the wisdom of the Bridegroom.

10. Gospel: The Bridegroom feeds the Bride with the Divine Word of the Gospels as the public and objective revelation of the Word made Flesh. It is a living Word proclaimed for us in the present: "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." (Lk 4: 21)

11. Creed: The Bride responds to this revelation of divine wisdom by affirming her faith in the Bridegroom. She believes in Herself and Her destiny to be with the Bridegroom in the Resurrection: "I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come." (Roman Missal) 

12. Prayers of the Faithful: The Bride manifests the sincerity of this faith by bringing before the Bridegroom her needs and those of the world, trusting that he will provide them, as she cooperates with his grace.

Liturgy of the Eucharist:

This part of the Mass is where the Bridegroom feeds the Bride with his Body and Blood under the form of bread and wine. There is one sacrifice offered under two different modes: that of the priest acting in persona Christi capitis and that of the Bride in persona Ecclesiae or even, I would say Mariae. The sacrifice of praise offered at the foot of the Cross by the Blessed Virgin joins her to her Son. We gaze on the Host and likewise strive to offer ourselves in imitation of her so that we might share in the fruits of redemption.

13. Offertory: Obedient to his instructions: "Do this in memory of me" the Bride brings forward the bread and wine for the Eucharistic sacrifice and prepares the altar.

14: Oblation: The priest, prepares for the sacrifice and praises God thus initiating the self-offering of the Bridegroom to which the Bride is joined.

15: The Eucharistic Prayer: The Bridegroom makes a living memorial of his Paschal Mystery through which he redeemed humanity and brought about the Bride to be the Second Eve born from his side as he hung in the sleep of death on the Cross. The Bride echoes the liturgy of heaven as she offers herself up in union with the Bridegroom in this act of love, gratitude and joy. This is brought to a climax for the Bride in the Great Amen.

16: The Lord's Prayer: United in their prayer and the sacrifice is makes present the Bride is stirred to pray to God as Father trusting in the words of the Bridegroom and adopted into his filial relationship with the Father in the Holy Spirit.

17: Prayer for Peace: The Bride prepares to receive the Bridegroom in Holy Communion by recalling his gift of peace to the Bride and asking that it be manifested in the Church and in the world.

18: Lamb of God: Mindful again of her imperfections and sins the bride asks of the Bridegroom the fruit of mercy and peace. The Host is broken in the ancient action through which the Bride recognized her Bridegroom "in the breaking of the bread." (Luke 24: 35)

19: Reception of Holy Communion: Coming forward the Bride is nourished by the Bridegroom, in sacrament, and longs for the day when she will be united with him in eternity. Individual members echo the Great Amen as they make an individual act of faith in their Lord and Master.

20: Post-Communion Prayer: The desire for this ultimate union with the Bridegroom is expressed in the brief prayer after Holy Communion which also brings the Eucharistic liturgy to a close. It also prays that the effects of the Holy Food will be manifested in the Bride.

21. Dismissal: The Bridegroom sends the Bride into the world to continue her mission to make present his Kingdom. The Bride sings rejoicing in the love of the Bridegroom.

22. After Mass Hospitality: The members of the Bride extend the immediate unifying effects of Communion with the Bridegroom by sharing an agape meal which recognizes the Bridegroom as now being present in and mediated through the Bride.  

Feast of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ

 When we come to the liturgy, we need to use the same initial principle of interpretation that we use when approaching the Word. That is, the first reading is a literal reading. We believe, then we ask questions of what we have been given to deepen our understanding. Another was of putting this is the maxim - lex orandi, lex credendi, that is, "the law of praying is the law of believing." So, when we come for forward to Holy Communion the minister will say: "The Body of Christ" and the communicant replies: "Amen" which is, "truly" or "so be it." It is a statement of belief that follow up from the Great Amen which has been sung or said at the conclusion of the Eucharistic Prayer. In the Gospel for today the people dispute among themselves saying: "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" (Jn 6: 52) Does this doubt enter our hearts too? We, too, need to listen to what the Lord replies: "Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink." (Jn 6: 54) One of the prefaces for this feast sums up the mystery we celebrate in this way: "For he is the true and eternal Priest, who instituted the pattern of everlasting sacrifice and was the first to offer himself as the saving Victim, commanding us to make this offering as his memorial. As we eat his flesh that was sacrificed for us, we are made strong, and as we drink his Blood that was poured out for us, we are washed clean." (Preface I of the Most Holy Eucharist) Let us, therefore, approach this Sunday Mass, more than ever, with hearts open to the mystery of the miracle that is the Holy Eucharist.