Striving to keep the unity of Christ's church

Jul 26, 2016

We have lived for so long in a severely divided Church, to the extent of taking it to be normal. The first major schism in the Church took place between West (Roman Catholic) and East (Greek Orthodox) in 1058.

By Msgr. John Wynand Katende

The recent decision by Fr. Jacinto Kibuuka, Dr. Fr. Deogratius Ssonko and others to excommunicate themselves from the Catholic Church, in response to suspension from the Roman Catholic ministry and join a church of a different confession, is hurting to all Christians, and to all people of good will. It is divisive of the one Church founded by Jesus Christ.

We have lived for so long in a severely divided Church, to the extent of taking it to be normal. The first major schism in the Church took place between West (Roman Catholic) and East (Greek Orthodox) in 1058. Then the Western Church suffered separation of Protestants from Catholics in 1517. To date there are over 40,000 different Churches claiming a Christian identity.

Division is said to be the worst enemy of humanity. A divided Church is, indeed, a big scandal to everyone. It jeopardises faith in Jesus Christ and His mission to save fallen nature. Divisions within the Church must not be seen as alternative forms of Christianity, but as counterfeits of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. They undermine Jesus's will for the unity of His Church and the goal of Christian ecumenical movement.

We must, however, put the occurrence of Church divisions in their proper historical context. As the Church began to expand beyond Jerusalem, she was bound to meet diverse social, cultural, theological, philosophical and political challenges. The Council of Jerusalem set the rule for addressing such issues (Acts 15). But that has not always been followed, as legitimate differences have often produced illegitimate factions.

Church divisions continue to occur because of an evil spirit of selfish ambition or celebrity desire among some members. Some are simply hungry for power and greedy for money. When they do not get things their way, they start their own churches or join other churches. The Church is divided over believers pledging allegiance to different preachers (1 Corinthians 1:12). The Church is divided because of false teachers who distort the gospel and create division among Christians. Some falsely justify their agenda with the constitutional freedom to associate and to worship.

It must be it kept in mind that the Church belongs to Jesus because He bought it with His precious blood. Jesus exercises headship over His Church through elders who shepherd His flock. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus ordained Peter to lead the Church. Obviously, Jesus was aware of Peter's own human weaknesses. That is why He promised to strengthen Peter so as to strengthen the flock entrusted to him (Luke 23:32). "Petra", in Greek, refers to a large immovable mass of rock. In essence, the church would be built upon Jesus, the true Rock. In his first letter 2:8, Peter himself refers to Jesus as being the rock!  Peter would, nevertheless, be the Vicar of Christ.

So the Church does not belong to the human leader or to the congregation. It belongs to Jesus Christ the Lord. The main function of Church leaders is to allow Christ to exercise His headship over His Church and for members to be submissive and responsive to the Head, according to God's Word. The key question in Church government is not, "What is the mind of the members or of a particular bishop?", but, "What is the mind of Christ?"

 

Church leaders are deemed to be spiritually mature enough to discern spiritual dangers and to guard and guide the flock into spiritual growth (Ephesians 1:20-23). A shepherd feeds the sheep and guides them into the rich pastures of God's Word and sacraments. He guards them from wolves. He seeks the lost and straying sheep and helps heal their wounds by getting them restored to the Lord. He corrects the erring or rebellious. He equips the flock for maturity so that they can serve the Lord as He has gifted them (Ephesians 4:11-16).

 The church is governed by a body of laws called canon law. Canon law is important because it keeps the true identity of the church in its teaching and practice. It protects the church against heresy and keeps the church in unity and order. Church leadership is obliged to apply canon law to prohibit wrong practices and doctrines, especially, concerning the ministry of the Word, the celebration of the sacraments and sacramentals, the worship of God and the cult of the saints, the service of spiritual gifts (charisma) and the administration of goods (see canon law 392).

According to Canon law number 751 those who excommunicate themselves from the Catholic Church also automatically withdraw their submission to the Supreme Pontiff (Pope). Canon number 1331§1 stipulates that an excommunicated person is forbidden: to have any ministerial part in the celebration of the Sacrifice of the Eucharist or in any other ceremonies of public worship; to celebrate the sacraments or sacramentals and to receive the sacraments and to exercise any ecclesiastical offices, ministries, functions or acts of governance.

As he ordained 14 new priests for the Rome diocese, on June 20, 2010, Pope Benedict XVI issued a stern warning that the priesthood is not a career. "Anyone who aspires to the priesthood in order to increase his personal prestige and power has radically misunderstood the significance of this ministry. Anyone whose main goal is to realise an ambition of his own, to achieve success, will always be a slave to himself and to public opinion", said the pope.

St. Paul calls us to make every effort to preserve the unity we have and restore the unity we have lost (Ephesians 4:3). Christ's victory over evil facilitates us to look into the future with hope and to pray that there be one sheepfold under one Shepherd. The door of God's mercy and that of His church remain open to the repentant.

The writer is the spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Kampala.

 

 

 

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