Courage of the Apostles

Way back in 1974, the future Cardinal Avery Dulles, exchanged a series of letters with the then Cardinal Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI. In this exchange they discussed the vision or model of the Church. The Ecclessiology of Benedict was then and seems to be today, an understanding of what Christ handed on to the Apostles. The Mission and the Ministry of the Church is one in which the Church proclaims the Gospel, celebrates the sacraments, and guides men and women with a moral premise.

Some of you might recall Dulles' work from the 1970s, Models of the Church. This was an excellent premise in identifying our theology in which we interact as a Church, and even as persons in that Church. Benedict it would seem takes those various markers and employs them throughout his role as the Pontiff. To be sure he has a very keen universal view of the Church. While some have accused him of being solely European, or too western, he has an understanding of the culture and the history of the entire Roman Catholic Church. But what he does is to draw us back into the vision of that Early Church. While we might want to apply some sort label on him, none really fits well.

What so many would like is to have the Pope fulfill the role of a CEO. So we go out and do marketing studies and surveys, and the company makes various changes so as to remain competitive. The bottom line is always the bottom line, and we want our shareholders to be happy. The Vicar of Christ must lead the people of God according to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Just as the message of Jesus was counter-cultural some two thousand years ago, it remains such even today. So our proclamation of life, human dignity, conversion, faithfulness to the 'Good News,' and stewardship, do not resonate well in our post-modern society.

Recent revelations of sexual abuse is the problem of all of society, not just the Church. Should the Bishops responded differently? The answer is extremely complex. Sound bytes cannot tell the whole story. Benedict XVI continues to lead the Church in the context of the apostles, who received their mandate to spread the gospel message, from Jesus Christ. It is important for us to continue to pray for healing and peace, and especially for the Holy Father. We want also to pray that the Church continue to lift up good and faithful shepherds to share the 'Good News.'