Visitors to the Synod of Bishops’ booth in a park in Lisbon, Portugal, pose for photos using synod ‘photo booth frames’ during World Youth Day on August 1, 2023. Photo: CNS Thomas O’Loughlin
While the image of ‘the pilgrim People of God’ has been central to formal understanding of the church since Vatican II – an event now more
than two generations ago – its impact on the pew-level ecclesiology has been marginal.
It was intended to be a biblically rich vision to replace the political vision of the ‘unequal hierarchical society’ (societas inaequalis hierarchica). Yet few organisations have such hierarchically clear levels.
The clue is in the name: the Church claims to be hierarchical (in the original sense of its having a divinely appointed government and in the popular sense of ranks in a pyramid); other power pyramids are only ‘hierarchical’ by analogy.
The People of God image was to emphasise that it is all the baptised, as one community, that witnesses, preaches, works, suffers, and prays. Put another way, the basis of the Church would be centred around Baptism, not ordination.
It would also be a pilgrim Church – emphasising that it has not reached its complete form, its goal. It is travelling and so cannot think of itself as a societas perfecta. In the older ecclesiology the Church was the perfect beacon that not only other religious organisations, but all other societies should imitate.
Vatican II saw the community of the baptised as serving the larger human family, growing, learning, and humbly aware of its incompleteness. After several centuries of triumphalism, taking the pilgrim image on board has been just too much for many of us. Many of the divisions within contemporary Catholicism can be seen in terms of a desire or unwillingness to take this notion of the Church as being a pilgrim group – so that tomorrow will be different from yesterday – on board.
It is against this background we have to hear what Pope Francis is about in his repeated calls for a ‘synodal Church’ and that various preparatory endeavours for that are linked with 2023’s Synod on Synodality.
It is an unfortunate title – especially for us with our memories of Yes Minister where it somehow conjures images of Sir Humphrey presiding over the Committee of Committees – but synodality captures for the Pope a vision of an operative framework that he hopes will give flesh to Vatican II’s vision and is the opposite of the ‘unequal hierarchical society’.
And he insists that the Council’s vision is not just one option, but the way forward for our Church.
Looking backwards
Faced with changes in how we view the Church, our instinct is to look backwards to ‘the early Church’ and see if we can draw lessons or inspiration from there. This longing for the golden age of the first Christians is not new. Already in the early 2nd Century Luke seeking to establish an ecumenical vision for the Greek-speaking church where he preached used this device in Acts. In summary after summary he presents us with a vision of unity, harmony, and dedication:
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved (Acts 2:42-7).
Invoking the golden age/‘the apostolic age’ is a powerful rhetorical tool, but it brings with it three important questions. First, is Luke correct in his presentation. Does the evidence point toward harmony and unity? Second, does Luke’s backward glance fit with the overall Christian vision? And, third, while it is rhetorically powerful, is it pastorally effective?
Another essay in the occasional series by theologian and author Dr Thomas O’Loughlin, Emeritus Professor of Historical Theology at the University of Nottingham, to be concluded in our next issue.