which image of the Church is in greatest need of change, improved, or is the most criticized through the eyes of our society or those within the Catholic Faith community.

Question

Institution

The church is a social organization with leaders and rules that govern it.

In 312 CE, Constantine the Great declared that Christianity was to be the official religion of the Roman Empire.

Christ is the head of the Church yet the Catholic Church is organized in a “hierarchical” manner led by the Pope. The pope is the Bishop of Rome and the successor of Peter.

The rules governing the expectations of all members of the church are found in the Code of Canon Law.

II. Teacher

The Catechism refers to the family as the “Domestic Church” (§1656) and it recognizes that the home is the “first school of Christian Life”.

All Bishops take on the role of the Apostles as the chief teachers of the faith.

Priests and deacons participate in the ministry of Bishops to serve the people of God.

The teaching ministry of Christ is also carried out in a special way by professional teachers and catechists.

III. Advocate

Catechism teaches that it is the task of the laity, not ordained priests and bishops, to directly intervene in the political structuring and organization of social life.

While the Church must be careful not to become a political party, Christians must strive to influence their society towards working for the common good.

IV. Community

Deepest vocation of church is to respond to prayer of Jesus that “we all may be one”.

Even though there are currently many Christian Churches, we should constantly strive to build unity so that we may be “one family of God”

V. Transformer

Christ sanctified the Church and through Jesus, church sanctifies men and women.

The church strives to bring individuals and societies to a greater understanding of Christ’s great love for us and how we can best respond to that love.

VI. Servant

Churches’ love for the poor is a constant part of its tradition and extends not only to material poverty but also many forms of cultural and religious poverty (CCC §2444).

The Church shows preferential love for those oppressed by poverty (CCC §2448).

ASSIGNMENT: In your own opinion which image of the Church is in greatest need of change, improved, or is the most criticized through the eyes of our

society or those within the Catholic Faith community. Explain used two (2) examples.

Answer 1

From the time Christianity was ratified as a religion by Constantine in 312 AD in the Edict of Milan to the Protestant Reformation, the Eastern world had view the Roman Catholic Church as the epitome of Christian faith. However, it’s false teachings to the unlearnt world (Dark Ages 476 - 1000 AD) that the papacy was empowered by God to remit sins have influenced their capitalistic ambitions. Thus, there were indulgences to be paid in military expeditions or monetary payments for sins to be taken away.

As a result of the false doctrine, the papacy’s prerogative to receive payments for penance which motivated capitalistic ambitions have led the church to appear to be a politically dictating capitalistic body that extorted people for their properties. Thus, with the rise of the age of the Renaissance that led to social and religious enlightenment, and industrialization on a whole people became enlightened by the false teachings of the papacy. Involved in this was the work of Martin Luther (the German theologian) people were enlighten that salvation and the forgiveness of sins come by grace through faith (Eph 2:8-10).

With all this in context, secularism is now socio-economic and political global conceptual framework that divide the theoretical and practical functions of the church and state. It is also a statement that proves how Christendom has proved itself disingenuous in the eyes of those who do not profess the Christian faith.

The adjustment that must be made is that the church must readjust and realign its theories and practices to represent the message of the Gospel. That is, faith alone in Christ alone (Rom 5:1, Eph 2:8-10). The church has an obligation not just in Europe or the east, but to the world to prove that it is genuinely the body of Christ in the earth. It is not a capitalistic body fueled by political power with a religious brand. The church must prove that it is not in the earth to earn wealth by extortion or exploitation, but that it’s mandate is to reconcile a fallen world to God.

If the church recommit itself to the initial commission of Christ, then it will be able to regain the trust of the world that has been lost for nearly 700 years.