The Church has faced many storms

The Acts of the Apostles recounts in chapter 15:2 “Then it was decided that Paul and Barnabas, with some other brothers, would go up to Jerusalem with the Apostles and Elders to discuss this matter.” The very young Church therefore met in what came to be called the Council of Jerusalem.

Jun 13, 2019

By Clémence Houdaille and Claire Lesegretain
Should Gentiles be converted to Christianity even if they are not circumcised according to the custom inherited from Moses? Would they be saved? Or can they have a different status from the Jews who became disciples of Jesus?

The Acts of the Apostles recounts in chapter 15:2 “Then it was decided that Paul and Barnabas, with some other brothers, would go up to Jerusalem with the Apostles and Elders to discuss this matter.” The very young Church therefore met in what came to be called the Council of Jerusalem.

The Bible points out that there was an intense discussion — a euphemism for this first crisis to shake emerging Christianity. This first doctrinal debate between Peter, Barnabas, Paul, James and the others could have divided them permanently, but it was finally resolved.

The Council decided that gentile converts to Christianity were not obligated to keep most of the Law of Moses, including the rules concerning circumcision of males.

A careful reading of the Acts of the Apostles makes it possible to analyse the template for resolving this conflict, which went through convening, discussion, debate and even confrontation, before calming down to define a common credo.

In its early days, the Church was thus “capable of discussing and building together,” noted historian Nicole Lemaître. In fact, throughout its history, the synods and other councils, sometimes stormy, repeatedly allowed it to emerge from a crisis.

In the second millennia, the Church faced storms of all kinds, both in terms of doctrine and discipline. The Church existed from crisis to crisis, like Christ himself undergoing death and resurrection. Basically, crises seem to be inherent in the life of the Church.

The course of doctrinal conflicts
The Last Supper itself, the founding narrative of God’s new covenant with his people, is a moment “when the disciples lose the thread of history,” explains Dominican Fr Timothy Radcliffe. While the disciples had gone up to Jerusalem, full of hope, to accompany the one who was to deliver Israel, everything collapsed during this meal when Judas betrayed Christ. Peter was about to deny him and the rest of the disciples were about to flee.

“Our story is happening even as the story ends. Our community was born at the moment when it was disintegrating,” comments Fr Radcliffe. The Church itself was the result of one of these crises, which renewed and rejuvenated it.

Inherent in its history, these storms have often been an opportunity for it to develop its doctrine, its discourse and its functioning.

Over the centuries, immense theological work has thus been carried out, the magisterium to interpret the Word of God being built up over the course of doctrinal conflicts around the councils, but also outside.

However, before being doctrinal and theological, the answers come first from pastoral, spiritual and educational practices.

Such a development took place during Pope Francis’ visit to Romania. At the prayer of the Our Father; there was a moment of uneasiness because of theological divisions, as Catholics and Orthodox do not pray together. The Orthodox Patriarch Daniel remained in silence when they prayed the Our Father in Latin.

When the journalists questioned the Pope about it, he said, “I saw, during the Our Father prayer the major part of people were praying, both in Romanian and in Latin.

“The people go beyond us leaders.”

It is often the laypeople who move ahead in their devotional, pastoral and even spiritual matters to bring about Church renewal and unity. The theologians often follow, not the other way around.

The laypeople, through a return to the Gospel and a fervent spiritual life, have contributed to the creation of new institutions that better meet the needs of society.

Looking at how the Church has resolved crises before, there is much hope of a good response to the current crisis.

Remember that the Church has always had to deal with crises with the grace of God. --LCI (international.la-croix.com)

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