"'Laudato Si' has been a watershed for the Church and for the world."Sixty Years of Lumen Gentium: Rediscovering the Mystery of the ChurchHow does the Christian community reflect the God it worships? How does the history of the people of Israel relate to the mission of Christians, and why can the Church not be reduced to a mere human institution?
In a conversation with Fr. Giulio Maspero, we explore some of the spiritual, anthropological and juridical foundations that characterize the community of believers. A member of the council of the Pontifical Academy of Theology, he is professor of Dogmatic Theology and dean of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Rome. Pontifical University of the Holy Cross of Rome.
Professor, let's start with the concept of identity of a religious community. How does the Church reflect the divinity it worships?
- Every religious community identifies itself according to the deity it worships. In the case of the Church, the deity is the God of Jesus Christ, so that, in order to understand what the Church is and what its mission is, we must start from the mystery of this triune God. Unlike the pagan deities, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is unique, transcendent and creates from nothing out of love. This Trinitarian communion is the model that the Church herself is called to reflect in her life and action.
How can we adequately understand this God who is one but also triune?
- It means recognizing that God, being Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is perfect and absolute communion. Man, created in God's image and likeness, participates in this divine life. The Old Testament shows the progressive awareness of the Jewish people of their relationship with God, which culminates in Jesus Christ. The Church is born precisely from the encounter with the Triune God who, in Jesus, gives himself definitively, offering us to be his friends and members of the Mystical Body which is the Church herself.
Where does the history of the people of Israel fit into this discourse?
- Israel is the people called to live the relationship with the one God, discovering little by little the depth of the covenant. After moments of crisis and exile, it has become aware of the value of belonging to a Creator who loves his people.
With the advent of Jesus, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is fully revealed as Trinity: Christianity is not limited to inheriting an earthly monarchy, but welcomes and spreads the possibility of participating in the divine Life open to all. The Church is the prolongation of this love story, where the baptized enter into a profound relationship with the triune God.
It is often stressed that the Church cannot be reduced to a merely human or political structure....
- Indeed, the Church is not a political institution like the Davidic monarchy of the Old Testament, nor is it a mere building or the Vatican State. It is the People of God, the Body of Christ and the temple of the Holy Spirit: three images that speak of the richness of the Trinitarian communion that generates it. The main bond is not juridical, but spiritual: every Christian, by the BaptismThe Church of Jesus Christ, comes into contact with the living God and with all brothers and sisters in the faith.
Obviously, the Church, in the course of two thousand years of history, has equipped herself with structures and rules to make this communion visible and operative, but its origin and its strength lie in the living encounter with the Risen One.
Where does its universal, i.e., "Catholic", character come from?
- It derives from the fact that God is the Lord of all times and places, so that the Church, as the People of God, is destined to bring together people of all cultures, ages and backgrounds. This is already announced in the Scriptures, from the Old to the New Testament: the whole of human history is seen as the progressive encounter between God and man.
The Gospel is not simply a set of words written in a book, but the very presence of Christ dwelling in his community, especially in the sacraments, the liturgy and mutual love. Hence the Church's vocation to be a sign of this unity of God with humanity.
What sources would you recommend to those who would like to know more about the nature and mission of the Church?
- There are three main references. First, the life of the Church itself, with the sacraments, the liturgy and the witness of the saints, which concretely express its reality. Secondly, Sacred Scripture, in particular the Acts of the Apostles, where we find the Church of the origins. Thirdly, the Magisterium of the Church, which includes the documents and the Catechism.
Here are three examples of texts: "The Church Our Mother," by St. Josemaría Escrivá; the Acts of the Apostles, which we find immediately after the Gospels; the Catechism of the Catholic Church; and the Dogmatic Constitution "Lumen Gentium" of the Second Vatican Council. In my opinion, these sources, combined, help us to grasp the Church as a living communion in continuous dialogue with the Lord and with humanity.
Specifically, how can the institution dialogue with today's world?
- The Church is the place where every person is invited to personally encounter the Risen Christ, becoming his friend and sharing his divine life. It is, therefore, a reality that touches the deepest dimension of the person, but which also translates into real and concrete relationships of communion.
In the course of time, this encounter has resulted in a definite structure and identity, despite the limitations and difficulties of human history. In the end, however, what remains crucial is the presence of the Risen One: it is He who makes it possible and impels it to serve the world, announcing the good news to every people and generation.
