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 October
2000
The
Challenge of Dominus
Iesus for Roman
Catholics
I
have followed with great
interest the recent
media coverage and
worldwide response to
the declaration Dominus
Iesus. Reactions in
the media and
conversations with
others in ministry led
me straight to the
document for
a closer look. After
reading through the
document, I found myself
challenged in a
different way than
depicted in so many of
the news stories.
Instead of being
dismayed by the
"scandal" of
this document, I found
myself challenged to
seriously think through
what I believe about
Christ and the Church.
Is
it
"scandalous"
or
"outrageous"
for the Roman Catholic
Church to claim the
primacy of Christ for
salvation and the
privileged place of the
Roman Catholic Church in
the plan of salvation?
As I read through the
document, and heard
themes that have been
articulated since the
Second Vatican Council,
it seemed to me that the
Roman Catholic Church
was making claims that
any Christian church
worth its salt should
make.
Is
Jesus Christ the
Way?
From the earliest
moments after Pentecost,
Christians have asserted
that it is Christ who
brings salvation, that
Jesus Christ is
"the Way, the
Truth, and the
Life". At the same
time, we have struggled
with the possibility of
salvation for those who
do not believe in Jesus.
We have worked to
respect people of other
faiths, and recognized
that, indeed, the Spirit
of God can blow beyond
the boundaries that we
know. We have reminded
ourselves that the
resurrected and
glorified Christ is not
limited to our
perceptions of him, that
non-believers may indeed
encounter him in ways
that we cannot discern.
We are chided to
"judge not, lest we
ourselves be
judged". These are
important caveats for
ministry. But Dominus
Iesus reminds and
challenges us:
- Do
we still believe
that Jesus is the
Way to communion
with God?
- In
our efforts to
dialogue with and
respect people of
other faiths, have
we let Jesus Christ
take a back seat? Is
he the Ultimate
Revelation of God,
or has he become
just another great
teacher along our
way?
This
is our call to faith.
Is
the Roman Catholic
Church holy and
true?
This issue is perhaps
even thornier for
Catholics than the
question about Jesus.
After all, every
Christian denomination
bears the name of Jesus
Christ. Is this not the
heart of what it means
to be Christian? In
recognizing the
importance of Christ at
the center of our
Church, we feel more
comfortable recognizing
the Body of Christ,
broken around the world,
than asserting that
"the Church of
Christ subsists in the
Catholic Church".
In a climate where we
long for unity and
dialogue, these words
chill us. But here Dominus
Iesus reminds
and challenges us:
- Do
we believe that the
Roman Catholic
Church is rooted in
the teachings of the
Apostles?
- Do
we believe that,
despite its
all-too-human
struggles, this same
Church has been
faithful to the
teachings of Christ
in creating its
structure of
authority, theology,
and sacramental
system?
This
is our call to faith. If
we believe that the
above statements are
true, than is not the
next step to assert that
our Church has a unique
place in Christ's plan
of salvation?
Believing…and
Doing.
Dominus Iesus doesn't
answer the question
"Who can be
saved?" Rather, it
challenges Roman
Catholics to re-examine
what we believe about
Christ and the Church.
Once we answer those
questions, we will be
moved to action.
How
are we called to
proclaim Jesus Christ to
the world? How do we
promote unity with other
Christians? How can we
do so with deep respect,
tolerance, and the
burning zeal for the
Gospel that moved the
early Christians?
Let
us struggle with the
questions, as well as
the calls to ministry
that follow.
"Lord,
I believe; help my
unbelief."
Chris
Weber
Director
Catholic Education Ministries
of Central Maryland.
Copyright © 2000 by the
Catholic Education Ministries Center of Central Maryland, Emmitsburg, MD
21727. All rights reserved.
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Instead
of being dismayed by the
"scandal" of
this document, I found
myself challenged to
seriously think through
what I believe about
Christ and the Church.
New!
Click
here for
Printable
version
of this Article
(Adobe
Acrobat format)
Links:
Dominus
Iesus - Full Text -
Zenit News
Cardinal
Ratzinger says Dominus
Iesus unjustly criticized
Discussion
of Dominus Iesus at Beliefnet.com
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