A Challenge to the Pope
Last month, on the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, a number of prominent Roman Catholic scholars in various countries, among them 47 professors and two bishops, issued a “Jubilee Declaration”. In it they call for several reforms in the Roman Curia – the central governing body, headed by the Pope, of the entire Roman Catholic Church.
The signatories complain that certain resolutions, of the Second Vatican Council, to involve more lay people in central decision making have only been partially implemented, if at all. “The Second Vatican Council prescribed collegiality and co-responsibility on all levels”, they declare, and therefore the Pope’s “authority may never obscure, diminish or suppress the authentic authority directly given by Christ to all members of the people of God.”
They state that “the exercise of authority in our Church should emulate the standards of openness, accountability and democracy achieved in modern society. Leadership should be seen to be honest and credible.” They therefore call for seven urgent reforms to be implemented – the first of which is that “the extent and limits of the Pope’s authority should be clearly defined in the context of today’s world”.
A bold challenge indeed – but a futile one. The reforming of Rome to be open and accountable, let alone to be doctrinally sound, is impossible. Rome and reformation are mutually exclusive. Although it has been expedient for that ancient system to adapt to various situations, it is fundamentally the same in its spirit as it has been for many centuries. Semper idem – always the same – has not ceased to be its motto.
In any case, the signatories of the declaration have not appealed to Scripture and remain devoted to their Church. It would be the wisdom of those Roman Catholics who long for spiritual freedom to heed the call: “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” (2 Cor 6:17,18). The liberty needed by all is to be found only in Scripture, and in Christ specifically – not in tradition or Mary. “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (Jn 8:36). NMR