Lumen Gentium: Analyzing the Relationship Between the Catholic Church and God

Passage 12 of Lumen Gentium attempts to flesh out fundamental actualities of the relationship that exists between the Catholic Church and God. It begins its line of examination by starting from how Catholicism is grounded in God’s people and, based on this fact, subsists only through the actions of the living. More so than any other religious article, the people of the Church are the most complete representations of the Catholic faith and their cooperative efforts to preserve the religion and its traditions deserve acknowledgement. The statements made in Lumen Gentium 12 are axiomatic due to their recognition of the importance of human presence within the Church, while still establishing man’s limits relative to God. As instructive as it is about God, it also takes into account the inclinations of human beings and in so doing, it prescribes to us an elevated perspective—that we should look beyond our own inclinations in matters of faith and attempt to reflect on the truth that is present in God’s scripture and God’s divine action.

Lumen Gentium 12 begins by establishing the ways in which Catholics share in “Christ’s prophetic office” (LG 12.1). Although the religious actions of Catholic may seem commonplace in our modern time due to the global extent of the Catholic Church, the contributions of each follower is profound through their efforts to interact with our God. The reward of belief is the ability to communicate with our creator and as a result of their devotion; disciples are bestowed with insight into God’s divine reality. It is through this religious commitment that the people of God are able to revel in God’s grandeur. This transcendent ability to take part in the divinity of Christ “spreads abroad a living witness to Him” (LG 12.1). The operative word within this statement is living. The people of Christ are the lifeblood of the Catholic faith. This may seem an apparent observation, but we are the actors that allow for the continuation of Catholicism. Although the faith is preserved in scripture, churches, and countless material reminders of our belief, Catholicism does not exist without an active presence that moves other individuals to see the glory of God. We are the agents who continually move the religion forward. This dissemination is only achieved in a certain way, namely through spoken praise; a notion which is reflected in such a great deal of religious pedagogy. Beyond the influence of mere words, however, the most effective message comes through our embodiment of Catholic tenets by exhibiting a “life of faith and charity” (LG 12.1).

Truth behind belief arises as a fundamental consideration among the people of God: “The entire body of the faithful, anointed as they are by the Holy One, cannot err in matters of belief” (LG 12.1). In this context, followers are blessed with infallibility when it comes to their faith. There is purity to what they believe in which comes expressly from their devotion to Christ. If we can consider the collective body of Christians as being a kind of living representation of the religion itself, then there is a kind of inherent truth to their belief, which is the substance beneath their individual commitments. In the following sentence, there is greater clarification as to the composition of the “faithful”: “They manifest this special property…when ‘from the Bishops down to the last of the lay faithful’ they show universal agreement in matters of faith and morals” (LG 12.1). This group is unified from the highest officials of the Church to the laity. Although there may be a large degree of division in terms of the types of members that compose the Church, there is one voice of the faithful. This statement reveals that with so many parts, it is possible for division to arise in the spirit of the faithful. What matters, however, is not focusing on the disagreement of individual members, but striving towards greater harmony among the people of God and finding unity in both heart and mind. Within the realm of the Church, this involves all members to make a concerted effort to embrace what is being taught from the top-down. For a habit to exist that involves accepting some religious teachings and throwing out others is counterproductive. It damages the bonds that stitch the religious community together. Instead, effort should be concentrated towards adherence to the central values and morals of the Catholic faith. “That discernment in matters of faith is aroused and sustained by the Spirit of truth” (LG 12.1). In other words, we should be moved by religious teachings by their truth-value as it reveals itself to us. Additionally, it is important to distinguish disagreement between beliefs that are based on scripture as compared to disagreement based on theological opinion. Due to the fact that truth within scripture is God-given; it cannot be altered according to our will. This retention of what we might label as religious character is what has made the Catholic Church the moral and upstanding institution that it is today. Continuing to look to scripture for guidance and to forge a common sense of purpose with other Catholics is what allows it to persevere and to stay true to its roots.

Although both the laity and clergy alike have an equally active role in carrying out the mission of the Church, Lumen Gentium 12 highlights the significance of the priests within Catholicism. The “sacred teaching authority”, namely the Pope, Cardinals, and Bishops, head the Church and even though Catholic tradition is preserved through their sermonizing, the laity must heed their word and recognize it as “not just the word of men but truly as the word of God” (LG 12.1). Their physical presence and lecturing should not be a façade to what is being said. All disciples must recognize that the channeling of God’s understanding is a natural portion of the Church that should be embraced. And through it, the people of God “should adhere unwaveringly to the faith…penetrates it more deeply with right thinking, and applies it more fully in its life” (LG 12.1). The Catholic Church and its followers are part of a process. As disciples ascertain the values that have been publicly expressed, they should continue to plunge their thoughts into the fruits of scripture and Catholic teachings as so many devout followers have done in generations past. The idea is that as time passes, followers can continue to reap the reward of this perpetual learning that has been an integral part of our religious growth and tradition.

In the second half of Lumen Gentium 12, it is expressed that the Holy Spirit does not only guide through what is provided through the Church, but has additional devices for leading God’s people. In particular, “the Holy Spirit…[allots] his gifts to everyone according as He wills, He distributes special graces among the faithful of every rank” (LG 12.2). This metaphor of providing material gifts to followers seems a way of framing the seemingly inscrutable nature of God in more relatable human actions. It serves as a way to better conceptualizing how God assists God’s people, and in the same way that we give material gifts to one another, God gives us intangible gifts that help us carry out more principled lives. While it may seem unfair that the Spirit of God imparts gifts as God chooses, we should recognize that in spite of this misleading observation, God has given us all great fortune. The fact that God has free choice to engrace us should not make us lose sight of the great things that God has already given us. In terms of the objects God provides us, he imbues us with a more complete capacity to carry out our duty within the Church. Again, another’s reception of grace should not be viewed with envy because God’s decision to grace one of us is performed in the benefit of others as well. People receive the fruits of God not in a divided and individual way, but to make the Church and the Catholic faith equally better through the engraced man’s connection with it. What is grace if not a means of better representing the glory of God?

The way in which these gifts are received should be considered in an extensive manner and not in a provincial one. “These charisms, whether they be the more outstanding or the more simple and widely diffused, are to be received with thanksgiving and consolation for they are perfectly suited to and useful for the needs of the Church” (LG 12.2). No matter the kind or size of the gift, it is important to look at the utility of what is given, rather than to whom it is given. These gifts are not things that we should pine for in a personal sense. It is not necessarily from a standpoint of superiority that the person receives a certain gift and furthermore, the person to whom it is given is not the only benefactor. God’s decision has less to do with the selection of that one individual to have a greater connection with God, but has more to do with giving this gift to the collective whole. As a living embodiment of the Church, the reason this gift was bestowed is to further the Catholic faith and does not suggest that this person has a more intimate relationship with God than any other within the Church, an inference that we might make in reference to the seemingly heightened position of the clergy. In fact, the importance of the clergy exists in their proper discernment of these charisms in an effort to better recognize the grace of God and to benefit the Church in the best way possible.

The purpose of this passage through its attempt to recognize the interrelation between the Church and God is in an effort to establish to understand the desired actions of the clergy and the laity. Through describing the principles that govern the Church’s striving towards God, there is a better opportunity for the Church and all its constituents to examine the way it should behave and progress. In particular, it is meant to illuminate a course of action through reflection of man’s deficiencies in relation to religious considerations. In relation to the truth of belief, it is important to recognize the fact that the body of the Church is not infallible; the collective community can at sometimes manifest the truth, or in some cases it exists in the beliefs of a select number of isolated individuals. In relation to the gifts handed down to man by God, disciples should have a perspective of the whole and see the affair in a wider context instead of relegating the concern to hierarchical terms. It is important for us to find the truth where it exists, yet we should be more humble when it comes to religious matters. Especially in the case of what is given by God, one cannot extract from such a limited perspective the universal outlook and all-encompassing consideration of the Holy Spirit.