Fr. John Behr on the Catholicity of the Church
Fr. John Behr
The expression, ‘the Catholic Church,’ applies to the local church gathered in the unity of faith under one bishop celebrating one Eucharist. As such, the term ‘catholic’ does not denote a geographical universality, in the sense of the union of all local churches under one center, as parts of a universal whole. It is not so much an extensive property, as an intensive quality, a ‘fullness’ or ‘completeness’; and it is this precisely because it is the whole undivided body of Christ Himself that is present, when, in the unity of faith, the Eucharist is celebrated, making His Body, the Church: “wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church”. Jesus Christ Himself is the only one who makes the local Eucharistic gathering to be truly a Catholic Church.
However this must not be taken as an assertion of the superiority of the local church over the universal — to do so would be to deprive both of catholicity. Rather the two imply each other: the catholicity of the local Church is dependent upon its communion with other Churches. While each local Church is, in this way, catholic, each nevertheless remains unique and distinct, with her own particular characteristics (paralleling the Trinity).
*Taken from his talk on Orthodoxy.
This is a wonderful post. I am only saddened that I didn’t beat you to it. I guess I can always steal it later!
Nice post…. Mr. Picture stealer.