http://www.councilofthebaptized.org/images/selection_of_bishops.pdf
Practice in the New Testament
"The lives of the twelve apostles in the first century after Jesus’ death provide
no evidence of their appointing bishops or of Peter’s appointing successors
to the twelve apostles in the manner practiced today. “It is not
the concern of the New Testament writers to present a coherent history
of emerging ecclesiastical structures” (Cardman 2004, 35).
The early Christian communities functioned fluidly like a movement,
not yet as a structured institution. The first writings surviving from the
years following Jesus’ death are the letters of Paul to the Christian communities
in the Greek speaking world (AD 50s). In each case Paul addresses
his letters to the whole community in a particular city, sometimes
naming men and women who are the leaders. Paul sees the Christian
community as a community of equals, where each of the members has
gifts to contribute to the community (Haight 2004). Various people assume
leadership roles within each community; Paul makes no references
to bishops or to apostolic succession. The successor to Judas among the
twelve was Matthias, chosen by the drawing of lots (Acts 1:12-26).
The gospel narratives report that Jesus himself calls and appoints the
twelve and teaches them the roles of servant leadership. “The greatest
among you must be your servant” (Matthew 23:22). “You know that
among the pagans their so-called rulers lord it over them, and their great
men make their authority felt. This is not to happen among you” (Mark
10:42). Jesus does not mandate a model for subsequent leadership selection.
Practice in the Early Church
Evidence from early church tradition supports our initiative to call our
spiritual leaders. Luke’s writing from late in the first century suggests
church offices are beginning to take shape, yet still fluid. In Acts 6:1-6,
Peter appoints seven deacons to serve the widows in Jerusalem and free
the apostles to preach; in Acts 7 and 8 two of these deacons Stephen and
Philip are preaching, not distributing food. By the time of the writing of
the Didache (c. 100) there is an emerging local ministry of bishops and
deacons. The Didache writer urges the communities “to elect bishops
and deacons, men who are ‘gentle, generous, faithful, and well tried’ ”
(Cardman 2004, 36). The pastoral epistles reflect concern with structure
in households of faith. Scholars date the description of the ideal qualities
for bishops (1Timothy 3:1-7) about AD 100.
As the numbers of Christians grew during the second and third centuries,
they organized themselves more formally with bishops and presbyters
in a diverse number of communities. Ignatius of Antioch, c.100, is
the first recorded advocate of a structure for the community with bishops
and clergy (Haight 2004, 84). The community’s selection of its bishop was
typical in the early church. Hippolytus in AD 215 stated, “Let the bishop
be ordained…having been elected by all the people.” Bishops John
Chrysostom, Ambrose of Milan, and Augustine of Hippo, the great bishops
of the Patristic era, were selected with the people’s involvement. The
bishops of Rome were elected, as evidenced in the writing of Pope Celestine,
422-432: “The one who is to be head over all should be elected
by all. No one should be made a bishop over the unwilling; the consent
and desire of the clergy and the people…is required” (cited in McClory
2007, 31; Haight 2004).
Practice from Constantine
Through the Middle Ages
Church history from Constantine in AD 313 to the formulation of the first
code of canon law in 1917 shows a long struggle for institutional identity
and self-governance. The struggle between the Church of Rome and European
monarchies for power to govern the church ended with Rome’s
winning the centralized power to appoint bishops.
Until the end of the fourth century the church had no central ecclesiastical
power to appoint bishops. The eastern churches and the western
churches were separate even though headed by Constantine, the Roman
Emperor who accepted Christianity as the religion of the empire. They
were dependent to varying degrees on the jurisdiction of the Empire. The
bishop of Rome had recognition because of the city’s central position in
the Empire;..."
Bridget Mary's Response:
Excellent resource! Today the Roman Catholic Women Priests Movement is charting a renewed priestly ministry in a community of equals. Many Catholics are affirming the early tradition of the church as a "discipleship of equals" and are calling for more open, accountable, people-empowered structures in the election/selection of bishop and pope by the faith community. In my veiw, it is part of the spiritual revolution that is happening in Catholicism today and it is a welcome holy shakeup of the hierarchical structures! Bridget Mary Meehan, arcwp. www.arcwp.org
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