The Church has a structure which has been formed through the centuries and conditioned by the cultures in which it has existed. The structure has changed slowly over time.
The structure developed from a sense of what was the Church’s mission. It saw its mission to establish communities of followers of Christ who would witness to the world a better way of being human – a way that worshipped God and loved people, especially the weak and vulnerable.
It adopted the Roman system of dioceses and parishes as its structure – a structure which exists today. Bishops who led the broader community of the diocese modeled themselves on Roman senators and Roman emperors.
The Church developed a system of seven sacraments through which it believes the Risen Christ, through the Holy Spirit, is present to the Church.
Over the centuries it developed a system of law called canon law. Law was necessary to keep order in the Church. Much of its early law was based on Roman law. Even as it developed its system of law, it realized law was not a perfect tool for bringing order and justice into the community of the Church. So, it developed other ways to correct the limitations of law and provide justice. It applied concepts of equity, epikiea, and economia as ways to guarantee justice. Equity invoked higher principles and values than the law permits – such as morality. Epikiea,from Aristotle, expected justice to be done, not legalism or the letter of the law. Economia, from Orthodox Christianity, allowed the bishop under the influence of the Holy Spirit to decide what would best redress an injustice and hold the community together.
Through the centuries the Church saw its mission as “salvation of souls.” So much of its effort has been to save souls and to convert people. It taught “outside the Church there is no salvation.” Salvation was understood as being found worthy to enter heaven at the end of one’s life. And this happened by living a good life and avoiding sin. The Church believed if one lived a bad life, one could possibly end up in hell for all eternity. Medieval art graphically portrayed this view. Even canon law indicated that the salvation of souls was the supreme law of the Church (c. 1752).
The Church dedicated much of its missionary effort to the conversion of native populations in the Americas and in other parts of the world. In some situations, people were forced to be baptized so they could be saved.
Today, it seems this old image of the mission of the Church is dissolving. People seem no longer motivated by the fear of hell. They presume all will eventually go to heaven – if there is life after death. Some try to explain away the resurrection of Jesus, and other miracles witnessed through the ages. For many people there is little sense that there is a deeper reality of life beyond which we normally experience.
The salvation of souls may be the supreme law of the Church and the focus of the Church’s mission. But “salvation of souls” needs to be expanded beyond the final achievement of reaching heaven. Originally the Church used the Greek word soterias for salvation. It meant to be in full health, to breathe deeply, to be free, to receive the beneficent force which guides us toward wholeness.
So, how can we express the mission of the Church today? We might look at the Church’s mission of “saving of souls” as the building of “heart bridges” between people. The world is already becoming connected globally through the internet and other technology. People can have almost instantaneous communication – voice and video, emails and texts – with people throughout the world, using their cell phones and computers. Much of the world’s business is handled through instantaneous global networks. Information is available at our fingertips by “googling.” We can purchase almost anything from Amazon, and it will arrive on our doorsteps in a matter of days, if not hours.
Yet there is so much division and polarization among people of the world. We are not whole people full of health. While we are connected in so many wonderful technological ways, we are still divided as people. And this division threatens the survival of human and all life on this planet. We fear other people and see them as enemies. We fail to recognize our common humanity. And we definitely fail to recognize the Sacred presence in one another.
Perhaps the mission of the Church, and the mission of all religions, is to help the world connect on the heart level. This heart connection would help unite all people. But it would also help unite humanity with the world of nature and all living creatures. We would learn to recognize the presence of God in all creation. We would become a whole world! Thus, we would have a deeper respect for all people and all life, especially life that is vulnerable and easily trampled. Then we would work together in collaboration. Then the earth would truly become united. And the salvation of souls in this world would be realized in anticipation of final fulfillment in God.