The Church’s Legitimate Authority

To the Editor:

In response to Leo McIlrath’s letter of March 3 on ordination, I would like to state that not only does the church have the right to publish their rules and regulations – i.e. the Roman Catholic Catechism in their bulletin or elsewhere – but it has an obligation as a center of teaching to make sure that their faith community fully understands their current mandates on any subject. And it is precisely because the church desires not to mislead its congregation that it seeks to communicate freely and openly its tenets, whether those be scriptural, traditional, or magisterial (the college of bishops, united with the Pope, and the general councils). The church exercises a legitimate authority to which submission is due and the church is inseparable from Christ. Members of the church are those who, being baptized, confess their faith and acknowledge her authority.

The church however, is a pilgrim community, animated by the spirit, and may well expand the priesthood to include married clergy and female ordination, or not. Should changes evolve, church documents will reflect those changes, and its members will be informed, perhaps even in bulletins.

 Each of the faithful are exhorted to be priest, prophet and King in our everyday faith-bearing lives. Let it be our prayer that we grow in faith with one another offering each other encouragement as the holy spirit has his way in his perfect timing. Being always mindful of the Word of God which states: “Obey them that have rule over you, and submit yourselves” (Heb. 13:17).

Kathy Pond

5 Misty Vale Road, Sandy Hook                               March 7, 2000