By Julie A. Ferraro | FāVS News Columnist
The views expressed in this opinion column are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of FāVS News.
Growing up attending Catholic school, one of the first prayers we were taught is the creed, which outlines what those who are baptized believe.
There are actually two creeds: the Nicene Creed, which stems from the Council of Nicaea in the fourth century, and the Apostles’ Creed, a shorter and more succinct summary of those beliefs.
Both creeds contain references to the “holy catholic” church.
But, just what does “catholic” mean in this instance?
Being the first to admit I am neither a historian nor a theologian, I do like to study words, their uses and definitions. So, when I learned that “catholic” — with a small “c” — originates from the Greek katholikos, meaning universal, it made sense to me.
A universal church in the early centuries
The Christians, in those first centuries after Jesus shared his message in the region around Galilee, had a much narrower view of the “universe” than we do 20 centuries later. To them, it meant the Roman Empire or, at most, as far as could be traveled over land and sea at the time.
They saw their mission as sharing the good news with those living in that universe, and Christianity becoming a universal belief system as more and more people accepted Jesus’ message of love.
The concept of catholic also included a standardized set of beliefs, a creed, the reason that the message of love mattered in an ever-changing world.
Yet, even from those earliest days, the catholic aspect of Christian beliefs suffered through various interpretations of key beliefs and liturgical practices.
St. Paul, for instance, preached that Gentiles didn’t need to be circumcised to become Christians, while St. Peter held — for some years — that being circumcised under Jewish law was a prerequisite to being Christian.
Moving forward, fractures in the catholic nature of Christianity became all too common, leading to the various Orthodox interpretations – Greek, Serbian, Syrian, etc. — and, later, the Anglican communion, the Lutheran church in its various forms and other denominations.
Yet, many of these churches still use the language “holy catholic” when professing their beliefs.
Still one church — at least in theory
Not that it’s wrong, but the significance is tremendously important.
For all those who believe in God, and in Jesus, it should be possible to put aside the details that cause division and friction and work once more toward a truly catholic approach to Christianity.
One obstacle, of course, is the hierarchy of each church but, if I may be blunt, why are so many authority figures necessary? The more “upper management” that is needed, if you will, the greater becomes the overhead costs for the buildings they occupy — and the more they need to urge the people in the pews to donate to their support.
As for having highly educated and ordained figures sanctioned to clarify matters of dogma and the laws put in place by predecessors who recorded their interpretations of doctrine, has not some of the deepest faith been found in those without much formal education, like St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Bernadette or the three children to whom the Blessed Mother appeared at Fatima?
Jesus said that little children exhibit the purest kind of faith, and that should be emulated. Does imposing all sorts of rules and regulations really help individuals grow closer to God, or does the exact opposite occur, erecting barriers to the gifts for which we all yearn?
Church structures themselves could be simplified — for Jesus gathered the crowds on hillsides and in homes to pray together. He emphasized that God is everywhere, and not confined to a specific, specially designated site.
Funds that would otherwise go to paying utility bills or installing a new roof could be used to provide shelter for the unhoused, feed the hungry and care for the ill and the aged.
Returning to a truly “Catholic” Christianity
If a bit of dedicated thought and effort goes into the process, perhaps together we can work toward restoring the catholic — universal — focus of Christianity, remembering the essence of Jesus’ call to love one another.
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