Many documents came from weeks and months of deliberation during the time of the Second Council of the Vatican in the early 60s. Of all of them LUMEN GENTIUM might be regarded as the most significant.  It says many things, too numerous to itemise in this posting, save one, the matter of collegiality.

 For many years in the recent history of Church governance, the exercise of authority in the Church has been a top down model with the Papacy having the ultimate gift of direction. This Petrine Primacy as opposed to a collegial respect for the bishops of the Church working with the Bishop of Rome has led to many difficulties. Only recently, Cardinal Karl Lehmann of Mainz , a former president of the German Bishops Conference has called on national churches to speak up more courageously in their dialogue with Rome , claiming that their lack of courage has made Rome “over-powerful”.  He went on to say that “We need to be more courageous in dialogue within the Church. We complain that Rome is over-powerful, but the reason why Rome is so strong is because we are too weak.”  That is a significant remark.  

This November sees the 50^th anniversary of the promulgation of Lumen Gentium. Maybe we should be asking a few questions, not only of Rome , but of ourselves. Cardinal Carlo Martini in his final interview said that “I have a question for you: What can you do for the Church?”  There is the challenge facing all of us.  

How have we got into this cul-de-sac, where the Council showed us a way forward but we seem to have hardly begun the journey? Kevin Kelly in his book “50 years of receiving Vatican II” says that “Vatican II was not an event but a continuing process”.    

How have our Bishops allowed the continuance of the Petrine Primacy model to remain substantially unchanged over the fifty years since the Council closed?  

Why haven’t we been more vocal in our protest at continual attempts in Rome and elsewhere to maintain the status quo in spite of the Council, where 2,151 bishops signified their assent to Lumen Gentium and a mere 5 expressed opposition to it?  

This whole matter has in recent years come to prominence with the manner in which the New Translation of the Roman Missal has been foisted on the English speaking church. Donald Cozzens writes in his recent book ‘Notes from the Underground’ “It is the worst spiritual stumbling, save the virtual rescinding of the Second Vatican Council I’ve encountered in almost fifty years as a presider”  

The need for real collegiality is self-evident. The Bishops did as they were told and we got what Rome decreed.  

Now with Francis, there is hope of movement. This pope, who refers to himself as the Bishop of Rome, has set in motion strands of development that may well be fruitful. The gathering of the C8 Cardinals is a positive and hopeful sign. The forthcoming special synod on the family, in October 2014, followed by the general synod in 2015, takes us into new waters where the laity have actually been asked for an opinion. We must now be ever vigilant that our voice is heard, that we are listened to.  

Change can come from two directions, from above and below. Francis needs the support of the whole Church to achieve this change. It is up to all of us, finally, to open the unopened gift of the Council.  

May I recommend that you follow this link to the recent Von Hugel Institute lecture in the University of Cambridge when Professor Mary McAleese, the former President of the Irish Republic gave a very thoughtful and clear lecture on Collegiality. It is well worth watching. 

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