The Salvation of Souls and Basic Truths

04-13-2025Weekly ReflectionFr. Leonard F. Villa

As we approach Holy Week and the holiest days of the Church-Year it’s good to reflect on the meaning of Christ’s death and resurrection and the mission of the Church. Canon Law reminds us: The Supreme Law is the salvation of souls. Canon 1752.

“The salvation of souls. How often do we hear this language in the Church today? Not very often, I am afraid. And yet that is the very mission of the Church! … Bishop Alexander Sample, Archbishop of Portland Oregon.

In these times of crisis in society and the Church it is good to recall Christ’s mission and some basic truths of the Catholic Faith. The task must therefore be one of recovery and reestablishment of truths that have been slowly obscured or lost among many Christians. These include but are not limited to such basics as the following:

(a) No one is saved except through, and only through, Jesus Christ, as he himself made clear. Jesus said… “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6;

(b) God is merciful but also just, and is intimately concerned with every human life, He forgives but He also holds us accountable, He is both Savior and Judge;

(c) Man is God’s creature, not a self-invention, a creature, not merely of emotion and appetites, but also of intellect, free will, and an eternal destiny; God created men and women to know, love, and serve Him in this world and to be eternally happy with Him in the next; The Baltimore Catechism

(d) Unchanging objective truths about the world and human nature exist and are knowable through Divine Revelation to us and the exercise of reason;

(e) God’s Word, recorded in Scripture, is reliable and has permanent force;

(f) Mortal sin is real, and its effects are spiritually lethal; mortal sin exists when there is a serious violation of God’s law or order; the person knows this; and fully consents to this. All three conditions must be present.

(g) Christ’s Catholic Church has both the authority and the duty to “make disciples of all nations.” The failure to joyfully embrace that work of missionary, salvific love has consequences. As Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:16, “woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel.”

Some practical observations flow from these basic truths:

First: the meaning of the Pope. Pope Benedict reminded us: The Pope is a Successor of Peter and the guarantor of Church unity. But he cannot change Church doctrine, and he must not invent or alter the Church’s discipline arbitrarily. He governs the Church in union with his brother bishops in local dioceses. (Vatican II, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church) and he does so always in faithful continuity with the Word of God and Church teaching. The Pope’s ministry is a guarantee of obedience to Christ and to his Word. He must not proclaim his own ideas, but rather constantly bind himself and the Church to obedience to God’s Word, in the face of every attempt to adapt it or water it down, and every form of opportunism.

The Pope knows that in his important decisions, he is bound to the great community of faith of all times, to the binding interpretations that have developed throughout the Church’s pilgrimage. Thus, his power is not being above, but at the service of, the Word of God. It is incumbent upon him to ensure that this Word continues to be present in its greatness and to resound in its purity, so that it is not torn to pieces by continuous changes in usage. Pope Benedict XVI Homily St. John Lateran, May 7, 2005

Second: Just as the Church is not an autocracy, neither is she a democracy. The Church belongs to Jesus Christ. She is His Church. She is Christ’s Mystical Body, made up of many members. We have no authority to refashion her teachings to fit more comfortably with the world. Moreover, the Catholic “sense of the faithful” is not a matter of opinion surveys nor even the view of a baptized majority. It derives only from those who genuinely believe and actively practice, or at least sincerely seek to practice, the faith and teachings of the Church. The Church’s governance is hierarchical via the Pope and bishops in communion with him assisted by priests and deacons. She cannot be remade into a governing assembly, resembling secular governments or parliaments which would violate her true nature coming from Christ.

Third: Ambiguity about Catholic teaching is neither evangelical, welcoming or a virtue The Church is a community not just of Word and sacrament, but also of creed. What we believe helps to define and sustain us. Thus, doctrinal issues are not burdens imposed by unfeeling “doctors of the law.” Nor are they cerebral sideshows to the Christian life. On the contrary, they’re vital to living a Christian life authentically, because they deal with applications of the truth.

Fourth: The Catholic Church, in addition to Word, sacrament, and creed, is also a community of law. Canon law orders Church-life, harmonizes its institutions and procedures and guarantees the rights of believers and exists to serve the common good of the Church.

Fifth: The Church, as John XXIII so beautifully described her, is Mater et Magistra, the “Mother and Teacher” of humanity, not its dutiful follower; the defender of man but the Church is Christ-centered not man-centered. She is the bride of Christ; her nature is personal, supernatural, and intimate, not merely institutional. She can never be reduced to a system of flexible ethics or sociological analysis and remodeling to fit the instincts and appetites (and sexual confusions) of our age or any age.

Sixth: There is a maxim Ecclesia semper reformanda: the Church must always be reformed. This can involve a renewal of morale, a cleansing of its institutions, procedures, and personnel, and a thorough reform of its finances to prepare for a more challenging future. These are not small things. They demand the presence and direct attention of the Pope and bishops.

Seventh: The College of Cardinals exists to provide senior counsel to the Pope and to elect his successor upon his death. That service requires men of clean character, strong theological formation, mature leadership experience, and personal holiness. The College of Cardinals should be proactive about getting to know each other, to better understand their views regarding the Church, their local church situations, and their personalities.