Bishop Perry and I were reminiscing about the olden days when we were seminarians. In the early 70s the reforms of Vatican II were starting to transform the structures of the Church. One aspect of this reform was the formation of several organizations to promote the presence and activity of Black Catholics in the Church. The Bishops’ Conference developed a National Office of Black Catholics with several member institutions, one of which was the National Black Catholic Seminarians Association (NBCSA). Although we didn’t meet at the time, Bishop Perry and I were both at the first meeting of the Association — he as a member, me since it was held at our seminary.
This memory illustrates the truth of the Latin saying: Ecclesia semper reformanda, the Church is always reforming itself. The church must continually re-examine itself in order to maintain its purity of doctrine and practice. The document on the Church at Vatican II put it this way: “The Church, embracing in its bosom sinners, at the same time holy and always in need of being purified, always follows the way of penance and renewal.” The efforts to purify the Church of European accretions that were not of the essence of Christianity and inhibited people from other cultures from giving their gifts was part of the renewal after the Council. The NBCSA is part of that renewal.
The work is not done. The Church is always a work in process. The need to live the gospel more clearly becomes our way of following the example of Jesus when he cleansed the temple. Zeal for your house will consume me, served as the Biblical warrant for Jesus acting as he did. Our zeal for a Church that reflects the rich diversity of all God’s children must continue to motivate us to drive out the systems and structures that obscure the true glory of God’s people. Organizations such as the NBCSA, programs that welcome immigrants, the recent decision of Pope Francis that the ministries of Lector and Acolyte (what used to be known as the “minor orders”) are to be open to women are all small steps in the ongoing reformation of the Church. Let us have the courage to change whatever prevents the Church from being the place where there is neither is neither Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male or female but all are one in Christ.
