Bogoslovska smotra, Vol. 83 No. 2, 2013.
Pregledni rad
The Relationship Between the Authority of Primacy and Episcopacy. A Theological View in Light of the Second Vatican Council and a Contribution of Some Theologians
Niko Ikić
orcid.org/0000-0001-5634-0387
; Katolički bogoslovni fakultet Sveučilišta u Sarajevu, Sarajevo, Bosna i Hercegovina
Sažetak
The Church and authority are intertwined as two complementary terms. Although it is impossible to imagine the Church without authority, theology still needs to perpetually wrestle with the question of what kind of authoritativeness is appropriate for the Church. In Church authority is ecclesial in its essence, which, however, does not necessarily immunise it from profane influences. Therefore, the author reflects on the highest authority in the Church; that is, the relationship between the authority of primacy and episcopacy. The author treats the aforementioned issue as it appears before, during, and after the Second Vatican Council, in light of the Conciliar documents and opinions of distinguished theologians. The author recognises the dogmatic definition on primacy of the First Vatican Council as the only logical starting point, although he does not intent to analyse it in detail, but rather accepts it as a premise. It was possible to modify the perception of the authority on the Second Vatican Council to a certain extent, without, at the same time, diminishing either the primacy or episcopacy, though the precise nature of their relationship was not defined. Within this frame of reference, the article analyses their synergy, which is in service to the one and the highest authority in the Church and which act in two ways: the pope as the head of the episcopate and the episcopate with the head. The author is fully aware of the complexity of this issue, but he is also convinced that there is a need for a theological engagement with such challenges from the ecclesiological-dogmatic point of view, taking especially into consideration the ecumenical context. In his approach, the author relies on some systematic reflections of distinguished theologians such as Ratzinger and Rahner, and on some ideas of Schmaus, Kasper, Schatz, Konig, and Frame. These authors certainly contributed to a better understanding of the aforementioned relationship. The author is well aware that the aforementioned contributions of theologians did not resolve all aspects of the issue of the relationship between the authority of primacy and episcopacy -for instance, the issue of two subjects of the Church government - and, thus, he urges for a further theological reflection.
Ključne riječi
authority; primacy; episcopacy; college of bishops; infallibility
Hrčak ID:
105297
URI
Datum izdavanja:
8.7.2013.
Posjeta: 1.464 *