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Issue 11 – Trinity 2022

Correspondence

Correspondence

This issue's letters and comments.

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As Gregory Caridi notes (Easter 2022), there’s often been a rhetorical juxtaposition between the Church’s evangelical aims and its juridical structures, with the implication being that they exist in an inverse relationship: a healthy juridic life in the Church invites sclerotic naval-gazing and impedes the spirit of the Gospel; a truly evangelical and pastoral Church is one which is isn’t encumbered by its juridic norms.

I’ll readily agree, and even insist: a Church that cannot evangelize is a Church that fundamentally misses its purpose; therefore its juridical structures have to understand their purpose as fundamentally in the service of the mission of evangelization. However, I think it’s crucial to understand that bad governance in the Church is counter-evangelical, it witnesses against the Church’s legitimacy to proclaim the Gospel and discourages the faithful. While having a robust juridic life in the Church is no guarantee of good and just governance, having an anemic juridic life is a proven path to lousy governance. While few people will be evangelized by good governance, many will be dis-evangelized by bad governance. 


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