CHURCH AS A REALITAS COMPLEXA IN THE LIGHT OF THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS Cover Image

Kościół jako realitas complexa w świetle tajemnicy obcowania świętych
CHURCH AS A REALITAS COMPLEXA IN THE LIGHT OF THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS

Author(s): Krzysztof Szwarc
Subject(s): Christian Theology and Religion
Published by: Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II - Wydział Teologii
Keywords: Church; realitas complexa; communion of saints; body of Christ

Summary/Abstract: The article is an attempt of perceiving a complex reality of the Church – realitas complexa – in the light of the article of faith: I do believe in the Communion of Saints. In the light of this mystery of the Church is a community of people – both these being on a pilgrimage way of faith and those who had already entered through death into a state of eschatological fulfillment, or need any further purification after death, to be fully unified with God. This is a complex community, embracing either the living people or deceased ones. It is based on a community of love created by the Triune God in Himself. Communio sanctorum is made of people (living on the earth and being on the pilgrimage way of faith to heaven, the saved ones and the purifying ones) with the within-trinitarian Divine life (KDK 18.19.21). This community initiated by Father is built by Christ, and it creates in Him a community of life, love and truth of the One Mystical Body (KK 9.50; KDK 32; DM 3), where Christ is both the source of this community and its eschatological end at the same time (KK 50; KDK 39; DE 20). The Holy Spirit is the principle of unity, mutual communication and relations within this complex reality (KK 13; DE 2; DM 40). The One Spirit creates and animates the One Body of Christ, guiding one to which others had already been reached by the other ones. And what builds the Mystical Body of Christ and constitutes a community to some extent, is the Eucharist, which unifies the one Who builds – Christ (head of the Body) with those from whom the construction is made and who wants to co-build (members of the Body). Here a purpose and a meaning of the built community of saints is revealed in the most absolute way – brotherly supper of a heavenly feast. Here the conclusion and its purpose is comprised, where some go and others are already sitting down, but all of them standing together around the same table, which means a fulfillment for ones and only a foretaste for the others. At the same time, the Eucharist gives us the subject of the fullest communion of saints – a community of people taking part in the community of goods and it is widely understanding. These living on the earth may share material goods apart from the spiritual goods. The purifying ones, the saved ones and those being on the pilgrimage way of faith exchange among themselves the spiritual goods and prayer, forming a community of life, love and truth. This exchange of goods, which occurs in a community of people, is dictated by the mutual concern of love to fulfill a purpose of the communion sanctorum. And this goal is reflected in a glory of God, praised by the community of Church on the earth and in heaven, in the form of a holy life, unified with God.

  • Issue Year: 5/2011
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 75-94
  • Page Count: 20
  • Language: Polish