Q. What is the purpose of the Church?
A. In 1974 Cardinal Avery Dulles wrote Models of the Church. He argued that people had different "models" or views of what the Church is and what it should be doing. Many current disputes arise because Catholics talk past each other. We assume different things about Church.
When some people use the word "Church" they refer to the organization. They focus on its government, and the rights and powers of those who hold positions in the Church. Say the word "Church," and they think of clergy, Church law, parishes, and rules.
In contrast, the Church can be seen as a mystical communion - the Body of Christ - in which all the baptized through all of history are united. This model emphasizes the need to affirm and build the real, lived, experienced communion of mind and heart of all believers. It emphasizes the bonds established by baptism, and our mutual responsibility to each other.
Others see the Church as sacrament, i.e. they see the Church primarily as the means through which humanity can be saved. The Church's primary activity is to minister the sacraments and to pray for the salvation of its members and the world. It is through this ministry of prayer and praise that grace is operative in the world. The Church's job, in this model, is primarily to make the world holy.
According to the herald model, the Church's primary job is to preach the Gospel. The Church is to announce the Good News, to bring Christ to every corner of the world, There is a strong evangelistic missionary thrust to this model, but it is less concerned with establishing bonds of community among believers or sanctifying the world than it is with simply proclaiming the Gospel for all to hear and either accept or reject.
In the servant model, the Church focuses on making the world a better place. This model emphasizes social action, the alleviation of suffering, the improvement of the lives of human beings, and the joining of causes and programs that lift people up. The Church is to be active and engaged in the world - and it doesn't much matter whether that world is Catholic, non-Catholic, or non-Christian - all have a claim on us.
So, which model is correct? They all are. The Church is simultaneously organization, mystical communion, sacrament of salvation, herald of the Good News, and servant. But individuals inside the Church will often emphasize one or another of the models. Some non-Catholics will assume that the Church should focus on only one model. How many times do critics of the Church see it only as an organization? And how many critics judge us exclusively on how well we are servants?
The fact is that every one of the models of the Church is supported by Scripture and Sacred Tradition. We need every one of the models. Sometimes our debates may be settled simply by understanding that another person gives a model a different priority than we do. As we read the headlines about the Church, it may be helpful to ask ourselves some questions: What model of the Church is being used? What model of the Church do I think is most important? Why do people see these models of the Church as being in competition with one another?
