INTRODUCTION

All men and women on earth are created by God and thus belong to God but in actual fact not all men are the people of God. To become truly a member of the people of God, it is required that one gives a response of faith and love to God through baptism. 

This series “PEOPLE OF GOD” is dedicated to providing insight from theological and juridical perspectives on the notion of the “People of God”, composition, characteristic features, mission, obligations, rights, law and leadership of the People of God. The major sources of information in this reflection is the current 1983 Code of Canon Law, Vatican II documents, especially Lumen Gentium, and other relevant sources. The Code of Canon Law is the fundamental legislative document of the Catholic Church that guides the life of the Church, it makes provision on the structures and ecclesiastical discipline. Hence, knowledge of its prescriptions is very important.

The People of God, that is the Church as a visible human society of divine origin with supernatural goal needs law for the ordering of its life and for the common good of the ecclesial community. Canon Law exist in the Church as a rule of conduct of the Christian Faithful to foster peace and order based on justice in their mutual dealing with each other. However, Canon Law does not stop at assuring natural justice in interpersonal relationship among the faithful, its ultimate goal is to help the Christ faithful to live authentic Christian life and to acquire divine gift of eternal salvation.

 

As the Church differs from other human societies in its origin, inner dynamism and destiny, so also its system of rules plays different functions. The purpose of the Code of Canon Law, “is not to substitute for faith, grace, charisms, and especially charity in the life of the Church or of the Christian faithful. On the contrary, its very purpose is to create an order in ecclesial society so that, while giving priority to love, grace and charism, their ordered development is facilitated in the life of the ecclesial society as well as in the lives of the individuals who belong to it.” (John Paul II, Apostolic Constitution Sacrae Disciplinae Leges).

 

Canon Law plays the important functions of helping the ecclesial community to achieve its goal, “to be what it is meant to be, and to carry out its mission in the world.”  It fosters stability, good order, defines and protect rights; and serves as educator of the Christ’s faithful reminding them of the values of the community and prompting them to abide by them. The transcendental spiritual purpose of the Church is the salvation of souls, and Canon Law serves for the attainment of this goal, hence the maxim: “Salvation of souls is the supreme law” (salus animarum supreme lex; cf. canon 1752).

 

 

WHO ARE THE PEOPLE OF GOD AND HOW DO THEY COME TO EXIST?

The existence of the people of God is God’s initiative, and from his desire “to make men holy and save them, not as individuals without any bond or link between them, but rather to make them into a people who might acknowledge him and serve him in holiness” (Vatican II, Dogmatic Lumen Gentium, 21 November, 1964, no. 9).

The old people of God are the Israelites, the Jewish people whom God first chose as his own people made covenant with them, but that covenant was only “a preparation and figure of that new and perfect covenant which was to be given through the Word of God made flesh. Christ instituted the new covenant in his blood (cf. 1 Cor. 1: 25); he called a race made up of Jews and Gentiles which would be one, not according to the flesh, but in the Spirit, and this race would be the new People of God. For those who believe in Christ, who are reborn, not from a corruptible seed, but from an incorruptible one through the Word of the living God (cf.  Pet.1:23), not from flesh, but from water and the Holy Spirit (cf. Jn. 3: 5 -6), are finally established as “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation … who in times past were not a people, but now are the People of God” (Lumen Gentium no. 9).

Through the passion death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the new People of God are formed. Becoming a member of the new People of God is open to the whole human race as their oneness is in the Spirit and in acceptance of the Word of God not according to the flesh. To become a member of the new People of God one must accept God’s invitation and offer of communion and friendship with him through the reception of the sacrament of Baptism.

Consequently, the People of God are those who are baptized. They are the Christ’s faithful (Christifideles). This fact is expressed in the Code of Canon Law thus:

Christ ‘s faithful are those who, since they are incorporated into Christ through baptism, are constituted the people of God. For this reason, they participate in their own way in the priestly, prophetic and kingly office of Christ. They are called, each according to his or her particular condition, to exercise the mission which God entrusted to the Church to fulfill in the world (Canon 204, 1).

 

When one is baptized he/she enters into specific community of faith. Baptism is the gateway for one to become part of the people of God this is evident from the above expression of canon 204. Baptism has both personal and social effects. Through it one enters into communion with Jesus Christ, becomes adopted son/daughter of God and also juridically incorporated into the Church, the People of God. The person now participates in the threefold functions (munera) of Christ as priest, prophet and king; and becomes as well co-responsible for the exercise of the mission Christ entrusted to the Church.

With baptism, one “receives a call (vocatio) to exercise the mission of the Church in the world, a mission derived from God and from the person’s active response to God’s initiative. Both consequences require specific determination: individuals participate in the triple functions (munera) each “in their own way,” and they exercise this mission in distinct manners, determined in reference to each person’s “condition” (New Commentary on the Code of Canon Law, John P. Beal et al., (editors), Theological publications in India, Bengaluru 2019, 246).

 

Baptism creates equality in dignity and action among the Christ’s faithful and relationship with all the baptized including non-Catholic, and obligation of building up the Body of Christ according to one’s canonical condition (cf. canon 208). There are different states of life in the Church: state of life of those called to priesthood, consecrated life and lay state of life, each of these states of life are ordained by God and has specific roles to play in the life and mission of the Church in the world (see can. 207).