The Significance of the Constitution
A New Definition
It is clear that the Constitution is talking about the whole Church, the whole People of God, whether they are clergy, laypeople, or religious. This decision had several results:
- Bishops were to involved more closely in Church-wide decision-making through the process of collegiality (22-223)
- The process was to involve the laity, who received more attention than ever before (30-38).
- Office holders (clergy) were seen as rendering service, rather than exercising power. Authority meant service.
Next: Collegiality, Subsidiarity, and Pluralism
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