Folia Theologica 1. (1990)
Péter Erdő: The Theological foundations of Canon Law according to the works of John Henry Newman
120 P. ERDÓ "Christ set up a visible society, or rather kingdom, for the propagation and maintenance of His religion, for a necessary home and a refuge for His people.”23 In one of his letters he formulates this thought in other terms, saying that the Catholic Church is the only kingdom that is at the same time spiritual and visible.24 The reason why the Church is called a kingdom is often repeated in Newman’s works, and it constitutes a basic element for the theological foundation of Canon Law.25 For the author this kingdom means a political body26, a visible and organized society, a city that is united by a "sympathy", that has a principle of government a community, an organization27; substantially it is a political unity.28 Such a political unity that was already in force in the ancient "Nicene" Church consisted in the unity of government.2,9 Unity as a characteristic note of the true Church of Christ functions precisely because it is political, and because it makes the Church appear as a kingdom. The various communities adhering to the Church are united by a very clear bond, and are not independent of each other. The independence of the single communities, according to our author, is typical of sects. The Church - for Newman - is more than a family; it is a kingdom.30 In other words, the true and only body is not the single diocese, but the Church Universal which is not at all a merely accidental and occasional union of dioceses.31 The same thought is also expressed by a political analogy. The unity of the Church, being political, does not merely signify a unity of the origins of the various dioceses or local churches, as in the profane world the common origin of England and of the United States does not mean that they are one kingdom. Not even the same form of government constitutes such a unity. The unity of the Church is not exhausted by the fact that all the dioceses are guided by bishops, just as England and Prussia are not one kingdom, althoug each of them is a monarchy.32 It becomes evident that the political or organisational 23. Difi II, 207. 24. LD XV, 19. 25. Cf. e.g. LC XIV,404; XV 27; Dev 254-256; Diff II 207-208. 26. LD XV, 27. 27. Dev. 265. 28. LD XIV, 404. 29. LD XIV, 401. 30. Cf. Dev 252. 31. Cf. LD XIV, 403. 32. Cf. Dev 265; WARD, W., The Life of John Henry Newman, based on his private journals and correspodence, London 1912,1, 129.
