Folia Theologica 1. (1990)

Péter Erdő: The Theological foundations of Canon Law according to the works of John Henry Newman

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P. ERDŐ

that, among the obligations and rights of all the faithful, the equality in the dignity and in operation is mentioned in the first place.

With regard to the question of the concrete task of the various members of the Church, Newman’s opinion on the nature of the distinction between the three offices, as well as on their relationship, can have some relevance. The concrete realization of the exercise of the tria munera has been developed in history. The human means with which we participate in these offices of sacramental mediation56 57 are implanted in our human nature: for theology we have the ability to reason, for liturgy the natural emotions and for governing we have precepts and power. On the other hand, even if each of the single offices has its own end and orientation, there exists a mutual influence among them.58 Typical examples of this mutual relation are those cases when the governing activity of the Church is extended to theology and to liturgy.59 According to Newman it is a consequence of this connection that, through the infallibility of the Church in formal teaching, the Lord protects her indirectly against grave errors in her task of sanctification, or in the liturgy, or in "political" action.60 From this viewpoint it seems evident that the principle structures of the activity of sanctification and of teaching (that is the sacraments and the magisterium) also have their "political" or juridical aspect.

III. Some characteristics of the juridical order of the Church 1. Natural law and ecclesial power

As we have seen with the tria munera, and also with the question of visibility, the essential office of the Church is strictly connected with human nature. Nevertheless, authority and power in the Church are not of a natural origin or type. Authority, spiritual power and infallibility do not constitute for Newman a power or a means of intervention in the

56. Cf.VM I xl.

57. VM I, xli.

58. Ibid.

59. Cf. VM I, Ixxix; lxxxii.

60. VM I, xlii-xliii