Monday, June 15, 2020

Gerardus van Noort on Formal Apostolic Succession




Msgr. Van Noort considered only those who hold formal succession with the apostles as being the legitimate successors of the apostles. This is evident when he distinguishes between those licitly and illicitly consecrated. He writes,

The term apostolic normally means something originating with the apostles. Everyone grants that the Church is in some sense apostolic.   
1. Protestants usually mean by apostolicity, apostolicity of doctrine. That is all that is required, they say, and it suffices.  
2. But Greek schismatics and Anglicans -- at least a large number of them -- require in addition to apostolicity of doctrine some sort of apostolicity of government. They do not, however, specify legitimacy of the mode of succession.   
3. According to Catholic teaching, Christ's Church essentially and necessarily enjoys a triple sort of apostolicity: apostolicity of doctrine, government, and membership.

It has already been proved that Christ Himself founded a living organization, a visible Church. Granted that fact, it should be obvious that an essential part of that Church’s structure is apostolicity of government.
2. Apostolicity of governmentor mission, or authority – means the Church is always ruled by pastors who form one same juridical person with the apostles. In other words it is always ruled by pastors who are the apostles legitimate successors.
It has already been proved that Christ Himself founded a living organization, a visible Church. Granted that fact, it should be obvious that an essential part of that Church’s structure is apostolicity of government. For on no one but the Apostolic College, under the headship of Peter, did Christ confer the power of teaching, sanctifying, and ruling the faithful until the end of the world. This triple power, therefore necessarily belongs, and can only belong, to those who form one moral person with the apostles: their legitimate successors.
Obviously a man does not become a genuine successor to the apostles merely by arrogating to himself the title of "bishop," or by carrying on in some fashion a function once performed by the apostles. Neither is it enough for a man merely to possess some one, individual power, say for example, the power of orders. The power of orders can be acquired even illicitly, and once acquired can never be lost. What is required for genuine apostolic succession is that a man enjoy the complete powers (i.e. ordinary powers, not extraordinary) of an apostle. He must, then, in addition to the power of orders, posses also the power of jurisdiction. Jurisdiction means the power to teach and govern. This power is conferred only by a legitimate authorization and, even though once received, can be lost again by being revoked.[1]


[1] Gerardus van Noort, “Christ's Church,” (Volume II) translated by John J Castelot & William R. Murphy (Westminster, MD: The Newman Press, 1959), 151-153.

No comments:

Post a Comment