A Call to Change the Precepts of the Church

INTRODUCTION

As Catholics we are commanded to obey the precepts of the Church.  These precepts are available to be seen by looking at pages 493-94 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

The precepts need to be changed.  I am going to discuss the precepts of the Church—giving an overview and the specific changes I am seeking. 

The next section is where the new precepts are proposed.

The heart of my call to change concerns three matters.

1.     Forming a solid theological foundation at the beginning with the first precept.  The first precept is an embracement of Jesus and Jesus’ core teaching.

2.     Forming a solid philosophical foundation that builds on the first precept.  The second precept embraces the holistic approach to human development in the context of the personal journey of the Catholic.

3.     Treating the Eucharist with the proper reverence it deserves.  The third precept defines the importance of the Eucharist to the Catholic. 

My call to change the precepts of the church

·       provides a theological and philosophical context that is currently lacking.

·       highlights and centers life around the Eucharist.

·       includes the necessary minimal standards of conduct that are currently included.

·       better suits the present-day Catholic.

·       revises the precepts in such a way that enables Church authority to make a change.

I handle my call to change by dividing my changes into digestible portions.  The changes are specified and arranged in a methodical way.

My changes are discussed and the proposed changes will be visible to the reader.  There is some meandering but it is worth reading through it.  I think it is a result of me genuinely trying to confront the precepts in the spirit in which they were conceived.

The changes expressed in the section called “Proposed New Precepts” are gone into more detail in "Elaboration Upon the Three New Precepts".

Ultimately, these changes advance the conversation.

They help me reach my final position, which I present in the conclusion.

Some might argue that there is oddity in the technical process.  However, I am pleased with the result and the process as a whole makes sense and is followable.

Sometimes it is better to fail then succeed!  The trail is interesting!

DISCUSSING THE PRECEPTS

Overview

The precepts of the Church should form a minimum standard of what a Catholic needs to do to be good.  However, the precepts should not stop there.  The precepts should embrace Jesus and the core of Jesus’ teaching and advocate a holistic development of the human person as a Catholic.  The embracement of Jesus and Jesus’s core teaching and advocating of the holistic development of the human person should be the focus of the precepts, with the minimum standard for behavior being part of the picture.

The precepts must remain commands and must not place an undue burden on the Catholic person.  The precepts must address the amazingness of the Catholic faith and the place of the Catholic person in that faith.

Specific Changes

Removing Two Precepts

Two precepts that should be removed are as follows: (1) “You shall confess your sins at least once a year” and (2) “You shall receive the sacrament of the Eucharist at least during the Easter season”.  It is time to do away with these two precepts. 

I am addressing confessing your sins at least once a year first.  The decision to go to confession is a personal decision of the Catholic.  It should not be imposed upon from without.  Any Catholic of good will can go to confession if there is a need.

There is a clear difference between preaching and requirement.

We are rational beings who examine self to determine our place before God.  If a person examines their self and finds no need for confession, there should be no imposition upon that person to go.

It is a time to have confidence in God.  If the heart of a human person does not condemn his or her self, that person has confidence in God (1 Jn 3: 21).

True repentance occurs when the person wants to change.  If a Catholic does not want to be reconciled, then the sacrament of reconciliation is void commensurate to that desire.

It is no business of mine, or yours, if a bad Catholic is a sinner who is in love with sin.  God will handle that person.  Satan exists for a reason.  There is a natural law which binds humanity and exists under the eternal law.

A Catholic that loves Jesus does not need a precept to confess at least once a year to ensure correct disposition and ongoing conversion.  A Catholic that does not love Jesus is just going to ignore the precept.

The second precept uses a false determinative factor of preference and time.  The condition of the person is the determinative factor to be evaluated.  The matter being animated by the soul is the unit of analysis.

It has to be a personal decision that is reached from conscience and not imposed from without.

The sacrament of confession needs to be considered in light of Christ’s second coming.  When Christ comes again, when he is alive in his people, Is there a need to require Catholics to receive the sacrament?

Here I address the receiving of the Eucharist once a year.  Choosing to receive the Eucharist is like choosing to go to confession—it is a personal choice.

The human person must say “Yes” to God to be in accord with God.  It should not be imposed upon the person to arbitrarily receive the Eucharist once a year if the person does not want to receive.

If the heart is absent, it is absent.  Only a true desire matters.  Anything else is pretense.

The Eucharist is Jesus.  If the person does not want to welcome Jesus, there is nothing that can be done.

A Catholic that welcomes Jesus, that loves Jesus, will want to receive the Eucharist in a manner reflecting the reality of the relationship of love.  True devotion springs from the heart and finds expression in the world.  It is incorrect to attempt to coerce a reception of the Eucharist once a year.

God can make his will known to all.  We should not force a person to receive so as to affirm our belief and/or get the person to be a certain way.

It is obvious that a good Catholic should, if able, receive the Eucharist during the fulfillment of attending mass once a week and on holy days of obligation.

A separate precept for receiving the Eucharist once a year is unnecessary.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Eucharist are great gifts made available to the people of the Catholic Church.  However, neither should be in precepts of the Church as they are now.

Removing the 1st Precept

The first precept will become unnecessary after my changes.  It will find faithful expression in the new first precept. 

Currently, there is a certain oddity in the first and third precepts in regard to the Eucharist.  The first is explained as requiring "the faithful to sanctify the day commemorating the Resurrection of the Lord as well as the principal liturgical feasts ... by participating in the Eucharist celebration". 

The third states a requirement that the Eucharist should be received "at least during the Easter season".

It is odd to conclude that a Catholic could fully keep the command of Jesus by participating in the Eucharist celebration without receiving on the aforementioned days in the first precept.

The current precepts are repetitive in their discussion of the Eucharist.  One and three overlap due to a lack of clarity.

Preference and time are not determinative factors when deciding to receive the Eucharist for a Catholic.  Health and accessibility are the determinative factors.

This lack of clarity gives us an opportunity to address receiving the Eucharist more fully in the precepts.  Receiving the Eucharist is innately and deeply attached to being Catholic. 

PROPOSED NEW PRECEPTS

The precepts should begin with Jesus and Jesus’ command to love one another as I have loved you.  This is an excellent way to set the frame for what being a Catholic means, the necessities of following Jesus, and how right action looks.

The second precept should define the personal journey of a Catholic.  A solid explanation of human life and development for the Catholic should be provided.

The third precept should focus on the Eucharist.  The Eucharist is what being a Catholic is all about.

The current fourth precept should remain fourth.  The current fifth precept should remain fifth.

These changes allow for the precepts to begin with a firm theological foundation that is built upon by a firm philosophical foundation that is built upon by the reality of the Eucharist for the Catholic that is built upon by firm minimal standards of conduct.

I will identify each precept and then give an explanation.  This keeps the form of the precepts as it is in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and allows for improvement. 

The exact language I am proposing is as follows.

First Precept

“Jesus is the Christ and you must love as Jesus loves.”  This first precept is made of three components.  First, you must not have strange gods before the Lord.  Second, you must not take your relationship with the Lord for granted, abuse his gifts, and give false witness.  Third, you must attend mass on Sundays and on holy days of obligation and rest from servile labor.

Second Precept

“You shall accept that God made you a child of God and that your life is a journey which must be lived in a way that reflects truth.”  Living in truth is the only way to have the life God desires you to have.  This means that you are to continue Baptism’s work of conversion and forgiveness in your daily life.  A real effort must be made by the individual Catholic to be holy and get to heaven.

Third Precept

“Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist.”  Receiving Jesus completely through the Eucharist is what makes us Catholic.  We believe in a real change to the bread and wine.  We believe it becomes his body and blood.  We believe we encounter Jesus through the Eucharist in communion.  It is not possible to have life, abundant life, without Jesus.

Altering an Explanation for a Precept

The explanation of the fifth precept as it is now needs to be changed.  The precept concerning providing for the needs of the Church, 494, is elaborated upon twice in the same way (material and material).  I believe the appropriate presentation is a separation into spiritual and material needs.  (Make sure both sentences are read.) 

ELABORATION UPON THE THREE NEW PRECEPTS

The three changes to the precepts are worth elaborating upon.

I will elaborate on the

·       embracement of Jesus and the core of Jesus’ teaching

·       advocating of the holistic development of the human person as a Catholic

·       focus on the Eucharist

First Precept

The individual Catholic is called to embrace Jesus and love as Jesus loves.

This means the individual Catholic must accept his or her need for Jesus and the cross.   Jesus knows what is best for the individual Catholic and how to accomplish the best for that individual.  Jesus must be seen as the way and the truth and the life (Jn 14:6).  Jesus possesses the peace that surpasses all human understanding (Phil 4:7) and desires to offer each Catholic his peace.

When the individual Catholic is able to love as Jesus loves, the individual possesses Jesus’ peace and is functioning properly.  Such a person is happy and secure.  Such a person is normal and healthy.  Such a person is a child of God dwelling in the Kingdom of God.

God is love (1 Jn 4:8).  We need to love as Jesus loves so that we may have communion with God.  When we have communion with God we are fulfilling the law and without sin.

A Catholic who loves as Jesus loves will have eternal life in the Holy Trinity.

A Catholic who loves as Jesus loves will do what is right.  He or she will be motivated by love to do good in truth.

Second Precept

The individual Catholic is on a journey.  The individual Catholic has been made by God to know God in a certain way and to live a certain way. 

On the journey, the human person must choose to make decisions that benefit that person and the common good.  The human person is a rational being with an intellect and a free will.  It is up to the human person to search their own conscience and make good decisions.

The human person is rational so far as he or she is able to be in accord with truth.

Holiness must be chosen by the human person.  Holiness cannot be imposed from without.

God is there for the human person from the moment of conception to death.  God constantly wants the best for the human person and offers the human person a chance for holiness in each moment of life.

The human person must develop as an entire being—spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically.  The human person must exist as an individual in a community of believers in which love is the measure of every action.

Judgment for the human person occurs in each moment and at death.  The human person is judged in each moment and at death according to the standard of love.

The Third Precept

Living the Eucharist is what being a Catholic is all about. 

The inclusion of the Eucharist as its own precept is appropriate and inspirational.  The Eucharist is not fully handled in the precepts as they are currently despite its frequent mentioning.

The Eucharist is “the foundation and confirmation of all Christian practice.”  ("Catechism of the Catholic Church", pg. 527.)

“Participation in the communal celebration of the” Eucharist “is a testimony of belonging and of being faithful to Christ and to his Church.”  ("Catechism of the Catholic Church", pg. 527.)  

The glossary of the Catechism defines the Eucharist this way: “The ritual, sacramental action of thanksgiving to God which constitutes the principal Christian liturgical celebration of and communion in the paschal mystery of Christ.”  (Pg. 877.)

CONCLUSION

A change to the precepts is needed.  I have stated what needs to be changed, how, and why.  I believe I have adequately explained my call to change.  I believe my call to change is justified.

The precepts must reflect the reality of living for the present-day Catholic.  The precepts should clearly communicate what being a Catholic is about in a way that is easy to understand and inspirational.  The precepts must use the wisdom of the Catholic faith for the benefit of the Catholic.

Centering the precepts around Jesus and his call to love is necessary; advocating holistic human development in the context of the personal journey of a Catholic is necessary; focusing on the Eucharist is necessary; altering the explanation in the fifth precept is necessary.

The first precept is intentionally supported by the first three commandments.  These commandments show us how to relate to God and bring unity between the past and the present.

The second precept intentionally uses some of the language in the current second precept and builds from that to offer clarity and direction.

The third precept intentionally separates the Eucharist to highlight its importance.

My proposed new precepts stimulated thought and helped me reach my final proposal.

I believe my final proposal makes the precepts more effective, clear, and simple.

My final proposal is as follows.

1.     Right Relationship with God.  The first three commandments.  Discussed earlier in the “Proposed New Precepts” section in precept one.

2.     Jesus is the Christ.  Peter and his faith, the anointing of Jesus, and the Church. 

3.     Love one another.  Jesus’ command for a special spiritual family.

4.     Daily living.  Discussed earlier in the “Proposed New Precepts” section in precept two.

5.     Living Jesus in the Eucharist.  Living as Jesus.  Must actualize the belief.  Worthy reception of Jesus is a must.  Discussed earlier in the “Proposed New Precepts” section.

My above final precepts have some elaboration and guidance.

I believe the current 4th and 5th precept should be eliminated.  The commands are contained in the previous 5 precepts and would just dilute the frame.  5 is better. 

I like my final approach best.  It is more spiritual.  More directed to a personal relationship with Jesus.  More revealing of what makes being a member of the Church special.   And more revealing about where we need to go.

I believe these changes will make it easier to live in the spirit of God’s love as opposed to falling into the error of the letter of the law.  I believe these changes will increase the intelligence of the Catholic faith and spiritual life of the Catholic faithful.

There is a nice blend of theology, philosophy, and law. 

Additionally, there may be room to include another precept on the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  It is a beautiful gift worth highlighting.  Stressing the importance of following Jesus with an informed and clear conscience is important.  As is stressing the need for repentance when mortal sin is discovered.

I think that including a precept on this sacrament is intriguing.  Although it may be distracting.   It would fit as a 6.  It would be called Reconciliation and would include the idea of unity with God, justice, and judgment. 

I hope this article is an agent of change for the precepts of the Church.  Any help in changing the precepts is appreciated.