From John Paulo II. to Francis

an ecclesiological overview from the Church in Brazil

Abstract

From the Easter mystery the Church lives: from Jesus of Nazareth’s death and resurrection emerges a community of disciples which has the mission to proclaim the Goodnews of God’s Kingdom inaugurated by Jesus himself. The immediate consequence of it is Jesus of Nazareth’s praxis guides the praxis of Church, as Jon Sobrino stresses. However, complex historical processes caused the Church to move away from the merciful praxis of the Lord and be much more concerned with herself and her relations with temporal powers. Initiated by Constantinian turn, the process of transformation of a community of disciples into an Imperial Church, afterward Christendom, remained until the 20th century. The conciliar event, begun with the II Vatican Council’s call by the pope John XXIII, meant a serious compromise with “returning to the sources”, to the Goodnews of God’s Kingdom. But diverse readings and hermeneutics impose diverse ecclesial agendas, as it is possible to realize during John Paul II’s and Francis’ pontificates. After a historical overview, this brief paper deepens into the mentioned readings and hermeneutics of the council from the coexistence, not always peaceful, of the two ecclesiological perspectives, i. e., community of disciples and Christendom, in the Church in Brazil.