“THE HOLY SPIRIT LEADS THE CHURCH THROUGH CHARISMAS” (LG 12):

Abstract

The Second Vatican Council's teaching on charismas both holds great promise for and remains severly limited in conceiving an active involvement of lay faithful in the Church. On the one hand, the teaching on charisma is characterised by ecclesiological breadth and theological depth. Charismas are given to all the faithful indiscriminately and thereby imply an inclusive ecclesiology. In addition, they have their foundation not in the institutional Church but in God himself: the Spirit guides the Church through charismas (LG 12). Yet the Council's teaching is limited in various respects. Not only is the conciliar attention to charismas sporadic and brief, it also lacks implementation. Moreover, as the link between charismas and the prophetic dimension of the munus triplex is unconvincing and the account of the relationship between 'gifts both hierarchical and charismatic' needs further elaboration, it is unclear where to locate charismas ecclesiologically. The novelty of this topic in magisterial teaching helps to understand these limitations.