by Father Robert M. Powers

People should talk to each other. When two persons are in conflict, they should try to resolve the situation among themselves. Only if they cannot come to an agreement should others be brought into the conversation.

These are some of the elements of subsidiarity – a principle that began to appear in the social encyclicals of the popes of the 20th century. The concept of subsidiarity, even if it is not a familiar term for many Catholics, is regarded by most of the faithful as essential to all areas of Church life, including parish, diocesan and papal authority and the governance of religious communities.

This Sunday’s Gospel certainly encourages subsidiarity in the life of the Church – the idea that issues at the local level should remain at the local level and only be brought to a higher authority if they cannot be resolved. Jesus speaks of a baptized person’s responsibility to speak words of challenge to a fellow church member who has fallen into sin but to initiate this conversation in private. Only if this dialogue is unsuccessful should other parties be brought in as witnesses. The next level of confrontation in the larger church should occur only when that second step proves fruitless. The drastic decision of the church to “treat him as a Gentile or a tax collector” should occur only if the church’s authority is rejected by the sinner after numerous attempts at dialogue.

Jesus’ words do not constitute a blueprint for ecclesiastical authority and disciplinary procedures. He did state them, however, in order to put dialogue into practice in the life of the future Church. (It is interesting to note that this is the only point in the Gospels where Jesus is quoted as using the word “church.”) The practice of this principle of subsidiarity and dialogue, which can have much tension and yet should be rooted in love, is far more present in the Church than most people realize.

When Church authority criticizes a dissident clergyman, religious, theologian or lay leader for doctrinal errors or pastoral practices that are at odds with Church teaching, the assumption of many is that these words of criticism are made very abruptly and arbitrarily by the hierarchy – without any investigation or dialogue. People don’t realize that often years of phone calls, letters and visits happened before Church authority issues a public proclamation over an individual’s infidelity to Church teaching. There is significant dialogue in the workings of the Church at all levels.

Subsidiarity is essential for the macroeconomy of Church relations and also for the microeconomy of our relationships with our fellow Catholics. Today’s selection from Romans 13 provides a helpful context for neighborly correction that both Jesus and Ezekiel demand in today’s readings. Moral correction of neighbor, called for in the first reading and the Gospel, is to be rooted in love of neighbor. This second of Jesus’ two principal commandments, which Paul preaches to the Romans, he describes well to the people of Corinth in these words: “Love is patient … it is not quick-tempered… It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13).

If one is called to confrontation with someone in order to save that person, he or she must be prepared to spend a lot of time in relationship with that person. Usually, we are not called to move beyond the first stage that Jesus describes of brother confronting brother, and we ought to remain there as we patiently and prayerfully await a response in God’s good time. Some behavior may call one to enlist others in an intervention in order to try to save a loved one, but that is usually not a step one enters into too rapidly.

If we are to love our neighbor, and particularly if we are to engage in the often painful process of fraternal correction, we must be engaged in love of God in a life of prayer. It is through our prayers for the Church and for ourselves that dialogue always will foster a unity in love.[hr]

Readings for the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time:

Ezekiel 33:7-9

Psalm 95: 1-2, 6-7, 8-9

Romans 13: 8-10

Matthew 18: 15-20Father Robert M. Powers is the pastor of St. Patrick’s Church, Long Island City, and director of campus ministry at LaGuardia Community College.