Heresy pure. A modernist lays out their plans to destroy the Mass and the priesthood
Johannes Schelhas: Why the Church must rediscover baptism
The Eucharist is the "source and pinnacle" of Christian life. In your latest publication, "Sacrament in Growth and Decline," you speak of the "primacy of baptism over the Eucharist." Is this a theological provocation – or a pastoral necessity?
Johannes Schelhas*: It is a provocation and at the same time a necessity. Simultaneously, it is an idea that has accompanied the Christian faith from the very beginning, but which has faded into the background over the centuries. The Reformation movements of the late Middle Ages and the modern era already took up this idea again. The stronger emphasis on baptism is not directed against the Eucharist. The Second Vatican Council redeveloped the meaning of the Eucharist—especially in light of the concept of Christ's presence among the people of God. The title of my book alludes to various aspects of living, understanding, and celebrating the sacraments.
"In this way, Christian witness becomes visible, and faith gains radiance."
What consequences would it have for our understanding of the Church if Baptism were rediscovered as the fundamental act of ecclesial existence?
Schelhas: Then, above all, the close connection between the three sacraments of initiation—Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist—would have to be re-examined. These three belong together and form the foundation of Christian life—personally and communally. What God communicates to believers in them establishes the so-called ecclesial existence of baptized people, through which they participate in the Church and society and fulfill the tasks of the Kingdom of God in school, work, and leisure, as well as in interpersonal relationships. In this way, Christian witness becomes visible, and faith gains radiance.
Is your primacy of baptism an answer to the shortage of priests?
Schelhas: Absolutely not. Baptism is about the incorporation of people into the People of God. Priestly and episcopal ordination realizes a specific form of the sacramental presentation of Jesus Christ. They sacramentally represent Jesus Christ in a special way and demonstrate his special position in relation to the community.
What changes when one thinks of charisms more as stemming from baptism than from ordination?
Schelhas: Charisms, that is, gifts of grace, originate in baptism. Paul speaks of this when he reflects on the various gifts in the community. He wants to avoid exaggeration and devaluation. The measure of every charism is love. It's about loving people together with God in a divine way. Charisms are not associated with extraordinary abilities. One should only speak of the charism of ordination and religious vows in a very specific sense.
"The perspective on life becomes more intense."
What spiritual consequences would a "life lived from baptism" have for parishes?
Schelhas: First, a communal and personal reaffirmation of faith in everyday life—a conscious integration of baptism into daily life. It's like drilling deep.
What do you mean by this "drilling deep"?
Schelhas: A jet of water rises higher the stronger the pressure is before it falls again.
And second?
Schelhas: The relationship to one's own foundation as a Christian is strengthened. This has an impact on all aspects of life. And third, the perspective on life becomes more intense. Everyday life and celebrations are shaped more consciously.
What are the concrete benefits of this?
Schelhas: It provides support in times of crisis and illness. It's a compass for life that incorporates doubt, weakness of faith, and fear of life into one's biographical orientation. And it opens up a perspective beyond death.
"The Catholic Church needs to rethink this."
In your book, you write several pages about concelebration in the Eucharist. How does concelebration relate to the common priesthood?
Schelhas: Concelebration is a complex issue. It has been known since the beginnings of the Church, even if the term wasn't used. It fell into oblivion in the Western Church, was rediscovered only in the 20th century, and later legally defined. "Sacramental" concelebration involves not only the celebrant but also the other priests participating in the Mass at the altar. This has distanced concelebration from the common priesthood of all the baptized. The Catholic Church needs to rethink this. It can no longer focus solely on ordained priests. The understanding of faith, which considers the other six sacraments starting with Baptism, can then—inspired by some theologians of the Orthodox faith—gain the insight that the "liturgical" concelebration of the community of the "only" baptized is meaningful. Although the idea is still unfamiliar, this occurs through participation and collaboration. Talk of concelebration urges a shift in mentality, one that must begin with Baptism.
How does a stronger emphasis on baptism change the understanding of the altar?
Schelhas: Baptism is not merely a past event to be remembered. In sacramental remembrance, it is brought into the present. This also changes the understanding of the altar. Bread and wine in the Eucharist are signs through which Christ becomes present now. They are, as it were, instruments that strengthen what was established in baptism: above all, the baptized person's relationship with God.
"The question arises as to the gender of the person presiding over the Eucharist."
Could the implementation of your "primacy of baptism before the Eucharist" lead to changes in ordained ministries?
Schelhas: The stronger emphasis on baptism will lead to both additional and changed ordained ministries. Regarding the current offices derived from the three-tiered sacrament of Holy Orders (deacon, priest, bishop), the admission requirements must be redefined. This also raises the question of the gender of the person presiding over the Eucharist.
And what else needs to be considered?
Schelhas: More important, however, is the need to make Jesus Christ present in the Eucharist and to make the sacrament an authentic encounter with him. Not only the gifts of the Eucharist, but also the fundamental treasures of faith bestowed upon them through baptism, must be reacquired anew each day. This requires a greater expansion of lay ministries. New professional and voluntary ministries based on the foundation of baptism are both possible and necessary.
What does "priest today" realistically mean?
Schelhas: To be a witness to God in today's world, which fears for its future and struggles for hope and joy. They bear witness to the resurrection of Jesus and his closeness to humanity. They help to foster good relationships within the church and society, extending beyond its boundaries in social, diaconal, and liturgical-worship areas. And they are meant to offer inspiration for a personally shaped relationship with the triune God and with other people.
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