Q. If the Church is one, why do different dioceses and bishops have different rules like different Confirmation ages?
A. The Catholic Church is “One” in that Her source is God the Father, She was founded by God the Son, and She is held in unity by God the Holy Spirit (see CCC 813).
This oneness is expressed in many ways, such as shared belief in the dogmas of the Church and the celebration of the seven sacraments, but also in the hierarchical nature of the Church which unites all Catholics under the Holy Father. In a diocese, the chief source of unity is the bishop who has been entrusted with a certain portion of the People of God to shepherd. The unity of the diocesan bishop with the Holy Father and the College of Bishops expresses the unity of that diocese with the Universal Church.
Unity does not necessarily mean uniformity. The Church in Her wisdom gives a diocesan bishop considerable authority to order his diocese in the way that he believe will be best for the people he has been given care of. Bishops are able to enact particular law for their diocese, establishing things like Confirmation age as well as liturgical and disciplinary regulations, because the Church trusts that the bishop understands the culture and circumstances of his people, recognizing what particular needs they have and how best to address them.
Having particular laws for a diocese that may be different from another diocese does not impact the unity of the Church because these laws and practices do not touch upon the things that really unite us, namely, the shared belief in the dogmas of the Church and unity with the Holy Father and the College of Bishops. This is perhaps best seen in the diversity of churches sui iuris (“of one’s own right”) within the Catholic Church.
The experience of Catholicism that a Roman Catholic has vs. a Ruthenian Catholic or a Maronite Catholic is very different. Each church sui iuris has its own liturgy and law as well as spiritual practices. Despite this, each church sui iuris is part of the Universal Church and united in a shared belief in the dogmas of the Church, the sacraments, and communion with the Holy Father and the College of Bishops. Even if our expression of Catholicism is different, it is still Catholicism, and we are still all Catholics.
This question was answered by Father Caleb La Rue, vice chancellor of the Diocese of Lincoln. Write to Ask the Register using our online form, or write to 3700 Sheridan Blvd., Suite 10, Lincoln NE 68506-6100. All questions are subject to editing. Editors decide which questions to publish. Personal questions cannot be answered. People with such questions are urged to take them to their nearest Catholic priest.
