“… truly linked with mankind and its history by the deepest of bonds…” (Gaudium et spes 1) The concept of the ‘universal church’ in a fragmented world

Abstract

The frequently invoked term “universal church” is undergoing a meaningful shift driven by identitarian and culturalist politics. On the one hand, there is a renewed awareness that the “link with all mankind” is a central ecclesiological criterion of the Second Vatican Council; on the other hand, “universality” (of the church) is not understood as the result of an expansion of power but as a result of intense intercultural learning and communication. The concept of a “universal church” is not based on unilateral globalisation but a self-critical globality. In this sense, a “church of the world” is committed to a dialogue with and consideration of “humankind and its history”, and thus rediscovers its catholicity.