The Faithful’s Feedback in Public Opinion in the Church in Edo State, Nigeria

Descrizione prodotto

As a matter of principle, the Church has always been concerned about public opinion, because of its importance for the life of the Church. As it is stated in Communio et Progressio, “since the Church is a living body, she needs public opinion in order to sustain a giving and taking between her members. Without this, she cannot advance in thought and action. Something would be lacking in her life if she had no public opinion. Both pastors of souls and lay people would be to blame for this”.1 In other words, we cannot do justice to the human, horizontal dimension of the Church, without paying attention to the dynamics of public opinion, and how it affects this human community.
The reality of public opinion has always been in the Church in one way or the other. Communio et Progressio gives a definition of public opinion as “an essential expression of human nature organized in a society… In everyone there is an innate disposition to give vent to opinions, attitudes and emotions in order to reach a general acceptance on convictions and customs”.2 When understood in this way, it is easy to see that it is not a new phenomenon, but something that has always been. In the more recent history of the life of the Church however, particularly taking our bearings from the second Vatican Council, we see a concerted effort to reflect upon and articulate the reality of public opinion, especially as it affects the Church. Consequently, it has been stated that

Titolo: The Faithful’s Feedback in Public Opinion in the Church in Edo State, Nigeria
Autore: Hilary Oseabulu ODENORE;
Editore: Edizioni Sabinae
Formato PDF
ISBN: 9788898623037