The heart of Catholicity (Acts 15,22-35)

Seeing how tribal and intolerant ‘faith-identities’ are, it is literally a miracle, that the ‘Jewish Church of Jerusalem’ generously opened up its borders to the Gentiles. This is the genius of the Holy Spirit. Owing to this ‘heart of Catholicism’ the Christian church could become Catholic, that is, universal. What we can marvel and celebrate in this decisive moment is not only the ‘geographic universality’ of the church. This is the very moment, recorded in the Bible, when we can gain insight into the ‘Catholic power’ of the Holy Spirit. That is, that in this moment of opening up to the Gentiles, we also celebrate how the Church is ‘Catholic’ throughout all centuries. We celebrate in these passages that the same faith is shared everywhere at present, in past, and the future centuries.
 
‘For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; that ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well… So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and whey they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle: which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation.’