The Church as the Juridically Perfect Society

Abstract

The article takes the formula ecclesia societas perfecta inaequalis that, arbitrarily used in the last two centuries as an absolute definition of the Church and then just as arbitrarily set aside, is now re-evaluated. It does not express the whole reality of the mystery of the Church and therefore it cannot be taken as exhaustive definition of the ecclesial community. However, it retains its partial truth, its value within its limit, which is as an expression of the historically social reality of the Church and of its independence from civil and politic society.