CENTRO PRO UNIONE N. 50 - Fall 1996 ISSN: 1122-0384 semi-annual Bulletin In this issue: Letter from the Director...................................................p. 2 Vatican II and Catholic Principles on Ecumenism by Edward Idris Cardinal Cassidy........................................p. 3 The Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity and the Preparation of Vatican II by Joseph A. Komonchak.............................................p. 11 On the Path to Christian Unity: Will Words Alone Suffice? by James F. Puglisi.................................................p. 18 Centro Pro Unione - Via S. Maria dell'Anima, 30 - 00186 Rome, Italy A Center conducted by the Franciscan Friars of the AtonementDirector's Desk In the Spring Bulletin, we announced the publication of the acts of the symposium on "Apostolic Continuity of the Church and Apostolic Succession". These have been published both in English (in the review Louvain Studies 21, 2 [1996]) and in Italian (as volume XI in our series Corso Breve di Ecumenismo). Our annual Summer course “Introduction to the Ecumenical & Interreligious Movements from a Roman Catholic Perspective” was attended by 28 men and women from North America, Mexico, Belgium, France, the Philippines and Ethiopia. We hope that we will be able to serve others through the course which we organize. Further information is to be found in the brochure which is enclosed or by writing to us at the Centro Pro Unione. In this Bulletin we publish one of the lectures given during the Summer course by Cardinal Cassidy, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. Activities of the Centro for the Fall include a series of eight lectures given in Italian on “Religion, Post-Modernity and New Religious Movements and Sects”: what is meant by the phenomenon of modernity and post-modernity, how does this phenomenon challenge religion and, in particular, the Christian churches, what are the various responses to this phenomenon (the question of the birth of sects and new religious movements), how do we understand the relationship between unity, uniformity and legitimate diversity, and how can the churches respond together to these realities. In addition to this series of lectures, the Centro proposes an important lecture to be given by the former director of the World Council of Churches’ Commission on Faith and Order, Dr. Günther Gaßmann on “The Search for Christian Unity and Common Moral Orientations — Three Case Studies”. Finally is it our honor to welcome the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey who will deliver a lecture sponsored by the Anglican Centre in Rome on “Common Ecumenical Mission in a Pluralistic World”. The Centro is in the process of revising the International Directory of Ecumenical Research Centers and Publications last published by us in 1986. We would like to ask your help in this task. If any of you know of new Centers or publications which have begun since 1986, please send us their complete addresses so that we might contact them for inclusion in the new revised edition which we hope to publish by Easter 1997. Pro Unione Ecumenical Gatherings (P.U.E.G.) continues to welcome visitors to Rome. We have had two groups of Lutherans from Denmark, a mixed group of Catholics and Protestants from the United States, several Anglican groups as well as taking part in the ROMESS program run by the Anglican Centre in Rome. We are pleased to be able to introduce our brothers and sisters from other Christian traditions to the ecumenical dimension of Rome as well as to help them understand the Judeo-Christian roots of the Church of Rome. I would like to close this letter with a word of congratulation to some of our co-workers in the ecumenical field. The Congregation of the Ladies of Bethany staffed the Foyer Unitas from 1952-1992 which was located in the same building as the Centro Pro Unione. The Ladies have recently published their memories of these 40 exciting years which took in the Second Vatican Council. Their book is entitled Hearth of Unity: Ladies of Bethany and Ecumenism in Rome, (Rome: Fratelli Palombi Editori, 1996, ISBN 88-7691- 458-5, pp. 187, $US 30). Copies of the book may be obtained by writing to the Ladies of Bethany, via Santa Maria dell’Anima, 30, I-00186 Rome. James F. Puglisi, SA DirectorN. 50 / Fall 1996Bulletin / Centro Pro Unione 3 CCCC Centro Conferences Vatican II and Catholic Principles on Ecumenism by Edward Idris Cardinal Cassidy President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Rome (Lecture given during the Centro Pro Unione’s annual Summer course, Tuesday, 25 June 1996) 1. Introduction One of the great Christian achievements of the Millennium that is fast drawing to a close has been the development over the past century of the Ecumenical Movement. Beginning with the World Missionary Conference in Edinburgh, June 1910, and then taken up by two world-wide Protestant movements Faith and Order and Life and Work, this movement found its expression eventually in the formation of a World Council of Churches in Amsterdam, Holland, in 1948. The attitude of the Catholic Church to this Movement was, from the beginning, extremely cautious, not to say negative. The post-Reformation attitude of defence and the theory that error had no rights kept the Catholic Church at a distance from the ecumeni- cal strivings of other Christians, although there were notable exceptions to this among individual Catholics in various places. This year, we are celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Malines conversations, in which a Catholic Cardinal Archbishop of Malines and a leading Anglican made an early contribution to ecumenical dialogue. Pope John XXIII, in calling together the Second Vatican Council, was determined that the question of Christian Unity should be on the agenda and chose a German Jesuit biblical scholar, Augustin Bea, to prepare and guide through the Council discussions a document which has become known by its opening works in Latin Unitatis Redintegratio. For a deeper understanding of the Principles on which the Catholic Church's commitment to Ecumenism is based one must look also to two other Council Documents: the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium and the Declaration on Religious Freedom Dignitatis Humanae. Already during the Council, it was obvious that the principles set down in Unitatis Redintegratio would need to be developed and promoted once the Council had completed its work. This task was entrusted by Pope Paul VI to a special Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity, which in turn issued an Ecumenical Directory in two parts, published respectively in 1967 and 1970. This handbook of ecumenical principles and practice was brought up-to-date and enlarged in 19931. It is particularly in these documents that we find the Catholic understanding of Ecumenism and it is on these documents, mainly, that I shall base my Conference. There is, however, another document that will be mentioned often, namely the 1995 Encyclical Letter of Pope John Paul II Ut unum sint on Commit- ment to Ecumenism. In many ways this Encyclical is the Pope's personal reflection on the documents of the Second Vatican Council, to which reference has already been made, in the light of the experience of the past thirty years. From this brief introduction it is clear that, while the Catholic Church was slow to enter into the Ecumenical Movement, it has, in the short period of thirty years, take its commitment very seriously and can be said to be now at the forefront of the whole movement. 2. Ecumenism It is important for us to have a clear idea about the nature of the movement which has been called ecumenical. The Council Decree itself gave a description of the ecumenical movement as including “those activities and initiatives which, according to the various needs of the Church and opportune occasions, are started and organized for the fostering of unity among Christians”2. Inter- religious dialogue with other great Religions, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, etc., is not to be confused with ecumenism. At times, the methods used and the initiatives undertaken are similar in both cases, but the goal is quite distinct and the doctrinal basis for our efforts fundamentally different. The Vatican Council situates the mystery of the Church within the mystery of God's wisdom and goodness that draws the 1 Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism, published by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity with the express approval of Pope John Paul II on March 25th 1993, Vatican City: Vatican Press (hereafter Ecumenical Directory). 2 Unitatis Redintegratio, N° 4.4 Bulletin / Centro Pro UnioneN. 50 / Fall 1996 whole human family and indeed the whole of creation into unity with himself 3 . In this sense, the work of ecumenism is part of the universal striving for unity. It is not a movement against others, nor can it be considered a purely internal question of concern to Christian alone. Yet it has its own distinct goal, means and doctrinal basis. 3. The doctrinal basis of Catholic Ecumenism We can say that ecumenism sets out from two basis premises: the will of Christ and the shared communion of all Christians through baptism. a)Ut unum sint! It is this prayer of Our Lord that challenges all his disciples to strive to free the Church from the divisions that have come to separate those baptized into the one body of Christ. As he prepared to offer his life for the salvation of the world, Our Lord prayed “to his Father for those who believe: That all may be one even as thou, Father, in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us, that the world may believe that thou has sent me” (Jn. 17:21). It is here that we find the fundamental motive for the ecumenical movement. It is the will of Christ! At the same time, we are well aware of the importance of Christian Unity for the work of evangelization: “that the world may believe that thou hast sent me”! We have to keep firmly before our minds the opening words of the Vatican Council Decree on Ecumenism: “The Church established by Christ the Lord is, indeed, one and unique. Yet many Christian communions present themselves to men as the true heritage of Jesus Christ. To be sure, all proclaim themselves to be disciples of the Lord, but their convictions clash and their paths diverge, as though Christ himself were divided (1 Cor. 1:13). Without doubt this discord openly contradicts the will of Christ, provides a stumbling block to the world, and inflicts damage on the most holy cause of proclaiming the good news to every creature” 4 . It may be good to recall that the ecumenical movement took its beginning from such considerations within a Conference on Mission. Pope John Paul II sets out this challenge before all the members of the Catholic Church with the following statement: “When I say that for me, Bishop of Rome, the ecumenical task is one of the pastoral priorities of my Pontificate, I think of the grave obstacle which the lack of unity repre- sents for the proclamation of the Gospel. A Christian Community which believes in Christ and desires, with Gospel, fervor, the salvation of mankind can hardly be closed to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, who leads all Christians towards full and visible unity”5. b)And yet, as the Decree Unitatis Redintegratio immediately points out, we divided Christians are not strangers one to the other, but brothers: “for those who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are brought into a certain, though imper- fect, communion with the Catholic Church”6. This is the doctrinal basis for our ecumenical commitment. The Church is not divided. it is we Christians who are divided. And even though divided, we are still in communion one with the other, because we are baptized into the one body of Christ. Pope John Paul II sees this realization as being the most important acquisition of the ecumenical movement. In his Encyclical Ut unum sint, we read: “The universal brotherhood of Christians has become a firm ecumenical conviction”7. 4. The unity that we seek Under this heading, I would like to deal briefly with the goal of our ecumenical striving, with the distinction between unity and uniformity, and with the relationship between the Catholic Church and the “one, holy catholic and apostolic Church” founded by Our Lord Jesus Christ. a)Until recent times, there was a fairly general agreement about the ecumenical goal. For the Second Vatican Council the unity that we seek is unity in faith, sacramental life and ministries: a visible, organic unity. This teaching is clearly put forward in the Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecume- nism: “The Decree Unitatis Redintegratio explains how the unity that Christ wishes for his Church is brought about through the faithful preaching of the Gospel by the Apostles and their successor at their head - through their administering the sacraments, and through their governing in love, and defines this unity as consisting of the confession of one faith...the common celebration of divine worship...the fraternal harmony of the family of God. This unity which of its very nature requires full, visible communion of all Christians is the ultimate goal of the ecumenical move- ment” 8 . Not all those engaged today in the ecumenical movement accept this as their goal. The difficulties encountered along the ecumenical way, especially with regard to doctrinal differences, 3Lumen Gentium, N° 1-4; Unitatis Redintegratio, N° 2. 4Unitatis Redintegratio, N° 1. 5Ut unum sint, N° 99. 6Unitatis Redintegratio, N° 3. 7Ut unum sint, N° 42. 8Ecumenical Directory, N° 20.N. 50 / Fall 1996Bulletin / Centro Pro Unione 5 have led some to look for less distant goals Among the various expressions used in this connection, the closest to the Catholic vision would be that of what has come to be known as Reconciled Diversity. Many in the World Council of Churches speak of Conciliar Fellowship. There are other similar attempts to describe a goal for Christian unity that falls short of the one proposed by the Catholic Church, but it is not our task now to look into these alternate goals. Most of these visions of unity would have us concentrate on the communion that we already share, on greater reconciliation of our differences, and on unity in action and witness. Despite the problems encountered in our search for unity, Pope John Paul II in his recent Encyclical has once again commit- ted the Catholic Church to the goal of full visible unity among all the baptized 9 . b)This unity is, however, not to be understood as uniformity. In fact, the unity of the Church is realized in the midst of a rich diversity, a diversity that is a dimension of the Church's catholic- ity. The Second Vatican Council made it clear that the unity which we seek by no means requires the sacrifice of the rich diversity of spirituality, discipline, liturgical rites and elaboration of revealed truth that has grown up among Christians in the measure that this diversity remains faithful to the apostolic tradition10. The principle is clear; the application more difficult. In his Encyclical on Commitment to Ecumenism, Pope John Paul II states that in the journey towards the necessary and sufficient visible unity, in the communion of the one Church willed by Christ...one must not impose any burden beyond that which is strictly necessary (cf. Acts 15:28) 11 . There are several complex and profound questions involved in this aspect of ecumenism. The first issue concerns the fundamen- tal distinction between the deposit of faith and the theological formulations by which that faith has been transmitted down through the centuries. While it is clear that unity is concerned with the deposit of faith and not with the formulation of that faith as such, any new formulation must of course be seen to be saying the same thing as the traditional expression 12 . That this is possible is shown by the success achieved with the Ancient Churches of the East through Christological Declarations that have resolved disputes which have lasted for some 15 centuries. Yet, there is a great reluctance on the part of Churches and Ecclesial Communions to let go of their formulations in order to seed common consensus. This is a factor that has to be given due consideration. A possible solution is to be found, at times, in allowing the dialogue partners to retain particular formulations which, while not identical, are not contradictory, or at least are not judged to be Church-dividing. The Decree Unitatis Redintegratio also indicated another principle or criterion that needs to be kept in mind when seeking to determine legitimate diversity, namely that in Catholic teaching there exists an order or 'hierarchy' of truths, since they vary in their relationship to the foundation of the Christian faith. Thus the way will be opened for this kind of rivalry to incite all to a deeper realization and a clearer expression of the unfathomable riches of Christ 13 . c) The one Church of Christ and the Catholic Church This was one of the questions that required considerable discussion and reflection during the Second Vatican Council. The Council eventually came up with a formula that satisfied the Church's understanding of itself, while leaving open the relation- ship of other Churches and Ecclesial Communions to the one Church of Christ. It is the firm teaching of the Council that the one Church of Christ subsists in the Catholic Church which is governed by the successor of Peter and by the Bishops in communion with him. This means that within this Church, one can find the entirety of revealed truths, the sacraments, and the ministry which Christ gave for the building up of the Church and the carrying out of its mission 14 . This is a principle that creates much concern for our partners in dialogue; yet it is an essential element of our self-understanding as a Church. In this connection it is necessary to remind ourselves that the ecumenical search is above all a search for truth. We are not asked to give-up anything that is of the essence of our faith. We are required to approach the dialogue humbly and with an openness to deepen our understanding of the truth in a sincere inquiry with others, to speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15): love of our brother and sister in Christ; love of the truth. 5) The Church as Communion Communio or koinonia is a concept that, particularly in recent times, has come to enrich and facilitate the understanding of the relationship between the Churches. The Ecumenical Directory explains this concept in the following words: “The communion in which Christians believe and for which they hope is, in its deepest reality, their unity with the Father through Christ in the Spirit. Since Pentecost, it has been given and received in the Church, the communion of saints. It is accomplished fully in the glory of heaven, but is already realized in the Church on earth as it journeys 9 Ut unum sint, N° 77. 10 Cf. Unitatis Redintegratio, N° 4 and 15-16; also Ecumenical Directory, N° 20. 11Ut unum sint, N° 78. 12 Ibid., N° 38. 13Unitatis Redintegratio, N° 11. 14 Dogmatic Constitution of the Second Vatican Council Lumen Gentium, N° 8.6 Bulletin / Centro Pro UnioneN. 50 / Fall 1996 towards that fullness. Those who live in faith, hope and love, in mutual service, in common teaching and sacraments, under the guidance of their pastors are part of that communion which constitutes the Church” 15 . It is obvious from this description that there can be various degrees of communion, in relation to the degree of unity that exists between various Christian communities. Since they share to some degree the same faith, hope and love, partake in mutual service, and are formed by the same teaching and sacraments, to that degree they share communion. This is not just a pleasant idea or superficial link, but a deep, ontological reality that forms the very basis of the unity that we share and calls us forward towards the fullness of that unity. The Second Vatican Council was thus able to declare that, while due to the serious dissensions and the divisions of the past, the communion between Churches and Ecclesial Communions has been damaged but never destroyed. “In fact”, the Council states, “the fullness of the unity of the Church of Christ has been maintained within the Catholic Church, while other Churches and Ecclesial Communities, though not in full communion with the Catholic Church, retain in reality a certain communion with it”16. Fundamental to the Second Vatican Council's teaching on Ecumenism was the understanding that “all those justified by faith through baptism are incorporated into Christ. They therefore have a right to be honored by the title of Christian, and are properly regarded as brothers in the Lord by sons and daughters of the Catholic Church17. But this is not all. “Moreover, some, even very many of the most significant elements or endowments which together go to build up and give life to the Church herself can exist outside the visible boundaries of the Catholic Church: the written word of God; the life of grace; faith, hope and charity, along with other interior gifts of the Holy Spirit and visible elements. All these, which come from Christ and lead back to him, belong by right to the one Church of Christ"18. For the Council Fathers, it was obvious that other Churches and Ecclesial Communions, “though they suffer from defects..., have bey no means be deprived of significance and importance in the mystery of salvation. For the Spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as means of salvation which deprive their efficacy from the very fullness of grace and truth entrusted to the Catholic Church” 19 . The sacred actions carried out in these Churches and Communities “truly engender a life of grace” 20 . However, as the Ecumenical Directory points out, ”no christian should be satisfied with these forms of communion. They do not correspond to the will of Christ and weaken his Church in its mission"21. The whole ecumenical movement is orientated towards bring this real, though imperfect communion to full, visible unity. 6. The agents of Ecumenism If, as I have just said, ”no Christian should be satisfied with these less than perfect forms of communion", then it follows that every Christian is called upon to be an active agent of ecumenism. And indeed the Ecumenical Directory states that “those who are baptized in the name of Christ are, by that very fact, called to commit themselves to the search for unity. Baptismal communion tends towards full ecclesial communion. To live our baptism is to be caught up in Christ's mission of making all things one”22. While it is clear that “the Bishops, individually for their own dioceses, and collegially for the whole Church, are, under the authority of the Holy See, responsible for ecumenical policy and practice”23, the Second Vatican Council makes it clear that: “concern for restoring unity pertains to the whole Church, faithful and clergy alike. It extends to everyone, according to the potential of each” 24 . Reflecting on these statements, Pope John Paul II, in the Encyclical Ut unum sint, develops this theme in a way that must remove all doubt about the right of Catholics to oppose or be indifferent to the ecumenical commitment of the Church. Let me quote the more striking of his declarations: - “...the way of ecumenism is the way of the Church” (N° 7); - “Thus it is absolutely clear that ecumenism, the movement promoting Christian Unity, is not just some sort of appendix which is added to the Church's traditional activity. Rather, ecumenism is an organic part of her life and work, and conse- quently must pervade all that she is an does; it must be like the fruit borne by a flourishing tree which grows to its full stature” (N° 20); - “To believe in Christ means to desire unity; to desire unity means to desire the Church; to desire the Church means to desire 15Ecumenical Directory, N° 13. 16Ibid., N° 18. 17 Unitatis Redintegratio, N° 3. 18 Ibid. 19 Ibid. 20Ibid. 21Ecumenical Directory, N° 19. 22 Ibid., N° 22. 23 Ibid., N° 4. 24 Unitatis Redintegratio, N° 5.N. 50 / Fall 1996Bulletin / Centro Pro Unione 7 the communion of grace which corresponds to the Father's plan from all eternity. Such is the meaning of Christ's prayer: Ut unum sint” (N° 9). We Christians have not chosen one another; we have been chosen. And because it is the one Christ who has done the choosing, we have been chosen to be his together. Unity is not then our choice. Ecumenism is not optional. Ecumenism is not our effort to achieve a unity that does not exist. Rather it is our response to the gift of unity already given. “Like it or not, the gift and the problems that come with the gift, are already ours” 25 . Let me conclude this section of my paper with a further quote from the introduction to the Encyclical Ut unum sint. Under the heading “Christ calls all his disciples to unity”, Pope John Paul II refers to the magnificent Good Friday 1994 Via Crucis in the Roman Colosseum and the meditations prepared for that evening by the Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomeos I, and writes: “There I stated that believers in Christ, united in follow- ing in the footsteps of the martyrs, cannot remain divided. It they wish truly and effectively to oppose the world's tendency to reduce to powerlessness the Mystery of the Redemption, they must profess together the same truth about the Cross. The Cross! An anti-Christian outlook seeks to minimize the Cross, to empty it of its meaning, and to deny that in it man has the source of his new life. It claims that the Cross is unable to provide either vision or hope. Man, it says, is nothing but and earthly being, who must live as if God did not exist. “No one is unaware of the challenge which all this poses to believers. They cannot fail to meet this challenge. Indeed, how could they refuse to do everything possible, with God's help, to break down the walls of division and distrust, to overcome obstacles and prejudices which thwart the proclamation of the Gospel of salvation in the Cross of Jesus, the one Redeemer of man, of every individual?”26. 7. Ecumenical Formation in the Catholic Church To undertake effectively such a task, the Christian must be given an adequate formation. To send a Christian into the field of ecumenism without such preparation could be prepared to exposing a soldier to battle without previous training. The results would be negative both for the person involved, as indeed for the movement itself. I cannot treat here of the requirements for adequate ecumenical formation. I can only refer you to the Ecumenical Directory which dedicate a whole Chapter, N° III, to “Ecumenical Forma- tion in the Catholic Church”. Suggestions are given for the formation of all the faithful and for those engaged in pastoral work. Special attention is given to the ecumenical preparation of those studying for the priesthood and for the ecumenical dimen- sion of permanent formation. In my opinion, the key to the future development of the ecumenical movement in the Catholic Church will depend, to a large extent, on the way in which this section of the Ecumenical Directory is implemented. 8. The manner of living out the ecumenical commitment The documents of the Catholic Church that deal with ecume- nism indicate clearly the means that we are to use in order to build this great edifice of the “one, holy, catholic and apostolic” Church, in which there are “neither Jews nor Greeks”, but in which all are brothers and sisters in full communion with one another, in Christ Jesus the Lord. We are place these “tools of our trade”under three headings: spiritual means; practical co-operation and common witness; theological dialogue. a) Spiritual ecumenism It was the Vatican Council document Unitatis Redintegratio that called the Catholic Church to begin the search for ecumenism by taking a good look at itself. The Council Fathers understood well “that there can be no ecumenism worthy of the name without a change of heart” 27 . They saw the ecumenical commitment of the Church as part of the renewal which the Council was bringing about, a renewal which would not hesitate to recognize “deficien- cies in conduct, in Church discipline, or even in the formulation of doctrine” if these had occurred in the past 28 . What was needed now was a “newness of attitudes arising out of self-denial and unstinted love” and prayer to the Holy Spirit “for the grace to be genuinely self-denying, humble, gentle in the service of others, and to have an attitude of brotherly generosity toward them”29. Pope John Paul II reflects on this aspect of ecumenism in the Encyclical Ut unum sint, where he speaks of the need for repentance: “an awareness of certain exclusions which seriously harm fraternal charity, of certain refusals to forgive, of a certain pride, of an unevangelical insistence on condemning the ‘other side', of a disdain born of an unhealthy presumption”, and urges all Christians “to let themselves be shaped, as it were, by a concern for ecumenism”30. 25 Cf. a paper by Richard John Neuhaus, entitled “A New Thing: Ecumenism at the Threshold to the Third Millennium” given at Rose Hill in May 1995. 26 Unitatis Redintegratio, N° 1-2. 27Ibid., N° 7. 28Ibid., N° 6. 29Ibid., N° 7. 30 Ut unum sint, N° 15.8 Bulletin / Centro Pro UnioneN. 50 / Fall 1996 And the Apostolic Letter Tertio Millennio Adveniente, His Holiness writes at some length of that “painful chapter of history to which the sons and daughters of the Church must return with a spirit of repentance when acquiescence was given to intolerance and even the use of violence in the service of truth”. There were of course mitigating factors that have to be taken into consider- ation in making such judgements, but these, states the Holy Father, “do not exonerate the Church from the obligation to express profound regret for the weaknesses of so many of her sons and daughters who sullied her face, preventing her from fully mirroring the image of her crucified Lord, the supreme witness of patient love and of humble meekness” 31 . This spirit of renewal, conversion and reform, along with public and private prayer for the unity of Christians should be regarded as the soul of the whole ecumenical movement 32 . Pope John Paul II speaks of the “primacy of prayer” in the ecumenical movement, and sees in prayer “a genuine expression of the ties which even now bind Catholics to other Christians, and invitation to Christ himself to visit the community of those who call upon him”33. Experience shows just how true is the observation made by His Holiness that “when Christians pray together, the goal of unity seems closer”. He goes on to explain this in the following words: “If Christians, despite their divisions, can grow ever more united in common prayer around Christ, they will grow in an awareness of how little divides them in comparison to what unites them. If they meet more often and more regularly before Christian prayer, they will be able to gain the courage to face all the painful human reality of their divisions, and they will find themselves together once more in that community of the Church which Christ constantly builds up in the Holy Spirit, in spite of all weaknesses and human limitations”34. b) Practical co-operation and common witness The Second Vatican Council called on all Christians to “profess their faith in God, one and three, in the Incarnate Son of God, our Redeemer and Lord before the whole world”, to bear witness to their common hope, and to work together in social matters. In a truly beautiful expression, the Council Fathers declared that “co-operation among all Christians vividly expresses that bond which already unites them, and it sets in clearer relief the features of Christ the servant”35. Pope John Paul II calls for Christians to exercise “every form of practical co-operation at all levels: pastoral, cultural and social, as well as witnessing to the Gospel message”36. He describes such co-operation based on our common faith as “a manifestation of Christ himself” and as “a true school of ecumenism” 37 . The Ecumenical Directory devotes a special chapter to “Ecumenical Co-operation, Dialogue and Common Witness”. There is so much that we Christians can already do together in order to express and live out the unity that we already share, thus making ever more smooth the road to full, visible unity. c) Theological dialogue All the Vatican documents have stressed the importance of dialogue. The Second Vatican Council warned that “nothing is so foreign to the spirit of ecumenism as a false conciliatory approach which harms the purity of Catholic doctrine and obscures its assured genuine meaning” 38 . Unity cannot be the fruit of compro- mise, but must be sought in a dialogue with other Christians that is founded in a love for truth, deep Christian charity and humility 39 . Thus theological dialogue involves both listening and explain- ing, seeking both to understand and to be understood, to be forthcoming about oneself and trustful about what the others have to say. There can be no hidden agenda! Both the Council and Pope John Paul II point out that “the manner and method of expounding the Catholic Faith should not be a hindrance to dialogue with our brothers and sisters”. One should take into account both the way of thinking and the actual historical experi- ences of the other party40. In pursuing theological dialogue, there are certain principles indicated by the Second Vatican Council, illustrated in the Ecumenical Directory and confirmed in the Encyclical Ut unum sint, that are vital for success in this important field of ecumenical activity. The first of these principles has already been mentioned and is thus described in the Decree Unitatis Redintegratio: “They (Catholics) should remember that in Catholic teaching there exists an order or 'hierarchy' of truths, since they vary in their relationship to the foundation of the Christian faith. Thus the way will be opened for this king of fraternal rivalry to incite all to a deeper realization and a 31Tertio Millennio Adveniente, N° 35. 32 Cf. Unitatis Redintegratio, N° 8 and Ut unum sint, N° 21. 33Ut unum sint, N° 21. 34Ibid., N° 22. 35 Unitatis Redintegratio, N° 12. 36Ut unum sint, N° 40. 37Ibid. 38Unitatis Redintegratio, N° 11. 39Ut unum sint, N° 36. 40Ibid.N. 50 / Fall 1996Bulletin / Centro Pro Unione 9 clearer expression of the unfathomable riches of Christ” 41 . I have also referred to a second principle of great importance in the dialogue, namely the distinction between the deposit of faith and the formulation of doctrine. Different ways of expressing a doctrine may simply be different words saying the same thing. Pope John Paul II writes in this connection: “Intolerant polemics and controversies have made incom- patible assertions out of what was really the result of two different ways of looking at the same reality. Nowadays we need to find the formula which, by capturing the reality in its entirety, will enable us to move beyond partial readings and eliminate false interpretations”42. A third principle is that expressed by the Holy Father in the following statement: “This journey towards the necessary and sufficient visible unity, in the communion of the one Church willed by Christ, continues to require patient and courageous efforts. In this process, one must not impose any burden beyond that which is strictly necessary (cf. Acts 15:28)”43. Unity is not uniformity; there is a place for legitimate diversity. 9. Reception of the dialogue results Since the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church has entered into serious theological dialogue with representatives of all other mainline Churches and Ecclesial Communions. Quite a number of agreed statements have been published, but relatively few of these have been officially examined and received by the Churches concerned. There is a growing awareness that much more has to be done by the ecclesiastical authorities to promote the diffusion, study and eventual reception of the dialogue results. In his Encyclical Ut unum sint, Pope John Paul II draws attention to what he calls “this new task”. The dialogue results cannot remain simply statements of the bilateral commissions, but —he writes— “must become a common heritage”44. Since we are dealing with matters of faith, universal consent is required, “extending from the Bishops to the lay faithful, all of whom have received the anointing of the Holy Spirit. It is the same Spirit who assists the Magisterium and awakens the sensus fidei” 45 . His Holiness describes this process of analyzing the results and testing them in the light of the Apostolic Tradition in the following works: “This process, which must be carried forward with prudence and in a spirit of faith, will be assisted by the Holy Spirit. If it is to be successful, its results must be made known in appropriate ways by competent persons. Significant in this regard is the contribution which theolo- gians and faculties of theology are called upon to make by exercising their charism in the Church. It is also clear that ecumenical commissions have very specific responsibilities and tasks in this regard. The whole process is followed and encouraged by the Bishops and the Holy See. The Church's teaching authority is responsible for expressing a definitive judgement. In all this, it will be of great help methodologically to keep carefully in mind the distinction between the deposit of faith and the formulation in which it is expressed, as Pope John XXIII recommended in his opening address at the Second Vatican Council”46. 10. Communion of life and Spiritual Activity I should like to conclude these reflections with a special word on Communion of life and Spiritual activity among the Baptized. This forms the subject matter of Chapter IV of the revised Ecumenical Directory and is of special importance to members of the clergy. The basis for such sharing is of course the fact that, through baptism, Christians enter into a real communion by becoming members of the one body of Christ. At the same time, because of the divisions that exist among Christians, this communion is not always perfect. Hence when we consider the possibility of sharing in spiritual activities and resources -prayer in common, participation in liturgical worship, common use of sacred places, sharing in sacramental life, etc.), we are guided by these - the real communion in the life of the Spirit which we already share; - the incomplete character of this communion. In applying these principles, we come automatically to a distinction between the various Eastern Churches on the one hand and Christians of other Churches and Ecclesial Communions on the other. The Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox Churches are looked upon by the Catholic Church as “Sister Churches”, having with the Catholic Church a very close communion in matters of faith, discipline and sacramental life. The Second Vatican Council Decree Unitatis Redintegratio speaks of “the Church of God being built up and growing in stature through the celebration of the Eucharist of the Lord in each of these Churches” 47 . They 41Unitatis Redintegratio, N° 11; see also the Ecumenical Directory, N° 176 and Ut unum sint, N° 37. 42 Ut unum sint, N° 38. 43Ibid., N° 78. 44Ibid., N° 80. 45Ibid. 46Ibid. 47Unitatis Redintegratio, N° 15.Next >