Part II: THE ECUMENICAL MOVEMENT Q & A

10. When did the ecumenical movement start among Catholics?

            The Catholic Church – which has from the beginning of its history had and preserved the unity in faith, morality, worship, discipline and government communicated to it by Christ – has ever been anxious for the return to this unity of those who have separated themselves, or been separated, from it. The Church has always had an ecumenical interest of this nature, which has revealed itself in efforts to obtain the reunion of separated churches of the East (Orthodox) and to recall to reunion all the Christian churches which have been separated from Rome since the time of the Reformation.

            Contemporary ecumenical activity among Catholics has increased considerably within the last 50 to 90 years, and is now greater than ever before.

11. Are there signs of interest among other Christians regarding ecumenical activity by Catholics?

            Churchmen of many denominations applauded Pope John XXIII’s convocation of the Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, and some 40 observer-delegates of various churches attended its first session. One of the purposes of the Council is to explore ways and means of promoting unity among all Christians.

12. What is the attitude of the Catholic Church regarding participation by non-Catholics in such bodies as the World Council of Churches?

            Such participation can be considered good if non-Catholic individuals and churches participate without any violation of the principles of good conscience, and if the bodies are sincere in their efforts to work for Christian unity on the basis of the principles and conditions stated by Christ.

13. Why has the Catholic Church not joined the World Council of Churches or other similar organizations?

            The Catholic Church believes it is the one and only Church established by Christ and commissioned by Him to teach, rule and sanctify men for their eternal salvation. (Mt. 28:18-20, Jn. 20:21-23, Mt. 16:19, 18:18, Jn. 21:15-18) (CCC 811) Membership in councils such as those described above would imply recognition by the Catholic Church of the fact that other churches have equal standing, even though in fact one of them claims to be the one and only church established by Christ. Because of its very nature, as well as the demands of logic, the Catholic Church cannot make the recognition implied by membership in councils of this kind.

            Furthermore, other Christian bodies regard religious unity as non-existent; they hold that it is something which has been lost in the course of Christian history and must be rediscovered. The Catholic Church claims that unity in faith, morals, government and worship, in accordance with the teachings of Christ, does in fact exist in itself under the jurisdiction of the Pope, who is the successor of St. Peter and the Vicar of Christ on earth. (Mt. 16:18, Lk. 22:32) (CCC 813 – 817, 820) Since the Church is convinced of its real possession of this type of unity, which should be the objective of the ecumenical movement, it would be against this conviction as well as illogical for the Church to join in a search for it. The Church’s task is to help them find this unity, which already exists. (CCC 820)

"So, Venerable Brethren, it is clear why this Apostolic See has never allowed its subjects to take part in the assemblies of non-Catholics: for the union of Christians can only be promoted by promoting the return to the one true Church of Christ of those who are separated from it, for in the past they have unhappily left it." (Pius XI, Mortalium Animos)

14. Does the firm stand of the Catholic Church regarding matters of faith, morals, worship, discipline and government serve as a block to union with other Christians?

            Yes. The Catholic Church, however, as stated above, can take no other position in view of the foundations of its belief.

15. Why is the Catholic Church interested in the search for unity by Protestants and the Orthodox?

            Because of the obligation and commission entrusted to it by Christ to teach divine truth in its unity and entirety (Mk. 16:15), to preserve that truth form error, and to communicate it to all men. (CCC 855)

16. Can the Catholic Church compromise any of the teachings of Faith for the sake of promoting unity among Christianity?

            NO. To do so would be to betray the very nature of divine truth and the Church itself, as well as the cause of Christian unity.

            For the sake of promoting Christian unity, the Church could make some changes, but only of a non-essential kind not affecting faith or morals. (cf. Unitatis Redintegratio 11)

"Even on the plea of promoting unity it is not allowed to dissemble one single dogma; for, as the Patriarch of Alexandria warns us, 'although the desire for peace is a noble and excellent thing, yet we must not for its sake neglect the virtue of loyalty in Christ'." (Pope Pius XII, Orientalis Ecclesiae)

17. What is the attitude of the Church toward baptized Christians who hold beliefs at variance with those of Catholic and practices their religion in good faith?

            At the very least, the Church regards them with love and charity, as it does all men. More significantly, the Church regards them as brothers and sisters who have been joined to Christ in virtue of their baptism but are impeded from full participation in the Mystical Body of Christ because of their separation from the Catholic Church. (CCC 818, 838)

            Vatican II, Unitatis Redintegratio, 3 no. 1 states:

                "However, one cannot charge with the sin of the separation those who at present are born into these communities [that resulted from such separation] and in them are brought up in the faith of Christ, and the Catholic Church accepts them with respect and affection as brothers .... All who have been justified by faith in Baptism are incorporated into Christ; they therefore have a right to be called Christians, and with good reason are accepted as brothers in the Lord by the children of the Catholic Church."

18. What are some of the things other Christians have in common with Catholics?

            The Orthodox, or separated Eastern Christians as they are called, have an apostolic succession of bishops, a valid priesthood, the Mass and valid sacraments, apostolic and patristic traditions, acceptance of the canons of the first seven ecumenical councils, and veneration of the Virgin Mary. (Vatican II, Unitatis Redintegratio 13-18)

            Protestants, while having less in common with Catholics, are devoted to prayer and divine worship, the Sacred Scriptures, the observance of the Commandments, and the ministry of the Word. (Vatican II, Unitatis Redintegratio 19 - 23)

19. Is there a much hope for the accomplishment of large-scale corporate union among Christians?

            Corporate unions of Protestants with Protestants are likely, in the manner described in no. 10 above. These unions, however, are accidental.

            Other large-scale corporate unions are not likely in the near future.

20. What can individual Christians do for the cause of religious unity?

            They cans seek improved mutual understanding, have charity among each other, and pray that all who claim to be Christian may be gathered in the unity of the sheepfold of the One Shepherd, which is the Catholic Church. (Jn. 10:14-16; 17:20) (CCC 822)

            The Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 821 states:

                “Certain things are required in order to respond adequately to this call:

·         a permanent renewal of the Church in greater fidelity to her vocation; such renewal is the driving-force of the movement toward unity;

·         conversion of heart as the faithful "try to live holier lives according to the Gospel"; for it is the unfaithfulness of the members to Christ's gift which causes divisions;

·         prayer in common, because "change of heart and holiness of life, along with public and private prayer for the unity of Christians, should be regarded as the soul of the whole ecumenical movement, and merits the name 'spiritual ecumenism;"'

·         fraternal knowledge of each other;

·         ecumenical formation of the faithful and especially of priests;

·         dialogue among theologians and meetings among Christians of the different churches and communities;

·         collaboration among Christians in various areas of service to mankind.

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“It is only the Catholic Church that retains the true worship. It is the fountain of truth, it is the household of the faith, it is the temple of God: If anyone does not enter it, or if anyone departs from it, he is a stranger to the hope of life and salvation. Let no one deceive himself by continuous wranglings. Life and salvation are in the balance, which if not looked to carefully and diligently will be lost and destroyed.” (Lactantius, Divin. Instit. 4, 30, 11-12.)

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N. B. CCC refers to the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

SOURCE: 1963 National Catholic Almanac, St. Anthony’s Guild Press, Paterson, New Jersey (with revisions and additional materials).

THE ECUMENICAL MOVEMENT: Q and A (Part I)

1. What is the meaning of the term, ECUMENICAL?

            The term is derived from the Greek and means, from the inhabited world, or worldwide.

2. What is the ECUMENICAL MOVEMENT?

            Also called ecumenism, it is a movement toward union among persons and churches calling themselves Christian.

3. What are some of the principal facts concerning disunity among Christians?

            There are approximately (2007) 2,199,817,400 Christians in the world. Of this number, 1,121,516,000 are Catholics, 233,146,000 are Orthodox, and 381,811,000 are Protestants. (http://www.wholesomewords.org)

            Only Catholics belong to a single Church having unity of faith, worship, discipline and government. The Orthodox, while sharing many points of belief and even practice with Catholics. Belong to autonomous churches. Protestants belong to a great number of denominations (some 33,000 according to http://www.philvaz.com) with essential differences in matters of belief, discipline and government.

            The ecumenical problem involves the establishment of religious unity among all of these churches and persons.

4. When did the ecumenical movement start among Protestants?

            The meeting of the World Missionary Conference at Edinburgh in 1910 is regarded as its starting point although the ecumenical idea and purpose had been stated before that time.

5. What were some of the reasons which induced Protestants to initiate ecumenical efforts?

            Practical problems faced by missionaries of the various churches. Related to the consideration of these common problems was the basic concern of churchmen and church members over disunity in matters of belief and practice among churches and persons who, while professing themselves to be Christians, held widely divergent beliefs.

6. What have Protestants sought in their ecumenical endeavors?

            Protestant unity of spirit has sought organizational expression in a fellowship of good works and intercommunion rather than in unity of faith, worship and structure.

            “The aim of the WCC is to pursue the goal of the visible unity of the Church. This involves a process of renewal and change in which member churches pray, worship, discuss and work together.” (www.oikoumene.org)

7. What are some of the results of their efforts?

            Summarily, they have achieved cooperation among the various denominations but no essential unity; progress has been made in working and getting along together, but not in believing together.

            The World Council of Churches was established at Amsterdam in 1948…

            Some bodies have made progress in mutual relations on the basis of such common denominators as belief in Sacred Scripture, the rituals of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, the operations of the ministry, and the fellowship of good works.

            There have been some church mergers and an increase in practices of intercommunion and participation in cooperative missionary enterprises.

8. What is the World Council of Churches?

            It is a federation of 349 Christian denominations (www.oikoumene.org) with more than 300 million members.

            “The World Council of Churches is a Christian organization dedicated to the search for Christian unity. It is a voluntary fellowship (association) of churches which confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour.”

                “The WCC has 349 member churches. Together, these churches represent some 560 million Christians (though it is important to note that different churches have different ways of calculating membership). Today's member churches come from more than 110 countries on all continents and include Orthodox, Anglican, Protestant, United and other churches. A majority of member churches now come from the South.” (www.oikoumene.org)

9. What are some of the difficulties experienced by Protestants in their ecumenical endeavors?

            They are hampered by several deficiencies: lack of a clear and common agreement on the nature of religious unity and means for its attainment; lack of an objective criterion or standard as the basis of unity, and of an authority competent to judge and speak for all Protestants; dedication for the search for religious unity on the basis of the principle which has destroyed it – namely, private interpretation, by individuals and individual church bodies, of the Scriptures as the rule of faith.

You may download the entire article by clicking this link: The-Ecumenical-Movement-Q&A

Pope Benedict XVI on Christian Unity

Wednesday General Audience 

January 19, 2011

Dear Brothers and Faithful, 

 

We are celebrating the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in which all believers in Christ are asked to unite in prayer in order to witness to the deep bond that exists between them and to invoke the gift of full communion.

It is providential that in the process of building unity prayer is made central. This reminds us once again that unity cannot be a mere product of human endeavour; it is first and foremost a gift of God which entails growth in communion with the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. 

The Second Vatican Council says: “Such prayers in common are certainly a very effective means of petitioning for the grace of unity, and they are a genuine expression of the ties which still bond Catholics to their separated brethren. ‘For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them’ (Mt 18:20)” (Decree on Ecumenism, Unitatis Redintegratio, n. 8). 

The path that leads to the visible unity of all Christians lies in prayer, because, fundamentally, it is not we who “build” unity but God who “builds” it, it comes from him, from the Trinitarian Mystery, from the unity of the Father with the Son in the dialogue of love, which is the Holy Spirit; and our ecumenical commitment must be open to divine action, it must become a daily invocation for God's help. The Church is his and not ours. 

The theme chosen for this Year’s Week of Prayer refers to the experience of the first Christian Community in Jerusalem, as it is described in the Acts of the Apostles; we have listened to the text: “They devoted themselves to the Apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (Acts 2:42). 

We must consider that in the past, at the very moment of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended upon people of different languages and cultures. This means that from the very first the Church has embraced people from different backgrounds and yet, it is that the Spirit creates one body precisely from these differences. 

Pentecost, as the beginning of the Church, marks the expansion of God’s Covenant to all creatures, all peoples and all epochs, so that the whole of creation may walk towards its true goal: to be a place of unity and love.

In the passage cited from the Acts of the Apostles, four characteristics define the first Christian community of Jerusalem as a place of unity and love. St Luke, moreover, does not only want to describe something from the past. He presents this community to us as a model, as a norm for the Church today, since these four characteristics must always constitute the Church’s life. 

The first characteristic is its unity, its devotion to listening to the Apostles’ teaching, then to fellowship, to the breaking of the bread and the prayers. As I have said, still today these four elements are the pillars that support the life of every Christian community and constitute the one solid foundation on which to progress in the search for the visible unity of the Church.

We first have devotion to the teaching of the Apostles, that is, listening to their testimony to the mission, to the life, and to the death and Resurrection of the Lord. This is what Paul calls simply the “Gospel”. The first Christians received the Gospel from the lips of the Apostles, they were united by listening to it and by its proclamation because, as St Paul says, “the Gospel... is the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith” (Rom 1:16). 

Still today the community of believers recognizes the reference to the Apostles’ teaching as the norm of its own faith. Hence every effort to build unity among all Christians passes through the deepening of our faithfulness to the depositum fidei passed on to us by the Apostles. A steadfast faith is the foundation of our communion, it is the foundation of Christian unity.

The second element is fraternal communion. At the time of the first Christian community, as it is in our day too, this is the most tangible expression especially for the external world, of unity among the Lord's disciples. We read in the Acts of the Apostles that the early Christians had all things in common and those with possessions and goods sold them to share the proceeds with the needy (cf. Acts 2:44-45). 

This sharing of goods has found ever new forms of expression in the history of the Church. Distinctive among these are the brotherly relations and friendships established between Christians of different denominations.

The history of the ecumenical movement is marked by difficulties and uncertainties but it is also a history of brotherhood, of cooperation and of human and spiritual sharing, which has significantly changed relations between believers in the Lord Jesus: we are all working hard to continue on this path.

Thus the second element is thus communion. This is primarily communion with God through faith; but communion with God creates communion among ourselves and is necessarily expressed in that concrete communion of which the Acts of the Apostles speak, in other words sharing. 

No one in the Christian community must be hungry or poor: this is a fundamental obligation. Communion with God, expressed as brotherly communion, is lived out in practice in social commitment, in Christian charity and in justice.

The third element: essential in the life of the first community of Jerusalem was the moment of the breaking of the bread in which the Lord makes himself present, with the unique sacrifice of the Cross, in his unreserved gift of self for the life of his friends: “this is my body which will be given up for you... this is the cup of my blood.... It will be shed for you”. “The Church draws her life from the Eucharist. This truth does not simply express a daily experience of faith, but recapitulates the heart of the mystery of the Church” (John Paul II, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, n. 1). Communion in Christ’s sacrifice is the crowning point of our union with God and thus also represents the fullness of the unity of Christ’s disciples, full communion. 

In this Week of Prayer for Unity our regret about the impossibility of sharing the same Eucharistic banquet — a sign that we are still far from achieving that unity for which Christ prayed — is particularly acute. This sorrowful experience, which also gives our prayers a penitential dimension, must become the reason for an even more generous dedication on the part of all so that, once the obstacles that stand in the way of full communion have been removed, the day will come when we can gather round the table of the Lord to break the Eucharistic bread together and to drink from the same cup. 

Lastly, prayer — or as St Luke says prayers — is the fourth characteristic of the early Church of Jerusalem described in the Book of the Acts of the Apostles. Prayer has always been a constant attitude of disciples of Christ, something that accompanies their daily life in obedience to God’s will, as the Apostle Paul’s words in his First Letter to the Thessalonians also attest: “Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thes 5:16-18; cf. Eph 6:18). 

Christian prayer, participation in Jesus’ prayer, is a filial experience par excellence as the words of the “Our Father” testify — the “we” of God’s children, brothers and sisters — a family prayer that addresses our common Father. Therefore, adopting an attitude of prayer also means opening ourselves to brotherhood. 

Only in the “we” can we say “Our Father”; so let us open ourselves to brotherhood which comes from being children of the one heavenly Father and from being disposed to forgiveness and reconciliation.

Dear brothers and sisters, as disciples of the Lord we have a common responsibility to the world. We must undertake a common service; like the first Christian community of Jerusalem, starting with what we already share, we must bear a powerful witness supported by reason and spiritually founded on the one God who revealed himself and speaks to us in Christ, in order to be heralds of a message that guides and illumines people today, who all too often lack clear and effective reference points. 

It is therefore important to increase day by day in reciprocal love, striving to surmount those barriers between Christians that still exist; to feel that real inner unity exists among all those who follow the Lord; to collaborate as closely as possible, working together on the issues that are still unresolved; and above all, to be aware that on this journey we need the Lord’s assistance, he will have to give us even more help for, on our own, unless we “abide in him”, we can do nothing (cf. Jn 15:5).

Dear friends, we are once again gathered in prayer — particularly during this Week — together with all those who profess faith in Jesus Christ, Son of God: let us persevere in prayer, let us be a people of prayer, entreating God to grant us the gift of unity so that his plan of salvation and reconciliation may be brought about for the whole world. Many thanks.

SOURCE: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2011/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20110119_en.html

Pope Benedict XVI: A Lofty Level of Christian Life

Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, speaks about Saint Joan of Arc during his January 26, 2011 weekly Papal Audience catechesis. Here's a paragraph that strikes me most:

Dear brothers and sisters, with her luminous testimony, St. Joan of Arc invites us to a lofty level of Christian life: to make prayer the guiding thread of our days; to have full confidence in fulfilling the will of God, whatever it is; to live in charity without favoritisms, without limits and having, as she had, in the love of Jesus, a profound love for the Church.