Christ founded One Church, and it is his will that his followers be One. ECUMENISM AND INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE

“That they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” (Jn 17: 21)

veryone loves a joyful reunion. Perhaps you have experienced a family reunion in which relatives from far and wide come together as one for a happy celebration — to celebrate nothing more than the simple fact of being a family. The various members of an extended family might differ from one another in terms of their education, employment, social standing, interests, hobbies, and other facets of their lives, but the commonality they share as members of the same family is stronger than their differences. They strive to create a family atmosphere that reflects the love they have for one other while avoiding those things that might cause needless conflicts. That is not to say that there is never any friction whenever family members gather. Even among smaller family groups, including at Christmas and other holiday gatherings, people can get into disagreements or get on one another’s nerves. There are also families where the divisions run so deep that some members have lost the will to get together anymore. There is great pain in families in which brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, or sons and daughters have separated themselves from their families to the point where a true family reunion seems impossible. Many a tear is shed and many a heart aches over the loved ones who choose not to be present at a family celebration. Hardly a family is spared this grief at one time or another. The Church is like the home of a loving Father whose doors are open wide, welcoming all the members of his family to gather in peace, joy, and unity. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to save all of us from the clutches of sin and to gather all people into the one Family of God: his Mystical Body, the Church. During his earthly ministry, Christ founded his Church to guide all people in the truth and to communicate his truth throughout the world and throughout all time. Despite his intention, Christ knew that the same power of sin that had separated humanity from God would also separate members of the human family from one another. Even among those who believed in Christ and sought to follow him, divisions would arise. It pained Our Lord greatly to know that his people would remain divided despite all he had said and done for us in order to unite us as one people. Even on the very night before he was to be crucified, Christ prayed to his heavenly Father for the unity of his people:

I do not pray for these only, but also for those who Christ on the Mount of Olives by Unknown Master. believe in me through their word, that they may all “That they may all be one.”

2 Introduction INTRODUCTION TO ECUMENISM

Jerusalem, Jerusalem by Tissot. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,...How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings.” (Mt 23: 37)

be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. The glory which thou hast given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and thou in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast loved them even as thou hast loved me. (Jn 17: 20-23 ) Christ earnestly desired that all his followers be united as closely with one another as he is united to his Father. Yet, even the books of the New Testament, written a generation or so after Christ had ascended into Heaven, indicate divisions forming within the ranks of Christian believers. As history has unfolded, the Church founded by Christ has experienced wounds to her unity again and again as groups of believers have broken away to form separate faith communities. Many of these communities have divided further and splintered repeatedly, creating more and more communities independent of one another. Far from achieving and maintaining the unity so ardently desired by Christ, the body of believers who claim to be his followers has been severely fragmented. Modern-day is marked by three primary groups: One group is the with the Pope — the direct successor of St. Peter, whom Christ established as the earthly head of his Church — as her chief shepherd. Another group includes the various Orthodox Churches, most of which broke away from the Catholic Church between the fifth and eleventh centuries. Yet another group includes the literally tens of thousands of Protestant denominations, which trace their histories as far back as the sixteenth century. A not insignificant percentage of this last group is the many independent, nondenominational communities and “megachurches.” Despite the appearance of such Christian diversity, the fact remains that Christ founded only one Church. It is his stated will that all his disciples be united as one Church. The task of healing the divisions and separations that afflict Christianity with the aim of restoring true unity as one Church is called ecumenism.

Introduction 3 ECUMENISM AND INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE

WHAT IS ECUMENISM? cumenism, the subject of this textbook, is an unfamiliar word to many people. Most people have Eheard of or read an announcement for a prayer service or gathering described as ecumenical, and people sometimes reference an ecumenical movement. All of these terms are closely related. The word “ecumenism” comes from the Greek oikoumene, which means “the whole (inhabited ) earth.” As you can imagine from the aforementioned overview of the diversity of Christian communities, the task of restoring unity amid so many divisions is a daunting one, yet it remains your obligation and the obliga­tion of every Christian to seek that unity, however elusive it may seem. Something that is ecumenical is de­ sign­ed with an eye toward bringing Christians together. Rightly understood, ecumenism focuses not so much on what divides Christians from one another but on what already unites us: the elements of belief that all Christians tend to share in common. Considered in a certain sense, unity can be seen as a gift from God that we already possess in a limited way, a gift that we must recognize and accept in order to strengthen and perfect it. St. Peter urged all disciples of Christ to “have unity of spirit, sympathy, love of the brethren, a tender heart and a humble mind.”1 St. Paul taught that the faithful are united through the Death and Resurrection of Christ: “If we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.”2 This unity comes through : “By one Spirit we were all baptized into one body — Jews or Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and Greeks, slaves or free — and all were made to drink of one Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI at an ecumenical Spirit.” 3 Belief in God, faith in the risen Christ, openness celebration and evening of prayer at Westminster Abbey, September 17, 2010, with representatives to the Holy Spirit, Baptism, and reverence for Sacred from all the main Christian churches including the Scripture are among the core beliefs all Christians share Greek Orthodox, Coptic, and Free Churches. in common. There is a saying — though often attributed to St. Augustine, the great fourth-century theologian, but is of much later origin — that aptly expresses the aims of Christian unity. It is referred to here in the words of Pope Bl. John XXIII: The common saying, expressed in various ways and attributed to various authors, must be recalled with approval: in essentials, unity; in doubtful matters, liberty; in all things, charity. (Ad Petri Cathedram, 1959) What are these “essentials” in which we must find our unity? To understand this better, we must recognize that the Christian Faith is our response to what God has revealed to the world, a Revelation that took place over the course of many centuries and found its complete fulfillment in Jesus Christ. It is important, then, that we first look more closely at history — not just Christian history but the story of humanity and God’s relationship with the human race. We call this story history.

SOME GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF ECUMENISM 1. Christ founded One Church, and it is his will that his followers be One. “Before offering himself up as a spotless victim upon the altar, Christ prayed to his Father for all who believe in him: ‘that they all may be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us, so that the world may believe that thou has sent me’” 4 (, 2 ).

2. In the course of Church history, certain divisions have arisen between the followers of Christ for which both sides were to blame.

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However, “even in the beginnings of this one and only Church of God there arose certain rifts,5 which the Apostle strongly condemned.6 But in subsequent centuries much more serious dissensions made their appearance and quite large communities came to be separated from with the Catholic Church — for which, often enough, men of both sides were to blame” (UR 3 ).

3. While the sole Church of Christ subsists in the Catholic Church governed by the Pope and the bishops united to him, there are many elements of sanctification and truth in the Churches and ecclesial communities of our separated brethren. While “the sole Church of Christ...subsists in (subsistit in ) the Catholic Church...governed by the successor of Peter and by the bishops in communion with him” (CCC 816 ), there are “many elements of sanctification and truth7...found outside the visible confines of the Catholic Church” (CCC 819 ). Furthermore, the “[Holy] Spirit uses these Churches and ecclesial communities as a means of salvation, whose power derives from the fullness of grace and truth that Christ entrusted to the Catholic Church” (CCC 819 ). Some non-Catholic communities have preserved and valid Sacraments and are, therefore, true “churches.” Others have failed to preserve Apostolic Succession and thus lack a valid episcopate and Eucharist and, therefore, are referred to as “ecclesial communities.” “The Churches which, while not existing in perfect communion with the Catholic Church, remain united to her by...apostolic succession and a valid Eucharist, are true particular Churches8 (Dominus Iesus, 17 ). “On the other hand, the ecclesial communities which have not preserved the valid Episcopate and the genuine and integral substance of the Eucharistic mystery,9 are not Churches in the proper sense; however, those who are baptized in these communities are, by Baptism, incorporated in Christ and thus are in a certain communion, albeit imperfect, with the Church”10 (DI 17 ).

4. All Christians should long for unity. “All [Christians] however, though in different ways, long for the one visible Church of God, a Church truly universal and set forth into the world that the world may be converted to the Gospel and so be saved, to the glory of God” (UR 1). The Church exhorts all of the faithful to promote Christian unity. “The Sacred Council exhorts all the Catholic faithful to recognize the signs of the times and to take an active and intelligent part in the work of ecumenism” (UR 4 ).

5. Unity among Christians makes the preaching of the Gospel more effective. The Church seeks to heal the divisions that exist among Christians as such is the will of Christ. Such unity gives a sign to the world and makes more effective the preaching of the Gospel to every creature. (cf. UR 1)

6. The Catholic Church is enriched by the natural, historical, and cultural patrimony of her separated brethren. The Church must preserve unity in essential matters but promote legitimate diversity. Such divisions impoverish the catholicity of Church, who consequently lacks the natural, historical, and cultural patrimony that could be contributed by her separated brethren. This is especially the case with the great liturgical traditions present in the Eastern Churches but is also the case with all of the ecclesial communities. (cf. UR 4 )

7. The Church is Holy. Her members, however, are on a journey toward perfect holiness and, thus, are in constant need of purification and reform. Catholics have a responsibility both to know and to live their own Faith. The Church, united with Christ and sanctified by him, is Holy (cf. CCC 824 ), and “through him and with him she becomes sanctifying” (CCC 824 ). She is “the holy People of God”11 and “her members all called ‘saints’”12 (CCC 823). Though the Church is Holy, “in her members perfect holiness is something yet to be acquired” (CCC 825). Insofar as she is comprised of human members, the Church is in constant

Introduction 5 ECUMENISM AND INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE

need of purification and reform, especially in regard to those sins and offenses committed against her separated brethren. Conversion and holiness of life are essential for ecumenism. “All the faithful should remember that the more effort they make to live holier lives according to the Gospel, the better will they further Christian unity and put it into practice. For the closer their union with the Father, the Word, and the Spirit, the more deeply and easily will they be able to grow in mutual brotherly love” (UR 7 ). This 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” (UR 8 ).

8. Catholics must seek to understand their separated brethren and, in a spirit of charity, to share the truths of the Catholic Faith with them. “We must get to know the outlook of our separated brethren. To achieve this purpose, study is of necessity required, and this must be pursued with a sense of realism and good will. Catholics, who already have a proper grounding, need to acquire a more adequate understanding of the respective doctrines of our separated brethren, their history, their spiritual and liturgical life, their religious psychology and general background” (UR 9 ). In ecumenical dialogue, Catholics must seek to explain the Faith in a manner that our separated brethren can understand and in a way that removes obstacles. Catholics, however, must remain firm in the truth, which is the objective. “The way and method in which the Catholic faith is expressed should never become an obstacle to dialogue with our brethren. It is, of course, essential that the doctrine should be clearly presented in its entirety. Nothing is so foreign to the spirit of ecumenism as a false irenicism, in which the purity of Catholic doctrine suffers loss and its genuine and certain meaning is clouded. At the same time, the Catholic faith must be explained more profoundly and precisely, in such a way and in such terms as our separated brethren can also really understand” (UR 11). “In ecumenical dialogue, Catholic theologians standing fast by the teaching of the Church and investigating the divine mysteries with the separated brethren must proceed with love for the truth, with charity, and with humility” (UR 11). Truth is the objective.

9. Worship in common is not to be considered as a means to be used indiscriminately for the restoration of Christian unity. (cf. UR 8 ) While the Church encourages prayers for unity and ecumenical gatherings, worship in common expresses a unity that does not yet exist. Guidelines for worship in common are to be given by the competent local authority, the bishop’s conference, or the . In the United States the USCCB has issued “Guidelines for the Reception of Communion.”

10. Christ established St. Peter and his successors as the leader of and sign of unity for his Church. Among the doctrines most distinctive to the Catholic Church is the primacy of the Pope as the Successor of St. Peter, who was intended by Christ to be the visible head of all Christians. Without accepting his ministry, Christians will never attain the kind of unity that God willed for his Church, which is a sign and sacrament of unity.

ENDNOTES – INTRODUCTION

1. 1 Pt 3: 8. 7. LG 8 § 2. 9. Cf. Second Vatican Council, 2. 1 Rom 6: 5. 8. Cf. Second Vatican Council, Decree Unitatis Redintegratio, 22. 3. 1 Cor 12: 13. Decree Unitatis Redintegratio, 14 and 15; Congregation for the 10. Cf. ibid., 3. 4. Jn 17: 21. Doctrine of the Faith, Letter 11. LG 12. 5. Cf. 1 Cor 11: 18-19; Gal 1: 6-9; Communionis Notio, 17: AAS 85 12. Acts 9: 13; 1 Cor 6: 1; 16: 1. 1 Jn 2: 18-19. (1993), 848. 6. Cf. 1 Cor 1: 11 sqq; 11, 22.

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