Praying for Christian Unity Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio (The Tablet, enero 24, 2009)
“That they may become one in your hands.” Ezekiel 37: 15-19, 22-24a
Ecumenism is the building of positive relations with non-Catholic Christians.
The goal and primary reason for ecumenical relations is the quest for unity among all Christians. The desire of all Christians must be to have the mind and heart of Christ Jesus. In John 17, Jesus prays for the unity of His followers. In Philippians 2, Paul, exhorts us to have in us, “the mind and heart of Christ Jesus…” If, unity is in the mind and heart of Jesus then we, His disciples, must conform our minds, hearts and wills to the Lord’s desires. Vatican II called the division among Christians a stumbling block to the proclamation of the Gospel. The same Council urged all to work towards unity through dialogue and conversion of heart. Thus, we are impelled to reach out to our non-Catholic Christians because of the love of Christ Jesus.
While we share a common faith in Christ Jesus with most Christians there exists doctrinal disagreements among many of us. Such differences should be seen as areas for dialogue and opportunities for growth rather than threats to the ecumenical movement.
We believe that the Church of Christ subsists in the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church (East and West) stands in a gifted place in ecumenical dialogue. Rooted in the firm foundation of Christ and the Apostles, the Catholic Church is blessed with the gift of internal unity focused in the See of Saint Peter. Union with the Apostolic See fosters our charism of unity. Possessed of a secure theological and patristic tradition, the Catholic Church fosters unity by sharing its gifts with the Christian world. Among its chief gifts is internal unity. Secure in its own faith the Catholic Church recognizes the means of grace present in Eastern Orthodox Churches and in the Ecclesiastical Communities. Thus we are moved to have the attitude of Christ who prayed for unity among His disciples on the night before He died.
The Ecumenical movement calls Catholics and non-Catholics to a deeper personal conversion to the person of Christ Jesus in the context of our respective traditions. Catholics/Orthodox are called to a deeper level of communion through a personal relationship with the Lord in the contexts of the sacraments, the sacred scripture/tradition and community. Members of Ecclesiastical Communities (Lutherans, Anglicans, Methodists, etc.) are called to deeper communion through sacred texts, prayer, and sacraments. The more we encounter the person of Christ and grow in love for Him, the more we will do what He wills. The closer to the Lord we grow, the closer to each other we grow.
Ecumenism seeks reconciliation and peace. This task is accomplished through the grace of the Holy Spirit and dialogue. Dialogue seeks to encounter the other with the love of Christ which is manifested through mutual respect, kindness and truth. Through this dialogue we seek to listen to the other as well as speak. Dialogue seeks to learn from the other and to grow in mutual understanding of each other. The center of the dialogue must be Christ Jesus. Truth must dominate the dialogical encounter. Each participant is called to truthfully represent his/her faith community. Watering down or pandering is a false kindness and does not aid in the building of relationships in Christ.
Reconciliation is of primary importance in the ecumenical dialogue. There are many reasons for the shattering of Christian unity. Each Christian community shares the blame for the negative events of the past. The division among Christians came about for many historical reasons. Among these reasons were theological differences, political concerns, economic considerations and exaggerated nationalism. There also existed grave moral reasons leading to the division of Christianity. Among them were: the misuse of power, theological pride, financial and moral corruption, ignorance of his faith on behalf of the clergy and the laity and scandal in the lives of many clerics. For these sins of the past every Christian community Catholic/Orthodox and Protestant must seek forgiveness not only from God but from each other. Ecumenical dialogue can bear fruit by acknowledging the errors of the past and seeking to work toward focusing on the Gospel.
Prayer is essential for ecumenism. Those engaged in dialogue must be able to view their dialogical partners through the venue of faith in Christ Jesus. Seeing the other as a partner in faith, leads us to celebrate our common faith and discuss our differences without being defensive or threatened. Together we have the opportunity to grow in the Spirit. The Week for Christian Unity sponsored by the Graymoor Ecumenical Institute provides a suggested prepared prayer service for this event. The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is Jan. 18 to Jan. 25. In keeping with the Year of Saint Paul, the parish of St. Andrew the Apostle at 6713 Ridge Blvd., Brooklyn, will sponsor an Ecumenical Prayer Service on Sunday, Jan. 25 at 3 p.m.
In the Diocese of Brooklyn, all ecumenical meetings happen in the context of prayer and hospitality. The Catholic/Eastern Orthodox clergy meet monthly for prayer and lunch. We have discussed many issues, among them our history, the sacraments, authority in the church, primacy, collegiality, etc. We may not always agree but we have grown in great respect for each other. During Lent 2009, a discussion on the Baptismal Instruction of Saint Cyril of Jerusalem is planned to take place at the Cathedral of Saint James for clergy and religious. Catholic/Protestant dialogue is presently engaged in social action for the local community. This is most evident in the lay-run Southwest Brooklyn Congregation organization which brings people and leaders from various churches together for prayer and social action in respective communities
In this year of Saint Paul, The Catholic Bay Ridge Cluster of parishes will sponsor its annual Lenten Soup Supper on March 30 at 6 p.m. at Our Savior Lutheran Church. This event will bring Catholics and Lutherans together to supper, to pray and to reflect on hunger in the world and spiritual hunger for the Lord.
Christians are called to bear witness to the Presence of Christ in the world.
The world, as we know it, needs the Gospel not only in our words but in the quality and the conviction of our lives. Christians treating each other with love and respect, working for a common goal, seeking to image the Lord must put out into the deep together. If we find ourselves in the same boat, we may discover our common source of unity, Jesus Christ.