Editorial Harvesting the Fruits of Ecumenical Dialogue

ECCLESIOLOGY

Ecclesiology 6 (2010) 139–141 brill.nl/ecso

Editorial

Harvesting the Fruits of Ecumenical Dialogue

It is often said that the ecumenical movement is in the doldrums, or that we are enduring an ‘ecumenical winter’ or even an ecumenical ‘dark night of the soul’. In this timely assessment of what has been achieved in theological dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and four major Christian tradi- tions since Vatican II, Cardinal Walter Kasper refutes that perception. 1 His account is upbeat: there is much to be thankful for; what has been achieved could not even have been dreamed of when these dialogues began. Th ere is no ecumenical winter. I would say that the truth of the situation is that relation- ships between the historic churches have progressed so far in the past half a century that they have arrived at a critical point. We have reached a time when our intentions are being tested, a moment of decision. As Cardinal Kasper’s survey documents meticulously, there is now massive common ground between those churches that have been engaged in long- standing dialogues. Th e patristic, conciliar doctrines regarding the Trinity and Christology, which must be regarded as fundamental, form a shared faith. Th ere are also large areas of convergence in such doctrines as salvation, justifi - cation and sanctifi cation. Th e section on the Church in this book is by far the longest, in recognition that ‘the issue of ecclesiology has taken the centre ground in ecumenical dialogue’ (p. 149). In sacramental theology there has been marked convergence in eucharistic theology, even in the historically sen- sitive areas of the eucharistic sacrifi ce and the Real Presence. In ecclesiology more narrowly conceived – the shape and structure of the Church − there is much actual agreement and there are pointers towards further convergence. Progress has been made with the Protestant Churches even on the concept of the Church as sacrament, as a complementary description to the classical

1 ) Walter Kasper, Harvesting the Fruits: Basic Aspects of Christian Faith in Ecumenical Dialogue (London and New York: Continuum, 2009) xv + 207 pp. £9.99. ISBN 9781441162724 (pbk).

Reformation designation of the Church as creatura verbi (pp. 66ff ). While there is not full agreement on the threefold ministry, all churches acknowledge the reality of episkope in various forms. Some genuine cognitive diff erences remain and these are both exposed and clarifi ed by dialogue. Universal primacy, the role and authority of the papacy, is one of these, as is Mariology. Th e former is discussed in this study, but the latter is bracketed out (the reception of the latest report of the Anglican – Roman Catholic International Commission, Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ , seems to be hanging fi re). Kasper acknowledges that ethical diff erences between the churches are bringing a fresh challenge. One legacy of the dialogues is that they have brought us to a place that is ‘beyond polemic’. Th e analysis suggests that the issue facing the churches is not that they cannot agree – the evidence points the other way – but that they face a major challenge with regard to the reception and assimilation of what has been achieved. Th e question is: will the churches act upon the well-founded agreements that exist, will they match words with action? 2 Towards the end of his tenure as President of the Pontifi cal Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Cardinal Kasper is off ering an account of his stewardship; he is taking stock of what has been achieved and setting out for his successor what remains to be done. His purpose is to initiate, promote and facilitate processes of reception of the ecumenical archive and, on the basis of ‘the degree of apostolic faith that we already share’, to point to the need for further dialogue and more extensive common witness in the world. Harvesting the Fruits consists of a detailed critical digest of forty years of dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and four major Christian world communions: the Anglican Communion, the Lutheran World Feder- ation, the World Methodist Council and the World Alliance of Reformed Churches. Th e dialogues with the Pentecostalists and the Baptists are not included here, though there would have been much of value to quarry from

2 ) A similar attempt to take stock with regard to one particular stream of dialogue is provided by Günther Gassmann, ‘Catholic-Lutheran Dialogue 1965-2005: An Extraordinary Historical Process with Signifi cant Results and Still Remaining Challenges’, Centro Pro Unione, Semi- annual Bulletin, 76 (Fall 2009), pp. 2-9. And see in this issue Geoff rey Wainwright’s Methodist response to Harvesting the Fruits , and the Article Review by William G. Rusch of Growth in Agreement III : International Dialogue Texts and Agreed Statements, 1998-2005, edited by Jeff rey Gros, FSC, Th omas F. Best, and Lorelei F. Fuchs, SA (Geneva: World Council of Churches Publications and Grand Rapids, MI and Cambridge, UK: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2007).