Sharing Peace Sharing Peace Mennonites and Catholics in Conversation Edited by Gerald W. Schlabach and Margaret Pfeil Foreword by Msgr. John A. Radano A Michael Glazier Book LITURGICAL PRESS Collegeville, Minnesota www.litpress.org A Michael Glazier Book published by Liturgical Press Cover design by David Manahan, OSB. Cover illustration by Mary Pat Collins. Unless otherwise noted, references to papal documents are from the Vatican’s digital archives, accessible at http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/index.htm. Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. © 2013 by Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, microfilm, microfiche, mechanical recording, photocopying, translation, or by any other means, known or yet unknown, for any purpose except brief quotations in reviews, without the previous written permission of Liturgical Press, Saint John’s Abbey, PO Box 7500, Collegeville, Minnesota 56321-7500. Printed in the United States of America. 123456789 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Sharing peace : Mennonites and Catholics in conversation / edited by Margaret R. Pfeil and Gerald W. Schlabach. pages cm “A Michael Glazier book.” ISBN 978-0-8146-8017-9 — ISBN 978-0-8146-8019-3 (e-book) 1. Interdenominational cooperation. 2. Catholic Church. 3. Mennonite Church USA. 4. Peace—Religious aspects—Christianity. I. Pfeil, Margaret R. BV625.S54 2013 280'.042—dc23 2012048202 Contents Foreword by Msgr. John A. Radano ix Preface xi Part 1: The Significance of Called Together to Be Peacemakers 1 Chapter 1 “Christian Peacebuilding: The Growing Edge of the Catholic-Mennonite Conversation” by Scott Appleby 3 Incorporating the Experiences and Insights of Peacebuilders 5 The Growing Edge for Catholics 10 The Growing Edge for Mennonites 12 Conclusion 14 Chapter 2 Response to Scott Appleby’s “Christian Peacebuilding: The Growing Edge of the Catholic-Mennonite Conversation” by Helmut Harder 16 Chapter 3 “The Significance of the Mennonite-Catholic Dialogue: A Mennonite Perspective” by Alan Kreider 20 Why Now? 20 So What? 21 Difficulties 30 Hope 31 Chapter 4 “The Significance of the Mennonite-Catholic Dialogue: A Catholic Perspective” by Drew Christiansen, SJ 32 Significance of the Dialogue: An Exchange of Gifts 32 Confronting History 33 Confessing Religious Coercion 35 Styles of Peacemaking 36 v vi Sharing Peace Part 2: Considering History Together 39 Chapter 5 “Rightly Remembering as Re-Membering” by John D. Roth 41 Purification of Memories 44 “Considering History Together” 46 Baptism 47 Anabaptist Divisiveness and the Question of Church Unity 47 The Use of Violence in Religious Matters: What Is the Price of Unity? 49 Competing Liturgies and the Challenge of Christian Formation 52 Chapter 6 “Called Together to Ressourcement” by John C. Cavadini 57 Suggestion: Joint Ressourcement 57 Example: Augustine on Church and Eucharist 60 Conclusion 64 Part 3: The Nature of the Church 65 Chapter 7 “The Vine That Nourishes the Peace Church” by C. Arnold Snyder 67 Images of the Church—Concurrence and Shift 67 Strengths and Weaknesses 71 Conclusions 74 Chapter 8 “A People Set Apart” by Mary Doak 77 A Timely Document 77 A Common Ecclesiology 79 Differences: Christological and Eschatological Theologies of Peace 81 Differences: Magisterium and Mission 84 Conclusion 85 Part 4: Sacraments and Ordinances 87 Chapter 9 “‘This Is My Body’: The Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist and the Call to Be Peacemakers” by Elizabeth T. Groppe 89 Roman Catholic Eucharistic Theology 90 The Eucharist and the Practice of Peacemaking 96 Becoming What We Receive 99 Contents vii 1. Making Explicit the Nonviolence of Christ within the Eucharistic Prayer 102 2. Contextualizing the Sacrifice of the Eucharist in the Nonviolent Practice of Christ 103 3. Incorporating Lamentation into our Eucharistic Prayers 105 4. Integrating Contemplation and Nonviolent Action in Catholic Formation 107 Conclusion 108 Chapter 10 “Surprising, Widening Sacramentality in the Anabaptist-Mennonite Tradition” by Thomas Finger 110 Comprehensive Sacramentality 110 A Catholic Orientation 111 A Mennonite Orientation 113 Sacramentality and the Church 114 Particular sacraments 118 Baptism 119 Eucharist 120 Sacraments and Eschatology 123 Part 5: Our Commitment to Peace 125 Chapter 11 “Pax Christi and the Gospel of Peace: Making the Case for the Abolition of War in the Twenty-First Century” by Bishop Gabino Zavala 127 What We Share 129 Making the Case for the Abolition of War in the Twenty-First Century 131 The Journey of the Catholic Church to Nonviolence 135 Building Foundations for Inclusive Security 140 Chapter 12 “The Gift of the Other: Toward Mutual Transformation” by Duane K. Friesen 143 Three Areas of Transformation of the Mennonite Tradition 144 1. Theological Interpretation of Political Authority and Participation in Government 144 2. Public Order and Security in Response to Grave Public Evils 148 3. Shared Practices of Just Peacemaking 150 viii Sharing Peace Just Peacemaking Practices 151 Conclusion 155 Part 6: Toward a Healing of Memories 157 Chapter 13 “Catholic and Mennonite: A Journey of Healing” by Gerald W. Schlabach 159 Bridging 160 Healing 161 Dialogue 166 Vision 170 Conclusion: Brother Roger 176 Chapter 14 Response to “Catholic and Mennonite: A Journey of Healing” by Abbot John Klassen, OSB 179 Chapter 15 Response to “Catholic and Mennonite: A Journey of Healing” by Mary H. Schertz 182 Appendix A “Called Together to Be Peacemakers: Report of the International Dialogue between the Catholic Church and Mennonite World Conference, 1998–2003” 189 Appendix B “Mennonite and Catholic Contribution to the World Council of Churches’ Decade to Overcome Violence” 260 List of Contributors 269 Foreword his volume brings to a wider public a set of essays, presented by notable scholars at a conference held at Notre Dame University in T2007, that analyze Called Together to be Peacemakers, the report of the International Mennonite-Catholic Dialogue (1998–2003). The essays give a critical appreciation of Called Together, showing its ecumenical significance, illustrating its strong points, suggesting its weaknesses, and, in many ways, pointing to issues that could be taken up in a continuing international dia- logue or in Mennonite and Catholic cooperation at the grassroots level. Called Together touches on a number of neuralgic points in the Mennonite- Catholic relationship, including certain episodes in history, commitment and approaches to peace, the healing of memories, and respective views on the nature of the church, sacraments, and ordinances. The report’s findings both enable Catholics and Mennonites to see these issues in a new perspective (and with more agreement than previously) and help them move beyond previous hostilities, while recognizing that the dialogue must continue. This book reflects further on these new perspectives. It thus demonstrates that Called Together represents another important example of the way in which, through dialogue in the modern ecumenical movement, the bitter conflicts of the sixteenth century are now giving way to concerted mutual efforts of reconciliation, as churches respond to Jesus’ prayer for the unity of his disciples (cf. John 17:21). Among international dialogues in which the Roman Catholic Church has participated, Called Together’s concentration on a theology of peace is the most intense, bringing into constructive conversation the rich experience of Mennonites, one of the historic peace churches, with the vast literature and practice of Catholic social teaching. Its reflection on the healing of memories made a substantial contribution to this important ecumenical need, addressed also in other bilateral relationships. Christian communions that have been separated for centuries need to study, seek, and especially experience together the grace of healing memories and relationships as they look toward a future characterized by continuing reconciliation and the hope of Christian unity. ix x Sharing Peace Two appendices in this volume include, first, the report Called Together to Be Peacemakers and, second, an illustration of the reception and significant application of the report, namely, the “Mennonite and Catholic Contribu- tion to the World Council of Churches’ Decade to Overcome Violence” (2007). This was a common effort by representatives of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, the Mennonite World Conference, and the WCC. Building on Called Together, they together made another contribution to the wider ecumenical movement. The many reports of international dialogues conducted by separated churches, especially since Vatican II, are important in fostering the church unity. These reports should be studied seriously. We are indebted to the editors, Margaret Pfeil and Gerald Schlabach, for this fine volume, which studies intensely one important dialogue report. Both are deeply commit- ted to fostering Mennonite and Catholic relationships, as are many of the contributing authors. The stimulating essays in this volume help open the ecumenical achievements of Called Together to the public. It is a significant contribution to ecumenical literature from which readers will greatly benefit. John A. Radano Seton Hall University January 1, 2013 Preface he