Sedos49-7-8-017_47-2015 07/09/17 09:54 Pagina 2 Bulletin 2017 Vol. 49, No. 7 /8 - July-August Editorial 1 Luther, Pope Francis and Ecumenism Jens-Martin Kruse 2 The Ministry of Jesus in the Light of the Reformation and Vatican II Jacob Kavunkal, SVD 11 Essor des “Églises de réveil” au Congo-Kinshasa Quels défis pour l’Église catholique? Damien Etshindo 21 DOCUMENTS: Monastic Life today. Communion enlightened by the Word of God Brother Alois, Pior of Taizé 29 NEWS TODAY: Silence – Notes on Scorsese’s new Film Christian Tauchner, SVD SEDOS SEDOS Peter Baekelmans, CICM 36 Sedos - Via dei Verbiti, 1 - 00154 Roma SEDOS - Servizio di Documentazione e Studi sulla Missione Globale TEL.: (+39)065741350 / FAX: (+39)065755787 SEDOS - Service of Documentation and Studies on Global Mission E-mail address: [email protected] SEDOS - Centre de Documentation et de Recherche sur la Mission Globale Homepage: https://www.sedosmission.org SEDOS - Centro de Documentación y Investigación sobre la Misión Global SEDOS BULLETIN 2017 Editor: Peter Baekelmans, CICM Administrator: Cristina Giustozzi, SMSM Secretary: Leila Benassi Advisory Board: Arlindo Dias, SVD Gisela Schreyer, MSOLA Editorial Committee: Tesfaye Tadesse Gebresilasie, MCCJ André Schaminée, M Afr Kathy Schmittgens, SSND Lissy Sebastian, RNDM Rachel Oommen, ICM Veronica Openibo, SHCJ Lay-out: Leila Benassi Translations: Philippa Wooldridge Exchange Bulletins: Celine Kokkat, JMJ The digital version of the bulletin, and an English translation of some of the articles, can be found on the SEDOS website: www.sedosmission.org SEDOS Bulletin is a bi-monthly publication of SEDOS, and is free of charge for SEDOS Members. For Non-Members, the yearly subscription is: €30 in Europe, €45 outside Europe. For any information, advice, or change in the subscription, please write to: [email protected] Editorial Dear Readers, to the tradition of the Protestant Reformation, starting with Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, Me- The Catholic lanchton, and others, and independence from Church joins our papal authority by the Anglican Church in the Protestant broth- 16th century. Other more radical movements ers and sisters in (Anabaptists, Moravianism) arose in Europe their celebration later. After this first wave of reformation, there of the 500 years were many other dissident movements but also of the Refor- efforts at reunion were seen, until the Pentecos- mation. SEDOS tal boom of last century. The Pentecostal too, is organizing Movement counted 540 million followers in the an Ecumenical year 2000 and it is the largest family of Celebration with Protestants in the world. We therefore have se- the Lutheran lected one example from the African continent Church “Christuskirche” in Rome, at the end of of these movements of Pentecostal inspiration. next month. This shows how far we are away Father Damien Etshindo describes in his article from the birth pangs of the Reformation. We are Emergence of the “Revival Churches” in the now thankful for their contribution and are Congo, Kinshasa, the many challenges these moving “from conflict to communion”. This is Pentecostal churches pose to the life and work made clear by Reverend Jens-Martin Kruse in of the Catholic Church. his article Luther, Pope Francis and Ecumen- One of the positive influences of Ecumenism ism. He clarifies some misconceptions about on the Catholic Church is for sure the commu- Luther’s reformation efforts, such as the correct nity of Taizé. That is why we present as a understanding of the justification by God by DOCUMENT the talk of Brother Alois, Prior of “faith alone”. The Joint Declaration on the Taizé, given at the Congress of Benedictine Ab- Doctrine of Justification by the Lutheran World bots and Priors in Rome last year. The way they Federation and the Catholic Church at the end live monastic life today is by being a commun- of last century has been an important step in this ion enlightened by the Word of God, and by ecumenical dialogue where the role of works in being open to all Christians, Protestants and relation to Grace is clarified. Catholics alike. This path of ecumenism that we have walked As NEWS TODAY we offer an article I wrote together through history, especially since the with a friend, Father Christian Tauchner, SVD, Second Vatican Council is made clear by Father about the movie Silence. It poses the problem of Jacob Kavunkal in his article: The Ministry of “How do we do mission?”. A document entitled Jesus in the Light of the Reformation and Vati- Christian Witness in a Multi-Religious World: can II. We have indeed learned our lesson from Recommendations for Conduct, released in 2011 the reformation movement: the importance of by a broad coalition of Evangelicals, the World the Bible, common priesthood through Baptism, Council of Churches, and the Vatican’s Pontifi- and the vocation of the laity within the mission cal Council for Interreligious Dialogue, agrees of the Church. These themes were taken up by that Christian missionaries should renounce all Vatican II and are still being developed today, “deception and coercive means” to win con- also in our missionary commitments. However, verts. the 500 years of the Reformation is also a his- tory of divisions within their own group. There are more than 40.000 denominations that refer 1 Jens-Martin Kruse Luther, Pope Francis and Ecumenism Martin Luther entered the Monastic Augus- Churches and contribute to the visible unity of tinian Order in 1506 and was ordained a priest Christendom. on 4 April 1507. (Pope Leo X had consolidated History, Theology, and Ecumenism - are the the Augustinian Order in order to complement three key words with which I would like to in- the Franciscans and Benedictines). troduce some important aspects of the topic: “Martin Luther and the Lutheran Reformation in Half a millennium lies between Luther and us. Germany”. The world into which Martin Luther was born on 10 November 1483 is just as strange to us 1. Luther and the Beginnings of the Refor- today as to the people of his time with its fears, mation provocative questions and the answers that Lu- ther found. Two other difficult factors come to Let us start with the historical aspect of what mind. First, Luther is regarded, as far as the pre- happened on 31 October 1517, to which the sent is concerned, by many Catholics as the Reformation Commemoration refers in 2017, protagonist of the Reformation, and the name of commemorating Martin Luther's so-called the Christian Church is connected with his Propositions. But whether or not he actually name. Second, no great interest is taken in the nailed his 95 Propositions to the door of the Reformation in Italy, unlike Germany, because castle Church of All Saints in Wittenberg that the Reformation is not a determining factor of day, research has been unable to establish. Lu- its culture and besides the churches of the ther himself has reported nothing about such an Reformation in Italy today are so small in num- act. The first to speak of ‘a thesis’ were Philipp ber that they attract little attention. Melanchthon and Luther's secretary, Georg In 2017 the public interest being taken in the Rörer, neither of whom were in Wittenberg at Commemoration of the Reformation in Italy is that time and so they did not experience the very welcome, since it has led many people to event as eyewitnesses. But what we do know is enquire with great openness and curiosity about that on 31 October 1517, Luther wrote to two the Reformation and to ask who Martin Luther high ecclesiastical dignitaries to whom he was actually was and what characterizes his theol- responsible: Archbishop Albrecht and Bishop ogy. In my opinion, in the case of Luther, it is Hieronymus Schulz, his local bishop, to whom necessary to consider the following aspects: he sent his 95 Propositions. (1) First, to present Luther's life and the de- Why was Luther concerned about this? Ac- velopment of the Reformation in the light of cording to Luther's perception as a pastor, the contemporary scientific research, in a historical Indulgences of his time were detrimental to the perspective. piety of Christians because many people were (2) Second, Luther’s theological concern must convinced that by purchasing an “Indulgence” be appreciated as its impact on faith, theology they had secured eternal salvation. Luther con- and the Church is still relevant today. sidered this a serious error. He therefore called (3) Third, research on Luther to day must upon the Bishops to stop this abuse. Indeed, serve the ecumenical approach between our Luther considered that the Bishop’s primary task was to “ensure that the people learnt the 2 Gospel and love of Christ; for nowhere has public, but in a learned discussion reserved to Christ commanded us to preach the Indul- theologians. If we look at Luther's original in- gences. However, He emphatically recom- tention, the publication of such a work could not mended that the Gospel be preached”.1 have been understood at the beginning of the This short passage from Luther's letter to Reformation. The 95 Propositions were by no Archbishop Albrecht of Mainz already outlines means a revolutionary document since “they his basic theological reasons as well as poten- represent quite Catholic concerns and move tially expressing his criticism and thoughts on within the framework of Catholic theology”. 3 the Church. Luther's intention was to make the Accordingly, Cardinal Koch stated: “With his Gospel accessible and comprehensible to the Propositions Luther did not wish to break with people as a liberating message. It was necessary the Catholic Church, but to revitalize it”.4 to turn anew to Jesus Christ to achieve this.