Dialogue with other
Churches and Ecclesial Communities in the West
64.
In its great plan for the re-establishment of unity among all Christians, the
Decree on Ecumenism also speaks of relations with the Churches and Ecclesial
Communities of the West. Wishing to create a climate of Christian fraternity
and dialogue, the Council situates its guidelines in the context of two general
considerations: one of an historical and psychological nature, and the other
theological and doctrinal. On the one hand, this Decree affirms: "The
Churches and Ecclesial Communities which were separated from the Apostolic See
of Rome during the very serious crisis that began in the West at the end of the
Middle Ages, or during later times, are bound to the Catholic Church by a
special affinity and close relationship in view of the long span of earlier
centuries when the Christian people lived in ecclesiastical
communion".109 On the other hand, with equal realism the same
Document states: "At the same time one should recognize that between these
Churches and Communities on the one hand, and the Catholic Church on the other,
there are very weighty differences not only of a historical, sociological,
psychological and cultural nature, but especially in the interpretation of
revealed truth".110
65.
Common roots and similar, if distinct, considerations have guided the
development in the West of the Catholic Church and of the Churches and
Communities which have their origins in the Reformation. Consequently these
share the fact that they are "Western" in character. Their
"diversities", although significant as has been pointed out, do not
therefore preclude mutual interaction and complementarity.
The ecumenical movement
really began within the Churches and Ecclesial Communities of the Reform. At
about the same time, in January, 1920, the Ecumenical Patriarchate expressed
the hope that some kind of cooperation among the Christian Communions could be
organized. This fact shows that the weight of cultural background is not the
decisive factor. What is essential is the question of faith. The prayer of
Christ, our one Lord, Redeemer and Master, speaks to everyone in the same way,
both in the East and in the West. That prayer becomes an imperative to leave
behind our divisions in order to seek and re-establish unity, as a result also
of the bitter experiences of division itself.
66.
The Second Vatican Council did not attempt to give a "description" of
post-Reformation Christianity, since "in origin, teaching and spiritual
practice, these Churches and Ecclesial Communities differ not only from us but
also among themselves to a considerable degree".111 Furthermore,
the Decree observes that the ecumenical movement and the desire for peace with
the Catholic Church have not yet taken root everywhere.112 These
circumstances notwithstanding, the Council calls for dialogue.
The Council Decree then
seeks to "propose ... some considerations which can and ought to serve as
a basis and motivation for such dialogue".113
"Our thoughts are
concerned ... with those Christians who openly confess Jesus Christ as God and
Lord and as the sole Mediator between God and man unto the glory of the one
God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit".114
These brothers and sisters
promote love and veneration for the Sacred Scriptures: "Calling upon the
Holy Spirit, they seek in these Sacred Scriptures God as he speaks to them in
Christ, the One whom the prophets foretold, God's Word made flesh for us. In
the Scriptures they contemplate the life of Christ, as well as the teachings
and the actions of the Divine Master on behalf of the salvation of all, in
particular the mysteries of his Death and Resurrection ... They affirm the
divine authority of the Sacred Books".115
At the same time, however,
they "think differently from us ... about the relationship between the
Scriptures and the Church. In the Church, according to Catholic belief, an
authentic teaching office plays a special role in the explanation and
proclamation of the written word of God".116 Even so, "in 1
dialogue itself, the sacred utterances are precious instruments in the mighty
hand of God for attaining that unity which the Saviour holds out to all".117
Furthermore, the Sacrament
of Baptism, which we have in common, represents "a sacramental bond of
unity linking all who have been reborn by means of it".118 The
theological, pastoral and ecumenical implications of our common Baptism are many
and important. Although this sacrament of itself is "only a beginning, a
point of departure", it is "oriented towards a complete profession of
faith, a complete incorporation into the system of salvation such as Christ
himself willed it to be, and finally, towards a complete participation in
Eucharistic communion".119
67.
Doctrinal and historical disagreements at the time of the Reformation emerged
with regard to the Church, the sacraments and the ordained ministry. The
Council therefore calls for "dialogue to be undertaken concerning the true
meaning of the Lord's Supper, the other sacraments and the Church's worship and
ministry".120
The Decree Unitatis Redintegratio,
pointing out that the post-Reformation Communities lack that "fullness of
unity with us which should flow from Baptism", observes that
"especially because of the lack of the Sacrament of Orders they have not
preserved the genuine and total reality of the Eucharistic mystery", even
though "when they commemorate the Lord's Death and Resurrection in the
Holy Supper, they profess that it signifies life in communion with Christ and
they await his coming in glory".121
68.
The Decree does not overlook the spiritual life and its moral consequences:
"The Christian way of life of these brethren is nourished by faith in
Christ. It is strengthened by the grace of Baptism and the hearing of God's
Word. This way of life expresses itself in private prayer, in meditation on the
Bible, in Christian family life, and in services of worship offered by
Communities assembled to praise God. Furthermore, their worship sometimes
displays notable features of the ancient, common liturgy".122
The Council document
moreover does not limit itself to these spiritual, moral and cultural aspects
but extends its appreciation to the lively sense of justice and to the sincere
charity towards others which are present among these brothers and sisters. Nor
does it overlook their efforts to make social conditions more humane and to
promote peace. All this is the result of a sincere desire to be faithful to the
Word of Christ as the source of Christian life.
The text thus raises a
series of questions which, in the area of ethics and morality, is becoming ever
more urgent in our time: "There are many Christians who do not always
understand the Gospel in the same way as Catholics".123 In this
vast area there is much room for dialogue concerning the moral principles of
the Gospel and their implications.
69.
The hopes and invitation expressed by the Second Vatican Council have been
acted upon, and bilateral theological dialogue with the various worldwide
Churches and Christian Communities in the West has been progressively set in
motion.
Moreover, with regard to
multilateral dialogue, as early as 1964 the process of setting up a "Joint
Working Group" with the World Council of Churches was begun, and since
1968 Catholic theologians have been admitted as full members of the theological
Department of the Council, the Commission on Faith and Order.
This dialogue has been and
continues to be fruitful and full of promise. The topics suggested by the
Council Decree have already been addressed, or will be in the near future. The
reflections of the various bilateral dialogues, conducted with a dedication
which deserves the praise of all those committed to ecumenism, have
concentrated on many disputed questions such as Baptism, the Eucharist, the
ordained ministry, the sacramentality and authority
of the Church and apostolic succession. As a result, unexpected possibilities
for resolving these questions have come to light, while at the same time there
has been a realization that certain questions need to be studied more deeply.
70.
This difficult and delicate research, which involves questions of faith and
respect for one's own conscience as well as for the consciences of others, has
been accompanied and sustained by the prayer of the Catholic Church and of the
other Churches and Ecclesial Communities. Prayer for unity, already so deeply
rooted in and spread throughout the body of the Church, shows that Christians
do indeed see the importance of ecumenism. Precisely because the search for
full unity requires believers to question one another in relation to their
faith in the one Lord, prayer is the source of enlightenment concerning the
truth which has to be accepted in its entirety.
Moreover, through prayer
the quest for unity, far from being limited to a group of specialists, comes to
be shared by all the baptized. Everyone, regardless of their role in the Church
or level of education, can make a valuable contribution, in a hidden and
profound way.
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