Ecumenical Corner
A Series of Reflections on Ecumenism
by Fr. Ernest Falardeau, S.S.S.
A continuing series From the Bulletin of Saint Jean Baptiste Catholic Church, New York City
Copyrighted. All rights reserved by Fr. Falardeau
December 26, 2010
John Henry Newman: Ecumenist
Much has been written about John Henry Newman during his life and after his death. Perhaps even more has been written before and after his beatification. This essay suggests that he deserves a particular recognition as a great ecumenist.
That might seem a contradiction since he left the Anglican Communion to become a Roman Catholic clergyman at a time when this was possible only by a return to Rome. However, some of the writings that most influenced the Second Vatican Council came from John Henry Newman. His Grammar of Assent, On Consulting the Faithful in Matters of Doctrine, and Apologia pro Vita Sua express ideas that are part of the fabric of Vatican II as well as of the modern ecumenical movement. Newman's persistent search for truth and for God led him on a long journey through atheism and fundamentalism to an appreciation for truth wherever it can be found.
The beatification of John Henry Newman was celebrated by both the Anglican Communion and the Church of Rome. Benedict XVI reminded the people of Britain and of the world of the great religious heritage which was developed in England through the creation of Parliament and the respect for the rule of law and the individual's right to worship according to one's conscience (in his address to the government and civic leaders at Westminster Hall). Fides andratio (faith and reason) or caritas in veritate (charity in truth) need each other if faith and reason are not to overstep the bounds of reasonable religion and rational governance. Each must purify and rectify the other in the interplay of government and religion.
Newman had many gifts to bring to the church of Rome: a thinker, preacher, and writer, he applied his talents to the issues of the day. One such issue is the role of the laity in matters of faith, which he described in his book. Respect for the sensus fidelium (the understanding of the faithful) is a remedy for a clericalism which fails to see with both eyes or breathe with both lungs.
This role of the laity comes from baptism and a share in the prophetic role of Jesus Christ. It is necessary for the proper exercise of the clergy and laity in the governance of the church. The proper exercise of authority continues to be one of the sticking points on the road to unity. Newman achieved a similar balance in his idea of a university in which all are learners and teachers. Truth is not an idea to be carried in a box; it is a lifetime pursuit and the right of every human person.
Many facets of John Henry Newman's personality have been explored in recent months, but the most revealing is his attitude toward holiness. He did not consider himself a saint, perhaps because he understood that so many mistakes are made about what constitutes holiness.
His model was Saint Philip Neri, the founder of the Oratory of which Newman was a member. Neri was a mystic in motley, a saint who listened to jokes not to fall into ecstasy. Newman said that people who write books, especially books of poetry, could not be saints. He was only saying that he was human, but for many people that is an obstacle to holiness.
The church sided with Newman. Every saint is human. To err is human and to forgive is divine; and so the true measure of holiness ― indeed of the ecumenist ― is one's ability to be fully human and forgiving in the search for truth and Christian unity.
September 19, 2010
Theology's Prophetic Commitments
The Catholic Theological Society of America met in Cleveland, Ohio, June 10-13. The topic was timely, fruitful, and productive. I particularly remember one of the plenary sessions given by Catherine E. Clifford of Saint Paul University, Ottawa, and Richard Gaillardetz from the University of Toledo, entitled "Beyond Presumption: Reimaging the Ecclesial-Prophetic Vocation of the Theologian." I was especially struck by the references to the theology of the laity in Vatican II rooted in its understanding of baptism. The prophetic mission of the church extends to all its members, and its value and appearance in history has been notable and profound.
There were other plenary and concurrent sessions that explored many facets of theology, and one had to make a choice of what to attend. I particularly appreciated the presentations by Gregory G. Baum of McGill University (Emeritus), Most Reverend Thomas J. Gumbleton, Retired Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit, and Sister Anne E. Patrick, S.N.J.M., of Carleton College (Emerita). Baum and Patrick are past Presidents of CTSA. The title of this "invited session" was "Theology’s Prophetic Commitments: Insights from Experience." I was not disappointed with the rich insights of these theologians who had borne the "heat of the day" in the struggle for Christian unity, peace, and women’s voice in the church.
As a longtime ecumenist, I did not want to miss the "'Patient and Fraternal Dialogue' Toward a Reformed Papacy" which was a panel discussion shared by Margaret O’Gara from the University of Saint Michael’s College in Toronto and Monsignor John Strynkowski from Saint James Cathedral, Brooklyn.
The response was given by Mark Powell from Harding Graduate School, Memphis. Powell had written a book on the subject that was very favorable to a consideration of a possible role for the papacy in a united Christianity. Powell is Protestant. The presenters thought very highly of his work and hoped it would get more attention broadly.
Father James Coriden from Washington Theological Union spoke on "Canonical Perspectives on the Ecclesiastical Processes for Investigating Theologians." Father Ormond Rush, Australian Catholic University, spoke on "Theology and the Prophetic Office in the Church: Pneumatological Perspectives on the Sensus Fidelium-Theology-Magisterium Relationship," and Monsignor Strynkowski, former staff theologian to the USCCB Doctrine Committee, spoke on "Magisterium and Theologians: Lessons from Service in Rome and Washington." This was a very experienced panel that shared much knowledge and experience of the ins and outs of academic efforts and oversight responsibility.
I joined CTSA in 1959 and have attended meetings quite faithfully over the years, especially since I began my work as an ecumenist. The society has changed a great deal from the early days. From a society made up mostly of clerics who taught in seminaries, the society now numbers about one-third women among its ranks, and theologians teach at a wide range of theological institutions. It has worked closely with church authorities during the Second Vatican Council and in the more than 40 years since the council. Many of the theologians are engaged in ecumenical conversations, writing, and official dialogues, as well in various committees and task forces serving the bishops and the church.
I would like to say more about the sensus fidelium (sense of the faithful) and the prophetic role of the laity, but that would be a difficult topic to summarize in a few words. Suffice it to say: the Holy Spirit guides the entire people of God and unites the body of Christ, which is the church, through the Eucharist, the bread of life and the cup of salvation that nourishes the church.
June 13, 2010
The National Workshop on Christian Unity
The National Workshop on Christian Unity is celebrated each year for ecumenical officers who serve Catholic Archdioceses and Dioceses and judicatories of other Christian churches as well as executives of ecumenical agencies at the national, regional, and local levels. It is regularly attended by 300-400 people. The Catholic Church has a national association of ecumenical officers called CADEIO (The Catholic Association of Ecumenical and Interreligious Officers). Other churches have similar associations. I have reported on some of these national workshops in the Ecumenical Corner in the past, and it would be useful to do so again regarding this year’s gathering in Tampa, Florida, April 19-22, especially since it seemed to reach an important landmark in the ecumenical movement.
The theme of the NWCU was "You Are Witnesses to These Things," like many previous themes, the same as that of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. This year's overriding emphasis was reception of ecumenical agreed statements that have been formally accepted by the churches in bilateral or multilateral agreements. It also encompasses other significant progress in the ecumenical dialogues of the Christian churches, whether with Orthodox churches or churches of the Reformation.
The National Program
The NWCU is organized by a national planning board whose members serve the Christian churches at the national level and make decisions concerning the location and program of each national workshop. This year’s program was especially rich and highlighted a number of prominent ecumenists from other Christian churches.
Among them were the homilist for the opening service, the Most Reverend Katherine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church, Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory of Atlanta, Georgia, President of the U.S. Catholic bishops’ Ecumenical Commission, and Reverend Dr. Bruce Chilton, who led the two Bible Study sessions giving first-century background to the Jewish Passover and the Christian Eucharist. Other speakers included Reverend Dr. William G. Rusch, who spoke on Local Reception, and Reverend Dr. Tom Best, who spoke on Doing Mission Ecumenically.
Archbishop Gregory’s presentation was very well received. He clarified a number of recent documents from the Vatican and gave their context. Among the documents he explained were the Roman Catholic-Lutheran joint declaration on justification by faith, the papal motu proprio Anglicanorum Coetus, which describes the conditions under which Anglicans might become Roman Catholics while preserving some elements of their tradition. Archbishop Gregory also stressed the background to the Holy Office’s statement on sister churches and communion between the churches of the Reformation and the Catholic Church.
Conclusion
It is difficult to measure the kind of progress that takes place from one workshop to the next. But there was a good consensus in Tampa that significant ground had been gained in recent years, especially in the last 50 years, and so it is time to gather the fruits of that progress at the local level. Such reception requires an open mind and heart as well as some study of the results of the various dialogues. As Cardinal Walter Kasper, President of the Pontifical Commission for Promoting Christian Unity, has indicated, we have reached another level or plateau from which to launch further progress.
April 25, 2010
Harvesting the Fruits
Cardinal Walter Kasper, the President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, has recently published a book in which he tries to reap the fruit of over 40 years of ecumenical dialogue. He believes this is the most important task before the Christian churches today.
What prompted Cardinal Kasper to write the book was the fact that the many dialogues in which the churches are involved have produced rich fruits which often are not known to many people, even clergy, of the churches. After so many years and so much good work by bishops, theologians, and members of the dialogue teams, it is time to come to know what has been produced and what it means to the goal of Christian unity.
His book concentrates on the dialogues in which the Catholic Church has been a partner. These include the bilateral dialogues such as the Orthodox-Roman Catholic Dialogue, the Anglican-Roman Catholic Dialogue, the Lutheran-Roman Catholic Dialogue, the Pentecostal-Roman Catholic Dialogue, and so forth. There are also the multilateral dialogues between the Catholic Church and the World Council of Churches (the Working Group). Dialogues at the national and local level are not covered in the cardinal’s book.
What Are the Fruits?
Prominent among the fruits of the dialogue are the "Justification by Grace in Faith" (JDJF) of the Lutheran-Roman Catholic International Commission which was approved by the Lutheran World Federation and the Vatican in October 1999. This agreed statement resolved in substance the major obstacle to unity between Lutherans and Roman Catholics since the Reformation of the sixteenth century. Luther himself said that if the Vatican and Lutherans were ever able to bridge their differences in this area, there would be no reason for "us" to be Lutheran. The nature of this historic breakthrough would take considerable space to explain, but it is one of the outstanding achievements of the modern ecumenical movement. It has changed the groundwork of the Lutheran-Roman Catholic Dialogue as well as those of other dialogues between Rome and the churches of the Reformation.
A second very important dialogue with rich fruits is the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Dialogue (ARCIC). The "Final Report” focused on three major issues dividing Anglicans and Roman Catholics, namely, Eucharist, ordination, and authority. These issues are so important that Cardinal Johannes Willebrands, who served as the President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity after Cardinal Bea, said in a famous sermon delivered at Saint Mary’s in London, that if Anglicans and Roman Catholics could agree on the first two issues (Eucharist and orders) there would be a "new context" to explore the issues of the validity of Anglican orders today. (Pope Leo XIII had declared these orders invalid in his famous Apostolicae Curae encyclical of 1896.) Both the Lambeth Conference in 1988 and the Vatican in 1991 approved the "Final Report."
In the Orthodox-Roman Catholic dialogues (there are two major dialogues, the bishops’ international dialogue, and the bishops and theologians’ international dialogue), the focus has been on the nature of the church and sacraments, especially Eucharist and orders. They are important theologically and in the promotion of greater unity between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox communions.
Conclusion
What does all of this progress mean for people in the pews? It means, first of all, that the Catholic Church is very serious about promoting Christian unity. Pope John Paul II said that it is a pastoral priority for himself and for the Catholic Church. It also means, as the document on Christian unity of the Second Vatican Council, Unitatis Redintegratio (The Reintegration of Unity) says, Christian unity is everyone’s business. We all need to do what we can through work and prayer to move this important part of the church’s mission to fruition. It means that "reception" of the ecumenical work approved by the churches should be thoughtfully integrated into the lives of all Christians.
