Ecumenism
Matthew quotes
Jesus in his Gospel, "A kingdom torn by strife
is headed for its downfall. A household split into factions cannot last for
long." (12:25) "He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me
scatters." (12:30)
Mahatma Ghandi was
one of the most beloved leaders in the history of the world, advocating social
and economic justice through peaceful means. He was a courageous man and his
work was a great example of how to love your neighbor. He studied Christianity
extensively and was an admirer of Jesus, the man, but never believed in Jesus
as Lord...in large part because of how his "Christian" friends
modeled their faith!
Paul warned us in 1
Corinthians 1:10, "I beg you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ, to agree in what you say. Let there be no factions; rather, be united
in mind and judgment." And
in his first
letter to Timothy, "Have
nothing to do with senseless, ignorant disputations. As you well know, they
only breed quarrels and the servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome but
must be kindly toward all." (2:23-24)
"Go and make disciples of all the nations baptizing them in
the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:19)
"How indeed can we proclaim the Gospel of reconciliation without at the
same time being committed to working for reconciliation between Christians?
However true it is that the Church, by the prompting of the Holy Spirit and
with the promise of indefectibility, has preached and still preaches the Gospel
to all nations, it is also true that she must face the difficulties which
derive from the lack
of unity. When non-believers meet missionaries who do not
agree among themselves, even though they all appeal to Christ, will they be in
a position to receive the true message? Will they not think that the Gospel is
a cause of division, despite the fact that it is presented as the fundamental
law of love? " (6)
The Reformation
The Reformation occurred about 500 years ago. God obviously had a purpose, He
permitted it to happen. Maybe it was because Catholics were making a mess of
the Church and as Jesus told Peter, He was not going to let that "prevail." No one will disagree that the
Church needed reforming. The debate however, continuing
today, is how that reform was and has been conducted since that time.
The "enemy" consistently and relentlessly provokes division...among
family, friends and Churches. Matthew and Paul, in their quotes above, warned
us about satan's "divide and conquer" strategy. That warning permeates
throughout all of Scripture. "Stay sober and
alert. Your opponent the devil is prowling like a roaring lion looking for
someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8)
There are major
theological differences of opinion between Catholics and Protestants...including
the interpretation of God's Word. Even the 10 Commandments
are not consistent with each other! But these differences should not prevent
Christians from seeking common ground (essential Christian beliefs). It's not an all or nothing
deal!
"The Catholic Church gladly holds in high esteem the things which other
Christian Churches and ecclesial communities have done or are doing
cooperatively by way of achieving the same goal. The union of the human family
is greatly fortified and fulfilled by the unity, founded on Christ, of the
family of God's sons." (4)
"The promotion of unity belongs to the innermost nature of the Church, for
she is, thanks to her relationship with Christ, a sacramental sign and an
instrument of intimate union with God, and of the unity of the whole human
race. Thus
she shows the world that an authentic union, social and external, results from
a union of minds and hearts, namely from that faith and charity by which her
own unity is unbreakably rooted in the Holy Spirit. For
the force which the Church can inject into the modern society of man consists
in that faith and charity put into vital practice, not in any external dominion
exercised by merely human means." (4)
The Protestant Reformation began a long and painful split in the Church.
Catholics responded with a renewed diligent effort of reform and renewal within
the Church. (8) It
was desperately needed. Corruption
at the highest leadership levels was proliferating mightily under the guidance
of a formidable enemy, satan. Renewal
was a positive result of Luther's challenges. (8)
Catholics should
get to know the faith of their Protestant brethren better. In
fact, they should get to know their Catholic faith better. "Venerate
the Lord in your hearts. Should anyone ask you for the reason for your faith,
be ever ready to reply, but speak gently and reverently." (1
Peter 3:15-16). Let me emphasize gently and reverently.
Protestants and
Catholics, open your hearts to each other. Learn more
about the early Church, its customs and traditions. Grow in communal spirit
together, love each other the way God has always loved His children.
We know from reading the end of the Book that
Christianity will ultimately prevail and the "enemy" knows it! The war has already been
decided and we win! We give thanks to God for being so
clear on that. However, battles in life will rage on until the end of time and
battles can be lost if Christians neglect to put on their spiritual
armor...daily.
"Put
on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics
of the devil. Our battle is not against human forces but against the
principalities and powers, the rulers of this world of darkness, the evil
spirits in regions above. You must put on the armor of God if you are to resist
on the evil day; do all that your duty requires and hold your ground." (Ephesians
6:11-13)
Renew Your
Minds
"Do not conform yourselves to
this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may judge
what is God's will, what is good pleasing and perfect." (Romans:
12:2)
"But their primary duty is to make a careful and honest
appraisal of whatever needs to be done or renewed in the Catholic household
itself, in order that its life may bear witness more clearly and
faithfully to the teachings and institutions which have come to it from Christ
through the Apostles." (1)
Unfortunately, an esoteric approach to conducting the Mass
(e.g., Latin, Priest with his back to the congregation) remained the practice
until 1964. This was a major hindrance to effectively spreading the Gospel
message and fostering Christian unity. Also the Catholic Church was very much
opposed to the laity reading and studying the Bible, again, until 1964.
Many Baptized Catholics tend to take their faith for granted and are very much
lacking in scriptural knowledge, as well as the significance of the Church's
history and its teaching. Too many Catholics are either cultural or habitual
Catholics. Cultural meaning
they attend Mass at Easter and Christmas and only occasionally at other
times. Habitual meaning
they attend every required Mass but their hearts and souls aren't in it. God is
looking for Committed Catholics,
who love to come to Mass to honor Him and put Him first in every aspect of
their lives.
"You shall love the Lord your
God with your whole heart, whole soul, whole mind and whole strength." (Matthew 22:37)
"How I wish you were one or the other - hot or cold! But
because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will spew you out of My
mouth!" (Rev 3:20)
Vatican II
Not much, directly affecting the laity, if anything, materially changed in the
Catholic Church immediately after the Reformation, until 1964, over 400 years
later, when the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council
(Vatican II) convened. This Council had a profoundly
positive impact on the Church. The reform of the Sacred
Liturgy made the Mass more meaningful and understandable to most Catholics. (8)
The Priest turned around and faced the Congregation during the entire Mass and
Latin was replaced with the local (vernacular) language. Participation in the
Liturgy, especially through music and shared responses increased visibly.
(8) Reading
the Bible also became more important in the daily life and worship of
Catholics, and many new aids to studying Scripture became available. (8)
The Documents of Vatican II included new Constitutions, Declarations and Decrees of
the Church. (15) They clearly defined the Church's position on everything from,
the role of the Church in history...through today, to responsibilities of its
clergy and laity, to faith and morals, to Scripture study. Most Catholics are
not even aware the Church has a Constitution(s), or
any of these important, defining documents.
One of the most significant documents of Vatican II was the Decree on Ecumenism: (1)
Excerpts:
"The Sacred Council exhorts all the Catholic faithful to
recognize the signs of the times and to take an active and intelligent part in the work of
ecumenism."
"In these days when cooperation in social matters is so widespread, all
men without exception are called to work together, with much greater reason all
those who believe in God, but most of all, all Christians in that they bear the
name of Christ. Cooperation among Christians vividly expresses the relationship
which in fact already unites them, and it sets in clearer relief the features
of Christ the Servant. All
believers in Christ can, through this cooperation, be led to acquire a better
knowledge and appreciation of one another, and so pave the way to Christian
unity."
"We must get to know the outlook of our non-Catholic brethren. To achieve
this purpose, study is of necessity required, and this must be pursued with a
sense of realism and good will. Catholics,
who already have a proper grounding, need to acquire a more adequate
understanding of the respective doctrines of our non-Catholic brethren, their
history, their spiritual and liturgical life, their religious psychology and
general background."
Pope John Paul II did a wonderful job of following up on Vatican II's Decree
and expanding the call of ecumenism in the Church with his 1995 Encyclical on Ecumenism. (6)
Excerpts:
"When brothers and sisters who are not in perfect communion with one another
come together to pray, Vatican II defines their prayer as the soul of the whole ecumenical
movement. This prayer is "a very effective means of
petitioning for the grace of unity."
"If
Christians, despite their divisions, can grow ever more united in common prayer
around Christ, they will grow in the awareness of how little divides them in
comparison to what unites them. If they meet more often
and more regularly before Christ in prayer, they will be able to gain the
courage to face all the painful human reality of their divisions, and they will
find themselves together once more in that community of the Church which Christ
constantly builds up in the Holy Spirit, in spite of all weaknesses and human
limitations."
"It is necessary to pass from antagonism and conflict to a situation where
each party recognizes the other as a partner. When undertaking
dialogue, each side must presuppose in the other a desire for reconciliation,
for unity in truth. For
this to happen, any display of mutual opposition must disappear. Only
thus will dialogue help to overcome division and lead us closer to unity."
"Ecumenical dialogue is of essential importance. Through such dialogue everyone
gains a truer knowledge and more just appreciation of the teaching and
religious life of both Communions. In addition, these
Communions cooperate more closely in whatever projects a Christian conscience
demands for the common good."
"Moreover,
ecumenical cooperation is a true school of ecumenism, a
dynamic road to unity. Unity
of action leads to the full unity of faith: Through such
cooperation, all believers in Christ are able to learn easily how they can
understand each other better and esteem each other more, and how the road to
the unity of Christians may be made smooth".
Where Are We Now?
The search for Christian Unity was one of the principal concerns of the Second
Vatican Council. Frankly,
results of the Catholic Church's efforts at ecumenism have not been good. Great
plan, great intentions...poor execution.
In 1993 Pope John Paul II approved, confirmed it by his authority, and
authorized the publication of The
Ecumenical Directory, originally called for during Vatican II.
(5)
The Directory cited
Vatican II as committing the ecumenical task in a special way to the Bishops.
(7) The Bishops were advised, "to
appoint a competent person as diocesan officer for ecumenical questions. (5)
This officer is responsible for representing the Catholic community in its
relations with the other Churches and Ecclesial Communities and their leaders
and will facilitate
contacts between the latter and the local Bishop, clergy and laity on various
levels."(5)
"In addition to the appointment of a diocesan officer for ecumenical
questions, the
diocesan Bishop should set up a council, commission or secretariat charged with
putting into practice any directives or orientations he may give and, in
general, with promoting ecumenical activity in the diocese." (5)
"The
commission or secretariat should reflect the totality of the diocese and generally
include among its members clergy, religious men and women and lay people of
various competencies, and especially those with particular ecumenical
expertise. It is desirable that representatives of the
presbyterial council, the pastoral council, diocesan and regional seminaries be
included among the members of the commission or secretariat." (5)
Very little
visible progress to date has been realized in the way of ecumenism. Why? In
some cases it just does not seem to be a high priority with Catholic or
Protestant Church leaders. Also, "the
lack of personnel, of specific training, of resources, financial and otherwise,
make ecumenical work difficult." (7) It's time to
quit making excuses, obey God...and defeat the enemy. Ecumenism may be the most
important issue facing the Church since the Reformation.
We do want to mention a couple of exceptions. At the Archdiocese of Santa Fe in
New Mexico, Msgr.
Richard J. Olona, Director
of the Office of Ecumenism, has done an outstanding job of
getting the message out to various Protestant Churches in their area, meeting
together regularly for prayer and information gathering purposes. They also do
a great job of promoting their ecumenical efforts and communicating all
activities on their website with tremendous support from Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan.
Father Alexei
Smith, the Archdiocese
of Los Angeles' Ecumenical Officer is very active in
National Ecumenical organizations such as Christian Churches Together (CCT)
(11) and the annual National Workshop for Christian Unity. (12) Father Smith is
an energetic and passionate proponent for developing Christian unity. He fully
appreciates the mandate promulgated by Vatican II as he says, " Our Late Pope spoke of
ecumenism as 'an organic part of the life and work of the Church' and our
current Pope has made it 'his impelling duty.' Ecumenism is not then an option
- it is a holy obligation."
Msgr. Olona sums
it up nicely: "We can learn to practice true
ecumenism. Genuine ecumenism is not about convincing non-Catholics to become
Catholics – or to pretend that we are not Catholic. Ecumenism is an attempt for
mutual respect and understanding, a quest for members of different traditions
and denominations to honor everything that unites them, even as they discuss
respectfully the things that divide them. True ecumenism starts with mutual
love and respect." (9)
With that said, many (not all) of the ecumenical officers appointed
by the various Bishops in America appear to be in the "secret service." Sorry to be so blunt, but...few
people, outside of their immediate circle of influence know who these people
are and what exactly they do in promoting ecumenism. It's unfortunate and in my
opinion a clear disregard for (or at least not taking seriously enough) the
mandate of Vatican II's Decree on Ecumenism and The Ecumenical Directory.
Scripture Lights
the Path to Christian Unity
Read and study your Bible. Catholics, in case you have not heard, the Church
says it's not only OK to read and study your Bible, it's required reading!
"The sacred synod also earnestly and especially urges all the Christian
faithful, especially Religious, to learn by frequent reading of the divine
Scriptures the "excellent knowledge of Jesus Christ" (Phil.
3:8). "For
ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ." (2)
"Therefore, they should gladly put themselves in touch with the sacred
text itself, whether it be through the liturgy, rich in the divine word, or
through devotional
reading, or through instructions suitable for the purpose and
other aids which, in our time, with approval and active support of the
shepherds of the Church, are commendably spread everywhere. And let them
remember that prayer
should accompany the reading of Sacred Scripture, so that God
and man may talk together; for "we speak to Him when we pray; we hear Him
when we read the divine saying." (2)
"Sacred
scripture is of the greatest importance in the celebration of the liturgy. For
it is from scripture that lessons are read and explained in the homily, and
psalms are sung; the prayers, collects, and liturgical songs are scriptural in
their inspiration and their force, and it is from the scriptures that actions
and signs derive their meaning. Thus to achieve the restoration, progress, and
adaptation of the sacred liturgy, it is essential to promote that warm and
living love for scripture to which the venerable tradition of both eastern and
western rites gives testimony." (3)
"The
treasures of the Bible are to be opened up more lavishly, so that richer fare
may be provided for the faithful at the table of God's word. In
this way a more representative portion of the holy scriptures will be read to
the people in the course of a prescribed number of years." (3)
"Our brothers and sisters of other Churches and Ecclesial Communities have
a deep love and reverence for the Holy Scriptures. This occasions their
constant and deep study of the sacred books.The Word of God, then, being one and the same for
all Christians, will progressively strengthen the path towards unity insofar as
it is approached with religious attention and loving study." (5)
The Bible is
God's personal letter to us and His instruction manual for our preparation for
eternal life.
And, by the way, Catholics (with exceptions of course) have a lot to learn
about giving (tithing). For
the most part, Protestants adhere much more closely to Biblical based financial
stewardship than Catholics.
"This is My commandment: love one another as I have loved
you."(John 15:12)
"May Christ dwell in your hearts through faith, and may
charity (love) be the root and foundation of your life. Thus you will be able
to grasp fully, with all the holy ones, the breadth and length and height and
depth of Christ's love, and experience this love which surpasses all knowledge,
so that you may attain to the fullness of God Himself." (Ephesians 3:17-19)
Common Ground (Essential Christian
Beliefs)
The Council of Nicaea in 325 (Nicene
Creed was slightly modified in 381 to today's version) decided on what the
essentials of a Christian's faith should be and we could use this as the
foundation and framework for our ecumenical efforts.
Nicene Creed: We
believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of Heaven and earth, of all
that is seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of
God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God
from true God, begotten, not made, one in being with the Father. Through Him
all things were made. For us men and our salvation He came down from Heaven: by
the power of the Holy Spirit, He was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man.
For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered, died, and was
buried. On the third day He rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures: He
ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will
come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have
no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who
proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son, He is
worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. We believe in one,
holy, catholic (universal), and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism
for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the
life of the world to come. Amen.
As noted in the Evangelicals
and Catholics Together "ECT" statement in
1997, "Evangelicals
must speak the Gospel to Catholics and Catholics to Evangelicals, always
speaking the truth in love, so that, 'working
hard to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace . . . the body of
Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the
knowledge of the Son of God.'" (Ephesians 4:3, 12-13) (16)
"All who
truly believe in Jesus Christ are brothers and sisters in the Lord and must not
allow their differences, however important, to undermine this great truth, or
to deflect them from bearing witness together to God's gift of salvation in
Christ." (16)
Pope John Paul II wrote
in his 1995 Encyclical on Ecumenism: "In the eyes of the world, cooperation among
Christians becomes a form of common Christian witness and a means of
evangelization which benefits all involved." (6)
Pope John XXIII, who was responsible for convening the all important Vatican II
in 1962 said, "What
unites us is much greater than what divides us." (6)
Conclusion
If Christians expect to have a successful, meaningful impact on the decaying
moral issues facing America today...any time soon...(e.g., pro-life, biblical
marriage and reversing the secular Godless agenda in our society),
we will need to be truly united in our efforts.
"Again I tell you, if two of you join your voices on earth
to pray for anything whatever, it shall be granted you by My Father in Heaven.
Where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in their midst." (Matthew 18:19-20)
"I pray for those who believe in Me through their word,
that all may be one as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You. I pray that they
may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me." (John 17:21)
"You have been told what is good and
what God requires of you. It is only this: that you live justly, love tenderly
and walk humbly with your God." (Micah 6:8)
"Give ear and hear My voice, pay
attention and listen to what I say." (Isaiah 28:23)
"... Speak Lord, for Your servant is listening!" (1 Samuel 3:10)
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