It’s been a tough millennium for Christian togetherness. The Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox schism occurred in 1054, and five centuries later came the Reformation. Today, the number of denominations exceeds 25,000.
Quite an increase in 1,000 years.
As you know, Pope John Paul II wants the next millennium to be better. In his encyclical on ecumenism issued this week, he condemned church divisions as sinful because they violate Christ’s wish for unity and undermine the power of his message.
The encyclical presented five areas to be addressed:
– Interpretation of Scripture and tradition.
– The eucharist.
– Ordination as a sacrament.
– The magisterium or teaching office of the church.
– The Virgin Mary as Mother of God.
Here’s a summary of views from ecumenically active clergy about “Ut unum sint,” which means “That they may be one.” (Learning Latin, however, doesn’t appear necessary for reuniting all us Christians, thank goodness.)
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Rev. William Rusch of Chicago: “The pope reinforces the commitment of the Second Vatican Council to ecumenism and sensitizes the larger Christian community to this priority.”
Lutherans and Catholics meet twice yearly, have published nine volumes of conversation and are now resolving the terrible things they said about each other in the 16th Century.
“The problem of transubstantiation has been solved.” That’s the Catholic belief that consecration of the eucharistic elements transforms them into the blood and body of Christ. “We acknowledge we use a different language to speak of the mystery of the eucharist, and this doesn’t need to be divisive.”
Accepting the papacy as “a ministry of unity, under the Gospel, is a distinct possibility. Luther’s major problem was the abuse of the papacy, not its existence, which is an important distinction.”
Disciples of Christ. Rev. Paul Crow of Indianapolis: “A key challenge is the nature of the papacy. The pope has political, juridical and theological roles. For us, the teaching role is at the center. As the most visible Christian leader, the pope is extremely important in our world of secularism and dramatic pluralism. But are the other definitions required for unity?”
Theologians from each church meet annually. “We’re moving toward consensus on many matters of faith. The next big issues will probably be the eucharist and ordination of women. Abortion hasn’t been on the table. It’s so controversial that genuine dialogue is almost impossible (between Catholics and mainline Protestant churches such as the Disciples).”
Greek Orthodox Church. Rev. Milton Efthimiou of New York City: “What struck me as new was the pope’s readiness to talk about papal `primacy.’ No other pope has done that.”
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Papal authority, which the Orthodox resist, was at the heart of the schism. “The papacy needs re-examination. So let’s talk about it and about shared communion. If the spirit that’s in the encyclical can be captured, then we’re in the ballgame.”
Pentecostals. Rev. Cecil M. Robeck Jr., an Assembly of God pastor who teaches at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif., and co-chairs the international Roman Catholic-Pentecostal dialogue: “I like three things. First, that the five basic points left over from the Reformation are on the table.
“Second, in a sense John Paul lays the papacy on the line. He won’t give it up, but he’s asking for input on what it means. Third, by speaking of ethical and moral issues, he offers a possible entry point for conservative churches to engage in ecumenical discussion.
“Judging from the calls I’ve received, conservative pastors feel something significant has taken place with the laying out of this agenda.
“The pope begins with spiritual unity, by virtue of baptism and Christian confession. Most Protestants will identify with that up front.
“The more liberal will move to a broader dialogue. Ours are less likely to do that. Evangelical and Pentecostal churches see a power struggle, a loss of individuality. Also it’s difficult for us because we’ve been so successful.” (Pentecostals, for instance, have converted vast numbers of Catholics in Latin America.)
“It’s in their best interest to open discussions. We’re trying to decide if we can trust them. But laying all this on the table is a positive move in disarming those who are nervous about the expectations.
“This may lead to an interesting new relationship between Roman Catholics and Protestant evangelicals. We’re in agreement in opposing abortion and pornography and many other moral issues.”
In another column, we’ll consider a Catholic assessment of what could happen-maybe as soon as the turn of the century.