A reading of the letter by Chris Davidson in the Catholic Leader of March 11, 2007, indicates that it is high time for (some) Church members to engage in a re-reading of the encyclical by Pope John Paul II, entitled Ut Unum Sint (That They May be One), May, 1995, and of the document known as 1993 Directory for Ecumenism.
The Church indeed desires and pushes for visible unity of the Christian people; division among Christians is a scandalous situation. Jesus himself, at the hour of his Passion, prayed “that they may all be one, even as you Father, are in me, and I in you” (John 17:21) That there is no unity at the present is perhaps not our personal fault, but that it continues to exist says much regarding our unwillingness to make the necessary effort – and it cannot be laid at the feet of the Catholic Church.
In the encyclical mentioned above, Pope John Paul II, has laid out the path that needs to be followed.
Also, as indicated in the Directory, there are a number of pitfalls that must be avoided – and the most insidious is to set up a spirit of relativism whereby we conclude that every ecclesial community is the one Church established by Christ. That is an obvious illogical statement for many cannot all be the one.
The Second Vatican Council in Lumen Gentium, no. 8, states that the Church established by Christ when he said “You are Rock (Peter) and on this rock I will build my church” (Matt 16:18), “subsists in the Catholic Church which is governed by the Successor of Peter and by the Bishops in communion with him”.
We are encouraged to participate in non-sacramental liturgical worship of an ecumenical nature, yet, “Since the celebration of the eucharist on the Lord’s Day is the foundation and centre of the whole liturgical year, Catholics – but those of Eastern churches according to their own law — are obliged to attend Mass on that day and on days of precept. It is not advisable therefore to organize ecumenical services on Sundays, and it must be remembered that even when Catholics in ecumenical services or in services of other churches and ecclesial communities, the obligation of participating at Mass on these days remains” (Directory no. 115)
Further, even the lay faithful as well as ordained ministers should know that “Since eucharistic concelebration is a visible manifestation of full communion in faith, worship and community life of the Catholic Church, expressed by ministers of that Church, it is not permitted to concelebrate the eucharist with ministers of other churches or ecclesial communities” (no. 104, e), and that because “A sacrament is an act of Christ and of the church through the Spirit, its celebration in a concrete community is the sign of reality of its unity in faith, worship and community life. As well as being signs, sacraments – most specially the eucharist – are sources of the unity of the Christian Community and of spiritual life, and are means for building them up. Thus Eucharistic communion is inseparably linked to full ecclesial communion and its visible expression” (my emphases) (no 129).
We must attain unity before we start sharing sacramental action!!!
JEAN-LEON SHANKS
Ormiston, Qld
