Religion
Ecumenical setback
Martin Sullivan
The cause of ecumenism is never advanced by a debate which aims at some kind of victory over one's opponent. For fear of falling into that trap I hesitated some time before I wrote this article. The last thirty five years of my ministry have been pledged to the support of the ecumenical movement and I owe it a lasting debt.
In company with many others I am deeply disappointed to learn that the Roman Catholic Church has given its blessing to a document which seems from published extracts, almost to dissociate that church from any serious ecumenical participation. It is entitled 'Ecumenical collaboration at the regional, national and local levels', and is presented by the Vatican Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity and approved by the Pope. Many of us thought that the winds of change were really beginning to blow after Vatican II and We were greatly encouraged by the attitude of our Roman Catholic brethren. It comes as a shock to learn that the Vatican Secretariat for Promoting. 'Christian Unity has been engaged during the last four years in preparing a statement which now crushes any hopes which may have been raised.
The first claim to be made is that the Roman Church "considers herself the sole depository of truth, even when she co-operates on an equal footing with other Christian churches". But, worse than that. it denies the status of every other church to be an effective and valid witness to the truth and stultifies even the beginnings of exploratory. discussion. The old maxim rings, out with a better modern relevance, "to prescribe the result is to preclude the examination."
Another word of warning obviously misinterprets the nature and function of bodies like the World Council of Churches and its regional counterparts. The report says, "Catholic representatives on Christian Councils must be personally qualified but even while repre senting the church on matters within their competence they should clearly be aware of the . limits beyond which they cannot commit the church without prior reference to higher authority." But this policy is the sine qua non of all ecumenical bodies. The 'World Council of Churches is not a supra church. It is a collection of member churches and no one can commit his particular denomination to any policy which is not authorised by that church. Opinions may be expressed and resolutions passed, but no ecumenical assembly can speak or act other than on its own behalf.
On moral and ethical questions the report is equally explicit. When Roman Catholics take part in an interdenominational council "they can enter into such discussions, only in conformity with the teaching of their church." But surely this is what we have all beep doing for years. The unfortunate Implication seems to be that everyone is expected to emerge from these discussions with opinions unchanged and presumably unshaken. This is to deny any suggestion of a doctrine of progressive revelation. The subjects chosen by way of illustration are "population, marriage, contraception, abortion, euthanasia," and the instruction indicates that the Roman Catholic Church resolutely refuses to change her mind on any of these matters. That may have to be accepted but surely there must be other topics where such inflexibility does not apply.
What does all this mean? Should the Roman Catholic Church withdraw from all ecumenical enterprise? Certainly not. She ought to be in the thick of it, helping all of us to see the error of our ways and leading us into all truth. She herself on the other hand, must of course be prepared to face any consequences which may challenge her absolute certainty. This kind of encounter is what ecumenism is all about.
Martin Sullivan is Dean of St Paul's
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