2014 PLENARY ASSEMBLY
REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF THE PCPCU
ASPECTS OF THE ACTIVITY OF THE PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN UNITY SINCE THE LAST PLENARY
Bishop Brian Farrell
Here we present some summary information about the principal bilateral dialogues organized by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. During the Plenary, further more detailed information will be given in presentations by the officials in charge of the dialogues.
The purpose of this paper is to offer a broad picture of this aspect of the Pontifical Council’s activity since the last Plenary in December 2012, and to ask the participants in the present Plenary to reflect on the how the dialogues might more effectively lead to achieving the objective of the ecumenical movement: communion in the visible unity of the Church.
I. DIALOGUES WITH THE EASTERN CHURCHES
The Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church as a whole
A new phase of this dialogue began in 2006 and ended with the ‘Ravenna Document’ (2007) entitled: “Ecclesiological and Canonical Consequences of the Sacramental Nature of the Church: Ecclesial Communion, Conciliarity and Authority”. For the first time, Catholics and Orthodox together agreed that there are three levels in the ontological structure of the Church: local, intermediate or regional, and universal. At each level there must be synodality and primacy: no primacy without a synod, no synod without its primate. At the universal level the Protos is the Bishop of Rome according to the ancient taxis (order) of the Churches.
At this point, the most difficult of all questions landed on the ecumenical agenda: what authority would the Bishop of Rome as the “first bishop” have in a reunited Church, and how would that authority be exercised?
The current difficult phase has already lasted seven years, and after various attempts, and failures, the Commission is still trying to write an agreed working text. The latest meeting of the Commission, in Amman, Jordan, in September 2014, rejected the draft document on primacy and synodality which it was supposed to discuss. It then set out to write a new document, which in turn was rejected. The hope now is that a new working document can be prepared, to be discussed and approved by the Coordinating Committee and then presented to the next Plenary session of the Commission, maybe not till 2017.
The Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches
The phases
In 2003 a new step was taken in relations between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches, with the establishment of a new Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue. The Commission consists of 14 Catholic and 14 Oriental Orthodox representatives.
The first phase of the dialogue, from 2003 to 2009, resulted in the common text entitled “Nature, Constitution and Mission of the Church”. The document outlined aspects of fundamental ecclesiological principles that we share and identified issues requiring deeper reflection in successive phases of the dialogue. We can only be grateful that after almost fifteen hundred years of separation we still find agreement about the sacramental nature of the Church, apostolic succession in priestly service and the impelling need to bear witness to the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in the world.
A new phase of dialogue commenced with the meeting in Antelias, Lebanon (2010), which focused on the study of the communion and communication that existed between the churches until the mid‑fifth century of Christian history. The commission will continue the dialogue by taking up other questions from the original agenda of 2003, the next being the nature of the sacraments and baptism in particular.
The last two meetings
At the tenth meeting (held in Rome from 23-27 January 2013), the members of the Commission continued their study of the ways in which full communion among our churches was expressed in the first five centuries. In particular, the importance of the mutual recognition of Saints was examined. Most of the Commission’s time at the meeting was spent carefully examining a draft document entitled, “The Exercise of Communion in the Life of the Early Church and its Implications for our Search for Communion Today”.
The eleventh plenary meeting took place in Kerala, India, from January 27 to February 3, 2014, hosted by the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. At this meeting, the members continued their study of the ways in which full communion among our churches was expressed in the first five centuries, with special emphasis on the development of the various Eucharistic Prayers (Anaphoras) in the early Church and the significance of pilgrimages. Drawing upon the material presented in the papers, the Joint Commission continued its work on the proposed agreed draft document.
Representatives of the Oriental Orthodox Churches (in alphabetical order)
Antiochian Syrian Orthodox Church: Mor Theophilus George Saliba, Archbishop of Mount Lebanon, Secretary of the Holy Synod of the Syrian Orthodox Church, Beirut, Lebanon; Mar Kuriakose Theophilose, Metropolitan of the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Theological Seminary and President of the Ecumenical Secretariat of the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church in India, Ernakulam, India;
Armenian Apostolic Church, Catholicosate of all Armenians: Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, Archbishop of the Eastern Diocese of the USA, New York; Archbishop Yeznik Petrossian, General Secretary of Bible Society of Armenia, Etchmiadzin, Armenia;
Armenian Apostolic Church, Holy See of Cilicia: Archbishop Oshagan Choloyan, Prelate of the Eastern Prelacy in the USA, New York; Archbishop Nareg Alemezian, Archbishop of Cyprus and Ecumenical Officer of the Holy See of Cilicia, Antelias, Lebanon;
Coptic Orthodox Church: Metropolitan Anba Bishoy of Damiette, Egypt (co-chair); Rev. Fr. Shenouda Maher Ishak, West Henrietta, New York, USA; Bishop Daniel of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Sydney, Australia (observer); Bishop Barnaba of Torino and Rome (observer);
Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church: Rev. Fr. Kaleab Gebreselassie Gebru, Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Patriarchate, Asmara, Eritrea (unable to attend);
Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church: Archbishop Markos of Eastern Gojjam; Rev. Fr. Daniel Seifemichael Feleke of Holy Trinity Theological University College in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia;
Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church: Metropolitan Dr. Gabriel Mar Gregorios, Trivandrum, India, President of the Department of Ecumenical Relations; Metropolitan Dr. Youhanon Mar Demetrios, Bishop of Delhi, India, (co‑secretary).
Representatives of the Catholic Church
Cardinal Kurt Koch, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (co-chair);
Most Reverend Paul‑Werner Scheele, Bishop Emeritus of Würzburg, Germany;
Most Reverend Youhanna Golta, Patriarchal Auxiliary Bishop of the Coptic Catholic Patriarchate, Cairo, Egypt;
Most Reverend Archbishop Basilios Georges Casmoussa, Syrian Catholic Patriarchate, Beirut, Lebanon;
Most Reverend Peter Marayati, Armenian Catholic Archbishop of Aleppo, Syria (unable to attend);
Most Reverend Woldetensae Ghebreghiorghis, Apostolic Vicar of Harar, Ethiopia, President of the Ecumenical Commission of the Catholic Church in Ethiopia and Eritrea;
Most Reverend Paul Rouhana, OLM, Maronite Bishop of Sarba and General Secretary of the Middle East Council of Churches, Jounieh, Lebanon;
Most Reverend Boghos Levon Zekiyan, Apostolic Administrator of the archieparchy of Istanbul of the Armenians;
Rev. Fr. Frans Bouwen M.Afr., Jerusalem, Israel;
Rev. Fr. Columba Stewart, OSB, Executive Director, Hill Museum and Manuscript Library, Saint John’s Abbey and University, Collegeville, Minnesota, USA;
Rev. Fr. Ronald G. Roberson, CSP, Associate Director of the Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, US Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC, USA;
Rev. Fr. Mark Sheridan, OSB, Jerusalem, Israel;
Rev. Fr. Mathew Vellanickal, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Changanacherry, India;
Prof. Dietmar W. Winkler, Consultant to the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Salzburg, Austria;
Rev. Fr. Gabriel Quicke, Official of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Rome (co‑secretary).
Dialogue with the Malankara Churches in India
Since 1989, two parallel dialogues have been meeting annually in Kerala (southern India), one with the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church and the other with the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. For the most part these dialogues have addressed three themes: Church history, ecclesiology, and common witness. The Catholic delegation includes representatives of the Holy See (Bishop Brian Farrell, Secretary of the PCPCU and Fr. Gabriel Quicke of the PCPCU staff) and members of the Catholic Churches: the Latin Church, the Syro‑Malabar Catholic Church, and the Syro‑Malankara Catholic Church.
Since 2003 both Churches are also represented in the Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches as a family. Notwithstanding this new configuration, both Churches wish to continue their specific dialogue with the Catholic Church, in order to address theoretical and pastoral questions that are of specific interest for promoting Christian unity among the Catholic and Orthodox Churches in Kerala. Issues such as sharing of sacred places (church buildings and cemeteries); the emergence of Pentecostal groups in the Churches; monastic spirituality in the Indian context; mission in the pluralistic religious context of India ; and the sharing of sacraments in pastoral situations.
Dialogue with the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church
The 15th meeting took place at the Spirituality Centre of Manganam in Kottayam on Wednesday 5 December 2012. The major issues on the agenda included: presentation of a Statement on ‘Nature, Constitution and Mission of the Church’ and ‘Mission in the Religious Pluralistic Context of India’. The 16th meeting took place at the Patriarchal Centre of Puthencruz on December Monday 16 December 2013. The major issues on the agenda included: ministry according to the Syrian liturgical and patristic tradition; and the presentation of a document from the North American Orthodox‑Catholic Theological Consultation, entitled “Steps Towards A Reunited Church: A Sketch Of An Orthodox‑Catholic Vision For The Future” (Saturday, 2 October 2010).
The Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church is represented by
Kuriakose Mor Theophilos (Co‑Chairman), Joseph Mar Gregorios, Mathews Mor Aphrem, Mathews Mor Anthimos, Rev. Dr. Addai Jacob Cor‑Episcopa (Co‑Secretary), Rev. Dr. Kuriakose Moolayil Cor‑Episcopa, Rev. Fr. Shibu Cherian, Rev. Fr. Dr. Prince Paulose, Rev. Fr. Greger R. Kollanoor.
The Catholic Church is represented by
Bishop Brian Farrell (Co‑Chairman), Mar Joseph Powathil, Mar Mathew Moolakatt, Mar Thomas Mar Koorilos, Bishop Dr. Selvister Ponnumuthan, Mar Joseph Kallarangatt, Rev. Dr. Mathew Vellanickal, Rev. Dr. Xavier Koodapuzha, Rev. Dr. Jacob Thekkeparampil, Rev. Dr. Augustine Kadeparambil, Rev. Dr. Philip Nelpuraparampil and Rev. Fr. Gabriel Quicke (Co‑Secretary).
Dialogue with the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church
The 22th meeting took place at the Spirituality Centre of Manganam in Kottayam 6th and 7th December 2012. Various issues were discussed, including the ‘Praxis of the Principle of Oikonomia in the Sharing of the Sacraments in Pastoral Situations’ from the Orthodox perspective; the Catholic theological principles of Sacramental sharing; and ‘Challenges raised by the Pentecostals and the New Christian Churches’.
The 23th meeting was held at the Sophia Centre, Kottayam on 18th and 19th December 2013. Issues discussed included the ‘Work of the Holy Spirit and the Spiritual Renewal of the Church’; the ‘Basis and Epistemological Understanding of Canon Law in the Orthodox Tradition’; and ‘Challenges raised by Pentecostals and other New Christian Churches’. The Joint commission worked on a draft of a common document on the praxis of the principle of Oikonomia in the sharing of the sacraments in pastoral situations, from the Orthodox perspective and the Catholic theological principles of sacramental sharing.
The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church is represented by
Metropolitan Gabriel Mar Gregorios (Co‑Chairman), Yakob Mar Irenaios, Fr. Dr. T. I. Varghese, Fr. Jacob Mathew, Fr. Dr. O. Thomas, Fr. Dr. Johns Abraham Konat, Fr. Dr. Reji Mathew, Fr. Dr. Jose John, Fr. M.S. Yuhanon Ramban and Fr. Abraham Thomas (Co‑secretary).
Dialogue with the Assyrian Church of the East
Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East has produced many fruitful results. Pope John Paul II and Patriarch Mar Dinkha IV signed a Joint Christological Declaration on 11 November 1994, which opened new horizons for both the theological dialogue and pastoral collaboration. Subsequently, the Joint Committee for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East planned two further phases of work: the first on sacramental theology and the second on the constitution of the Church. The first phase concluded with a wide consensus on sacramental issues, and the final document was presented to the authorities of both churches for approval. However, difficulties arose in connection with the passage into the Catholic Church of one of the most active Assyrian bishops in the dialogue process. At the beginning of October 2012 the Pontifical Council met an Assyrian delegation in order to plan the continuation of the dialogue.
His Holiness Mar Dinkha IV, Catholicos‑Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East, visited Pope Francis from 1‑4 October 2014. Meetings were also held at the office of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity to reflect on the second phase of the dialogue. The object will be to reexamine the text on ‘Sacramental life’ already prepared, with a view to a formal signing of the agreement. There was also discussion on defining a methodology, and preparing an outline of the third phase of the dialogue on the nature and constitution of the Church. Both delegations want to continue along the path of dialogue and look forward to the next meeting.
Official visits
Pope Tawadros of Alexandria, who heads the largest Christian Church in the Middle East, made a five day visit to Rome, his first outside Egypt since his enthronement. Pope Francis and Pope Tawadros met on 10 May 2013 for a private conversation, followed by a time of prayer together in the Mater Redemptoris Chapel. This meeting came 40 years to the day after the first historic encounter between Pope Paul VI and Tawadros’ predecessor, Shenouda III, for the signing of a joint statement pledging the two Churches to the search for reconciliation and unity.
Catholicos Moran Baselios Marthoma Paulose II, head of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church met with the Holy Father on 5 September 2013. The Catholicos and his delegation held conversations at the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
Pope Francis received His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of all Armenians on May 8, 2014, for conversation and a prayer moment in the Redemptoris Mater Chapel.
Pope Francis received His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia on June 5, 2014. Also on this occasion there was a moment of common prayer in the Redemptoris Mater Chapel.
II. DIALOGUES WITH THE ECCLESIAL COMMUNITIES OF THE WEST
International Old Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Union of Utrecht
The report published in 2009 on the first phase of the official dialogue, entitled “The Church and Ecclesial Communion” on the question of ecclesiology, concludes that the Old Catholic Church and the Roman Catholic Church are united in professing the Holy Scriptures and the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed, as well as the dogmatic decisions of the ecumenical councils recognised in the West and the East. The episcopal ministry in the apostolic succession, within which the whole Church stands, and the seven sacraments are for both Churches the ecclesiological pillars on which their efforts to restore ecclesial communion are based. Taking these convergences as a starting point, it was decided that in a second phase of conversations the dialogue Commission would deepen the ecumenical consensus that had been achieved, particularly with regard to the fundamental problem of the relationship between the universal Church and the local Church. In this context, in relation to the re–establishment of ecclesial communion, it is necessary to clarify important questions such as the issue of the universal Church in relation to primacy; the question of consensus in the early Church: “no eucharistic communion without ecclesial communion” within the framework of the agreement reached in 1985 between the Old Catholic Church and the Lutheran Church in Germany on “the mutual invitation to participate in the eucharistic celebration”; the ecumenical significance of the ecclesial communion between Old Catholics and Anglicans; differences in the interpretation of the Marian dogmas of the 19th and 20th centuries; and the question of the ordination of women. The Commission will meet for its fifth session in December 2014.
Old Catholic Participants:
Co‑President: Bishop Dr. Matthias Ring, Bonn; Lecturer Pastor Wietse Berend van der Velde, Hilversum; Prof. Dr. Günter Esser, Bonn; Emeritus Prof. Dr. Urs von Arx, Liebefeld, Switzerland; Prof. Dr. Angela Berlis, Bern; Co‑secretary: Pastor Martin Eisenbraun, Salzburg, Austria.
Catholic Participants:
Co‑President: Archbishop Hans‑Josef Becker, Paderborn; Bishop Dr. Hans van den Hende, Rotterdam; Monsignor Hubert Bour, Tübingen; Emeritus Prof. Dr. Heinrich J. F. Reinhardt, Münster; Emeritus Prof. Dr. Hans Jörg Urban, Paderborn; Msgr. Dr. Matthias Türk, PCPCU, Co-secretary.
Anglican Communion
The third phase of ARCIC began its work in 2011. In 2013 the Commission met in Rio de Janeiro and in 2014 in Pietermaritzburg (South Africa). It is studing an issue that emerged in the Common Declaration of 2006 between Pope Benedict XVI and Archbishop Rowan Williams: “It is a matter of urgency ¼ that in renewing our commitment to pursue the path towards full visible communion in the truth and love of Christ, we also commit ourselves in our continuing dialogue to address the important issues involved in the emerging ecclesiological and ethical factors making that journey more difficult and arduous.” As a result the theme of the present phase is: the Church as Communion, local and universal, and how in communion the local and universal Church come to discern right ethical teaching. The Commission is also at work collecting and publishing the agreed statements of ARCIC II with commentaries. This work is nearing completion.
There is broad recognition in the commission that the two communions are in very different places both regarding their ecclesial structures and their approaches to ethical questions. The aims, in one sense, are therefore modest: to examine what decision making processes and structures lie behind divergent trends in ethical teaching. These are central questions as both communions experience the tensions and difficulties of doctrinal and practical fragmentation in today’s dominant cultural climate. A drafting group will meet in February 2015 to produce the ecclesiological section of the expected Report, which may eventually be a separate document.
Co‑Chairs
The Most Revd Bernard Longley, Archbishop of Birmingham, England
The Most Revd Sir David Moxon, Archbishop of Canterbury’s Representative to the Holy See
Roman Catholics
The Revd Robert Christian OP, Angelicum University, Rome;
The Revd Adelbert Denaux, Professor Emeritus, Brugge, Belgium;
Professor Paul D. Murray, Durham University, England;
Professor Sister Teresa Okure SHCJ, Catholic Institute of West Africa, Port Harcourt, Nigeria;
Professor Janet E. Smith, Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit, Michigan, USA;
The Revd Professor Vimal Tirimanna CSsR, Alphonsianum University, Rome;
The Very Revd Dom Henry Wansbrough OSB, Ampleforth Abbey, England;
Reverend Anthony Currer, Official of the PCPCU.
Anglicans
The Rt Revd Christopher Hill, The Church of England;
Canon Dr Paula Gooder, The Church of England;
The Rt Revd Nkosinathi Ndwandwe, Anglican Church of Southern Africa;
The Rt Revd Linda Nicholls, The Anglican Church of Canada;
The Revd Canon Peter Sedgwick, The Church in Wales;
The Revd Canon Nicholas Sagovsky, The Church of England;
The Revd Dr Charles Sherlock, The Anglican Church of Australia.
The World Methodist Council
This phase of the dialogue began in 2012, the previous phase having presented its report, “Encountering Christ the Saviour: Church and Sacraments”, to the World Methodist Council in Durban, 2011. It will conclude in 2016 when it will present its report to the next World Methodist Council in Dallas. In 2013 the Commission met in Atlanta, and in 2014 it met in Assisi. This is an especially warm and fraternal commission which has produced solid documents on a five yearly basis. It has a concern that what it produces be of use to the life of the Church and ordinary Methodist and Catholic Christians worldwide. This can be seen in its emphasis on practical implications through which the Commission hopes to encourage Methodists and Catholics to discuss their devotional lives with one another to their mutual benefit.
While the general theme of the dialogue is holiness, the Commission has set forth the following chapter plan:
Working Title: ‘The Call to Holiness: Through Grace to Glory’
(1) Humankind in the plan and purpose of God [Christian anthropology]
(2) God’s Work of Recreating Humankind [soteriology]
(3) God’s Holy People: The Saints Below (the ecclesial character of grace) [ecclesiology]
(4) God’s Holy People: The Saints Above (the eschatological character of grace) [eschatology]
(5) Encouraging one another in holiness: Practical Implications for Catholics and Methodists
Appendix of Prayers and Other Resources
Methodist Commission Members
Co‑Chair: Rev Dr David M. Chapman;
Co‑Secretary: Rev Dr Karen Westerfield Tucker;
Rev Dr Edgardo Colon‑Emeric;
Rev Dr Young Ho Chun;
Rev Dr James Haire now replaced by Prof Priscilla Pope‑Levison;
Rev Dr Trevor Hoggard;
Bishop Chikwendu Igwe;
Rev Dr Leao Neto.
Catholic Commission Members
Co‑Chair: Bishop Donald J. Bolen;
Co‑Secretary: Rev Anthony Currer;
Sr Dr Lorelei Fuchs;
Mons Dr Gerard McCarren;
Bishop Joseph Osei‑Bonsu;
Rev Dr Jorge Scampini, OP;
Bishop John Sherrington;
Dr Clare Watkins.
The Lutheran World Federation
The International Lutheran-Catholic Commission on Unity has for some years outlined a plan with a view to reaching a possible joint declaration to commemorate the anniversary of the Reformation in 2017. Catholics and Lutherans still have divergent interpretations of the Reformation and its thought. For this reason, over the last 50 years the ecumenical dialogue has made great efforts to link the theology of the Reformers with the decisions of the Council of Trent and the Second Vatican Council, in order to evaluate whether their relative positions are mutually exclusive or whether they are complementary. This methodology has now also been extended to the theme of the commemoration of the Reformation.
Last year the Commission published a document entitled “From Conflict to Communion. Lutheran-Catholic Common Commemoration of the Reformation in 2017, which provides an initial detailed introduction on the joint commemoration, followed by two chapters dedicated to an overview of the Reformation events, as well as brief summary of the theology of Martin Luther, and a concise outline of the resolutions of the Council of Trent, linking them on the one hand to the positions of Reformed theology and on the other to their reception by the Second Vatican Council. The text concludes with a summary of the main shared decisions reached by the Lutheran–Catholic Dialogue Commission since 1967, particularly on the question of Justification, Eucharist, Ministry, Scripture and Tradition.
Over the course of their ecumenical journey together, Catholics and Lutherans have not only come closer together regarding Martin Luther, but also regarding his theology. The fact that they have been able to reach a shared presentation of issues does not mean that Catholics agree with all the affirmations of Luther, but that they understand him as he is presented in the joint document. His theology is set within the framework of his context, but is also described in the light of the ecumenical dialogue. Thus, the document gathers ecumenical advances and enables Catholics and Lutherans to make a comparative reflection on Luther’s theology. The central questions of faith can be considered in a new light that may make it possible to overcome the controversies of past centuries. The document was published on 17 June 2013, and has been translated into various languages. A liturgical working group has completed texts and materials for joint ecumenical prayer on the themes dealt with in the document itself: “Shared joy in the Gospel, confession of sins against unity and mutual witness of faith in the world today”. Publication is envisioned in the second half of 2015.
The Commission will in future years continue its study on “Baptism and Growing Ecclesial Communion”. The central question is: To which point can the sacramental communion with God founded in the sacrament of baptism constitute the starting point for an ecclesial communion comprising various degrees of unity?
Lutheran Participants
Emeritus Bishop Eero Huovinen, Helsinki, (Co‑chair); Rev. Dr. Wanda Deifelt, Brazil; Dr. Sandra Gintere, Latvia; Prof. Dr. Turid Karlsen Seim, Norway; Rev. Dr. Fidon R. Mwombeki, Tanzania; Prof. Dr. Friederike Nüssel, Heidelberg; Prof. Dr. Hiroshi Augustine Suzuki, Japan; Prof. Dr Dirk G. Lange, St. Paul, USA; Prof. Dr. Theodor Dieter, Strasbourg, Consultant; Rev. Dr. Kaisamari Hintikka, Assistant General Secretary for Ecumenical Relations ‑ Director for Theology and Public Witness of the Lutheran World Federation (Co‑Secretary).
Catholic Participants
Right Reverend William Kenney, CP, Auxiliary Bishop of Birmingham, (Co‑chair); Bishop Prof. Dr. Karlheinz Diez, Auxiliary Bishop of Fulda; Prof. P. Michel Fédou, s.j., Paris; Prof. Sr. Susan K. Wood, SCL, Milwaukee, USA; Prof. Dr. Thomas Söding, Bochum; Dr. Christian D. Washburn, St. Paul, USA; Rev. Prof. Dr. Angelo Maffeis, Brescia; Prof. Dr. Eva‑Maria Faber, Chur, Switzerland (Consultant); Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Thönissen, Paderborn (Consultant); Msgr. Dr. Matthias Türk, PCPCU (Co‑Secretary).
The Community of Protestant Churches in Europe (CPCE)
The Leuenberg ecclesial community is undergoing a process by which the European Protestant Churches are increasingly becoming closer to one another. If this process being undertaken by the CPCE leads to a greater ecclesial communion, it will entail an important development for the Catholic Church as well, as it represents a counter tendency to the growing fragmentation of the communities born of the Reformation.
Over the next few years the series of conversations commenced in 2013 will be looking at questions relating to ecclesiology and a possible model for ecumenical unity. Thus, the task of the consultations is that of further defining the tangible objective of the ecumenical journey: on the one hand, ecclesial communion as communion involving the pulpit and the table of the Lord in line with the Leuenberg Agreement or, on the other hand, ecclesial communion as the full and visible unity of the Church in faith, sacramental life and ecclesial ministry, in line with the Catholic perspective? There needs also to be further clarification on the meaning of the ecumenical objective “unity in reconciled diversity”. The ecumenical objective always depends on a specific ecclesiological interpretation, which must be examined carefully in the ecumenical dialogue.
An outcome of the consultations to date has been the emergence of the possibility to formulate a wide consensus on fundamental truths regarding the Church.
It is envisaged that a joint text will be published in view of the 2017 commemoration of the Reformation on the theme “Ecclesial Communion – Fundamental Truths of the Church”. The three following themes will be further discussed during the next plenary session to be held in December 2014: a) justification and Church (the inseparable relationship between soteriology and ecclesiology); b) ground and form, including sacramentality; c) ordained ministry and universal priesthood.
Protestant participants
Emeritus Professor Prof. Dr. Friedrich Weber, Germany (Co‑Chair); Rev. Dr. John Bradbury, Cambridge; Rev. Dr. Stephanie Dietrich, Norway; Prof. Dr. Fulvio Ferrario, Italy; Prof. Dr. Friederike Nüssel, Germany; Prof. Dr. Miriam Rose, Germany; Prof. Dr. Stefan Tobler, Romania; Prof. Dr. Martin Friedrich, Austria (Co‑Secretary).
Catholic participants
Bishop Dr. Karl‑Heinz Wiesemann, Speyer (Co‑Chair); Bishop Philip Boyce, Ireland; Rev. Prof. Dr. Angelo Maffeis, Italy; Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Thönissen, Paderborn; Prof. Dr. Josef Freitag, Erfurt; Prof. Dr. Myriam Wijlens, Erfurt; Prof. Michel Deneken, France; Msgr. Dr. Matthias Türk, PCPCU, (Co‑Secretary).
World Communion of Reformed Churches
The third meeting of the fourth phase of international dialogue between the World Communion of Reformed Churches and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity took place 7 ‑ 13 April 2013 at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, USA. The fourth meeting of this phase took place 6‑12 April 2014 at the Conforti Institute in Coatbridge, Scotland. The overall theme of this phase, which is scheduled to be completed by 2017, is ‘Justification and Sacramentality: The Christian Community as an agent for Justice’.
It is hoped that this phase of international dialogue will build upon agreements already achieved, help Reformed and Catholic Christians grow together in faith, and assist in the discernment of whether the WCRC will affiliate with the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification. Relations with the WCRC are marked by the Reformed emphasis on social justice. The dialogue with the Catholic Church focuses on theological issues, which is a welcome sign as the social justice emphasis is increasingly central to the WCRC.
Bishop Kevin Rhoades, Diocese of Fort Wayne‑South Bend in Indiana, USA, and Rev. Dr. Martha Moore‑Keish, of the Columbia Theological Seminary, in Decatur, Georgia, USA, co‑chair this dialogue on behalf of the Catholic Church and the World Communion of Reformed Churches respectively. The secretaries for the co‑chairs are Rev. Dr. Douwe Visser, Executive Secretary for Theology, Mission and Communion for the WCRC and Rev. Dr. Gregory J. Fairbanks of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
The Reformed participants include Rev. Dr. Reinerio Arce‑Valentin (Cuba); Rev Dr Marina Ngursangzeli Behera (India); Dr. Christopher Dorn (USA); Rev. Dr. George Hunsinger (USA); Dr. George Sabra (Lebanon); Rev. Dr. Lindsay Schlüter (Scotland); and Rev. Dr. Benebo Fubara‑Manuel (Nigeria). The Catholic participants include Dr. Peter Casarella (USA), Dr. Peter De Mey (Belgium); Rev. Dr. William Henn, OFM cap. (USA/Italy), Rev. Dr. Jorge Scampini, O.P. (Argentina) and Dr. Annemarie Mayer (Germany).
Dialogue with the Disciples of Christ
The International Commission for Dialogue between Disciples of Christ and the Roman Catholic Church began its fifth round of dialogue on the theme “Christians Formed and Transformed by the Eucharist”. Meeting at the Disciples of Christ Historical Society in Nashville, Tennessee on January 8-12, 2014, the agenda focused upon two areas: (1) reviewing the previous four phases of dialogue (which have taken place from 1977 to 2009); and, (2) exploring the place of the Eucharist (the Lord’s Supper) in the life and practice of the Disciples and the Catholic traditions. From its discussion, the Commission identified several points of common affirmation in understanding and approach to the Eucharist, as well as naming some major points of difference and divergence which still need further exploration. The Commission understands this dialogue as a contribution toward realizing the long-range goal of full visible unity in one faith, one Eucharistic fellowship, and common life in Christ. The next session of the Commission took place in June 2014 in Rome, around the topic “Formed by the Eucharist”.
Catholic representatives
Most Reverend David L. Ricken,DD,JCL, Bishop of Green Bay (Co-Chair); Revd Msgr Juan Usma Gómez, Official of the PCPCU (Co–Secretary); Rev. Msgr. Michael Clay, D. Min. School of Theology and Religious Studies, The Catholic University of America; Prof. Mary Coloe, PhD, Yarra Theological Union, Australia; Dr Julien Hammond, Director of Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations, Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton; Rev. Joseph T. Shenosky, STD, Vice-Rector, Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, Overbrook, Philadelphia; Rev. Michael G. Witczak, SLD, President, North American Academy of Liturgy, Associate Professor of Liturgical Studies, The Catholic University of America.
Disciples of Christ representatives
Rev. Dr. Newell Williams, Brite Divinity School, Fort Worth, Texas (Co-Chair); Rev. Dr. Robert Welsh, Council on Christian Unity, Indianapolis (Co-Secretary); Rev. Dr. Thomas Best, Former Director, Faith and Order; Rev. Dr. Merryl Blair, Churches of Christ Theological College, Australia; Rev. Dr. James O. Duke, Brite Divinity School, Ft. Worth, Texas; Rev. Angel Luis Rivera, Council of Churches of Puerto Rico.
Mennonite World Conference
The Mennonite World Conference (MWC) defines itself as a communion of Anabaptist‑related churches linked to one another in a worldwide community of faith for fellowship, worship, service, and witness. The MWC represents 1,700,000 believers from 243 national conferences of churches in 83 countries on six continents; about two‑thirds of the baptized believers are African, Asian or Latin American. Since both the Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) had expressed their interest and readiness to initiate new rounds of conversations with the MWC, and since both the PCPCU and LWF have recommended baptism as a topic for such conversations, a tri‑lateral dialogue began in December 2012. A study of baptism, which is one of the principal historic points of theological division with Anabaptists, offers the opportunity to both look at the theological points of departure as well as address the mutual recognition of each other’s baptism.
The general topic of the dialogue is “Baptism and Incorporation into the Body of Christ, the Church”. The first meeting of the Catholic ‑ Lutheran ‑ Mennonite International Dialogue on baptism met in Rome from 9‑13 December 2012. Representatives of the Lutheran World Federation, the Mennonite World Conference and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity met in Strasbourg, France, from 26 to 31 January 2014 for the second meeting of the Trilateral Dialogue Commission. The third meeting of the trilateral commission will take place in February 2015 in the Netherlands, hosted by Mennonite World Conference. It will discuss the theme “Baptism: Communicating Grace and Faith”. The annual meetings of the commission are envisaged to continue until 2017 after which the commission is expected to submit its final report to the Lutheran World Federation, the Mennonite World Conference and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
The Catholic team is chaired by Most Reverend Luis Augusto Castro Quiroga, I.M.C. (Colombia). Members include Rev. Dr. William Henn, ofm cap. (Italy/USA); Rev. Dr. Luis M. Melo, S.M. (Canada); Sr. Dr. Marie‑Hélène Robert, N.D.A. (France); and Co‑Secretary Rev. Dr. Gregory J Fairbanks (PCPCU/USA). The Lutheran World Federation team is chaired by Prof. Dr Friederike Nüssel (Germany). Members include Bishop Musawenkosi Biyela (South Africa); Prof. Dr Theodor Dieter (France); Rev. Dr Kwong‑Sang Peter Li (Hong Kong); and Co‑Secretary Rev. Dr Kaisamari Hintikka (Switzerland/Finland). The Mennonite World Conference team is chaired by Prof. Dr. Alfred Neufeld (Paraguay). Members include Prof. Dr. Fernando Enns (Germany/Netherlands); Prof. Dr. John Rempel (Canada); Rev. Rebecca Osiro (Kenya); and Co‑Secretary Rev. Dr. Larry Miller (France).
World Baptist Alliance
Final revisions to the text “The Word of God in the Life of the Church: Scripture, Tradition and Koinonia” between the PCPCU and BWA were finalized in 2012, and the text was published in July 2013. The Catholic Church published a companion commentary by Rev. Dr. Thomas A. Baima, the Vicar for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the Archdiocese of Chicago and Vice Rector for Academic Affairs of the University of Saint Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Illinois. The Baptist World Alliance published the text with two Baptist commentaries, one by Dr. Josué Fonseca of the Baptist Theological Seminary in Santiago, Chile, and the second by Rev Stephen Holmes of the University of St Andrews, Scotland.
Initial reactions to the Baptist‑Catholic report are largely favourable, especially in the Baptist world. Nineteen years passed between the first and second round of Catholic‑Baptist dialogue, due to hesitation in predominantly Catholic nations where Baptists feel persecuted. This report seems to have helped lessen those tensions, as it focused on many problematic areas of theology between our communities. There is no indication as of now as to when a third round of dialogue might take place.
Salvation Army
A series of introductory conversations with the Salvation Army were held from 2007‑ 2012. The Salvation Army is planning to publish the papers delivered from those meetings, with the title: Conversations with the Catholic Church. General Linda Bond represented the Salvation Army at the installation of Pope Francis in March, 2013. A new General was elected in July 2013, General André Cox. General Cox is the 20th General of the Salvation Army. In December, 2014 General André Cox is scheduled to make his first formal visit to meet Pope Francis.
Faith and Order
As the World Council of Churches was in immediate preparations for the WCC Assembly in October‑November 2013, there were no meetings of Faith and Order in 2013. The old Faith and Order Standing Commission met for the last time in March, 2014 to formally nominate new members. The new commission will begin its work in 2015, and is scheduled to conclude in 2022.
At the WCC Assembly, the proposed restructuring of the Faith and Order commission was approved, which reduces the size of the commission and restores its ability to initiate and evaluate studies and texts. The new Faith and Order Commission will be a single body of 40 members, with 10% of the members (4) being Catholic, nominated by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU). The new leadership will be a moderator and five vice‑moderators. At least one of the leadership, drawn from the commission membership, will be a Catholic, nominated by the PCPCU.
The convergence text “The Church: Towards a Common Vision”, was published in March 2013 (Faith and Order Paper no. 214). Fr William Henn, ofm.cap. was among the principal drafters of this text. This text concludes nearly twenty years of work on ecclesiology, including two previous published study texts, “The Nature and Purpose of the Church” (Faith and Order Paper no. 181, issued in 1998) and “The Nature and Mission of the Church ‑ A Stage on the Way to a Common Statement” (Faith and Order Paper no. 198, issued in 2005). It is only the second ever convergence text published by Faith and Order (the first being “Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry” in 1982). The Ecclesiology convergence text will be the subject of much of the work of the new commission, collating and organizing official responses to the paper. The PCPCU is organizing an official response by the Catholic Church. The little attention given to the Convergence Text at the WCC Assembly was disappointing. The concern has grown in recent years that the WCC is focused less on commitment to full visible unity and more on social and justice issues.
“Moral Discernment in the Churches: A Study Document” was published in 2013, with an Orthodox appendix and a Catholic footnote citing concerns with the text. The Moral Discernment text reflects the relativistic approach dominant in present day culture and accepted in many of the member churches of the WCC.
Old Commission: 2007‑2014: Faith and Order members (ending in 2014)
Standing Commission members
Rev. Fr Frans Bouwen (Catholic Moderator);
Rev. Dr William Henn;
Prof. Dr Myriam Wijlens.
Members
Dr Barbara Hallensleben
Most Rev. Archbishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan;
Prof. Dr Piotr Jaskola;
Sr Dr Lorelei F. Fuchs, SA;
Prof. Dr Wolfgang Thönissen;
Rev. Prof. Angelo Maffeis;
Rev. Prof. Jorge Scampini, OP;
Sr Ha Fong Maria Ko;
Dom Michel Van Parys, OSB.
New Commission: 2014‑2022
Rev. Dr William Henn (Catholic Moderator);
Prof. Dr Myriam Wijlens;
Prof Dr Krzysztof Mielcarek;
Prof. Janet E. Smith.
The Evangelical, Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches
Perhaps one of the ecumenical novelties brought in by Pope Francis is his personal interest in Evangelicals, Charismatics and Pentecostals – who now number between 400 and 600 million around the world – making them the second largest Christian presence, after Catholicism. There is no center, no binding structure: the common denominator is personal and collective experience of the action of the Holy Spirit, manifested in interior certainty of salvation, and external signs and words of spiritual conviction, and leading to a radical change in one’s behavior. We Catholics can be greatly perplexed by their lack of ecclesial and ecclesiological consistency, but we must recognize their genuine faith and Christian missionary vitality.
The PCPCU has three formal conversations in course with this evangelical‑pentecostal‑charismatic reality, having the purpose of understanding each other’s identity, doctrinal positions and interpretation of the Christian life:
1) a long‑standing dialogue with some classical Pentecostals, which has produced a number of interesting reports;
2) an ongoing yearly consultation with the World Evangelical Alliance, whose web‑site describes it as a network of churches in 129 countries and over 100 international organizations joining together to give a world‑wide identity, voice and platform to more than 600 million evangelical Christians;
3) a series of conversations with a group of leaders of what used to be called ‘non‑denominational churches’, but which now prefer to be called Charismatic Churches, including not a few mega‑churches.
Catholics, including much of the hierarchy, often see these groups as not really Christian, as sects, or in any case as aggressively targeting the faithful. There is of course much of that, but the Church’s response cannot be just to say no to five or six hundred million Christians; a proper pastoral response is called for. The PCPCU has in the past organized seminars for bishops and others active in ecumenism: twice in Latin America, twice in Africa and twice in Asia. Interestingly, in each case, the participants reached the conclusion that the first priority was a community‑wide examination of conscience as to why so many Catholics leave our own Church to join these groups. Not, what is wrong with Pentecostals and Evangelicals, but what is wrong with us, in our parishes, schools and universities? What liturgical, catechetical, pastoral and spiritual efforts are needed to face the challenge?
Catholic members:
Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge, Bishop of Raleigh (Co-Chair); Revd Msgr Juan Usma Gómez, Official of the PCPCU (Co–Secretary); Dr Mary E. Healy, Associate Professor of Sacred Scripture, Ypsilanti, Michigan; Rev Lawrence Iwuamadi, Catholic Professor, Ecumenical Institute at Bossey; Sister Maria Ko, FMA, Pontificia Facoltà "Auxilium", Rome; Rev Fr Marcial Maçaneiro SCJ, Brazil; Dr Teresa Francesca Rossi, Professor of Ecumenical Theology, Pontifical University St Thomas Aquinas, Rome.
Pentecostal members:
Rev Cecil M. Robeck, Jr. Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California (Co-Chair); Rev. David Cole, Liaison to the Greater Christian Community, Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America (Co-Secretary); Rev Nino Gonzalez, District Superintendent, Southeastern Spanish District Council of Assemblies of God, California; Dr S. David Moore, D.Min, PhD, The King’s University, Modesto, California; Rev Opoku Onyinah, Church of Pentecost, Accra, Ghana; Rev Joseph Suico, General Secretary, Director of World Missions for the General Council of the Assemblies of God in the Philippines .
Consultation between the Catholic Church and the World Evangelical Alliance
Evangelical Participants:
Reverend Dr Rolf Hille, Coordinator; Dr Leonardo de Chirico, World Evangelical Alliance; Reverend José de Segovia Barrón, Spanish Evangelical Alliance; Revd Dr Joel C. Elowsky, Associate Professor of Theology, Concordia University Wisconsin; Revd Dr Timoteo D. Gener, President, Asian Theological Seminary; Professor Dr James Nkansah-Obrempong, Vice-Chair, WEA Theological Commission; Professor Dr Claus Schwambach, General Director FLT in São Bento do Sul; Revd Dr Salomo Strauss, Evangelical Church of Wuerttemberg; Revd Jaume Llenas, Spanish Evangelical Alliance; Revd James Kautt (observer), International Christian Church Tuebingen.
Catholic Participants:
Revd Msgr Juan Usma Gómez, Official of the PCPCU Coordinator; Most Revd Donald Bolen, Bishop of Saskatoon; Revd Gregory J. Fairbanks, Official of the PCPCU; Ms Beatriz Sarkis Someos, Focolare Movement; Most Revd Rodolfo Valenzuela Nuñez, Bishop of Verapaz, Guatemala.
III. CONCLUDING REFLECTION
Ecumenical dialogue: not just words
A topic that is always present in the PCPCU’s reflection is the question of the proper methodology for ecumenical dialogue. Dialogue means comparing and contrasting ideas, clarifying mutual convictions, and seeking consensus. But is that all? Or is it not rather an encounter between persons in the deepest dimension of their faith and fidelity to the Lord, searching for his will for his Church.
Back in 1965, when what was then the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity prepared to put into practice the express invitation of the Second Vatican Council to enter ecumenical relations with the other Churches and Ecclesial Communions, the Joint Working Group (JWG) between the Roman Catholic Church and the World Council of Churches (WCC) studied the question of the methodology to follow in ecumenical dialogue. In 1967, the JWG published the results of its reflection in a working document (cf. Information Service, 1967/3). Three years later, the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity produced on its own a text containing “Reflections and Suggestions Concerning Ecumenical Dialogue” (cf. ibid. 1970/IV).
The two documents, in their complementarity, have offered for forty years a solid basis and useful framework for ecumenical activities. With the passage of time, however, the need to clarify further the concept of dialogue has become ever more evident. Indeed, both documents seem to waver between two notions of dialogue: on the one hand, dialogue understood as a common quest for a deeper understanding of the truth in the attempt to reach an agreement; on the other hand, as the effort to express and manifest the real though incomplete communion that already exists between Christians on the basis of their common baptismal grace. The crucial question is whether dialogue is fundamentally a theological discourse with the hope of finding that there is already some existing agreement without being previously aware of it, or whether it is the acquisition of ‘something of the Church’ that perhaps lay hidden in shadows but which the dialogue brings to light, thus leading the partners to discover that they are more alike than they had thought, because they are bearers of the same gift of grace.
This dialectic is well known in the world of ecumenism ever since 1952, when the Faith and Order Commission, during the third World Conference at Lund, took the decision to change from the method of comparative ecclesiology to a methodology that did not simply contrast two doctrinal positions, but which sought to identify what the two positions have in common. On this platform, dialogue has produced many positive results, but it is also true that these have remained prevalently at an academic level, as an exchange of ideas between the various participants. One has perhaps the impression that it is a matter of an internal question among specialists. It is not uncommon that the agreements reached correspond to issues regarding historical controversies. Consequently, they appear remote and of little relevance for the life of the faithful, and they are received by the Churches with difficulty. It was necessary therefore to develop the concept of dialogue so that its results might be translated into the lived experience of faith, in the form of witness and loving service, “so that the world might believe”(Jn 17:21).
In the encyclical “Ut unum sint” (UUS), Pope John Paul II enriched the concept of ecumenical dialogue, opening it to a further dimension. The encyclical places dialogue within the context of a profound anthropological vision: dialogue is not just an exchange of ideas, but the gift of oneself to the other, carried out in reciprocity as an existential act.
Before speaking of dialogue as a way of overcoming disagreements, the encyclical emphasizes its vertical dimension. Dialogue does not unfold simply on a horizontal level; rather, it bears within itself a transforming energy insofar as it is a path of renewal and conversion, an encounter that is not only scholarly but also spiritual which permits an “exchange of gifts”(UUS, n. 28, 57). In this way, dialogue implies an examination of conscience and a purification of the heart, which lead to a common recognition of “sins against unity”, whether they be personal, social, or structural. “This vertical aspect of dialogue lies in our acknowledgment, jointly and to each other, that we are men and women who have sinned. It is precisely this acknowledgment which creates in brothers and sisters living in Communities not in full communion with one another that interior space where Christ, the source of the Church's unity, can effectively act, with all the power of his Spirit, the Paraclete.” (UUS, n.35).
The encyclical conceives dialogue as a process in which Christians recognize the sins that have caused division and strive to confess together the truth in love and in communion, so as to reconstruct visible unity in diversity. Dialogue presupposes, therefore, a genuine desire for transformation, by way of a more radical fidelity to the Gospel and the overcoming of all ecclesial narcissism. If we do not wish for the ecumenical movement to head towards an irreversible decline, it is necessary that this process of transformation be not only a personal reality, but also that it be accepted by the churches and ecclesial communions involved in dialogue; this requires courage on the part of all, including Catholics.
Whoever believes in and hopes for the reestablishment of the unity of Christ’s disciples can draw encouragement from the words of Benedict XVI, who speaks with the conviction of one who has always cultivated friendships among the brothers and sisters of the other Churches and Ecclesial Communities, and who has been active in dialogue for his entire life as theologian and pastor. In October of 2006, on the occasion of a meeting of the Conference of Secretaries of Christian World Communions, he affirmed: “The theological dialogues in which many Christian World Communions have been engaged are characterized by a commitment to move beyond the things that divide, towards the unity in Christ which we seek. However daunting the journey, we must not lose sight of the final goal: full visible communion in Christ and in the Church. We may feel discouraged when progress is slow, but there is too much at stake to turn back. On the contrary, there are good reasons to forge ahead, as my predecessor Pope John Paul II pointed out in his Encyclical Letter Ut Unum Sint on the Catholic Church’s ecumenical commitment, where he speaks of brotherhood rediscovered and greater solidarity in the service of humanity (41ff.)”
Pope Francis has often spoken of ecumenical dialogue as an exchange of gifts. In the joint declaration made with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I during their meeting in Jerusalem in May 2014, they affirmed: “This is no mere theoretical exercise, but an exercise in truth and love that demands an ever deeper knowledge of each other’s traditions in order to understand them and to learn from them. Thus we affirm once again that the theological dialogue does not seek a theological lowest common denominator on which to reach a compromise, but is rather about deepening our grasp of the whole truth that Christ has given to his Church, a truth that we never cease to understand better as we follow the Holy Spirit’s promptings. Hence, we affirm together that our faithfulness to the Lord demands fraternal encounter and true dialogue. Such a common pursuit does not lead us away from the truth; rather, through an exchange of gifts, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, it will lead us into all truth (cf. Jn 16:13).”
If we want the ecumenical commitment of the Catholic Church to be sincere and genuine, we must receive the results achieved as gifts of the transforming and regenerating power of the Holy Spirit, which is the only power capable of bringing about the unity toward which we tend. These gifts ought to be assimilated with greater enthusiasm and intensity, not only in the small circle of authorized participants, but in the tangible life of the Church, by pastors and their people together.
The participants in the Plenary are invited to reflect on the following three questions:
Taking into account the different nature of the Churches of the East and the Ecclesial Communions of the West, are the theological dialogues sponsored by the PCPCU losing sight of their intended goal: the visible unity of the Church?
What can be done to restore this intentionality to the various dialogues?
What role has the PCPCU in this renewal?