The way of patience

The state of the “ecumenical” situation is among the goals reached in the past 50 years of dialogue (from the Second Vatican Council to date) and the new challenges that lie ahead. We asked cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity, to delve into these themes in an interview with SIR Europe on the occasion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity celebrated January 18-25, and the national Day of reflection and exploration of Jewish-Christian dialogue that will be celebrated on January 17 in countries across Europe, including Italy.The 2012 Week of Prayer will be celebrated in the year when the Universal Church remembers the opening of the Second Vatican council 50 years ago. Could you draw for us an “ecumenical” balance of the most important goals reached and the new challenges that have emerged? “Many steps have been made over the past 50 years. We have undertaken 16 different dialogues. And while great progress has been made in the dialogue with the Orthodox, in the Western world problems have grown increasingly complex owing to three new challenges: firstly, in the realm of the Reform Churches we are witnessing a major fragmentation alongside with the birth of an increasing number of new Churches. The second challenge is the increased number of diversities at ethical level. This constitutes a major transformation compared to the 1970s or the 1980s when it was customary to say: ‘faith divides, practice unites.’ But in order to provide a credible witness to society we have to find a jointly agreed approach on fundamental issues such as ethics: in a strongly secularized world there is the need for the common voice of Christians. The third problematic aspect is that the ultimate goal of ecumenism has been forgotten. Several Churches and ecclesial communities that were born with the Reform no longer consider visible unity in faith, ministries and Sacraments as their ultimate goal. Instead, they understand unity as the totality of all Churches. An ecumenical vision which, as Catholics, we cannot accept”. At what point are relations with the Orthodox Churches?“There are very good bilateral relations with Constantinople and bilateral relations with Moscow have greatly improved. As regards the international mixed Catholic-Orthodox Committee, which involves 15 Orthodox churches, honestly, it must be said that we have come to a very difficult situation. We thought that an important step had been made after the meeting in Ravenna in 2007. At the time, it had been decided to carry out a historical survey of the first millennium on the practice of the primate of the bishop of Rome but the Orthodox refused to continue. It thus seems hard to speak of Peter’s tradition in the Bible. The theological discussion on sinodality and primacy will have to go on but a joint document to be presented at next year’s plenary hasn’t been drawn up. I am convinced that a good future in dialogue lies ahead and even if today it’s difficult we know that life hasn’t always been a straight road”. Your Eminence, why is ecumenism so difficult today? “Because in the years that immediately followed the Council there was great enthusiasm and maybe it was believed that Church unity was at hand. Afterwards we had to realize that problems were greater that we had imagined, that more time, patience, and study was needed. We also had to learn that it’s not us that make Church unity; that unity is a gift of God and that we have to be open to accept this reality. The theme of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity this year brings us back to the beginning of ecumenism, to the transforming power of prayer. These beginnings cannot be left to the past but should always accompany all ecumenical commitments. The Second Vatican Council described spiritual ecumenism as the soul of the ecumenical movement and in this framework the Week of Prayer is meant to highlight the very essence of ecumenism”. The Week of Prayer here in Italy is preceded by the Day on Judaism, which this year is dedicated to the theme “The sixth word: you shall not kill”. In what way, in your opinion, must this commandment be translated within the contemporary world? “Firstly, I am very happy that this Day takes place before the Week since Judaism is the mother of Christianity and this memory is very important. The commandment that is the theme of the Day possesses major topical relevance. I see there are three main challenges: the first is terrorism, massacres and persecutions against Christians because of their faith. The second challenge is capital punishment that is still ongoing in some world countries while in others its reintroduction is being debated. To this regard, the Holy Father has spoken clear words against such practice. The third challenge is represented by the bioethical challenges involving abortion, and even euthanasia in Europe. Promoting and supporting human dignity from the beginning to its natural termination is a major challenge in secularized societies and on these themes Jews and Christians share the same biblical tradition and thus the common belief that man was created to God’s image and likeness. Annihilating human life is an act of violence against the image of God that is inscribed within mankind and it is also an act of violence against God as the creator of life. It is therefore important that Christians and Jews bear equal witness to faith in the contemporary world”.