With open arms

Living for justice and peace, fighting against all forms of hatred, racism and discrimination, for a "fair society based on dignity, equality and fraternity". This is the commitment that all Christians are called to undertake in preparation for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, celebrated January 18-25. This year’s theme is "What God demands of us" (cf. Michea 6,6-8). The document on the meditations has been drawn up by the Student Christian Movement of India (Scmi), which has called upon World Churches to focus their attention on the unjust circumstances in which they live, on Indian culture, the Dalits. The Document draws inspiration from the true story of a woman from the Dalit community called Sarah. The narrated incident occurred in 2008 in Khandamal, in the State of Orissa, in Central India, that witnessed an outbreak of violence. On that occasion the Christian local population (mostly Dalits) were attacked by the Hindu majority. The places of worship and the homes of Christians were destroyed. Orissa is one of the poorest cities in India. In the conflict 59 civilians died, 115 churches were torn down, houses were damaged, and over 50 000 homeless Christians sought shelter in the forest, and later, in the refugee camps set up by the Indian Governments. Maria Chiara Biagioni, for SIR, addressed the issue with cardinal Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity. What is the role of religious freedom in the Week of Prayer? "This year’s reflections for the Week of Prayer highlight the fundamental question of injustice marking India’s caste system. This decision conceals an ever more urgent question. Christian faith is the most persecuted faith in the world, representing 80% of those persecuted on religious grounds. John Paul II was the first to speak of the ecumenism of the martyrs because all Churches and communities have their own martyrs. Thus before the persecution of world Christians the Catholic Church is called to disseminate the tenets of religious freedom since as Benedict XVI said, it’s the foundation of all human rights and this reflection is very important, also through prayer". How could Christian Churches contribute? "Most important, is to express solidarity in situations of violence, oppression and persecution. Churches should be more present. Especially in Europe, Christians should be more aware of these situations. We don’t speak of many things, of many problems of faith and of Churches, but this major challenge is insufficiently addressed. I think it’s very important to express solidarity so that all those who are being persecuted in the world on religious grounds feel less alone". The Week is also an opportunity for an "ecumenical" balance. What is the view of the Holy See vis a vis the ethical connotation of the recent stances of the Anglican Communion? "I think there are two fundamental problems. First: the objective defined by the Ecumenical Catholic Church is a visible unity of the Church in faith, sacraments and ministries. There ensues that changes in the conditions for access to the ministry fundamentally affect the ecumenical process. The second problem is that such changes are linked to the fact that the major challenges of the ecumenical dialogues are no longer based on the doctrinal nature of faith, but they are mostly of an ethical nature. In the 1970s and 1980s it was said that faith divided, but taking action united. Today the opposite is true, given the emergence of divisions at an ethical level. It is, however, a challenge that deserves reflection not only for the credibility of the Church, but also for the mission of bringing the Christian message into our societies. If the Churches and ecclesial communities have very different views on an ethical level, there cannot be a good evangelization". A wish to the new Archbishop of Canterbury?"I hope the good relations we had with the Archbishop Williams shall continue. I hope we can continue this dialogue of love and friendship and also deepen the dialogue of truth on the issues that still divide us. And I wish him courage and strength, that he may continue his ministry at a time when the whole Anglican Communion in the world is experiencing a great deal of tensions".What is the obstacle to ecumenical dialogue that worries you the most?"I think the main obstacle to the current ecumenical situation today is that we no longer know what is ecumenism nor the final goal of the ecumenical movement. We no longer have a consensus on these fundamental issues. Plurality has become a synonym for dogmatic intolerance and this is a major obstacle. The challenge today is to rediscover the need and the beauty of unity; the awareness above all that Christianity cannot live without unity. Especially in the Year of the faith we need to deepen the theological roots of ecumenism. This is not diplomacy or politics but something that goes to the root of our faith because it is what God requires of us. We human beings cannot, however, produce unity nor predict the day when this goal will be reached. Unity is a gift of the Holy Spirit to call upon, but we must be open to receive this gift".