Two realities conceived together” “

“We need to recover the ecclesiological principle that considers episcopus and ecclesia united: two realities that always need to be conceived together”: that’s the conclusion of VITTORINO GROSSI of the “Augustinianum” Patristic Institute in Rome in addressing the international symposium “The relation between the bishop and the local church: old and new questions in an ecumenical perspective”, recently held at the Pontifical St. Thomas Aquinas University (Angelicum) in Rome. Promoted by the San Bernardino Institute of Ecumenical Studies (Venice) and the Centro Pro Unione (Rome) in collaboration with the Institut Catholique in Paris and the Angelicum, the aim of the meeting, explained the Rector of the university, Father JOSEPH AGIUS, was to “examine the ministry of the bishop, one of the major concerns of Vatican Council II, which, forty years after its conclusion, still remains a central question in contemporary ecclesiological and ecumenical reflection”. ITALY. Characterised by an ecumenical and multi-disciplinary structure, the symposium proposed a re-interpretation of the episcopal ministry on the basis of the New Testament and reflection on the first centuries in the history of the Church, down to present-day canon law. It enjoyed the participation of leading experts from various countries and Christian confessions. “The relation between bishop and local Church – explained Grossi – was an object of debate since the first centuries of the Church. The ecclesiology of Cyprian [bishop of Carthage, 210-248], epitomised in the phrase ‘ episcopus in ecclesia et ecclesia in episcopo‘, was a constant point of reference for the early Church in Africa, as it also was, in more recent times, for the conciliar fathers, especially with regard to the question of collegiality”. According to Grossi, the bishop “is the visible sign of the invisible reality of the one Church born from the Trinity: safeguard of the unity of Christians, who are always exposed to the risk of disintegration”. Crux of the ministry, the bishop embodies “the relation between personal, collegial and communal authority”. ENGLAND. “The Christian Churches now co-exist with some mutual recognition of the episcopal ministry; I think our common baptism can be a point of departure in our journey towards unity”, said CRISTOPHER HILL, Anglican bishop of Guildford (England) and member of various ecumenical bodies. Recalling his many meetings with Catholic bishops, exponents of the Methodist Church, Jews and Muslims, Hill explained that “the experience of an Anglican bishop in England will necessarily be ecumenical, irrespective of the posts he held before his episcopal ordination”. In Hill’s view “ecumenism in practice is born from the intuition that ‘the other body’ also possesses a certain ‘ecclesial density’ and hence elements of genuine episcopal ministry, although it may differ in its form from that of one’s own tradition”. “In current ecclesiology – he concluded – the two poles of baptism and the eucharist ought to be considered complementary; I think a deeper examination of our baptismal communion could form a point of departure for a better understanding of our ministry”. GERMANY. PAUL-WERNER SCHEELE, Catholic bishop emeritus of Würzburg (Germany), defined his own 34-year-long experience as a bishop as “a personal, collegial and communal task, performed with the collaboration of clergy and laity”. Also significant, he said, “and entrusted to the entire diocese”, is ecumenical commitment in an area where “20% of the population is Evangelical, and where there are also large numbers of Lutherans, Methodists and Orthodox. “Often – remarked Scheele – dogmatic theology focuses on individual questions that have negative effects on theory and practice, rather than on the theological foundation of the ministry, which reflects the mandate given by the Father to the Son”. We therefore “need to reaffirm the value of the bishop as mission and service, and his task of maintaining and transmitting the apostolic faith”. According to Bishop Scheele, “ecumenical dialogue can contribute to the specific understanding of the episcopal ministry; especially if conducted within the parameters of one’s own tradition”. SWITZERLAND. Ecumenical dialogue as “great necessity for the Christian world” was also underlined by JEREMIE, Orthodox metropolitan of Switzerland. He emphasized that “the question of the relation between bishop and church is still a central issue in the debate. “In the East – he noted – the Orthodox Church has remained closely linked to an ecclesiology of local type, and its inflexibility in the matter does not leave much room for manoeuvre in the main questions”. Despite that, “the restoration of the unity of the Church is an imperative of theological character. In the 21st century, the age of the ecumenical movement and, at the same time, of the convergence of ecclesiology on the apostolic and post-apostolic vision – he concluded -, a common theological effort is needed, free from prejudicial obstacles and guided by the Holy Spirit, if we are to overcome the difficulties that still keep us far from the hoped-for goal”.