Possible paths of dialogue

Continuing theological dialogue, undertaking all the paths leading to concrete cooperation on different fronts, addressing ethical questions, exploring all forms of visible unity, but most of all abating “all possible mistrusts and diffidence”. It is the face of ecumenism when the state of dialogue “is out of shape”. The representatives of Christian Churches in Barcelona presented proposals and prospects during the international meeting for peace of the Community of Sant’Egidio. An invitation not to be pessimistic was made by Cardinal Lluis Martinez Sistach, Catholic archbishop of Barcelona. “Over the past one-hundred years – he said – we made more steps forward that in the millennium that led us to division. Nor must we forget that unity is a gift of the Holy Spirit and as such it must be invoked with prayer”. The Catholicos of Cilicia and of all Armenians Aram I, doesn’t conceal the difficulties. “There are those who claim that ecumenism is experiencing a winter season, others say that dialogue is increasingly marginal to Church life, others still argue we’re experiencing a transition period. In fact, interest for ecumenism is decreasing and unity is longer viewed as a priority in Churches’ agenda”. “Where do we go from here?” the Catholicos asked. “Is unity close by or is it an eschatological objective? I have no answers to give. But I would like to say that first and foremost we must further theological dialogue with a renewed commitment. There are unexplored areas, which require extensive dialogue and thorough debate”. The Catholicos suggests to “jointly address ethical issues which have become critical to inter-ecclesial relations” and also explore all visible forms of unity such as joint Easter celebrations. An obstacle to the creation of a reconciled world. According to John Barrett, president of the World Methodist Council, “the need to be together is not dictated by our scattering and scarcity of means, but rather by the zeal to be more effective and credible in evangelising the world. This urgency that led to start the modern ecumenical modern is still there today. The lack of unity among Christians is first and foremost a veritable sin, which ends up denying evangelical love. The lack of unity among Christians ends us denying out the very mission to work ‘for the world to believe’ and is an obstacle to the building of peace, since the Church cannot be the author of a newly-coined world if it is divided inside”. The role of the pope. The Anglican bishop of London Richard Chartres spoke of the Petrine Magisterium. “The Church of Rome and the Pope – he said – have a special responsibility in promoting this global dialogue and this coalition of the poor and the humble. In the meeting of Assisi Pope John Paul II showed the capacity of the Petrine ministry in bringing together not only Christians but also other allies to the service of the common good. The ut unum sint raised the question of the significance of Petrine ministry for Christian ecumene. Assisi, which had such major influence over the development of dialogue, indicated a fruitful path”. Catholics and Orthodox. Metropolitan Hilarion, president of the Department of External Relations of Moscow’s patriarchate, conveyed a token of esteem for Pope Benedict XVI. “In this age – he said -, there are many options to cooperate, and these options have become wider because of the election of Pope Benedict XVI, a man who has a broad and deep theological mind, who knows the Christian Orthodox tradition, who has done and is doing a lot for the unity of Christians”. Then, the Metropolitan bishop took stock of bilateral theological dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches as a whole. A dialogue that “is ongoing”, especially on the problems of Uniatism and the primacy of the Bishop of Rome. The Metropolitan Bishop Hilarion spoke of the meeting of the International Joint Commission that took place in Vienna recently, where they decided to revise a text that had already been approved in Cyprus last year. “There has been no rupture – the Metropolitan Bishops pointed out -. Rather, there has been an open and honest discussion about what divides us. Hopefully, these discussions will lead us to undertake all those paths leading to the recovery of undivided first Millennium Church”. In the meantime, Orthodox and Catholics congregations can join forces on the values of the family and life, from conception to its natural end. Issues – he added – for which “we have more problems with the Protestant world” and the Anglican world, which opened up to “rites of blessing for same-sex couples” and to the “ordination of women and self-declared homosexuals”. These are decisions – Hilarion said – that are a “threat to unity, because they drive us apart. We’re not the ones who are moving away from them. They are moving away from us by introducing unacceptable new elements in ecclesiology and moral teaching”. Hence his appeal to a dialogue that can give a voice to difficulties “with honesty”. And then a recommendation: “We must act quickly: otherwise, we risk handing over Europe to a militant form of secularism”.