Some Ecumenical Reflections

The following is quoted from the document Dominus Iesus, written by the then-Cardinal Ratzinger and approved by Pope John Paul II in 2000:

IV. UNICITY AND UNITY OF THE CHURCH

16. The Lord Jesus, the only Saviour, did not only establish a simple community of disciples, but constituted the Church as a salvific mystery: he himself is in the Church and the Church is in him (cf. Jn 15:1ff.; Gal 3:28; Eph 4:15-16; Acts 9:5). Therefore, the fullness of Christ's salvific mystery belongs also to the Church, inseparably united to her Lord. Indeed, Jesus Christ continues his presence and his work of salvation in the Church and by means of the Church (cf. Col 1:24-27), which is his body (cf. 1 Cor 12:12-13, 27; Col 1:18). And thus, just as the head and members of a living body, though not identical, are inseparable, so too Christ and the Church can neither be confused nor separated, and constitute a single “whole Christ”. This same inseparability is also expressed in the New Testament by the analogy of the Church as the Bride of Christ (cf. 2 Cor 11:2; Eph 5:25-29; Rev 21:2,9).

Therefore, in connection with the unicity and universality of the salvific mediation of Jesus Christ, the unicity of the Church founded by him must be firmly believed as a truth of Catholic faith. Just as there is one Christ, so there exists a single body of Christ, a single Bride of Christ: “a single Catholic and apostolic Church”. Furthermore, the promises of the Lord that he would not abandon his Church (cf. Mt 16:18; 28:20) and that he would guide her by his Spirit (cf. Jn 16:13) mean, according to Catholic faith, that the unicity and the unity of the Church — like everything that belongs to the Church's integrity — will never be lacking.

The Catholic faithful are required to profess that there is an historical continuity — rooted in the apostolic succession — between the Church founded by Christ and the Catholic Church: “This is the single Church of Christ... which our Saviour, after his resurrection, entrusted to Peter's pastoral care (cf. Jn 21:17), commissioning him and the other Apostles to extend and rule her (cf. Mt 28:18ff.), erected for all ages as ‘the pillar and mainstay of the truth' (1 Tim 3:15). This Church, constituted and organized as a society in the present world, subsists in [subsistit in] the Catholic Church, governed by the Successor of Peter and by the Bishops in communion with him”. With the expression subsistit in, the Second Vatican Council sought to harmonize two doctrinal statements: on the one hand, that the Church of Christ, despite the divisions which exist among Christians, continues to exist fully only in the Catholic Church, and on the other hand, that “outside of her structure,many elements can be found of sanctification and truth”, that is, in those Churches and ecclesial communities which are not yet in full communion with the Catholic Church. But with respect to these, it needs to be stated that “they derive their efficacy from the very fullness of grace and truth entrusted to the Catholic Church”.

17. Therefore, there exists a single Church of Christ, which subsists in the Catholic Church, governed by the Successor of Peter and by the Bishops in communion with him. The Churches which, while not existing in perfect communion with the Catholic Church, remain united to her by means of the closest bonds, that is, by apostolic succession and a valid Eucharist, are true particular Churches. Therefore, the Church of Christ is present and operative also in these Churches, even though they lack full communion with the Catholic Church, since they do not accept the Catholic doctrine of the Primacy, which, according to the will of God, the Bishop of Rome objectively has and exercises over the entire Church.

On the other hand, the ecclesial communities which have not preserved the valid Episcopate and the genuine and integral substance of the Eucharistic mystery, are not Churches in the proper sense; however, those who are baptized in these communities are, by Baptism, incorporated in Christ and thus are in a certain communion, albeit imperfect, with the Church. Baptism in fact tends per se toward the full development of life in Christ, through the integral profession of faith, the Eucharist, and full communion in the Church.

“The Christian faithful are therefore not permitted to imagine that the Church of Christ is nothing more than a collection — divided, yet in some way one — of Churches and ecclesial communities; nor are they free to hold that today the Church of Christ nowhere really exists, and must be considered only as a goal which all Churches and ecclesial communities must strive to reach”. In fact, “the elements of this already-given Church exist, joined together in their fullness in the Catholic Church and, without this fullness, in the other communities”. “Therefore, these separated Churches and communities as such, though we believe they suffer from defects, have by no means been deprived of significance and importance in the mystery of salvation. For the spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as means of salvation which derive their efficacy from the very fullness of grace and truth entrusted to the Catholic Church”.

The lack of unity among Christians is certainly a wound for the Church; not in the sense that she is deprived of her unity, but “in that it hinders the complete fulfilment of her universality in history”.

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I have highlighted various passages that I humbly believe may be relevant to the discussions between Roman Catholics and Christians of other ecclesial bodies. The blue passages refer to items of self-description and belief expected on the of Roman Catholics. The red passages comprise affirmations about Christians of other ecclesial communities. The green passages are those which arosed no small measure of consternation and downright ire among folks such as the Anglicans.

If I may summarize the salient points that we might take into consideration in our ecumenical conversations with the Romans, they might be proposed as follows:

(1) The Romans still believe themselves to constitute that one Church founded by Jesus Christ. In other words, according to the Roman perspective, the Body of Christ = the Roman Catholic Church.

(2) Roman Catholics are not permitted to believe that (a) there is no palpable true Church of Christ present and operative in the world today and (b) the one Church of Christ cannot legitimately be described as the sum total of the divided portions of Christendom.

(3) Roman Catholics somehow must explain the existence and meaning of Churches that have retained the apostolic succession and a valid eucharist, and they have chosen to describe communions like ours as "true particular Churches" (dioceses in which "the Church of Christ is present and operative") that lack full communion with the Roman Catholic Church (thus are "defective") but nonetheless possess "elements of sanctification and truth," have "signifcance and importance in the mystery of salvation," and are "used by the spirit of Christ as means of salvation." In other words, our members are not necessarily assumed to be lost.

(4) Ecclesial bodies that have been judged to have retained neither the apostolic succession nor a valid eucharist are likely going to be considered in a category completely separate from that of Churches such as the Eastern Orthodox, Old Catholic, Old Catholic Orthodox, etc. Thus, the Anglicans, Presbyterians, Methodists, and many others are probably not going to be on the same "ecumenical page."

Items like those quoted and summarized above will likely constitute the matter that the Romans will bring to the roundtable of ecumenical discussion.

Things should become interesting in the months and years to come. If Pope Benedict XVI is indeed serious about reuniting Christianity in some meaningful way (the exact scope of which certainly remains to be seen, particularly in terms of the primacy to be acknowledged by a reunited Christendom), he will likely start with the various apostolic-sacramental "particular Churches," beginning with the Eastern Orthodox. The pope's credibility in expressing his determination to reunite Christianity will doubtless be measured by his practice of the ancient Christian Dictum: "unity in essentials, freedom in matters of doubt, and charity above all."

In John 17 Jesus prayed that his followers would be one. In our discussions and other undertakings with one another, may all of the followers of Christ heed the words of the ancient Dictum. May our ears, minds, and hearts be ever open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit as he defines the pilgrimage to be undertaken by all Christians as we await the Lord's return in glory. May the Spirit gather and preserve us in unity, harmony, and peace.

Bishop Craig (Mar Martin) Davis, SST, D.D., M.Div.
Church of the Transfiguration, Central Indiana