Ecumenical progress has been great

(These are portions of a homily delivered by Bishop Hubbard during a recent ecumenical service at the New Covenant Presbyterian Church to mark the 40th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council's "Decree on Ecumenism.")

The Second Vatican Council's 1964 "Decree on Ecumenism" was a major milestone in the pursuit of the unity for which Jesus prayed so fervently on the night before He suffered and died: "May they all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me" (John 17:21).

It should be noted that this Decree, which reflected a major shift in the Roman Catholic Church's self-understanding and its relationships with other Christian churches, was but a step on a journey that began much earlier through the visionary efforts of the irenic movements of the 19th century, and the work of the World Council of Churches and the National Council of Churches in the first part of the 20th century.

Further, this journey has continued with significant statements, agreements and theological understandings among various Christian denominations over the past 40 years.

Progress

To give some perspective on the progress that has been made, let me recall the state of ecumenism in the Roman Catholic tradition at the time I was ordained a priest in 1963, the year before the Decree we commemorate this year.

At that time, the marriage between a Catholic and Protestant couple, at least as far as the Roman Catholic Church was concerned, could be witnessed only by a Catholic priest, and even then the couple were treated as second-class citizens. The ceremony itself was held outside the sanctuary and devoid of the traditional liturgical accoutrements. My sister had this experience when she married an Episcopalian in 1961.

The Protestant partner was constrained to sign promises about the Catholic upbringing of the children, often doing violence to his or her conscience, and generating hostility and resentment that not infrequently seeped into the marital relationship itself.

Furthermore, to have dreamed that a Protestant minister could have attended such a service, no less participate or officiate (to say nothing of the possibility of a Catholic party being married in a Protestant or non-denominational service) would have been considered far out indeed.

Olden days

Children and young adults were not permitted to participate in recreational and social programs sponsored by the local YMCA and/or YWCA, or to attend Boy Scout or Girl Scout meetings held in the hall of the local Protestant church because such activities were sponsored by "those other people."

Whoever "those other people" were and whatever sinister motivation they may have had were left to the youngsters' wildest imaginings. Thanks be to God, more often then not, the youth ignored the admonition of their heresy-conscious elders.

Catholics could not be buried in a Protestant cemetery, which was any cemetery not under Catholic auspices. Thus, the sorrow of bereavement at times turned into the hostility of sectarian warfare, necessitating the separation of husbands and wives, and parents and children in the place of final rest.

And Catholic participation in "non-Catholic" worship, except in very restrictive circumstances, such as the marriage or funeral of an immediate relative, held for the offending party the ominous threat of excommunication.

Changes

Today, however, because we as a faith community have opened ourselves to dialogue and communication...because this openness has been met with mutual reciprocity...and because we have come to realize that the bonds uniting us are much stronger than the historical and doctrinal differences that have tended to separate us, all of these liturgical and ecclesiastical prohibitions in our denomination have been changed.

When one recalls that such antediluvian attitudes were part and parcel of our denominational heritage as recently as a generation ago, it gives some perspective to how far and how well we have come in a relatively short period of time.

I would suggest that many in the Protestant community are aware of similar attitudes and ecclesial postures toward Roman Catholics and other Protestants, attitudes which have been diffused or demythologized as result of the reconciliation and dialogue that the ecumenical movement has promoted.

New days

I can recall vividly the heady days following the Second Vatican Council when barriers fell as dramatically as the collapse of the Berlin Wall.

There were ecumenical prayer services, pulpit exchanges, grassroots dialogues, and joint service and social action projects. In our own area, for example, Christians United in Mission and the Ecumenical Communications Office were born, both of which were succeeded by CREO and the Judicatory Executive Forum.

There was the emergence of Schenectady Inner City Ministry and the Troy Area United Ministries as an ecumenical outreach to the poor.

Slower pace

In the minds of many, the goal of Christian unity seemed to be attainable, perhaps by the beginning of the new millennium. Today, however, while the ecumenical strides made have been maintained and sustained, and while our region enjoys one of the best ecumenical climates of any place in the nation, the pace of ecumenism has slowed considerably and new obstacles to unity have arisen.

In other words, the initial wave of enthusiasm following the Second Vatican Council's Decree has been followed by a period of sobering realism or at least lowered expectations.

The reasons for such are complex, including fiscal constraints being experienced by national denominational offices, internal issues needing to be addressed by the churches, and the natural ebb and flow of movements and relationships, just to mention a few.

As one noted ecumenist observed, "We have had the honeymoon and now we are faced with the arduous task of building a solid marriage."

Crossroads

Some have suggested that ecumenism is in crisis. But crises can be viewed not only in the negative sense of the breakdown of what has been built up over the years, but also in the original Greek sense. The term "crisis" means a turning point, where things are hanging in the balance. In crises, old ways come to an end, but room for new possibilities is opened up.

Commenting on this reality, Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Vatican's Council for Promoting Christian Unity, suggests there are two immediate dangers to be avoided:

* The first is that the ecumenical dialogue runs the risk of becoming a mere academic affair. Although not denying the importance of a serious theological underpinning for ecumenical dialogue, the Cardinal is concerned that the faithful in the pews are often excluded, and, thus, become either alienated or annoyed;

* The second danger the Cardinal cites is that we embark upon an endless series of conferences, symposia, commissions, meetings, sessions, projects and high-level events with the perpetual repetition of the same arguments, concerns, problems and lamentations. The ecumenical documents of the past few decades at the national and international levels, to say nothing of regional and local documents, now comprise over five volumes.

Cardinal Kasper asks: "Who can read all of this stuff, and, indeed, who wants to?" Most of these findings do not reach the churches either at the leadership or grassroots level. Thus, many denominational executives and lay people rightly ask disappointedly, "What and where are the concrete results? What is the specific outcome of all of these illuminated discussions and dialogues?"

Spirituality

The answer is to be found, Cardinal Kasper proposes, in the spiritual dimension of ecumenism.

This means first of all that prayer must be the foundation of all that we do. We cannot make or organize church unity; unity is a gift of the Holy Spirit who alone can open hearts to conversion and reconciliation. Thus, we must come together to pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

There can be no ecumenism without conversion and renewal. Spiritual conversion means reading the Scriptures together, sharing faith experiences, and collaborating in service to the needy, sick and the outcast. This type of ecumenism is not restricted to the theological "experts" but is both accessible and obligatory for all.

Renewed emphasis

I echo Cardinal Kasper's call for greater emphasis on spiritual ecumenism; on denominational leaders and church members spending more time together in reading the Scriptures, in sharing stories of lived faith and in prayer.

It is here, I believe, that we come to appreciate more fully the bonds that unite us and experience more acutely the pain and futility of our separation.

It is in such spiritual activity that we will become more sensitive to the repercussions of unilateral decisions upon our brothers and sisters of other churches. And it is here that we will become more open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, who reveals to us our God of surprises, and who leads us into the future not with a blueprint but with a compass, a compass focused on our one God and our one Savior, Jesus Christ.

Moral values

It is also in the context of this spiritual activity, I would suggest, that we will discover the imperative to work cooperatively and collaboratively in addressing the great social issues of our day: war...terrorism...economic disparity, both nationally and globally...family breakdown...sexual and environmental exploitation and gender identity...as well as the spiritual ills of hedonism, individualism, consumerism and secularism that can corrupt the spirit and the progress of understanding life's ultimate meaning and fulfillment.

The recent presidential campaign demonstrated there is a great concern on the part of many Americans about moral values. But what precisely do people mean by this convenient catch-all phrase?

Are moral values only applicable to issues like same-sex marriage, embryonic stem cell research and abortion, or are not moral values also at stake in decisions about war, in drawing lines against torture, in addressing poverty or in providing desperately needed housing and health care?

It is illustrative to note that for every injunction in the Bible regarding sexuality, there are hundreds, maybe thousands, regarding care for the poor. All of human life, not just sexual matters or personal behavior, is shot through with moral and ethical issues.

However, as Peter Steinfels, the religion columnist for The New York Times, notes, "While it is necessary to enlarge the framework for the discussion of moral values, it is another thing to equate the so-called moral values voters with Jihad-driven Muslim terrorists or to imply that their concerns are merely a disguise for ignorance, irrationality and intolerance."

What is needed is civil and informed discussion on these polarizing issues. And where better to foster this type of constructive dialogue then within our churches and between our churches?

Path to unity

Finally, I would opine that it is in this spiritual activity that we will find the path to a pluriformity within unity, that is, a path that enables our churches to retain legitimate diversity and the best of our traditions while yet becoming one church that praises God with one voice, and gives unanimous witness to the world for justice, healing reconciliation and peace.

In the light of the challenges that we have faced in the ecumenical movement over the years, there have been some who have become discouraged and disillusioned, and given up the pursuit. They see only the chaos and confusion born of change and conclude that the situation is hopeless.

Quite frankly, I hold the opposite perspective. I contend that there have been certain times in the life of the church when the Holy Spirit has been poured forth abundantly, creating a new vision and a new horizon that gives shape and direction to humankind and civilization for generations to come.

New Pentecost

We, I believe, are living in precisely such an age: in a new Pentecost.

As participants in the ecumenical movement, we have the golden opportunity of being involved at the heart of this re-awakening; of being molders and builders of new ecclesial structures and theological language that speak to our contemporary world and that insure a fresh hearing for the Christian revelation.

And it will take all of the love, all of the zeal, all of the talent, all of the maturity and all of the dedication we possess if we are to respond to this challenge as God desires and as the challenge itself so urgently demands.

May we, then, accept this challenge, embrace it and fulfill it for the honor and glory of God, and for the hope, peace and betterment of God's people.

(12/2/04)