Siena prof plays major role in Catholic-Reformed dialogue

A priest from the Albany Diocese is part of the national U.S. Catholic-Reformed Dialogue that is working to bridge a gap that has existed between the two Christian traditions since the 16th century.

Rev. Dennis Tamburello, OFM, professor of religious studies at Siena College in Loudonville, was appointed to the dialogue team by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Participating in the discussions are theologians and religious thinkers from the Roman Catholic Church and four Reformed denominations: the Christian Reformed Church in North America, the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Reformed Church in America and the United Church of Christ.

Across a divide

Like the more well-publicized talks between Roman Catholics and Lutherans that led to a landmark agreement in 1999 on justification, the Reformed-Catholic exchange is meant to help bridge denominational chasms.

Father Tamburello expects that while both sides agree on certain social teachings, specific doctrinal differences and areas of emphasis will prove to be contentious points.

"We need to recognize that differences still exist," he told The Evangelist, "to recognize that no formulation is ever going to be adequate in dealing with the mystery of faith. During the Reformation, people were fighting with one another almost as if they were in different religions. Now, we've discovered that we're not so far apart."

Issues to weigh

The priest expects that, during sessions this April and September, agreements will be found in the way Catholic and Reformed churches view the concept of church community.

A major area for delegates to resolve is the Eucharist and transubstantiation. Reformed churches do not teach that the bread and wine actually become the Body and Blood of Christ.

Catholics "believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist," Father Tamburello noted. "In the Protestant tradition, the Lord's Supper is a genuine encounter with Christ. It's not just a memorial. Something is happening there. We end up in the same place. The real issue is: Can we recognize that something happens in the Eucharist that is mysterious, mystical, that transcends our ability to formulate in a proposition?"

Sacraments

A difference in approaches to sacramental theology will also provide food for thought for both sides, Father Tamburello said.

The Catholic Church recognizes seven sacraments, while the Reformed churches list only Baptism and Eucharist because, in that denomination's theology, they were the only ones instituted by Christ.

"We need to find the common ground that exists without brushing the differences under the rug and pretending like they don't matter," the Franciscan noted. "You do an injustice when you try to pretend that the differences aren't there."

(Father Tamburello has written extensively on Reformed-Catholic relations, and has studied the Calvinist notion of union with Christ and its connection to the medieval monastic theologian, Bernard of Clairvaux.)

(1/22/04)