SALT LAKE CITY — One of the most significant tasks of the Second Vatican Council was to establish clear guidelines in order to foster ecumenical relations among all the Christian Churches. In this particular reference, the decree on ecumenism, Unitatis Redintegratio, of Nov. 21, 1964, settled the tone for any ecumenical action.
Canon 214 of the current Code of Canon Law opened the door for ecumenical relations among all of the Christian churches as it is stated, “The Christian faithful have the right to worship God according to the prescripts of their own rite approved by the legitimate pastors of the Church and to follow their own form of spiritual life so long it is consonant with the doctrine of the Church.” Furthermore, Canon 844 of our current Code of Canon, established the criteria to be used in cases of sacramental or liturgical sharing (communicatio in sacris), making a particular reference to the sacrament of penance, Eucharist and anointing of the sick.
I want to use this theme of ecumenical action to refer some of the highlights of the address recently given by His Holiness Benedict XVI at an ecumenical meeting in Prague, Czech Republic, on Sept. 27.
In the beginning, His Holiness Benedict XVI reminds us all that Christianity is a powerful force of development and transformation in the world today:
“Nevertheless, attempts to marginalize the influence of Christianity upon public life - sometimes under the pretext that its teachings are detrimental to the well-being of society - are emerging in new forms. This phenomenon gives us pause to reflect. As I suggested in my Encyclical on Christian hope, the artificial separation of the Gospel from intellectual and public life should prompt us to engage in a mutual “self-critique of modernity” and “self-critique of modern Christianity,” specifically with regard to the hope each of them can offer mankind (cf. Spe Salvi, 22). We may ask ourselves, what does the Gospel have to say to the Czech Republic and indeed all of Europe today in a period marked by proliferating world views?”
His Holiness Benedict XVI, uses the same principal exposed on Canon 1752, “…the salvation of souls, which must always be the supreme law in the Church…” to reaffirm the necessity that all Christians must work together for the good of all human beings:
“Christianity has much to offer on the practical and ethical level, for the Gospel never ceases to inspire men and women to place themselves at the service of their brothers and sisters. Few would dispute this. Yet those who fix their gaze upon Jesus of Nazareth with eyes of faith know that God offers a deeper reality which is nonetheless inseparable from the “economy” of charity at work in this world (cf. Caritas in Veritate, 2): He offers salvation… Likewise Christians today, opening themselves to present realities and affirming all that is good in society, must have the courage to invite men and women to the radical conversion that ensues upon an encounter with Christ and ushers in a new life of grace.”
At the end of his discourse, His Holiness Benedict XVI encourages the people of Europe to continue fostering ecumenical initiatives today in order to pave new ways towards mutual understanding, cooperation for peace and the advancement of the common good:
“I pray that such ecumenical initiatives will yield fruit not only in the pursuit of Christian unity, but for the good of all European society.”
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