Unveiling the Light

This is not a purely religious blog. Instead it is supposed to be a religious reflection on social events. However, recently the Pope has made some statements that can have a significant impact on the religious world and which has gained widespread coverage in the secular press as well. My last entry was about his directive regarding the old 1964 Mass rite and its renewed use. This entry is about his statment concerning the Orthodox and Protestant religious communities.

In this age of ecumenism the Church has often kept silent about our differences with our fellow Christians as we searched for common ground. Now, however, Pope Benedict XVI wants to ensure that, as we look for ways to grow closer to other Christians in search of cooperative efforts and even the hope of long term reunion; that we do not loose our own identity.

Pope Benedict the XVI has stated that the Orthodox Churches are wounded because of their lack of guidance from the Pope. He then said that Protestant communities may best be called “Ecclesial communities.” To understand what he has said, one first has to know what the Catholic Church believes about itself and its definition of “Church.”

When Catholics define what a Church is, they look to the words and actions of Jesus Christ. Scripture tells us that Jesus gave the power to forgive sins specifically to the Apostles. He also sent them forth to preach the Gospel, to heal, and to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Scripture also tells us that he gave the leadership of the Church to Peter. He said that Peter was the rock on which He would build His Church and He gave Peter, “the keys to the Kingdom.” This is the structure the Catholic faith looks to when it defines what makes us a Church and we define ourselves as an apostolic Church.

We see the bishops of our Church as the modern day descendents of the Apostles. We read in scripture that the Apostles passed on their authority to others through the laying of hands. In Acts they created the office of what today we call Deacons through the laying of hands and in the New Testament letters we find the apostles using this method to pass on their own full authority to followers such as Timothy. Catholics believe that this Tradition has continued from that time to the present. As the Church grew, the number of apostles grew and came to be called bishops. Today, for those of us in this area, our Apostle is the Bishop of Sacrament, William Weigand.

We also believe that the power of Peter lies in Rome. Rome is where Peter last worked as an Apostle and it is there, at what was then the cultural and financial center of the world, that both Peter and Paul were martyred. As such, the power of Peter has been installed in the diocese of Rome. Whoever holds the authority over Rome inherits “The Chair of Peter,” which refers to the authority of the one who sits in this position of power. We do not really elect a Pope. The Cardinals elect a new Bishop of Rome and that bishop also takes on the Power of Peter and becomes the Pope. Thus today, we find the structure that Jesus set up, the Church being led by Apostles who themselves are led by Peter, to be found in our Church in our bishops and pope.

From this belief, the Pope says that the Orthodox community is indeed a Church but that it is wounded. It has the apostles in their own bishops and they have all the Sacraments we have, but they lack the leadership of Peter which is found only in Rome. It should be noted that when Constantinople fell, the Russian Orthodox claimed the title of “the third and final Rome,” at least tacitly acknowledging the primacy of Rome while denying its continued existence. One of the problems is that the Orthodox (Except those few which have reunited with Rome.) look to the government as part of their leadership while Rome considers itself independent of governments. Thus, after the Communist revolution the Orthodox pledged fidelity to the Communist party. Rome did not and thus the Catholic Churches were closed and given over to the Orthodox.

Regarding the Protestants, we believe that they have neither the Apostles nor Peter. Whereas Catholics and the Orthodox are “apostolic”, following the line of authority of the apostles, we consider Protestants (and many of them would agree) to be either scripturally based or led by the Spirit. Both scripture and the Holy Spirit are very important to the Catholics as well but we recognize that Jesus gave authority to the apostles and that they provided us with scripture. They Holy Spirit guides all who put their faith in Christ.

Some argument could be made that the Anglican, Episcopal, and Lutherans have maintained some line as they have bishops and priests but our opinion would be that over time the Anglicans have moved more towards being a scripturally based Church rather than apostolic and the Lutherans abandoned the line of succession when they first broke off without regard to the idea of authority being passed from one generation to the next. As such, the Pope says that they, along with the other Protestant communities, are best termed “Ecclesial Communities” or worshipping communities.

While I am sure that all of these Churches have arguments against this reasoning it is important to understand what the Pope has said. While we believe they are either wounded Churches or Ecclesial Communities, he has not said that they are not Christian, nor has he said that they are in any way condemned. We continue to accept the baptism of the Orthodox and many Protestant communities, only requiring that they use water and the formula of baptism, “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

This may seem arrogant or insensitive but it is a reflection of what we believe and that which is our right to believe. After all, if I or others thought that another Church followed Jesus Christ more closely than the Catholic Church, we would move to that Church. We are Catholics because we believe that here we find the Church that Jesus founded, one that stays true to the idea of apostolic succession, and the Church which, while it may have further explained its beliefs over the past 2,000 years; still very closely reflects the Church established by Christ and which holds the same beliefs as those first apostles.

The Pope remains active in ecumenical activity, especially with the Orthodox. Our efforts with the Protestants has been hampered by incompatible recent changes such as the ordination of those with an openly and sexually active gay lifestyle and their acceptance of gay marriage. This has widened the gulf between us and reversed some remarkable progress that had been made. Pope Benedict remains an ecumenically inclined Pope but he will not turn away from the reality that the Catholic Church is the one which has stayed true to the Church established by the apostles. His statement is not meant to be hurtful but is meant to reiterate the truth that we are different and will not abandon our core beliefs.

A Little Perspective:

In light of these differences, I was happy to have the reading of the Good Samaritan for this past Sunday’s Gospel. This good Samaritan stopped to help the stranger on the road when the Jewish priest and faithful Levite ignored him. He is held up by Jesus as one who follows the perfect commandment, “to love God with all your heart, all your being, all your strength, and all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” This is despite the fact that the Samaritan is not a Jew and is, in fact, looked down upon by Jews as one who has mixed their faith with paganism. None-the-less, he and not the chosen people is following the perfect commandment and he is the one who has found eternal life.

This is a good Gospel for Catholics to remember. God still works within the Orthodox and Protestant communities. Our status makes us their servants as God works through His Church to bring salvation to the world. Those that follow the perfect commandment of Jesus will find everlasting life, no matter which community they belong to. We simply believe that this is more possible in our Church and with the Sacraments it provides, but we do not deny the goodness that can exist in other Christians. We still seek cooperation and yearn for the time when all Christians will be united in our belief and lifes that are based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Fr. Steven Foppiano