Every Year Christian churches organize Week of Prayer for Christian Unity which falls between 18-25 January. This Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 2019 has been prepared by Christians from Indonesia and chose the theme: Justice and only Justice you shall pursue (Deut. 16:18-20).
Since our Xaverian family is actively involved in the ecumenical dialogue., this week for Christian unity has been an opportune moment to reflect on the meaning and necessity of ecumenical dialogue in the evangelizing process. Browsing on the shelves of Loyola School of Theology Library, I fell on one article of Susan K. Wood entitled ‘Pope Francis and Ecumenism[1]’ which provides some insights on Ecumenism and shows how Pope how Pope Francis is a force for ecumenical unity through his charismatic approach and his emphasis on the fundamental of the Christian faith: ‘One Lord, one faith’.
Although the article deals with different themes pertaining to ecumenism such as dialogue, encounter, reconciled diversity, journey, ecumenism of blood, founding all these aspects on a personal relationship with Christ in prayer; the part related to dialogue and unity in reconciled diversity caught more my attention. From this article emerges the main part of this sharing.
In the Apostolic Letter Evangelii Gaudium (EG), November 28, 2013, Pope Francis only devotes three numbers (244-246) to ecumenism, where he emphasizes the importance of common witness for peace in the world, warned that the starting point should not be differences that exist, but the common faith.
Thus, the dialogue is essentially an encounter and conversation, a speaking and a listening, between partners. Pope Francis comments that to dialogue entails a cordial reception, not a prior condemnation. In order to dialogue, it is necessary to know how to lower the defenses, open the doors of the house, and offer human warmth. Each partner speaks from his or her context, from his or her perspective of viewing the world. In this line, dialogic speech seeks to communicate that experience and perspective to the other and to receive that same message from the partner so as to be able to enter into as much as possible into the experience of the other and so to see the other's perspective through their eyes.
Another touching element of the article pertains to the first aim of dialogue which is not to convince the partner of one's own deeply held convictions but to understand the other in a deep way. It is above all a spiritual experience in understanding the counterpart, listening and speaking to one another in love. Pope Francis in Evangelii Gaudium no 244 identifies the interlocutor in ecumenical dialogue as a fellow Pilgrims ‘journeying alongside one another. This means that we must have sincere trust in our fellow pilgrims, putting aside all suspicion or mistrust, and turn our gaze to what we are all seeking: the radiant peace of God’s face’
This view of Francis reflects the model of unity in reconciled diversity proposed by Oscar Cullmann, Christian theologian in the Lutheran tradition and friend of Pope Paul VI and observer of the Council Vatican II. Cullman summarized this model saying, ‘Every Christian confession has a permanent spiritual gift, a Charism, which it should preserve, nurture, purify and deepen, and which should not be given up for the sake of homogenization[2].’ Responding to the question on the future unity of the Church after his papal election, Pope Francis answered “We must walk united with our differences: there is no other way to become one. This is the way of Jesus.”[3]
All these insights from either academic readings or pastoral activities in ecumenical gathering have gradually changed my way of understanding ecumenical dialogue which is neither proselytism nor homogenization of believes rather an interactive process of building unity in reconciled diversity.
[1] Susan K. Wood, ‘Pope Francis and ecumenism’, in one in Christ vol. 52 no 1.
http://www.oneinchrist.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Pope-Francis-and-Ecumenism-by-Susan-Wood.pdf
[2] Oscar Cullmann, Unity through Diversity (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1988), 9
[3] Pope Francis, ‘A Big Heart Open to God: The Exclusive Interview with Pope Francis,’ Thinking Faith, September 19, 2013:
