We, as a Church, with our Orthodox Christian brothers and sisters and with our separated brethren in other Christian ecclesial communions and denominations, have just celebrated, once again, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. We prayed in a special way that the Lord’s command from the Gospel of John might truly be realized: “Ut Unum Sint,” “that they may be one.”
Indeed, it is the scandal of the division within Christianity that can cause us to lose the credible witness to the world of the Lord’s love. Much of the divisions between the Catholic Church, the Orthodox Churches, the Anglican Communion and other Protestant denominations in Christianity have indeed been caused by historical and temporal circumstances, by issues of culture and by issues of misunderstanding and misinterpretation. The map of Europe can be seen as a living example: for instance, the north of Germany is much more Protestant, whereas the southern section is much more Catholic. It has been that way since Martin Luther decided to ally himself with princes centuries ago. However, the reality in the 21st century is that secularism, a lived, practical atheism, with belief having little to no effect on the way people live, is the growing norm throughout Western Europe, followed only by the immense growth of Islam in countries like Spain, France and Germany.
Yes, some of the divisions in Christianity are caused by cultural and historical circumstances, but some are not. Some are deep theological divisions that cannot be brushed away and reduced to a least common denominator. Our Catholic Church’s teaching on the Sacraments, like Holy Matrimony, Holy Orders and the Eucharist are an example, as is our Church’s Christological, Mariological and Ecclesiological doctrines. If we just claim that “in the long run, we all kind of believe the same thing, so it’s ok,” we do a disservice to the Truth who is Christ.
How can we, on a local level, develop a true and lasting ecumenism? Here’s one suggestion: participate in local acts of mercy together, such as working for the poor, the immigrant, the unborn, the elderly, the dying. Work together locally to preserve human rights and dignity. We have a long tradition in our Brooklyn and Queens neighborhoods of cooperation between Catholic, Orthodox and other Christian congregations. This can be a practical, lived ecumenism. As the old hymn goes, “They’ll know we are Christian by our love.”