WITNESSING UNITY OF THE CHURCH
Personal remarks. I am Russian. In 1974 I became Christian. I
was converted from atheism, which was a natural worldview for
a youngster in the Communist country. I was baptized in the Russian
Orthodox Church, but from the beginning I believe and feel Christ
is one for all Christians. Now I understand that I have very few
like-minded persons among my co-believers. I cannot agree with
any Christian who thinks that outside his own denomination there
are only heretics.
For many years I study history and theology of the Church and
ecumenical movement. I’ve been acquainted with all models of ecumenical
contacts.
I cannot agree with "cheap ecumenism" -- tendency to diminish
problems of Church unity. I think clericalism and triumphalism
are poisoning modern ecumenism. It is necessary to make some new
efforts to return to the right way and to move forward. I write
what follows to find those who share my opinions for mutual support
with sympathy, prayers, deeds.
1. Unity is present in the Church. Church divided is not a church
at all. For non-Christians this sounds ridiculous: they see that
Church is divided. There is a simple decision to say that this
is an illusionary division, that Church is one as a tree with
its branches, that walls between Christians don’t raise to skies,
that divisions are non-religious (cultural, national) and therefor
secondary. This simple decision is the "cheap ecumenism."
There is also "cannibalistic ecumenism", which states that Church
is one, and this one Church the the Church of a speaker: Roman
Catholic or Russian Orthodox, and all other "Christians" are heretics.
Cheap ecumenism was born to oppose such cannibalistic ecumenism
and is justified by such opposition.
Unity of the Church cannot be reached or proved. Unity of the
Church is a matter of faith and will always remain such, because
always there will be some people calling themselves Christian
and opposing other Christians, whether majority (like hundred
years ago) or minority (like now, I hope). We must witness unity
of the Church as we witness Christ, primarily by our personal
effort.
2. The problem is not to build a bridge but to understand that
their is no river. Christian unity must oppose secular views on
Christianity. Many crucial Church words have been perverted.
Terms "Catholic," "Orthodox" and others received non-religious
sense. For many people the main problem is how to unite "Roman
Catholic" and "Eastern Orthodox", "Western" and "Eastern" Christianity.
The words "Catholic" and "Orthodox" are used then to designate
cultural entities. Unity of the Church is understand as unity
of different national and cultural traditions.
In Russia unbeliever can state that he is "Orthodox" ("pravoslavny"
or "Russian Orthodox’), because he follows Russian cultural traditions.
For many Eastern Orthodox Roman Catholics can be Christians, but
cannot be called "Orthodox." For many Roman Catholics "Eastern
Orthodox" can never be thought of as "Catholics." But then Christians
adopt non-Christian understanding of these words. The problem
is that "Roman Catholic" and "Eastern Orthodox’ depict the same
Church reality.
It is senseless to try to "unit" Roman Catholicism and Eastern
Orthodoxy, because they are one. It is necessary to explain why
they are synonimous. "Bridgebuilding" between Roman Catholic and
Russian Orthodox makes not much more sense than building of the
bridge on one shore of the river. If we are Christians we are
not separated. This makes witnessing on our unity and Christiniaty
not easier, but harder. We must witness not only about Resurrection,
but also explain that secular understanding of Christianity as
federation of cultural traditions is wrong.
3. Membership in the Church is personal, not a collective one.
For 2000 years Christians adopted non-Christian view on religious
life and community as primarily a union of "households", super-personal
entities as "land," "country," "nation". Ecumenical movement began
as a dialogue of personalities but very quickly became a dialogue
of organizations, Church authorities. Wait until Church leaders
finish negotiations. But negotiations will never finish if only
leaders will be active! Indeed, any forceful conversion (proselitism)
must be forbidden, but personal choice must receive full acknowledgement
of all sides — of the side which is receipient of a new member,
and of the side which "losses" its member. There must be no chattering
about "renegades." To hunt after someone in order to convert is
bad, but to shut doors for converts to come and leave is equally
bad.
4. Ecumenists must witness to both sides. Modern ecumenism is
mainly meeting of Protestants with Eastern Orthodox Churches.
It is also meeting of former and present state Churches (Anglican,
Lutheran, Greek, Russian Orthodox), and Baptist or Evangelical
are excluded from this meeting. What is worst of all, such meeting
to the large extent is silent "friendship against" Roman Catholic
Church. But for witnessing unity of the Church meeting of Roman
Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodoxy is a primary task.
Witnessing unity of the Church means communicating several ideas
both to Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox.
Message to Eastern Orthodoxy includes appeal to recognize Orthodoxy
of Catholicism, to stop urging from Catholics abdication from
their "new" dogmas.
Message to Roman Catholics includes appeal to recognize that
Eastern Orthodoxy is not only a "rite," that it is a variety of
true spiritual and theological traditions absolutely equal to
the Western tradition.
