Editor’s Note

Jan 21, 2022

By Patricia Pereira
Let’s admit it. Many of us have a somewhat lukewarm response when it comes to matters like ecumenism … what more Christian Unity Week? We lack enthusiasm in making any effort to seek greater Christian unity among the Churches (how many of our parishes actually make any effort at all?). Many of us have moved on to other commitments, for example, interfaith dialogue (also a crucial endeavour in our multi-religious country). Others have resigned themselves to the apparent reality that decades of theological dialogue have resulted in disappointing results when it comes to greater visible Christian unity. Still others see ecumenism as extracurricular, a nice and occasional add on to ministry initiatives if one has extra time and energy.

Pope Francis once reflected on ecumenism by focusing on three key words: Walking, Praying and Working together.

While we Christians may still be divided on many theological and ecclesiological issues, we are somehow already united in the “ecumenism of blood” and the “ecumenism of charity”.

Vatican II’s decree on ecumenism, Unitatis Redintegratio, calls Christians to work together and pave the way to Christian unity. This means that when we cooperate with other Christians to express Christ’s charity towards the poor and the most vulnerable, we are also carrying out a service for broader ecumenical dialogue and the embodiment of Jesus’ prayer “so that they may all be one” (John 17:21).

There is a need for Christian solidarity in so many ways. There is a need for a deeper understanding of what it means to grow together, and what it means to belong together, to give one another hope.

We must always remember that growing together is also a way to discover the challenges of our differences in new ways. We cannot run away from one another. We cannot be ecumenical only with those who think and pray and act like we do. The unity we seek is not easy, but we must not allow one another to be discouraged.

We should never underestimate the importance of encounter between Christians, even when our differences remain. There are so many things that Christians should, and must, be doing together in our common witness to our one baptism and our one faith in Jesus Christ, and to the unity of humankind in Christ.

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity can be a moment for us to pause and thank God, together with our Christian brothers and sisters, for the feeling of unity we experience when we join hands to help migrants, refugees and those in need.

Against the culture of indifference and the walls of inequality, we are called to join hands with our Christian brothers and sisters to defend humanity, with love and kindness.

Ecumenism belongs to the world of open doors and open windows. It is a living reality which must be kept alive through open hearts.