Full Communion Research Articles

Chiesa d’Oriente e Chiesa d’Occidente

Christian unity has always been a desire and a challenge in the history of Christianity. The schism of 1054 is thus a symbolic moment of constant challenge. The present text seeks to make a journey along the path of ecumenical dialogue, especially between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Churches, trying to understand the reasons for separation and, at the same time, the effort to find a way of dialogue. The basis of the research are the documents developed by the Catholic Church, and those prepared in collaboration with other Churches. He also wishes to reflect on the traditions of the Christian East, with the aim of promoting the ecumenical journey of believers in Christ towards full communion and unity. It highlights the role of the Second Vatican Council and its consequences for ecumenical dialogue, highlighting the relationship with the Eastern Churches, especially after the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe. It also underlines the magisterial role of Popes Paul VI and John Paul II, who continued ecumenical dialogue in the commitment to make the Church breathe with both lungs. On this journey we have moved from the dialogue of charity to the dialogue of truth. The steps taken in recent years are described with the documents resulting from the dialogue: Monaco (1982), Bari (1987), Valamo (1988), Balamand (1993), Ravenna (2007), Chieti (2016) and Alessandria (2023).

A Comparison of the Porvoo, Waterloo, and Called to Common Mission Agreements from the Perspective of Transitivity

Abstract The Anglican-Lutheran Porvoo Declaration (1996) has implications for global Anglican-Lutheran relations. It nurtured ecumenical processes which resulted in ‘full communion agreements’ between Lutherans and Episcopalians in the United States of America (1999), and in Canada between Lutherans and Anglicans (2001). Although the Porvoo Declaration influenced the later documents, regional bilateral agreements are not automatically interchangeable. The concept of ‘transitivity’ describes the relationship of two ecumenical agreements with each other and the possibility of applying an agreement in other regions. The Anglican Consultative Council (acc) in 2015 invited churches where appropriate to implement recommendations on ‘Laying foundations for transitive relationships’. In this article an analysis is offered of the current ecumenical situation and the presuppositions and implications of full communion agreements in general and individually. Communion-wide guidelines to identify possible next steps and the grounds on which all three ‘full communion’ agreements could become mutually transitive is also examined.

Niedzielna Eucharystia, jej znaczenie w historii i we wspólnocie Kościoła

The article presents the sacrament of the Eucharist in the perspective of Sunday, because this sacrament is the source of the whole Christian life, and the Church lives thanks to the Eucharist (Ecclesia de Eucharistia vivit). It presents an overview of the major changes in the liturgy and the theology of the Holy Mass on Sunday, as well as the value of Sunday for the People of God. The liturgy, especially the Sunday liturgy, is not a theological treatise or a scientific lecture, but a celebration of the mystery of Christ, that is, the action of God himself together with the gathered People of God. It is an authentic confession of faith and a sign of belonging to the Church of God and union with him. The faithful, when they do not understand the spirit and meaning of the rites, withdraw, sometimes looking for other forms of religiosity. Therefore, there is a need to encourage, educate and prepare them for a fuller participation in the Sunday liturgy, which is, after all, of fundamental importance for the life of the Church and its individual members. It is the liturgy that effectively creates communion and educates to communion. The liturgy, especially the Sunday liturgy, lived in the full communion of the Church, reveals the entire mystery of Christ, from the Incarnation and Nativity to the Ascension and Pentecost, and the expectation of the blessed hope and coming of Christ. It is the realization of God’s plan of salvation and the continuation of the history of salvation to which all are called.

Hamartiology: An Akan Perspective

Hamartiology, a branch of theology dealing with the nature and effects of sin is orally preserved in the Akan religious thought but not documented as they exist in Islam and Catholicism. Authors of African Traditional Religion have contributed to the problem when they wrote briefly on sin and reconciliation only in relation to other topics. This article uses the literary approach, specifically secondary sources to elucidate on the Akan concept of sin to dispel the notion that Africans have no or poor concept of sin. Issues like, what is sin? the evaluation of sin, conditions necessary for the forgiveness of sin and the effects of sin and reconciliation among the Akan would be illuminated. The findings and discussions on the problem elucidate that, the Akan have a profound harmatiology. The Akan perceive sin as a stain. The Akan morality has aesthetic value. Sin is a transgression against God and humanity. Sin from the Akan perspective is classified into serious and less serious wrongdoings. Three conditions necessary for the remission of sin among the Akan are, acceptance of guilt, confession of sins committed and penance, reparation of sins. Reconciliation restores the penitent to full communion with the divine and humanity. The paper fills the vacuum created that the Akan has poor harmatiology because it is not documented. It also serves as reference material on harmatiology from the Akan perspective. Keywords: Harmatiology, African Religious thought, Akan concept of sin, Effects of Sin and Reconciliation in African Worldview

The Akan and the Catholic Concept of Sin and Reconciliation Compared

The phenomenon of sin and reconciliation is extant in many religions and as a result, elaborate teachings and rituals are documented around them. The same however cannot be said about the Akan traditional religion. This can be due to the no or late documentation of the theology of the African traditional religion. The problem created is that the Akan perception of sin and its removal in particular and the African Traditional Religion, in general, is often seen as lacking authenticity. This article with the help of comparative theology examines the Akan concept of sin and reconciliation and elucidates how they share some similarities with the Catholic doctrine on sin and reconciliation. The authors used the literary approach and questionnaires to gather data. Twenty (20) Catholic priests in the Catholic Archdiocese of Kumasi were purposively selected to answer eleven questionnaire items on the similarities between the Catholic and the Akan theology of sin and reconciliation. The findings and discussions on the problem elucidate that, the two religious traditions have a doctrine of original sin. They conceptualize sin as a stain, that sin offends God and humanity. Sin is moreover, categorized into serious and less serious offenses. They also agree that contrition, confession and penance are necessary conditions for the forgiveness of sins. Reconciliation again they concur restores the penitent to full communion with the divine and humanity. The article recommends that the Akan concept of original sin which is sketchy must be developed further. It also advocates that integrating the Akan and Catholic concepts of sin and reconciliation in the education of Akan Christians and pastoral agents would be a good enterprise. The paper fills the vacuum created that the Akan has a poor notion of sin and reconciliation. It shows evidence of the Akan concepts of sin and reconciliation, which are comparable to the teachings of the Catholic Church on sin and its removal. Keywords: Sin, Reconciliation, Akan, Catholic

Re-creating the hybrid text: postcolonial Indian writings and the European scene

For a language with a wealth of great literature such as English, globaliza-tion has been a mixed blessing. The International English of Mc World is a poor descendant of the language of Shakespeare and Dickens. On the other hand, English literature has been tremendously enriched by writings from the former colonies of the British Empire, creating their own ‘norms’ of English – ‘a new English’, as Chinua Achebe famously put it, “still in full communion with its ancestral home, but altered to suit its new surroundings ”. In the postcolonial literary scene, such ‘hybrid’ texts – or ‘métissés ’– are now a familiar feature, but a complicated one for translators working into other European languages. This essay concentrates on India, and looking at writings by Sethu (Pandavapuram in English translation) and Arundhati Roy (The God of Small Things in English and in German translation), it investigates the striking features of hybrid source texts and the cultural and linguistic problems involved in re-creating them for a European target culture.

Gereja Nasara Nasathirah di Fansur Abad ke-7

Shaykh Abu Salih the Armenian reported that in the VII century there was a Nasara Nasathirah (Nestorian) Church in Fansur or Fahsur. According to Y. Bakker, Fansur or Fahsur is the name of a country in North Sumatra and the Nestorian Church is the Catholic Church. Y. Bakker’s interpretation is somewhat weak for two reasons. First, Fansur or Fahsur can also refer to a country in northwest India. Second, in the seventh century of our era there was not yet section of the Nestorian Church which was in full communion with Rome; thus the Nasara Nasathirah Church cannot be called a Catholic Church if the Catholic Church is understood as a Church that is in full communion with the Roman Church. However, the Nasara Nasathirah Church can be called a Catholic Church if the Catholic Church means the Church which based herself on the faith in Jesus Christ

My Cup Runs Over: Full and Fuller Communion in the Ecumenism of the Future

My Cup Runs Over: Full and Fuller Communion in the Ecumenism of the Future

Natural Conditioning of the Spiritual Life: A Contribution to Methodological Reflection

The spiritual life constitutes an integral experience of any person being led by the Holy Spirit toward full communion with God. It is never something abstract, divorced from Sitz im Leben, in either the psychological aspect or the socio-cultural dimension, thus it always bears certain signs of one’s temperament, environment, and history. The present paper proposes a methodology of research into the natural basis of the spiritual life (psychological and socio-cultural), which influences the way God’s grace is received and experienced. The natural structures of the spiritual life constitute the ground, which is submitted to God’s salvific action and bears fruit in various forms. The description of the spiritual life demands the use of the appropriate methodology, which can be based on the combination of the doctrinal-sapiential (deductive) approach and the existential-anthropological (inductive) approach. An important auxiliary role in the description of the spiritual phenomenon can be played by psychological methods, for instance those that derive from the psycho-biographical approach, which allows us to capture what is unique in human functioning.

Communicatio In Sacris Berbagi Kasanah Rohani Medium Membangun Persaudaraan di Antara Umat Kristiani Analisa Sejarah, Doktrin dan Iuris

In this paper, the author studies of Communicatio in Sacris as an act of sharing sacraments among Christians. This study begins with the author's observation regarding of relation among Christians at this time. In the past centuries, many dissensions happened and large communities were separated from full communion with Catholic Church. Each excludes others to take part in its own liturgy. However, it should be kept in mind, that unity which Christ willed, stood at the very heart of the Church’s mission. At every era, there have been figures who do not only defend the Church but also open the Church to other Christians, especially, in her liturgical services. It has begun a long the history of the Church. It is sufficient to simply to mention two of them. In 1244 Innocent IV allowed Dominicans to minister separated Christian communities by sharing the Eucharist with them. In modern age, John XXIII who led the 2nd Vatican Council has brought Catholic Church even more open toward other Churches, giving a wide possibility to share sacraments with non Catholic. The purpose of all these actions is for the goodness of souls. The method used in this article is a qualitative research, by analyzing the Church view of communicatio in sacris. The author analyzed the Church documents: 2nd Vatican Council, Canon Law and other sources, including digital sources to support the analysis. From this study, the author found out that communicatio in sacris in its strict meaning means to share sacraments amongs Christians that becomes an instrument to foster fraternity among Christians.

Toward a Definition of Episcopal Ministry: Lutheran World Federation Work on Episkopé, 1983–2007

This article examines how the episcopal ministry and related concepts such as ‘episkopé’, ‘installation’ and ‘consecration’ are understood and used in Lutheran World Federation (lwf) statements on the Episcopal Ministry from 1983 to 2007. Over this time, some Lutheran churches entered into full communion with both episcopal and non-episcopal churches. Some ecumenical partners were also invited to participate as active observers in the lwf process of drafting statements. Through the ecumenical work done and the comprehensive identity study undertaken by the lwf, the understanding of episcopal ministry in lwf documents has developed from a ‘Leuenberg-style’ general Protestantism to a ‘Porvoo-style’ understanding of episcopacy.

Acompañar, integrar y discernir

El presente estudio se propone iluminar la recepción de la exhortación apostólica Amoris laetitia. Para ello se toma como hilo conductor los tres verbos que aparecen en el capítulo VIII de la misma: acompañar, integrar y discernir, teniendo presente el conjunto de la exhortación. Siguiendo de cerca el vademécum escrito por tres profesores de la sede central del Instituto Teológico Juan Pablo II, consideramos sucesivamente el significado del acompañamiento, la integración y el discernimiento para la pastoral familiar. En el acompañar nos detenemos en el acompañamiento de novios en su preparación próxima, en el acompañamiento de los primeros años de matrimonio, y en el acompañamiento de situaciones difíciles, como tres aspectos singularmente importantes hoy. El retorno a la comunión plena en la Iglesia es el objetivo del camino de la integración que tiene como sujeto a la entera comunidad cristiana. Finalmente, discernir no quiere decir discernir sobre el estado de gracia de una persona, cosa que únicamente le corresponde a Dios, sino que el objeto del discernimiento es triple: el deseo, el vínculo matrimonial y los pasos concretos.

National, Catholic, and Ecumenical

The Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) is one of the most remarkable churches in the Philippines, yet, its history is largely underresearched. This paper uses newly researched archival resources from the archives of this church and of partner churches to explore the way in which this “revolutionary church” came to be accepted as part of the broader ecumenical movement. Special attention is given to two of the most prominent full communion partners of this church, the Episcopal Church and the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht. In this way, it is also clear that the IFI came to be recognized as a fully catholic church by other catholic churches, moving beyond any doubt of lingering Unitarianism (as it was part of the later theology of Gregorio Aglipay). The study also shows how various national, even nationalist churches were able to enter into international and intercultural relations with each other, thus creating a fellowship that spans the globe.

La raíz sacerdotal de la colegialidad de los Obispos

La raíz sacerdotal de la colegialidad de los Obispos

Bishops in Communion? The Unity of the Episcopate, the Unity of the Diocese and the Unity of the Church

This article addresses the current state of ecclesiological dissonance in the Church of England and analyses the theological and pastoral issues that are at stake. It tackles the two ecclesiological anomalies that now face the church and compromise its received polity. (a) The College of Bishops includes bishops who are unable to recognise the priestly and episcopal orders of their female colleagues and are unable to be in full sacramental communion with them. This situation raises the question of the ecclesial integrity of the College of Bishops: is there now a single College? (b) Some bishops are unable in conscience to recognise the priestly ordination of some clergy – male as well as female – within their diocese because these clergy are female or have been ordained by a female bishop. Is it possible for the bishop, in that situation, to exercise a full episcopal ministry in relation to those female clergy? The article goes on to explore, by means of the concepts of reception, economy and charity, whether a modus vivendi is possible that would enable the Church of England to live with these two anomalies with theological integrity.

DEI VERBUM “ALKITAB BUKU YANG TERBUKA”

The Dogmatic Constitution Dei Verbum on Divine Revelation opens us towards 
 God’s self revelation in the whole universe in order that all be gathered in Christ
 into full communion with the Triune God. This official teaching sees revelation as
 a dialogue of love, and a response in faith which is personal, dynamic, historical
 and centred on Christ and the Spirit. With this broad understanding of
 revelation, the Dei Verbum Constitution goes on to open up ways of interpreting
 the Scriptures and understanding how the Scriptures have been read in history
 (Tradition), thus opening up Bible study as the soul of theology, as well as the
 anima of prayer, liturgy and spirituality. The local Churches of Indonesia, Asia
 and the world, including the Society of the Divine Word (SVD), have responded
 to the invitation to participate in this divine dialogue of love by receiving God’s
 Word graciously and proclaiming it faithfully in daily life. The essay ends by 
 noting the contribution of the Pontifical Biblical Commission, the Catholic 
 Biblical Federation, Lembaga Biblica Indonesia, St. Paul’s Biblical Centre
 Ledalero, and the Biblical Apostolate Diocesan Commissions of Nusa Tenggara
 Ecclesial Province in Indonesia which have facilitated Bible sharing in grassroots
 communities. 
 
 <b>Kata-kata kunci:</b> Wahyu, Alkitab, buku terbuka, animasi, mendengar,
 dialog, mewartakan, kepenuhan hidup, tradisi, penafsiran, doa, refleksi,
 aksi.

Anglican Influence on Old Catholic Liturgy

Old Catholics have leaned on full communion ties with Anglican churches to create forms of worship which, although decidedly Catholic, are just as decidedly non-Roman, thus strengthening the sense of Old Catholic identity. Full communion, established by the Bonn Agreement of 1931, although slow in making an impact on the life of the two denominations, provided a favourable context for extended liturgical consultations from the 1980s, resulting in Old Catholic use of Anglican liturgical resources in drafting new liturgies. The 1995 Altar Book of the Old Catholic Church in Germany, in particular, owes much to the 1985 Canadian Book of Alternative Services, which had itself borrowed heavily from the 1979 revision of the Book of Common Prayer by the Episcopal Church.

Book Review: No Turning Back: The Future of Ecumenism

No Turning Back: The Future of Ecumenism. By Margaret O'Gara. Edited by Michael Vertin. Collegeville, Minn.: Liturgical Press, 2014. xxvi + 253 pp. $29.95 (paper).This collection of essays is posthumous testament to Margaret O'Gara's commitment to ecumenism. O'Gara planned this volume as a sequel to her earlier work, The Ecumenical Gift Exchange (1998), and chose many of the essays prior to her passing. Edited by Michael Vertin, her spouse and colleague at St. Michael's College, Toronto, the essays range addresses at ecumenical gatherings to scholarly articles, with a mixture of previously published and newly available work.The volume is divided into two sections. The first intends a broad audience, and introduces the work of ecumenism through the lens of O'Gara's personal experience. In clear, accessible writing, she portrays ecumenical dialogue as a process of transformation rooted in relationships. For example, O'Gara describes the importance of friendship among dialogue partners, which establishes a context of collaboration rather than competition, provides a pathway for insight into another's perspective, and helps to sustain participants in their dialogue: working in ecumenism share the same poignant experience of love for their own church traditions and restlessness within them, a cognitive and affective dissonance peculiar to ecumenists. Friends diverse church communions offer one another intellectual and emotional hospitality on the journey toward full (pp. 35-36). Ecumenism is also envisioned as an ascetical practice involving occasional fasting from celebrations of the eucharist when not in full communion with the presider, careful study that only gradually yields understanding, painful review of the trespasses committed and experienced by one's own communion, and awareness that one's labors are feared or suspected by others within one's communion (p. 35).O'Gara provides insight into the process of ecumenical dialogue as a spiritual endeavor shaped by prayer. She writes: Listening to the prayers of others is a bit like listening to other languages, and of course sometimes we begin to learn the language of our ecumenical partners as well-we learn a second language-and the ear of our heart is opened (pp. 24-25). Learning the language of one another's prayers is an entree to receiving and joining in the richness of doxology, which O'Gara finds is essential to the shared discovery of truth. Conversion of hearing through prayer is complemented by new vision through memory: When the historical memoiy of Christians is purified a new vision of oneself and the other church traditions emerges, dialogue becomes an experience not just of information but of transformation, of conversion (p. …

Realizacja warunków dotyczących nupturientów w przypadku zawierania małżeństwa mieszanego przez katolika z wiernym Kościoła lub Wspólnoty kościelnej nie mającej pełnej łączności z Kościołem katolickim (kan. 1125, n. 1-3 KPK)

The author of the presented article focused his attention on the question of the realization of conditions concerning nupturients in the case of contracting a mixed marriage between a Catholic and a member of a Church or Ecclesial Community not in full communion with the Catholic Church. The analysis of can. 1125, n. 1-3 CIC shows that the conditions to be fulfilled before granting a permission concern mostly the Catholic and do not in any way infringe the religious liberty of the other party. According to the will of the legislator, the non-Catholic party is only obliged to meet the requirement codified in can. 1125, n. 3 CIC which remains in a close relation with the natural structure of marriage. This obligation is especially important since not sharing the Catholic concept of marriage as for the components crucial for the canonical system results in invalidity of marriage.

The Catholic-Oriental Orthodox Dialogue: Achievements and Hopes

The author focuses on the six Oriental Orthodox Churches that did not receive the Christological teachings of the Council of Chalcedon in 451 and have not been in full communion with the rest of the Christian world since that time. The article briefly describes the individual churches and their present situation, identifies certain characteristics of those churches, and then focuses on the achievement of the international dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox that has been in progress since 2004. It concludes with reflections on the prospects for the reestablishment of full communion and the role the Bishop of Rome might play among these reconciled churches.