Digging Out the Embedded Church - The Maranatha Community

A UNITY NOT DEPENDENT UPON STRUCTURES
In the Church unions in India, the thorny question of the recognition of episcopal and nonepiscopal
ministries had to be faced. This was the very question that caused problems for the
hoped-for merger of the Methodists and Anglican Churches in the UK and brought it to a
halt. In this latter case a Service for Reconciliation was to be followed by the consecration of
the first Methodist bishops, in which Anglicans would take part; all ordinations thereafter
were to be performed by bishops. It was the Anglican vote, however, that turned down union
in 1972. Negotiations for union were revived in 1995.
The two World Wars which convulsed Europe in the first half of the 20 th Century were
important factors in giving rise to the ecumenical movement. „Christian‟ Europe had twice
torn itself apart, and the churches had been unable to prevent, or even stem, the rising tides of
paganism and imperialism which gave rise to the wars.
Although the Roman Catholic Church seemed wary of such ventures as the WCC, and still is
not a member, there can be no doubt that the desire for unity found in Roman Catholic circles
was given encouragement by the proceedings of the WCC, and that the Second Vatican
Council (1962-65) expressed the strong desire to draw near to other Christians.
A completely new age in inter-church relations began when this Council published its Decree
on Ecumenism, 153 on 21 November 1964. Here the belief was expressed that a new thing was
happening in the Church: „There increases from day to day a movement, fostered by the grace
of the Holy Spirit, for the restoration of unity among all Christians.‟
This movement was seen to belong to those who „invoke the Triune God and confess Jesus as
Lord and Saviour.‟ The document regards as „separated brethren‟ all who have been properly
baptised (that is, in the name of the Trinity) and who believe in Christ. But it is clear that
such fellow Christians belong to denominations which have, during the course of history,
separated themselves from the main body, that is, the (Roman) Catholic Church.
Many Protestants, and probably most Eastern Orthodox believers, see things differently; the
Roman Church is the separatist body itself! This is a difference of view which is not easily
going to be removed if organisational and institutional unity is the aim.
However, the unity that I wish to commend is a practical and grass roots unity which is not
dependent on structures. The differences can be accommodated by the willing acceptance
that the removal of denominational distinctives is not required for Christian unity. Our
unity can be expressed in the form of witnessing, working on projects and worshipping
together.
The new attitude to believers outside the Catholic Church seen in Vatican II was part of the
aggiornamento of the Church, and as such was welcomed by many Protestants. In general
we can say that this remarkable Council changed nothing and changed everything at the same
time!
153 Ed Flannery, Austin, OP, Vatican Collection Vol 1, Vatican Council II, The Conciliar and Post-
Conciliar Documents, New Revised Edition 1992, (ninth printing) Dominican Publications, pp 452ff.
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