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Gazette editor sets reconciliation in European context at Irish Inter-Church Committee
Speaking today at the Irish Inter-Church Committee meeting in Dundalk, Canon Ian Ellis, rector of Newcastle, Co. Down and editor of The Church of Ireland Gazette, said that in Ireland there is a tendency to think of reconciliation ?in terms of our own problems within this island?, but went on to speak of Europe as a whole as being ?awash with situations that cry out for reconciliation?. He referred to relatively recent violence and rioting in France; to the public debate that took place several years ago about institutional racism in policing in Britain; to the continuing divisions in the former Yugoslavia; and to the question of the rights of minorities and the problems of refugees and asylum seekers.
Canon Ellis, who was speaking about the implications of the European ecumenical document, Charta Oecumenica, published in 2001, said that coming to terms with violence involved understanding and accepting its origins. He continued: ?Violence in the home may have its origins in the homes of parents, may be the result of unhappiness in marriages, of poverty, of alcoholism, of any of a vast number of possible causes. Violence in society at large may have its origins in bigotry and sectarianism or may arise against a background of social injustices, forgetting that violence itself entails a particularly brutal form of injustice. People may have their own, vested interests in violence. And always, always, violence is a most difficult problem to deal with, because unearthing the causes of violence means opening up deep wounds, unhappy memories, troubled pasts.?
On ecumenical relations, Canon Ellis said: ?Public reaction to the controversial concelebration of the Easter Day Eucharist in the Augustinian Priory in Drogheda, involving the Augustinian clergy and the Church of Ireland rector, surely points to the urgency which faces us as churches in coming to a resolution of the whole issue of eucharistic sharing.?
The full text of Canon Ellis's address follows.
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One of the potentially very positive things to have happened in recent times in the broader ecumenical movement was the publication in 2001 of the Charta Oecumenica, a joint Conference of European Churches/Council of European (Roman Catholic) Bishops' Conferences initiative. I believe that we in Ireland must take this document to heart and in fact set in place some way of monitoring our ecumenical life in relation to the ideals set forth in that document. I want to spend a few moments highlighting some of the things that are said in the Charta and relating them in a broad way to our own experience as Irish churches.
The Charta Oecumenica provides guidelines for the cooperation among the churches in Europe and affirms the need for the churches to strive "to overcome the divisions still existing among us, so that together we may credibly proclaim the message of the Gospel among all people".
In Ireland we are only too aware of our divisions, but our credibility as churches now very much depends on our ability to witness together. Certainly the more established churches, which are the ones with the history, must show that they can indeed overcome barriers of all sorts and so illustrate that the Gospel we proclaim is the real, powerful and life-giving Gospel of love and peace.
The Charta Oecumenica reminds us that Europe - from the Atlantic to the Urals, from the far North to the Mediterranean - is today more pluralist in culture than ever before, and so the Charta aims to contribute towards reconciling peoples and cultures. Again, in Ireland we are becoming more and more aware of the plural nature of society, both North and South of the border, not least as a result of EU enlargement. However, enormous challenges are emerging for the churches not only in their relationships with one another but also with other faith communities.
The Charta Oecumenica starts out by affirming the unity, sanctity, catholicity and apostolicity of the Church and the triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It marks a commitment "in the power of the Holy Spirit, to work towards the visible unity of the Church of Jesus Christ in the one faith, expressed in the mutual recognition of baptism and in eucharistic fellowship, as well as in common witness and service".
The Charta makes it clear that the most important task of the churches in Europe is the common proclamation of the Gospel, in both word and deed. This is an immense challenge as one considers the very diverse nature of European society, and the highly secularised context, but the challenge is also an immensely exciting one. So it is significant that the Charta marks a commitment to plan for evangelisation on an ecumenical basis, with the churches reaching an agreed approach and strategy for evangelism.
From our point of view in Ireland, it is significant that the Charta recognises the link between ecumenism and reconciliation. Of course, we have long recognised the way in which the churches have been a part of the division and alienation in Irish life, but the example of so many communities of reconciliation over the years of the Troubles is a reminder and a sign to us that ecumenism and reconciliation are indeed inextricably linked.
In the Europe of which we are more and more a part there is a great need for reconciliation on so many fronts. We are, understandably, inclined to think of reconciliation in terms of our own problems within this island, but Europe is awash with situations that cry out for reconciliation. We have all seen what happened not long ago in France, in terms of violence and rioting. In Britain, a few years ago there was public debate about institutional racism in policing; in the former Yugoslavia there are continuing divisions; the question of the rights of minorities and the problems of refugees and asylum seekers also witness to the deep need for reconciliation in Europe as a whole. It is not surprising that the Second European Ecumenical Assembly held in Graz, Austria in 1997 took the theme of Reconciliation: gift of God and source of new life. We belong to a Europe that is in much need of reconciliation. Our problems in Ireland are serious, but it is salutary to place them in the context of the great need for reconciliation in other places such as those that are part of the Europe of today.
So, our experience of the need for reconciliation is part of the human experience as a whole. We are not isolated in our need for reconciliation and we must therefore recognise that we have much to learn from others who have found success in their strivings after reconciliation. The first priority in promoting reconciliation in Northern Ireland, and indeed in Ireland as a whole, has been the leaving behind of violence. However, the violence cannot simply be forgotten, for that would be to ignore its legacy in each of us. There has to be a coming to terms with our violent thirty years. That process will require the environment of a true and lasting peace.
Coming to terms with violence, wherever it is, involves understanding and accepting its origins. Violence in the home may have its origins in the homes of parents, may be the result of unhappiness in marriages, of poverty, of alcoholism, of any of a vast number of possible causes. Violence in society at large may have its origins in bigotry and sectarianism or may arise against a background of social injustices, forgetting that violence itself entails a particularly brutal form of injustice. People may have their own, vested interests in violence. And always, always, violence is a most difficult problem to deal with, because unearthing the causes of violence means opening up deep wounds, unhappy memories, troubled pasts.
To return more specifically to the Charta Oecumenica, there is also in this document a commitment on the part of the churches "to act together at all levels of church life wherever conditions permit and there are no reasons of faith or overriding expediency mitigating against this; to defend the rights of minorities and to help reduce misunderstandings and prejudices between majority and minority churches in our countries". These are words that have real relevance in our Irish experience, and carry a real challenge to us.
Prayer, of course, lies at the heart of all ecumenism and the Charta recognises this when it says that "the ecumenical movement lives from our hearing God's word and letting the Holy Spirit work in us and through us". There is an acknowledgement in the document that in some churches reservations exist regarding praying together in an ecumenical context, but the document goes on to point out that all the churches have many liturgical features in common, especially the Lord's Prayer. Ecumenical services have become a regular feature of church life in Ireland, but as churches we do need to deepen that ecumenical commitment at the spiritual level. Public reaction to the controversial concelebration of the Easter Day Eucharist in the Augustinian Priory in Drogheda, involving the Augustinian clergy and the Church of Ireland rector, surely points to the urgency which faces us as churches in coming to a resolution of the whole issue of eucharistic sharing.
The Charta recalls that through the centuries, Europe has developed what it describes as "a primarily Christian character in religious and cultural terms" and recognises that. Christians have, however, failed to prevent suffering and destruction from being inflicted by Europeans, both within Europe and beyond. So, there is a need truly to learn from experience.
In the Charta Oecumenica there is much food for thought for us as Christian churches in Ireland. It constitutes a real call to examine ourselves, where we are ecumenically, where we are going ecumenically, setting a standard against which, in the months and years ahead, we can measure our progress.
FURTHER INFORMATION FROM:
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Canon Ian Ellis
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