Perspectief 2014-25

2014-25 Conclusion 37 Reageer 5 Conclusion At the conclusion of this thesis it is time to return to the research question and to answer it according to the results of the previous chapters. This thesis is a systematic attempt to make the position of the Taizé community vis-á-vis the Catholic Church more explicit. The question was: “How can the Eucharistic practice of Taizé as an ecumenical event be interpreted from the viewpoints of present-day Catholic ecclesial law and systematic theology?” In order to answer this question, I have taken three steps. The first was to describe the actual practice in chapter 2. The Taizé community has evolved over time from a small community rooted in several Protestant Churches, to a large established community of Protestants and Catholics, with great significance for the ecumenical process and evangelization. Liturgical practice has changed according to this evolution. Since 1972 Catholic Eucharist is the common form of worship of the brothers. Catholic mass is celebrated every morning. The brothers participate in it by receiving communion during the morning prayer, when communion is administered. On Sundays and other special occasions, Eucharist itself is incorporated in the prayer service. As a consequence, in practice intercommunion takes place, since many of the brothers are not Catholic. This can also be explained as the community being recognized as in fact being in full communion with the Catholic Church. The community does provide alternatives for non Catholic visitors. Given the circumstances, in their execution these alternatives may not be sufficient to prevent non Catholic visitors from receiving communion during the morning prayer. The second step was to position this practice within the Catholic legal framework. I have demonstrated that only little space is available for the celebration of the Eucharist in ecumenical contexts. In general, common worship is forbidden. However, exceptional cases can be discriminated, which are to be decided upon by local and/or universal ecclesial authorities. In the case of Taizé, apart from permission for common prayer, official declarations on the status of its practice are not provided. However, informally and in most cases implicitly, approval is granted by the authorities. The