Perspectief 2015-29

2015-29 Reaction from a Roman Catholic Perspective 45 Reag eer The box following par. 81 implies a serious imbalance or even misunderstanding when it speaks of Eucharistic hospitality. The word “hospitality” is not the best word to use in this context and is problematic. All Christians believe that it is the Lord who invites us to the communion table but he does so through the Church which has the responsibility to interpret the Word of God and to celebrate the Eucharist. Churches which believe that Eucharistic sharing is only coherent and therefore possible within the context of full communion in faith and order are not, for that reason, “inhospitable.” The present formulation seems to leave no room for the Catholic position of hope for a future reunion when full Eucharistic sharing will be possible. I personally deplore that The Church: Towards a Common Vision seems to be satisfied at this point with discussing the divergence “as to whether baptism, eucharist and other rites should be termed ‘sacraments’ or ‘ordinances’.” (§ 44) In 1998, the paragraph on the Eucharist in The Nature and Purpose of the Church , could still end with a hopeful remark: “In spite of the range of understandings and practices there is a growing willingness to understand other positions and a shared longing to express baptismal communion in eucharistic communion as part of a life in communion.” Luckily, the PCPCU assessment of The Nature and Mission of the Church could also welcome “the way the text begins by recalling the goal of visible unity.” As from the introduction of the 2013 agreed statement on the Church one is indeed reminded of our obligation as churches to continue to work towards the goal of visible unity and of the implications thereof: “Such visible unity finds a most eloquent expression in the celebration of the eucharist, which glorifies the Triune God and enables the Church to participate in the mission of God for the transformation and salvation of the world.” IV The fate of the image of church as creatura verbi The major change in the 2013 agreed statement, compared to the 2005 draft, however occurred under Orthodox pressure. I personally found it very much refreshing that The Nature and Mission of the Church not only made reference to the biblical images of ‘the Church as people of God’, ‘the Church as the body of Christ’, ‘the Church as temple of the Holy Spirit’, ‘the Church as koinonia/communion’ to reflect on the nature of the Church, but also contained a four paragraph long reflection on the Church as ‘Creation of the Word and of the Holy Spirit’. I found it very significant that such a positive appraisal of an originally Lutheran image of the Church, not only took place in a few bilateral dialogue statements in which the Catholic Church has been involved, but also in a Faith & Order