The Roman Catholic Church has elected a new leader to great cheers, but in certain circles there is little enthusiasm for Pope Benedict XVI. Those labouring in the vineyards of ecumenical dialogue are worried about what they can expect from this man who, as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, they believe is responsible for putting the brakes on the great progress made during the pontificate of Pope John Paul II.
Already some commentators have prophesied the entrenchment of conservatism and authoritarian rule from the Vatican. One such leader, the Rev. Malcolm Sinclair of Toronto's Metropolitan United Church, complained of "old men wielding old doctrines" (Globe and Mail, April 25, Letters to the Editor). But a close examination of the new Pope would suggest that it is far too soon to pass judgment on how he will approach the minefields of ecumenism and interfaith dialogue.
Ecumenists recall vividly Cardinal Ratzinger's bid to influence the shape of ecumenical dialogue a few years ago. As prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith — the Vatican office charged with defending doctrinal purity — Cardinal Ratzinger issued Dominus Iesus (Lord Jesus) in August 2000, a document that sought to bring stark clarity to Catholic teaching of the nature of Jesus and His mission of salvation for the world. It most certainly met its objective, but it also angered other Christian denominations who were insulted that the document argued some of them were not churches in the proper sense and that the fullness of salvation could only be found through the Catholic Church.
Though Dominus Iesus merely repeated traditional Catholic teaching, its uncompromising language created a reputation for the cardinal as a church leader opposed to real ecumenical dialogue. Now, as Pope, he is well positioned to halt any further progress.
Yet Dominus Iesus is not the church's last — or even most authoritative — word on ecumenism. Nor does it represent a full picture of what Pope Benedict XVI will do. In fact, some of the new Pope's first words and gestures suggest hope for the ecumenical movement rather than pessimism.
In his first message as Pope, delivered to the College of Cardinals the day after his April 19 election, he promised that "full and visible unity of all His (Jesus') disciples" would be his primary commitment. He added that he is "fully determined to cultivate any initiative that may seem appropriate to promote contact and agreement with representatives from the various churches and ecclesial communities."
"Theological dialogue is necessary," Benedict said, recalling Pope John Paul's historic gesture of global reconciliation in 2000 when he asked forgiveness for all those sins committed by church leaders of the past, notably those involved in the Inquisition, contributing to the divisions in Christianity and against Jews. As John Paul's successor, Benedict said he too is "personally implicated in this question," implying that he believed his own pontificate needs to continue the Catholic Church's examination of conscience and carry on its dialogue with other Christians in a spirit of humility.
In Benedict's own inaugural Mass, before some 300,000 people in St. Peter's Square on April 24, the Gospel was chanted in both Latin and Greek, the latter language being that used in Orthodox and Eastern-rite Catholic liturgies. This was a clear signal to the Orthodox Churches of the Pope's desire to work on healing the millennium-old breach between the two churches.
Then, on April 25, Pope Benedict welcomed other Christian and faith leaders — including the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams — who had come to his inaugural Mass. During his remarks to them, he said he wanted to "reaffirm the irreversible commitment" of the Catholic Church undertaken at the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) to ecumenism.
Admittedly, it is early days in this pontificate. Pope Benedict will bear watching to see how he will turn these welcoming words into action. But it is worth recalling how far the Catholic Church has come since the days when it's understanding of ecumenism was "the return of the dissidents to the one true Church of Christ," as it declared in its 1949 Instruction on the Ecumenical Movement. Vatican II placed Catholics on an irreversible path and John Paul II sealed that journey.
Now Pope Benedict XVI, a theologian of Vatican II and a confidant of John Paul, is in charge. This is grounds for hope, not anxiety.
