Praying Together: A Roman Catholic Perspective

Praying Together: A Roman Catholic Perspective
WCC 10th Assembly - Ecumenical Conversation N° 5
Rev. Dr. Richard K. Baawobr, m.afr.
Introduction: Some Historical Moments
Apparently already in the 18th century some Christians were praying for Christian unity, but
its systematic organisation goes back to the beginning of the 20 th century. In 1895 Pope Leo
XIII recommended introducing a Novena for Christian Unity1. However it is since 1908 that,
Christians (of different traditions), all over the world pray for unity of the disciples of Jesus,
keeping in mind the prayer of Jesus himself, “that they (his disciples) may all be one, as you
Father, are in me and I in you” (NAB Jn 17,21). This happens from 18-25th January, ending
with the Feast of St Paul’s conversion, in the Northern Hemisphere as suggested by the
“founding fathers” Fr. Paul Wattson (an Episcopial minister of the Franciscan Brothers of the
Atonement at Grymoor, New York) and Abbé Couturier of Lyons. In the Southern
hemisphere it is mostly celebrated around the feast of the Pentecost as suggested by the
Faith and Order Commission in 19262. In most of the Churches where the Missionaries of
Africa (also called White Fathers because of the white habit they wore) work, this Week is
celebrated from 18-25th January.
This year’s (2014) theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (and throughout the
year) is “Has Christ been divided (1 Cor 1,1-17). It is prepared by our sisters and brothers in
in Christ in Canada.
We acknowledge the scandal of division among the disciples of Christ. This division has also
been exported and unfortunately continues today, in some places in very strong terms. It is a
counter witness and as the WCC Affirmation on Mission and Evangelism underlines, it
weakens the power of our evangelical word:
Authentic Christian witness is not only in what we do in mission but how we live out our mission. The
church in mission can only be sustained by spiritualities deeply rooted in the Trinity’s communion of
love. Spirituality gives our lives their deepest meaning. It stimulates, motivates and gives dynamism to
life’s journey. It is energy for life in its fullness and calls for a commitment to resist all forces, powers
3
and systems which deny, destroy and reduce life .
The Christian communities in their diversity are called to identify and practise ways of common witness
in a spirit of partnership and cooperation, including through mutually respectful and responsible forms
of evangelism. Common witness is what the “churches, even while separated, bear together, especially
through joint efforts, by manifesting whatever divine gifts of truth and life they already share and
4
experience in common .
1
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/homilies/2008/documents/hf_benxvi_hom_20080125_week-prayer_en.html (consulted on 18.10.2013).
2
Cf. http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/chrstuni/weeks-prayerdoc/rc_pc_chrstuni_doc_20120611_week-prayer-2013_en.html (consulted on 21.10.2013).
3
“Together towards Life: Mission and Evangelism in Changing Landscapes. A New WCC Affirmation on Mission
and Evangelism”, in New Milestone in Mission,101.2 (November 2012; 395) N° 29 (In “Together towards Life:
th
Mission and Evangelism in Changing Landscapes” ; in Resource Book. WCC 10 Assembly, Busan 2013, Geneva,
Oikumene, WCC Publications, p. 57).
4
“Together towards Life”, N° 63; p. 64 (Resource Book, p. 64).
1
For my conversation, now, I would like to explore briefly, from a Roman Catholic
perspective, what have seen and sometimes witnessed and joined in prayer with different
Christian traditions in Africa and in Europe at various occasions. I will do it in three stages:
-
The Official Roman Catholic Teaching and the Experiences of Ecumenical prayer;
The benefits of such prayer;
What needs to be done to make them valuable experiences for all concerned?
1. Some Official Catholic Teaching and the Experiences of Ecumenical Prayer
Vatican II encouraged Catholics to participate wholeheartedly in prayer with other Christians
because that is the spirit of Ecumenism. In 1964, it stated the following:
In certain special circumstances, such as in prayer services for unity and during
ecumenical gatherings, it is allowable, indeed desirable, that Catholics should join in
prayer with their separated brethren. Such prayers in common are certainly a very
effective means of petitioning for the grace of unity, and they are a genuine
expression of the ties which even now bind Catholics to their separated brethren 5.
The value of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity was reaffirmed by the Pontifical Council
for Promoting Christian Unity when it issued the Directory for the Application of Principles
and Norms of Ecumenism (1993) and explicitly encouraged participation in the Week of
Prayer for Christian Unity. This event, jointly planned by the Commission on Faith and Order
of the World Council of Churches and the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity, now belongs
to all Christians and the participation of different nations in preparing it each year points out
its importance for all.
During the celebration of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Pope Benedict had the
following to say during the closing vespers held in the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls:
Unity with God and our brothers and sisters is a gift that comes from on high, which
flows from the communion of love between Father, Son and Holy Spirit in which it is
increased and perfected. It is not in our power to decide when or how this unity will be
fully achieved. Only God can do it! Like St Paul, let us also place our hope and trust "in
the grace of God which is with us". Dear brothers and sisters, this is what the prayer
that together we are raising to the Lord desires to implore: that it may be he who
enlightens and sustains us in our ongoing quest for unity6.
And insisting on the need of prayer, he said that personal and communal prayer are essential
to the Ecumenical movement because they give us.
the "extra impetus" of faith, hope and charity, of which our search for unity has a
special need today7.
5
Vatican II Decree on Ecumenism “Unitatis Redintegratio”, n° 8.
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/homilies/2008/documents/hf_benxvi_hom_20080125_week-prayer_en.html.
7
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/homilies/2008/documents/hf_benxvi_hom_20080125_week-prayer_en.html.
6
2
Recalling the words of his predecessor, Blessed John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI stated the
three elements on which the search for unity is built: conversion, the Cross and prayer8.
(a) Official / Formal Celebrations
On the big scale, the celebrations during the Week of prayer for Christian Unity are certainly
the official Ecumenical prayer services for many Catholics. It will often follow a pattern such
as:
-
Opening song
Welcoming words
Opening Prayer (by one of the leaders of the Christian traditions present)
Scripture reading then a song
A reflection (by one of the leaders of the Christian traditions present)
Intercessions (spontaneous and / or prepared)
Our Father (in the different languages)
Final Prayer (by one of the leaders of the Christian tradition present)
Final Blessing (by one or all of the leaders of the Christian traditions present)
Concluding song
In communities where neighbouring Christian brothers and sisters are open to the
experience, they agree upon where, when and how to celebrate.
It can also take the form of vespers, in which case the pattern could be similar to the above
one except that the reading from Scripture would be preceded by 2 Psalms or more and 2
Canticles from the New Testament (one after the Psalms and the other, the Magnificat after
the Scripture reading).
Although the text always states that the proposals for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
are also for the entire year, it is rare that communities come back to them in explicit ways
except when they think it appropriate to create such an occasion. It is not uncommon in
some places that neighbouring Christian churches celebrate the Way of the Cross together
on Good Friday. This fosters respect for each other and learning to appreciate the other
Church’s way of praying also.
It has happened in moments of joy, like a national celebration, a wedding, at harvest, even
seeking blessing before some sports events, etc. that people of different Christian (and nonChristian) traditions pray together.
Moments of pain and sadness have also drawn people’s hearts together, like times of
sickness and death in a family or in the village or in the nation. After the attack in Westgate
in Nairobi (Kenya) by a terrorist group (al-Shabab from Somalia)9. Different Christians,
8
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/homilies/2008/documents/hf_benxvi_hom_20080125_week-prayer_en.html.
9
Innocent Maganya at http://www.mafrome.org/Interreligious_Prayer_nairobi.pdf and Agence France
Presse-Nairobi at http://www.lapresse.ca/international/afrique/201310/21/01-4701971-nairobi-hommageaux-victimes-de-lattaque-du-westgate.php.
3
Muslims and people of good will joined together to pray for a common cause. Ecumenical
prayer often inspires interreligious prayer10!
125 years ago, when our Founder, Cardinal Lavigerie campaigned against the Trans-Atlantic
Slavery from Africa11, he worked with Catholics and non-Catholic influential people and
decision makers alike. When the event was commemorated this year (2013) in France in the
Church of St Sulpice (in Paris), an Ecumenical celebration was the most fitting manner of
celebrating it12! All were thankful for it and determined to commit themselves against new
forms of slavery today.
At this 10th Assembly of the World Council of Churches, the different moments of prayer are
formal experiences of prayer together be they inter-confessional or confessional prayer. The
prayer with the Taizé community always has this ecumenical flavour to it.
(b) Informal Occasions of praying together
A lot of things go on between friends and members of the family that we are not aware of.
It is not uncommon to find in some of our families in Africa people belonging to different
religious living peacefully together and praying together at times.
In many African countries, at the beginning and at the end of a meeting, people pronounce
blessings upon each other. Such blessings are very much appreciated and can be part of the
beginning and / or conclusion of an ecumenical prayer.
2. The Benefits of Praying Together
(a) Jesus did say: “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the
midst of them” (Mt 18,20). This is one of the benefits that we feel when we take time to
pray together because in so doing we open our hearts to each other. It is a grace of the
Spirit of Jesus when we recognise our common humanity and vocation to live as God’s
children.
(b) In this way we are better enabled to welcome the gift of communion that God will give
us. Some people have experienced that in ecumenical meetings where prayer is part of
working together there is a greater communion of hearts and ideas!
(c) Praying together opens up the heart to the needs of each other and to look for ways of
responding to these needs. We cannot proclaim our love for God in prayer and ignore
10
We can call to mind the spiritual dialogue initiated by Blessed John Paul II when he prayed together with
other leaders of other religions, Christians included, in Assisi for peace in 1986 and 2000 and (to some extent)
by Pope Benedict XVI in 2011. They did not pray together in the sense that we are speaking of here (with a
common text, readings, etc.) but each prayed from her/his spiritual tradition for the same cause – peace! It was
not only something important for Christians but for humanity.
11
Cf. Jean Claude Ceillier & Francois Richard , Cardinal Charles Lavigerie and the Anti-slavery Campaign (Rome:
Stampa Instituto Salesiano Pio XI, 2012)
12
Cf. http://peres-blancs.cef.fr/veillee_de_priere%20oecumenique_pour_125e_antiesclavagiste_lavigerie.pdf.
4
the brother and sister who has prayed with us or whom we meet afterwards (1 Jn
4,7.11).
(d) Praying together strengthens us in our faith. In times of sadness, praying together gives
us the opportunity to help each other become aware of God’s presence and action even
in the apparent darkness. It brings peace to the heart.
(e) As Scripture is often used in formal ecumenical prayer (be they inter-confessional or
confessional), such events offer opportunities for us to appreciate how God’s Word
challenges and forms us on our faith journey.
3. What needs to be done?
(a) Since the Word of God is central to Ecumenical prayer, it is important that Scriptures are
used in a responsible manner. We need to avoid an approach that is too literal and
dispenses itself of situating the Word of God in its context(s) before applying it to today’s
changed context(s). This requires that outside of prayer, the leaders, especially, take
time to study God’s Word in order to better help others benefit from it.
(b) An attitude of openness and respect for the difference of the other, his / her manner of
speaking about God and of praying is indispensable. It is helpful to learn about one
another’s spiritualities, ways of praying and to appreciate them as true ways of entering
into communion with God, with neighbour and with self.
(c) It is important to be attentive that the forms of ecumenical prayers proposed are
inclusive for all. However it is possible to gradually introduce forms of prayer of one’s
tradition when there is agreement and the desire of all concerned. It can be proposed,
not imposed.
(d) The joy of recognising the other as disciple of Jesus and of seeking, whenever possible,
what unites us is important. In this line, praying the “Our Father” together at some point
has meaning and is to be encouraged.
Conclusion
Just as we do not learn how to swim by only reading the guide on swimming, we will not
learn how to pray together without actually praying together, making mistakes and learning
from those mistakes. May the experience here in Busan, help us open our hearts to the Lord,
the God of Life, who leads us to Justice and Peace, and open our hearts to each other in
prayer.
Busan, 4th November 2013
5