Pope Francis: Healing the Divide

(CHRISM NEWS/ CHRIS POTRATZ) In our modern world, where currently more than 30,000 Protestant denominations operate, it is hard to reconcile such division with the words of the Apostle Paul: “I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought” (1 Cor. 1:10).

Those of us adhering to the faith of the Apostles know explicitly what this passage is driving at – the unity which is found only within the Catholic Church. Namely, the unity which is accomplished through the office of St. Peter, the rock on which the Church is founded.

This may be a thorn in the side of those opposed to the Catholic faith, but an honest dose of reality allows one to easily discern the plain fact that the Catholic faith is, and has always been, the only living example of Christian unity on the planet.

Enter, then, our Orthodox brother and sisters, who Pope St. John Paul II so beautifully described as the “other lung” of the body of Christ. While the official date of the great schism between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches is set at 1054 AD, we know that in certain respects it was much earlier.

The Catholic Church, however, has worked diligently to heal this division. Such efforts can be seen in the Union of Brest-Litovsk, which created what we know today as the Eastern, or Byzantine, Catholic Churches. While these Churches continue to celebrate the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, use leavened bread for the Eucharist, and allowed married priests – essentially all things Orthodox – they are fully Catholic in that they understand the office of St. Peter to be the bedrock of orthodoxy (small O).

(Side Note: It has always struck me as odd that Protestants, in surveying the Christian landscape, are not curious as to why the two oldest Christian Churches in the world are essentially reflections of each other. Both celebrate the true presence of Christ at the altar, and likewise celebrate the 6 other sacraments. Likewise, both are grounded in Apostolic succession, have a correct view of Mary as the Mother of God, and believe in the communion of saints. How can Protestants reconcile such a huge chasm of difference between how they understand the Gospels versus the way in which the original Churches do? Moreover, many Protestants are decidedly convinced that the Catholic Church is simply an erroneous cult propagated by the evil Roman Empire. If such was the case, why would the Eastern Orthodox – who split form the Catholic Church – maintain their beliefs?)

For Catholics in Omaha interested in worshiping with our eastern Catholic brothers and sisters, I highly recommend a visit to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian-Greek Catholic Church, located at 1513 Martha Street in Omaha.

Continuing this great tradition of reconciliation between East and West, Pope Francis is currently visiting Istanbul, Turkey to further discussions with the Ecumaneical Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church, Bartholomew I. The Eastern Patriarch is likewise, at least to some degree, in favor of heling the schism. Speaking of a prior meeting earlier this year with Pope Francis, Bartholomew said, "We shall say through our meeting and our prayer that it is the intention of both of us to work further for Christian unity and reconciliation."

No matter how one feels about Pope Francis’ words and actions, which sometimes cause many to wonder where the Catholic Church is headed, we cannot deny that Pope Francis is making it his mission to be a healing force in the Church, despite whether or not we agree with the means of such healing.

Still, though, Pope Francis’ current attempt at ecumenical dialogue with our closest brothers and sisters in Christ, and indeed the only other body of Christians that the Magisterium rightly calls a “Church,” is highly encouraging for those who long to once again see the words of St. Paul come to fruition.

#opinion #commentary