Statue of St. Peter in front of St. Peter’s Basilica. / Credit: Vatican Media
Rome Newsroom, Jun 13, 2024 / 09:42 am (CNA).
The Vatican published a 130-page study on papal primacy on Thursday containing suggestions from Orthodox and Protestant Christian communities for how the role of the Bishop of Rome might look in a future “reunited Church.”
The study document, titled “The Bishop of Rome: Primacy and Synodality in Ecumenical Dialogue and Responses to the Encyclical Ut Unum Sint,” is the first Vatican text since the Second Vatican Council to outline the entire ecumenical debate on papal primacy.
In addition to identifying the theological questions surrounding papal primacy in ecumenical dialogue, the document goes a step further to provide suggestions “for a ministry of unity in a reunited Church,” including “a differentiated exercise of the primacy of the Bishop of Rome.”
The end of the text published on June 13 includes a section of proposals from the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity on “the exercise of primacy in the 21st century,” including recommendations for “a synodal exercise” of papal primacy.
Synodality
The dicastery concludes that “growing synodality is required within the Catholic Church” and that “many synodal institutions and practices of the Eastern Catholic Churches could inspire the Latin Church.”
It adds that “a synodality ad extra” could include regular meetings among Christian representatives at the worldwide level in a “conciliar fellowship” to deepen communion.
This builds off of dialogue with some Orthodox representatives who have asserted that “any restoration of full communion between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches will require, on both sides, a strengthening of synodal structures and a renewed understanding of a universal primacy – both serving communion among the churches.”
At a Vatican press conference on June 13, Cardinal Mario Grech, the secretary-general of the General Secretariat of the Synod, said that this study document is being released as a very “convenient time” as the Church prepares for the second session of the Synod on Synodality in the fall.
A representative of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Archbishop Khajag Barsamian, who joined the press conference via video link, underlined that “the synodality of the Catholic Church is an important criterion for the Oriental Orthodox churches on our way to full communion.”
Defining responsibilities of the pope
The Catholic Church holds that Jesus made Peter the “rock” of his Church, giving him the keys to the Kingdom and instituting him as the shepherd of the whole flock. The pope as Peter’s successor is the “perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful,” as described in one of the principal documents of the Second Vatican Council, Lumen Gentium.
The new study document proposes “a clearer distinction be made between the different responsibilities of the Pope, especially between his ministry as head of the Catholic Church and his ministry of unity among all Christians, or more specifically between his patriarchal ministry in the Latin Church and his primatial ministry in the communion of Churches.”
It notes the possibility of “extending this idea to consider how other Western Churches might relate to the Bishop of Rome as primate while having a certain autonomy themselves.”
The text notes that Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Churches emphasized the importance of regional leadership in the Church and advocated “a balance between primacy and primacies.” It adds that some ecumenical dialogues with Western Christian communities also applied this to the Catholic Church by calling for “a strengthening of Catholic episcopal conferences, including at the continental level, and for a continuing ‘decentralization’ inspired by the model of the ancient patriarchal Churches.”
Invoking the principle of subsidiarity, which means that no matter that can properly be dealt with at a lower level should be taken to a higher one, the text describes how some ecumenical dialogues argued that “the power of the Bishop of Rome should not exceed that required for the exercise of his ministry of unity at the universal level, and suggest a voluntary limitation in the exercise of his power.”
“In a reconciled Christianity, such communion presupposes that the Bishop of Rome’s relationship to the Eastern Churches and their bishops […] would have to be substantially different from the relationship now accepted in the Latin Church,” it says.
‘Rewording’ of teachings of Vatican I
Another concrete proposal put forward by the dicastery is “a Catholic ‘re-reception’, ‘re-interpretation,’ ‘official interpretation,’ ‘updated commentary,’ or even ‘rewording’ of the teachings of Vatican I,” particularly with regard to definitions on primacy of jurisdiction and papal infallibility.
The First Vatican Council, which took place between 1869 and 1870 under Pope Pius IX, dogmatically defined papal infallibility in the constitution, Pastor Aeternus, which said that when the Roman Pontiff speaks ex cathedra, that is, when he officially teaches in his capacity of the universal shepherd of the Church on a doctrine on a matter of faith or morals and addresses it to the entire world, the defined doctrine is irreformable.
An Anglican representative who spoke at the Vatican press conference highlighted how certain aspects of Vatican I have been a particular “stumbling block” for Angelicans.
The study document released by the Vatican pointed to how arguments have been made in ecumenical dialogue that some of the teachings of Vatican I “were deeply conditioned by their historical context” and suggested that “the Catholic Church should look for new expressions and vocabulary faithful to the original intention but integrated into a communio ecclesiology and adapted to the current cultural and ecumenical context.”
It describes how some ecumenical dialogues “were able to clarify the wording of the dogma of infallibility and even to agree on certain aspects of its purpose, recognizing the need, in some circumstances, for a personal exercise of the teaching ministry, given that Christian unity is a unity in truth and love.”
“In spite of these clarifications, the dialogues still express concerns regarding the relation of infallibility to the primacy of the Gospel, the indefectibility of the whole Church, the exercise of episcopal collegiality and the necessity of reception,” it adds.
‘That they all may be one’
The document summarizes responses by different Christian communities to Pope John Paul II’s 1995 encyclical on Christian unity, Ut Unum Sint (“That They All May Be One”).
In particular to the Polish pope’s invitation in the encyclical for Christian leaders and theologians to engage in a patient and fraternal dialogue on papal primacy.
“It is out of a desire to obey the will of Christ truly that I recognize that as bishop of Rome I am called to exercise that ministry. I insistently pray the Holy Spirit to shine his light upon us, enlightening all the pastors and theologians of our Churches, that we may seek — together, of course — the forms in which this ministry may accomplish a service of love recognized by all concerned,” John Paul II wrote.
Ut Unum Sint says that the bishop of Rome as the successor of the Apostle Peter has a “specific duty” to work for the cause of Christian unity.
The study document published by the Vatican is the result of more than three years of work summarizing some 30 responses to Ut unum sint and 50 ecumenical dialogue documents on the subject.
Orthodox, Protestant, and Catholics experts were consulted in collaboration with the Institute for Ecumenical Studies at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas.
Cardinal Kurt Koch, the prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, noted at the press conference that one of the fruits of the ecumenical theological dialogue in the past three decades has been “a renewed reading of the ‘Petrine texts,’” in which dialogue partners were invited to “consider afresh the role of Peter among the apostles.”
The Vatican notes that the “the concerns, emphases and conclusions of the different dialogues varied according to the confessional traditions involved.”
As a study document, its goal is only to offer “an objective synthesis of the ecumenical discussions” on papal primacy, and “does not claim to exhaust the subject nor summarize the entire Catholic magisterium on the subject.”
Cardinal Koch explained that Pope Francis gave his approval for the dicastery to publish the document, but this does not mean that the pope approved every sentence.
Ian Ernest, the director of the Anglican Center in Rome, thanked Catholic leaders for publishing the new document, which he said “opens up new perspectives for ecumenical relations on the much debated question of the relationship between primacy and synodality.”
“As the personal representative of the archbishop of Canterbury, I am delighted that one of the most comprehensive and detailed responses to St. John Paul II’s invitation in Ut unum sint was given by the House of bishops of the Church of England in 1997,” he said.
Ernest described the Anglican Lambeth Conference and Primates’ Meeting as examples of “synodality at work,” which enable the Anglican communion “to prayerfully understand the ecumenical dialogues and new perspectives which touch on … important doctrinal aspects.”
In response to questions from journalists, Cardinal Grech acknowledged that different Christian churches have different ways of conceiving synodality.
Grech noted that the synthesis report from the 2023 assembly of the Synod on Synodality asked theologians to examine “the way in which a renewed understanding of the episcopate within a synodal Church affects the ministry of the Bishop of Rome and the role of the Roman Curia.”
He added that “the debate is still open” as the Church continues the synodal process with the second assembly in the fall.
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We read: “Record numbers of Catholics have left the Church in Germany in recent years with 272,771 people formally leaving in 2019.”
Did they leave the Church, or did the Church leave them?
In Germany, according to a friend of mine who lives there, you are required to state your religious affiliation on your tax return so that each officially recognized religious institution gets a pro rata share of the funds collected for the support of religion. It’s a big complaint of people who belong to unrecognized bodies that they get no funds even though they pay taxes for it. Changing your affiliation is considered an official declaration that you are no longer a member of a particular religion.
Worse than that. To not declare on the tax return is regarded as “apostasy” and punished with excommunication. Emeritus pope Benedict said in one of his published interviews that, given European history, the tax might make sense but that the punishment was “indefensible.”
Wow your excommunicated for not allowing tax funds to be designated to the Church, but its okay for Catholoic politicians to support abortions. What’s wrong with that?
Good point!
This is what happens when the Church gets in bed with the government. The German system of the government collecting taxes for support of churches is one of the worst concepts every created. It has created some very wealthy bishops. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26746110 It is my understanding that if you formally “opt out” of your faith community you don’t pay the tax; however, the churches can refuse you sacraments such as marriage. Yea, who could have predicted what is happening … well, just about anyone!
A number of German Catholics including some very high officials have said that ” it cannot be that German Bishops are talking about homosexuality ” day and night “.
This is certainly the impression many of the faithful have; their number one favourite theme is homosexuality and to legitimize sodomy.
Shocking seems a soft vocable to express what’s now taking place. And they don’t seem in any way to be ashamed of their open support and love for practised homosexuality.
Many are wondering; ” why this obsession with homosexuality?”.
Where is Christ in their vision? New evangelization?
The Church is already plagued by massive homosexual abuse ( 86 – 90 percent of all the victims are of male sex).Ans these Bishops want to persuade the faithful and the victims that more practised homosexuality in and outside of the Church is the medicine!
God bless Cardinal Pell! Praying foe him every day since over two years.
I strongly recommend reading his diaries from prison.
Volume I is excellent. The Cardinal’s book shows great fortitude and patience. It should be read by every Catholic who needs to grasp how blessed we are to live in freedom. We may need to fight for that soon.
My lament for Germany relates to memories three years as a young infantryman Aschaffenburg life impacting friendships years after. Forest shrines Christ crucified hidden chapels the amazing honesty of children purchasing bread beer cheese for us when on field maneuvers churches packed on Sundays. Years later a seminarian friend, former German airman Battle of Britain whose tragic personal life found a decent, gentle person a rarity among his peers. Years later the priest rector of the German College the only Angelicum lecturer willing to direct my Aquinas thesis considered too radical. I don’t like the insults directed at Germans and Germany similar to contemptuous remarks about Italian Americans. Pell a survivor of, perhaps Vatican chicanery has a right to lament German Catholicism. Suffering can elicit our best sentiments. We can endlessly discuss why German Catholicism is fast dissolving into pre Christian amorality. Sexual disorder, moral complacency, exodus within a German Church groomed for decades in Darkness has found catalyst beneath the paginal depths of a certain Apostolic exhortation.
Thank you for defending Germany, with all her faults. Our beloved Benedict’s biography about the Germany that was is part of that. I am SO WEARY of nastiness about Germany. Isn’t it remarkable that there are never movies or commentary on the Japanese (except Hiroshima etc) participation in WWII in comparison? The horrors of what those who lived through Japanese occupation and prison camps is rarely mentioned. The Left goes in only one direction.
It would appear that the Pope is planning to do nothing about this situation until it is past the point of no return.Schism is what they are clearly aiming for .It would be best if this situation were handled NOW before this high stakes game gets even worse, and the Germans have too much invested to back away from their position. The Pope should call in these German Bishops and inform them without equivocation that if they take their positions ( like the gay blessings on May 10th) to it’s proposed conclusion, they will be excommunicated from the Catholic church. And then, whoever and whatever they pretend to be, they will NOT be Catholics. The church has for decades spent far too much time pussyfooting around various issues for fear of public reaction or of people leaving the Church. Be more concerned about preserving the truth. That is true even if the number of believers is smaller. Truth exists, or it does not. If it does, it must be defended in no uncertain terms. Being “nice” is a secular value, not an expression of religious belief, and does not trump dogma and church teachings. Hoping for the best and trying to convince by “niceness”, while allowing them to possibly distribute communion like so much free candy and condone homosexual behavior will not help defend the church and her teachings. What is Francis waiting for??
In which other European countries does the government tax system also exist? Belgium’s bishop Bonny seems to be pretty preoccupied with homosexuality like the German-language bishops.
According to Wiki, the tax law varies from country to country, but the short answer is: “A church tax is imposed in Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Sweden, some parts of Switzerland and several other countries. In Spain, paying a church tax is optional.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_tax#:~:text=A%20church%20tax%20is%20a%20tax%20imposed%20by,some%20parts%20of%20Switzerland%20and%20several%20other%20countries.
I so admire Cardinal Pell. He is still practicing the forthright honesty and strong love of the truth that got him unjustly charged and imprisoned in Australia. He must be a great comfort and hope for however many good priests and laity in Germany. I am sure that the painful price he paid for following Christ and His Churches teachings is not lost on them and for that matter even me. It engenders courage, that one virtue which God gives immediately when the faithful ask for it. Take heart, even though we endure suffering, in the end all will be well. As Mother Teresa said, “The only thing left to do is to remain faithful”
Well, Pell was charged because of false allegations and corruption within the Victorian legal system, and following a long defamatory campaign in the media about him doing little to take action against abusers while remarking, unfortunately, re the Ballarat scourge, to the Royal Commission that it wasn’t of much interest to him.
The true Catholic Church interprets Holy Scripture which is a Catholic book. Neglecting to mention this is bordering on support for Protestants. Yes, I know that Pell also said “to uphold the teachings of the Church,” but that didn’t make it into the headline.
Personally, I think that this is a very good turn of events. No more pretense. No more faking it. Now we know the lines are drawn: the side of the Shepherd or the side of the wolves. The wolves have now dropped the mask. Now they are easily identifiable for the wolves that they are.
It would be helpful to know the form and content of the proposed blessing. Is it a blessing of intentions to commit what used delicately to be called ‘irregular motions of the flesh’ of various kinds? Or is it proposed to ask God to bless some stable human companionships? Or something in between? I think clarity is needed before we start talking in terms of schism and excommunication.
I humbly say that the German Bishops should listen to eminent persons like cardinal Burk, Cardinal Pell . There is no credit for rebellion against the Catholic Church. Jesus is our leader and not any secular experts who preach sex or gender equality, this and that. The Catholic Church is depository of truth. I am sorry to enquire whether these Bishops have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. For that one has to be Huber and converse with Jesus daily for a long time. Simply by seeing the sinful secular world some priests and bishops tread on wrong path.
Cardinal Pell is a true and good shepherd of his flock. He was wrongfully accused of a horrible act he could never have committed solely because he would have been a very strong candidate to be the next pope in a future conclave. God will have the ultimate say on who the next and maybe even final pope will be. He will be a very bold and outspoken critic of the culture of death agenda. God and the Holy Spirit are never wrong. Their decision has already been made. Interesting times ahead for both the Church and mankind. PRAY! PRAY! PRAY!