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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I think that, instead of singing hymns, we would have more success getting the congregation to participate if we brought soccer balls to Mass and kicked them up and down the aisles. And the parishes wouldn’t need to pay for a pipe organ and its maintenance, or any other keyboard or instrument, or a cantor or a music minister!
Sadly, I’m actually serious about this.
I am a pianist/organist who has played all my life since childhood in Protestant churches and in several Catholic parishes in my hometown. When I moved to a new Big City after my husband passed away, I assumed that these “City Folks” would be great singers and musicians, but they’re aren’t, and neither are the suburb or rural folks.
I don’t think anyone sings anymore except when they sing along with their popular music.
I think getting Catholics in the congregation to “sing out!” is like trying to train cats! (I love cats and have a cat of my own.) Protestants at least try to warble along with their Praise and Worship team, but many of them don’t sing, either.
And even the large Catholic churches have tiny choirs (and very few men!) compared to the numbers of people sitting in the pews! Shouldn’t a parish that has several thousand members have at least a hundred people singing the choir!
Catholic friends tell me, “I sing!” But do they, really? I LOVE TO SING, and often, people, especially the children, in my parish turn around to stare at me when I am singing in a full voice, on pitch, and often singing the alto part (which isn’t written in our “missalette” hymns–grrr!!!! None of the parts are written out. Apparently, the hymnals, with four-part music scores, are too expensive and I’ve also heard that they’re “too heavy”. Sigh.
Once (just once), I heard a gentleman behind me singing the melody in a beautiful baritone voice, and after Mass, I told him he was a good singer. He sighed and told me, “This parish used to have a schola that all us schoolboys were part of, and we sang Gregorian chant and Latin, as well as the hymns in parts, and we loved singing. But now…” and he sighed again.
I wasn’t surprised. Once in my home parish, when my husband was still alive, and our daughters were home from college, all four of us sang the Mass hymns, and we sang all the parts (for those Catholics who don’t know what “parts” are–soprano, alto, tenor, bass)–and all the people in front of us turned around and stared at us!
Sadly, my current 150-year-old church nave has absolutely perfect acoustics. What a shame that the congregation doesn’t sing! It especially grieves me when I see the children just standing there. Their parents don’t even open the missalette to read the words of the hymn and show them to their children but just seem to be waiting until the hymn is over and they can sit down again.
When my daughters were growing up, I used to have them stand on the pews, and I would hold the hymnals open for them when they were too small to hold them and sing to THEM (as well as to God!) during the hymns so that they would learn the melody and the words. Since I was one of the pianists, I would have the schedule of hymns in advance and would often teach them to my daughters at home so they would know them on Sunday.
Both of my daughters were good singers because I TAUGHT them to sing and taught them the hymns, beginning with singing to them when they were babies, teaching them fun children’s songs when they were toddlers, keeping them away from pop and country music until they were older, and teaching them other music skills as they grew up. One of my daughters makes her living as a stage manager–she got her first job as stage manager of a professional ballet company because she knew how to read music! My other daughter is in a medical career, but she cantors at her large parish, and still plays piano, violin, and guitar just to relax!
My grandson, who will turn 4 soon, has already “written” 2 songs (ha ha!) and he often sings in a very loud monotone, but he’s getting there! He definitely loves music!
Amazing how many adults don’t know how to read music these days! And it’s even more amazing that kids can play soccer, but can’t read music, sing in a head voice, or have never sung in a choir because THEIR PARISH SCHOOL DOESN’T OFFER MUSIC!!!, and if they did, the children would choose a sports elective instead of a music elective.
No WONDER Hollywood and much of the professional entertainment world is so atheistic these days! (There are notable exceptions.)
I really hope that this music ignorance and avoidance will change in Catholic parishes as more Protestants convert to Catholicism (like my family did). It’s a shame that we have to drive into the city to the Basilica to hear good music–but even then, the congregation doesn’t sing. I don’t think they know how to sing. I don’t think many Catholics know how to sing. It’s really sad, considering that Paul and Silas sang hymns when they were imprisoned in chains, and that as the Early Church martyrs were marched into the arena, they sang hymns. I guess we’ll kick that soccer ball around on our way to the lions.
Latin Mass scholas are still in operation . I used to sing in one and we have an all male schola at our local Latin Mass down the road.
You’re blessed!
We are blessed here indeed Mrs. Sharon.
If our TLM community can leave the conspiracy narratives alone and just focus on Our Lord and the Mass we’ll be great shape. I love the music but had to take a break from some of the craziness.
People who feel demeaned and disregarded by the shepherds can start listening to some weird stuff. Hopefully our new pope will make the TLM more widely available and things will get back to normal.
When you force people to worship in bunkers is it any wonder when they adopt a bunker mentality?
🙂
I am guessing the younger generations are generally not trained in music well. (Schools in our area have cut those programs so administrators can be hired and the IT departments can be upgraded). I know I am not well trained. As a child, I was partially hard of hearing due to allergies. I remember being given a pitch test in elementary school. I did not receive a good score, and consequently was not invited into (or allowed into) the elementary’s school music program, which meant I didn’t take band or orchestra in Junior high or high school.
I can read standard music notation in both treble, clef, and alto clef (due to private piano and guitar instruction), but if you asked me to sing without the actual notes being played, I could not do that.
A month ago I strained my vocal chords and soft palate trying to do a Good Friday chant with the parish. Our parish is most elderly, and the voices are not strong. A gentleman in the parish reminds of this every now and then. He, of course, is well trained musically with a very good voice.
I agree with you that many students bypass music electives in schools (both public and parochial schools, and also home schools), often so that they can concentrate on the much-touted STEM courses and their guarantee of a high-paying job, and of course, on sports (with the hope of their parents that their child will earn a college scholarship if they are good in their sport(s).
It’s a shame that “money” is the motivation behind interest in STEM subjects.
Home-schooled students generally are either placed in music lessons or local choirs by parents, or the parents teach the music, which can work well if the parent is musical, but badly if the parent has no idea what they are doing. Many homeschool co-ops hire a music teacher, but even in home schools, if there are “electives,” many of the children select either STEM classes or Physical Education classes, not music.
I can understand the lack of requirement for music education in high school, but there is absolutely no excuse, IMO, especially in Catholic and other Christian schools (Protestant) for not having music (and other arts) taught in elementary school from Kindergarten through at least the 5th grade, and ideally, into Middle School as the boys (and girls, too, to a lesser extent) experience puberty and the “change” in their voices.
What we are seeing in churches, IMO, is the result of no music education, or inadequate music education. E.g., in several of the schools in my former city, the schoolchildren were learning to sing “Hip Hop” music and rap music, and bypassing the traditional music education that teaches them how to read a music score and how to sing in parts (usually only 2 parts in 5th through 8th grades in part because most of the boys have unchanged voices or are beginning to experience the awkwardness of voice change).
Thankfully, there are areas of the U.S. that still value music education and offer various music opportunities in the community. E.g., in my hometown, there is a Music Academy where many children and teens (especially those who are home-schooled) learn to sing and also play various musical instruments. Also, there are local community choirs that children and/or teens can join. The problem with these is that they generally cost a lot of money, which means that many children and teens do not have the financial resources to access these sources of music education. There are scholarships available, but these are not abundant, and are generally awarded to promising students, not just children and teens who want to sing in a choir. Sometimes churches offer children’s and teen choirs–African American churches generally do this with great success, and speaking of that, has anyone noticed how many talented musical superstars are African American in the U.S.–and most of them will tell fans that they got their musical start in CHURCH!?
We are short-changing our children and teens by not offering children’s and teens choirs in our parishes–thank goodness, some parishes still give children and teens the opportunity to sing in a choir at the Masses, but many don’t. I am not a certified music teacher, but I’ve had a lot of experience with children and music and have also written children’s songs (not published). I’m also a very good accompanist (piano). There are a lot of people in churches and parishes who are capable of leading a children’s or even teen choir, even if the singers just sing in unison.
My personal opinion is that without children’s and teen choirs, we will continue to see Mass music decline in quality and participation. Some people mistakenly blame the “banal” or “heretical” songs in the missalettes, and although I agree that we need to take a serious look at our missalettes and eliminate quite a few of the hymns that have questionable words or awkward tunes (with large intervals which are difficult to sin), but the silence that occurs in the congregation during the Mass hymns has more to do with lack of ability to read a musical line and sing on pitch in a head voice (not an octave below the score that makes the singing “growly”!)–skills that most children and teens (and adults, too!) are generally capable of doing with a little instruction. Of course, although I hate to suggest it, but I also think many adults believe that the Mass music just slows the Mass down and prevents them from enjoying their Sunday off work, hence their willingness to attend a Mass that has no music at all.
Shame on us for neglecting the praise of our God in our singing and playing of musical instruments during Mass! Psalm 150–maybe it should become a “Project” for Catholic parishes in the U.S.A!
I’ve sung in choirs all my life and have never sung the Regina Coeli.
You can bet I’ve looked it up now!
Singing the Regina Caeli is like experiencing a bit of Heaven. The tone, the Latin, and knowing it’s honoring the Queen of Heaven adds that special ‘umph’ to it. Plus, the Regina Caeli takes the place of the Angelus during the Easter Season.
The Regina Coeli (Caeli?) takes the place of the Angelus during the Easter season? Didn’t know that either.
Still so much to learn, so little time!