October 2, 2015
Father René I. Constanza, CSP
The Third Annual Evangelical and Catholic Conversation was held at the University of Saint Mary of the Lake in Mundelein, Ill. from September 2nd to the 5th. Sponsored by the University of St. Mary of the Lake, Chicago’s Archdiocesan Office for Ecumenical & Interreligious Affairs and ACT-3, a network of relational partnerships between churches, missions and leaders in missional ecumenism, the gathering welcomed 37 participants, including Catholics and Evangelicals from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Italy, Guatemala, England, South Korea and Argentina. Given this diverse group of Christians, this three-day gathering made visible our common expression of proclaiming with conviction our relationship with Jesus Christ through prayer, service and witness to the Gospel.
This year’s conversation included discussions of Pope Francis’ call for dialogue, fellowship and action which the Pope lays out in his 2013 apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium (the Joy of the Gospel). We also heard two presentations: Fr. Thomas Baima, the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs of the University of St. Mary of the Lake and Dean of Mundelein Seminary delivered the keynote address on the biblical basis for a common understanding of the Church. Dr. Craig Higgins, the founding and senior pastor of Trinity Presbyterian Church in New York City presented a nuanced response that highlighted areas of agreement and concerns with Fr. Baima’s theological and biblical defense of an understanding of the Church as “the prolongation of the Incarnation through space and time.” Additionally, Dr. John Armstrong, president and founder of ACT3 Network and Pastor Norberto Saracco, a leading Pentecostal pastor in Argentina and a personal friend of Pope Francis, led the group in discussing experiences of positive relations between Evangelicals and Catholics in their various countries.
Fellowship was celebrated throughout the encounter, especially when we prayed for one another and shared stories and anecdotes of joys, sorrows and challenges we have experienced in striving for unity as Christians. Like at most meetings and large gatherings, relational bonds are formed through the informal sharing that occurs during coffee breaks and meals––and especially at the night gatherings in the common room with some drinks and popcorn. It is in this setting that I understood better the amazing potential of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal as a uniting force for both Catholics and Evangelicals. That understanding was only possible by sharing the joys and challenges of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal with one of the participants, Julia Torres, an Argentinian woman residing in Rome who has served extensively in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in Argentina. By sharing with other participants various stories of successes and challenges experienced when we emphasize unity instead of division, it became clear to me that in our work for Christian unity, we must not become fixated with immediate results, but continue the journey by striving towards Jesus’ goal with diligence, persistence, patience and much hope. It is in that spirit of solidarity that we continue walking together, facing difficulties together and strengthening each other by not only sharing our gifts but embracing the gifts others provide, always relying on the generous and gratuitous working of the Holy Spirit.
A major highlight of the encounter was the message sent by Pope France to the participants of this gathering. In his message to the group, Pope Francis wrote: “We know that the visible unity of the Church is the work and gift of the Holy Spirit, who will bring it about in His time. Meanwhile, any effort we make in favor of the unity of Christians is necessary and urgent. The world needs to know Jesus. We must proclaim Him without any pause, together. The division among Christians is the fruit of our sin, and it is a scandal and our greatest impediment for the mission for which the Lord has called us: announcing the Good News of the Gospel.” In his message the Pope lamented the suffering of Christians throughout the world and called for both Catholics and Evangelicals to work for a new Pentecost, as desired by Pope Saint John XXIII.
If there is any single event that I participate which models authentic unity within diversity, this is it.
This encounter would not have been possible without the valuable support of countless individuals who accompany us in God’s work for Christian unity. Our prayer is that all of us be attentive to the ways the Holy Spirit continues working in each one of us and as a community in achieving what Jesus prayed to God the Father in the gospel of John 17:21, “that they may all be one.”
Father René is a member of the Missionary Society of St. Paul the Apostle (Paulist Fathers) and parochial vicar at St. Austin’s parish in the Diocese of Austin, Texas. His ministry has opened his eyes to the need and importance of the ecumenical dimension of mission and the importance of fostering a spirit of ecumenism and encounter in parishes and among church leaders.