杏MAP导航

By Vatican News

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 very hard to overestimate鈥� the significance of the creation of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, says Bishop Brian Farrell.

杏MAP导航 Saint John XXIII鈥檚 idea of establishing an ecumenical office in the Vatican, he says, 鈥渨as certainly a novelty, a revolution at the time, and now it has become a reality. And we are constantly working for the restoration of the unity of Christ鈥檚 Church.鈥�

Bishop Farrell currently serves as the secretary of the Pontifical Council. In an interview with Sister Bernadette Reis, the Bishop looks at some of the differences that characterise ecumenical dialogue today, sixty years after the foundation of the Pontifical Council.

From conflict to trust

鈥淔irst of all, there is a sense of how much we actually have in common, because for centuries the churches rivalled each other by insisting on their differences鈥�, he says. In the past sixty years, 鈥渆cumenical dialogue and constant contacts鈥� have allowed Christians 鈥渢o discover that we are much closer than the social images that we had made of each other.鈥�

Another important difference is 鈥渢he fact that, from conflict and rivalry, we have moved to a situation of trust and confidence and complete openness in our ecumenical dialogues鈥�, he says.

This change, for which we must be truly grateful, 鈥渃omes from recognising and engaging with our brothers and sisters in the other churches.鈥�

A long journey

Asked about some of the ecumenical challenges facing the Church today, Bishop Farrell says that 鈥渢he great challenge is, first of all, to make known the whole ecumenical goal of the Church.鈥� Ecumenism can not be the concern only of 鈥渁n elite group of experts鈥�. Instead, 鈥渢he unity of the Church is all about the whole people of God鈥�.

Bishop Farrell says that the anniversary of the birth of the Pontifical Council dedicated to ecumenism 鈥渋s a good opportunity for all of us to recognise what鈥檚 [been] done, and to examine what we need to do now.鈥�

Living as if united

With 杏MAP导航 Francis, Bishop Farrell recognises the 鈥渉ealthy impatience鈥� of those who feel that we can and should do more to work for Christian Unity. 鈥淥ne of the things that we need to do more is not to be content with the way we are鈥�, he says, adding, 鈥渢his is a very human temptation."

It is also important, says Bishop Farrell, 鈥渢hat we actually learn the lesson [鈥�] that the Lord has been teaching the ecumenical movement, and in particular through the ministry of 杏MAP导航 Francis鈥�, namely, 鈥渢hat we need to live as if we have discovered unity鈥�.

By living out the imperfect communion that we already share, 鈥渨e can have the framework and the context to solve the very difficult questions that we still have to resolve鈥�.

Bishop Farrell acknowledges that there is 鈥渟till a great deal of study and work and prayer to do before we reach a full understanding of our unity.鈥�

However, he says, 鈥渨e can鈥檛 stop the present moment. We are all confronted by a world that shows us that if we don鈥檛 stand together, we won鈥檛 be able to serve.鈥�

Click below to listen to the full interview of Bishop Brian Farrell with Sister Bernadette Reis: