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In his October 1, 2000 Angelus, Pope John Paul II states:"The document (Dominus Iesus) thus expresses once again the same ecumenical passion that is the basis of my encyclical Ut unum sint. I hope that this Declaration, which is close to my heart, can, after so many erroneous interpretations, finally fulfill its function both of clarification and openness."1
Since becoming Pope in 1978, Pope John Paul II has been the most compelling, most committed and most effective interreligious and ecumenical leader in the world. From a man who has had such prolific experience, his claim that Dominus Iesu is an expression of his "ecumenical passion" needs to be taken seriously and explored.
The month following the release of Dominus Iesu in the United States, the media gave it much publicity. At times, the content of the document was caricatured and not fully explained. Cardinal Keeler correctly observed that many journalists did not have the necessary theological formation to present the document accurately.2
Dominus Iesu was often portrayed as a setback to ecumenical progress. Many wondered how this document could so quickly follow the ecumenical triumph of the "Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification" issued in October of 1999 by the Roman Catholic and Lutheran Churches.
The reality is that this document is an accurate and compelling summary of Vatican Council II's teaching on the Church and Ecumenism as well as the further nuances and explanations offered in the Pontificate of John Paul II. For Catholics and non-Catholics alike: if you have not read Dominus Iesu, read it carefully and meditatively, a number of times. Then go back and read the encyclicals Redemptoris Missio (1990) and Ut Unum Sint (1995) and the Vatican II documents themselves. This investment of time will give you a solid foundation for understanding the Catholic teaching on the issues raised by Dominus Iesu.
Far from dismantling the sails of ecumenical initiative, the document propels them up further and expands them by giving an accurate picture of what the Church actually believes. As the Pope himself says, Dominus Iesu is an expression of "ecumenical passion."
Mature ecumenism involves not only a spirit of penance and conversion on all sides but also a willingness to face our differences directly realizing with Pope John XXIII that "far more unites us than divides us."
Authentic ecumenical sensitivity and reverence do not unconsciously drift into a spirit of religious indifferentism. Rather, authentic ecumenical sensitivity and reverence require a bold and authentic Catholic witness so that genuine ecumenical progress and dialogue can actually occur.
There were very few surpises in the document for our ecumenical and interreligious brothers and sisters of good will who are theologically well-informed and experienced in ecumenical give-and-take. Experienced ecumenists understand the need for the Catholic Church to have a bold witness in the world, a witness that is ultimately helpful to the progress of the ecumenical movement.
As many Catholic Church leaders have already said, there is nothing in Dominus Iesu that is not also contained in the documents of the Second Vatican Council, the Universal Catechism and the encyclicals of Pope John Paul II.
It is hard to generalize, but in some cases where people were somehow shocked or outraged by the content of the document, there is a very real possibility that they never really understood or had never really been exposed to fundamental Catholic teachings. Others simply disagree with a Roman Catholic approach and they have every right to do so.
Others, including Roman Catholics, may have consciously or unconsciously bought into the various types of relativism that are so much a part of American society and contemporary thinking generally.
In his encyclical Fides et Ratio, John Paul writes: "A legitimate plurality of positions has yielded to an undifferentiated pluralism, based upon the assumption that all positions are equally valid, which is one of today's most widespread symptoms of the lack of confidence in truth."3
The Church will always be a sign of contradiction to a world that accepts moral relativism (there is no objective truth on key moral issues), redeemer relativism (Jesus Christ, along with Buddha, Confucius, Muhammad and Marx is simply one among many influential moral teachers in the history of the world) and ecclesiological relativism (the Church of Christ is a mere federation of different ecclesial communities with insignificantly different approaches to doctrinal and moral issues).
Cardinal George writes: "Asserting foundational Catholic beliefs sometimes elicits angry reactions, since anti-Catholicism is part of the intellectual furniture and the cultural heritage of this country."4
Still, these challenges should not discourage us but should reinvigorate us with a contemplative and missionary spirit. The contemplative fortitude and determination of such models as Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Saint Francis Xavier Cabrini, St. Kathererine Drexel should propel us forward with confidence.
More than a decade ago, Richard John Neuhaus wrote a book called The Catholic Moment. The confusion surrounding Dominus Iesu is another Catholic moment and opportunity to help others understand how the Church views Jesus Christ and her own identity and mission in the world. It is not a time for Catholics to become defensive. It is a missionary moment. It is an ecumenical moment.
The Church is permanently open to missionary and ecumenical endeavor.5 In his 1990 encyclical Redemptoris Missio, Pope John Paul II writes: "The missionary thrust therefore belongs to the vary nature of the Christian life, and is also the inspiration behind ecumenism: 'that they may all be one...so that the world may believe that you have sent me'" (Jn 17:21).6
Think of the rich symbolism of the Bernini columns in St. Peter's Square. They symbolize the arms of the Unique Redeemer Jesus Christ and the arm of His Church outstretched to the world. They reflect that the Roman Catholic Church is the universal sacrament of salvation and that the Church of Christ subsists in the Roman Catholic Church.
This theological truth about the Church's identity affirms the necessity of missionary activity in the world: "For in the Church's history, missionary drive has always been a sign of vitality, just as its lessening is a sign of a crisis of faith."7 At the same time, the Bernini columns symbolize the Church's ecumenical and interreligious outreach to the world as well as Her steadfast defense of religious freedom. The Church has a refined reverence for all of her brothers and sisters of different faiths and religions.
That the Church believes it is the Universal Sacrament of Salvation launches her into vigorous missionary activity throughout the world. John Paul II states: "From the beginning of my Pontificate I have chosen to travel to the ends of the earth in order to show this missionary concern. My direct contact with peoples who do not know Christ has convinced me even more of the urgency of missionary activity...Above all, there is a new awareness that missionary activity is a matter for all Christians, for all dioceses and parishes, Church institutions and associations."8 Why, in the contemporary world, does the Roman Catholic Church need to engage in missionary activity and evangelization? In his classic encyclical Evangeli nuntiandi, Pope Paul VI states: "Evangelization means the carrying forth of the good news to every sector of the human race so that by its strength it may enter into the hearts of people and renew the human race. It is a prophetic proclamation of the existence of another life."
A vibrant spirit of evangelization goes hand-in-hand with the Second Vatican Council's spirited defense of religious freedom and the freedom of conscience. We cannot confuse the Church's defense of religious freedom with the paralysis of missionary and evangelization efforts.
Bearing witness to Christ in the world and the role of His Church in a way that respects consciences and cultures does not violate freedom. Faith is a gift and a free choice but in order to have the opportunity to make a choice, the faith must be presented strongly and convincingly.
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