|
My wife Jane is a Catholic. I remember reading in a magazine belonging to her of a small South Sea Island with a population of a few thousand. There were a handful of Catholics on the island and only one church, a Methodist church. One Christmas, it being Christmas, the small Catholic community attended the service at the church. The writer was very positive about the experience but remarked that, as a Catholic, he found the absence of communion in the service a little strange. What might be described as 'spiritual tourism' is frowned upon in the Roman Catholic Church whereas the typical Unitarian interest in comparative religion would make the desire to learn from other religious traditions the norm. Catholics are not encouraged under normal, usual, circumstances to attend services in other Churches. Last year Jane and I went on holiday to Greece. Jane remarked that it would be nice to attend an Orthodox Mass if it was not possible to find a Catholic church. In such circumstances to attend an Orthodox Mass would be quite acceptable from a Catholic viewpoint. In the end we found neither a Catholic or an Orthodox church but a number of tiny Orthodox chapels where it was possible to light a (Unitarian) candle and offer a prayer. Now, there is the question of the Catholic Church's refusal to allow non-Catholics to participate in its communion services. This is not quite true. Under usual circumstances it would be problematic for a member of a Reformed Church to participate in Catholic communion but there would be absolutely no problem for a Coptic Christian or a Russian or Greek Orthodox Christian to participate in a Catholic communion. And, such things as political tension between Croatian Catholics and Orthodox Serbs aside, Catholics can, in appropriate circumstances, participate meaningfully in Orthodox Masses and communion. And the reason for this is that the members of the various Catholic and Orthodox Churches share the same belief, more or less, as to what occurs at communion. This common belief exists prior to the act of eating the bread. I could, of course, present myself at an Orthodox alter but the fact that I do not share the same belief as the others present as to what is happening at the alter would mean that there would be an objective problematic element in my participation. Before the Princes Street church in Cork became reactivated in 1998 I used to attend the Stephen's Green church whenever I happened to be in Dublin. In Cork, while I attended the Trinity Presbyterian church on a few occasions, once for a communion service, I would attend either a Catholic mass or an Anglican communion service. The obvious similarities in the form of the Anglican communion service and the Catholic mass is striking even if the theology is, it seems, quite different. The table at the Presbyterian church has the words 'do this in remembrance of me' carved in bold letters. Anglicans, I believe, hold that in the act of remembrance Christ becomes truly present though not present in the actual bread and wine as Catholics believe. Now suppose Jane were in a situation where, on a Sunday, a Catholic mass was not available to her but an Anglican Communion Service was. Jane, or any Catholic, would not regard participation in such a service, even an Anglo-Catholic Mass, as a valid sacrament for reasons - it seems to me - of church politics. She would regard the service as a valid prayer service and the communion, whether or not she herself participated, as a valid prayer action, a prayer of remembrance of the Last Supper. But not a source of 'sanctifying' grace as a Catholic or Orthodox communion is believed to be. I once read how some rather benign religious cult requested of John Lennon that he allow them to record a version of his 'Imagine' using the words 'imagine One religion'. Lennon refused. His words 'imagine no religion' was not an advocacy universal atheism but of a world where each individual would seek to develop his or her own spiritual nature. One man, one denomination… not unlike Unitarianism although Unitarianism can often delude itself as to the 'one size fits all' ideal. True ecumenism and true heterodoxy involve, not just stressing peoples common ground but recognising, respecting and, indeed, valuing the differences between people. I attend a Catholic Mass with some regularity with Jane just as she attends Unitarian services with me. I do not, of course, receive communion in her church but I am excluded essentially by the fact that I do not believe in what the others present believe regarding the nature of the service. However… The Mass is a service with two sub-divisions, a Bible service and a communion service. The first part contains an Old Testament reading, a reading from the Psalms, a New Testament reading and a Gospel reading. Frequently the sermon is based on these readings. During this part of the service I sometimes experience, well …communion. Not really with those present or with the Catholic Church - a Presbyterian or Anglican service would produce this experience just as well - but with the mainstream of the broad Christian Church. Unitarians are 'outside the mainstream' it is said, and we have only one foot in the Christian tradition. Bible readings are not as central in Unitarian church services. It is good to keep in contact…..
Brendan Burke 23 December 2009 |