About the Church

Sunday, 10 June 2007

Mission: reunify the faith

IN THE BEGINNING was the Church, and the Church was one.

But in 1054 AD, a great cataclysm happened. Increasingly estranged over issues of turf, liturgy and doctrine, the heads of the Western and Eastern branches of the Church excommunicated each other.

The great schism precipitated by Pope Leo IX and Patriarch Michael Cerularius nine centuries ago lasts to this day, the divide between the "Orthodox" East and the "Roman Catholic" West seemingly irreconcilable.

Other bloody divisions would follow. The Anglican Church split from Rome over the pope's refusal to sanction King Henry VIII's divorce from his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. Martin Luther led a worldwide reformation that gave rise to the Protestant church and its many denominations.

Seminal state

The dream of reunifying the Christian Church, of bringing it back to its seminal state of oneness, has fired up many pious hearts. The current Pope, John Paul II, has devoted much of his papacy to forging relations with various faiths. He has emphasized dialogue and mutual respect, focusing on the similarities rather than the differences among congregations of kindred belief.

"Convergence movement" is the loose term given to similar efforts by many quarters around the world to reunite all Christians under one Church. At the vanguard of this movement is the International Communion of the Charismatic Episcopal Church (ICCEC), which has established a communion that blends the Roman Catholic, Protestant and Eastern Orthodox traditions into one faith.

ICCEC adopts major elements of these churches to create a community of convergence and inclusion. It has its own See in San Clemente, California, USA, with Archbishop Austin Randolph Adler as the worldwide Patriarch.

Not a Pope, but a Patriarch. It's but one of many Eastern Orthodox influences in the church, which has its Philippine base in the Cathedral of the King, a former warehouse converted into a majestic place of worship along Reliance Street in Mandaluyong City.

The primate for Southeast Asia, Archbishop Loren Thomas Hines, holds office in a rectory adjoining this cathedral. He oversees a Philippine congregation that now counts around 50 churches nationwide, 56 ordained priests and five local bishops. There are also 24 chapters established in nine European countries, mostly with Filipino overseas workers as members.

"The beginning of the convergence movement was the feeling among many people that something needed to be done to bring about unity among Orthodox, Catholic, Episcopalian, Anglican, Evangelical and other believers," says Hines. "The consensus was to begin respecting each other more and work toward becoming one by appreciating what's valuable in each other's church and pulling the foundations back together."

Integration

The ICCEC liturgy best reflects that push for integration and solidarity.

"Our Mass is like the Roman Catholic Mass, but flavored with Orthodox and Protestant charismatic elements," explains Hines.

An ICCEC Mass is an exercise in ancient pageantry, incorporating the dazzling pomp and elaborate finery of the Eastern Orthodox rites. However, the substance of the ceremony remains largely Catholic, while the exuberant, highly participatory audience element is a Protestant contribution.

"We try to restore forms of worship that have been left out," says Hines. Thus, there is dance and mime in the Mass-but always within the confines of liturgy, he says.

"Dance and mime are actually very ancient elements of worship. You go back to Genesis in the Bible, where there's a lot of pageantry involved in worshipping God. So we have more upbeat melodies and movements... It's somehow like El Shaddai."

East literally meets West in ICCEC. The cavernous Cathedral of the King houses both authentic Russian and Greek icons and the more traditional Catholic statuary. On the walls are towering painted replicas of emblematic Orthodox images, like the "Theotokos (Mother of God)" and "Christ Enthroned."

"We also take our Lenten spirit from the Orthodox church," says Hines. "Among Catholics, Lent is more somber. But we see it more as springtime, when we bring out the joy of freedom."

Still, the statues are covered with violet cloth during the season-a distinctly Catholic touch.

Like the Eastern rites, ICCEC's Holy Mass uses leavened bread, and is presided over by a minister who may be married. Celibacy is not a requirement for priesthood in this church.

"In fact, we prefer that they're already married before they're ordained," says Bishop Gene Lilly, who has tended to the Southern flock from his Davao base since 1978. "How do they handle their own household? We can see their character from their family life."

One might think ICCEC's emphasis on ornate ceremony is indicative of a church that's more concerned with form than with substance. But the pageantry and splendor of the ceremonies are not empty gestures, says Hines. They are a celebration of the venerable heritage of the faith.

"Tradition is stability and constancy. While we are flexible in using the Roman, Orthodox or Anglican rites, we always emphasize the beauty of the ceremony, which brings people in. It's like God being brought down to the people. The Church should give them that beauty, that sense of timelessness, as an anchor of faith in a fast-paced world."

Does Rome recognize ICCEC?

"The Vatican has recognized what we are doing as valid," says Hines. "That doesn't mean they now accept us, but there's an ongoing dialogue, and a relationship is being built."

The dialogue with Rome has been ongoing for three years now, and significant exchanges have occurred between the local Catholic church and ICCEC. Bishop Bacani has been a guest, and Hines has lectured in a number of Catholic seminaries.

"The Pope has done a lot to heal the wounds of division, to bring East and West together," says Hines. "He is a great healer."