Living Together in Fraternal Love and Dialogue

Excerpts from the talk of Fr. Steven Zabala

That they all may be one; as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that thty also may be one in us: that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17:2)

FOSTER LOVE and communication to builds better world.

This was the prevailing message in the pastoral letter issued by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines as they launched die year 2020 as the Year of Ecumenism, interreligious dialogue and indigenous peoples.” This is also to prepare the Filipino faithful for the celebration of the 500th anniversary of Christianity in the country.

In a recent talk given by our parish priest, Fr. Steven Zabala to the extraordinary ministers of holy communion (EMHC) and the parish pastoral council (PPC), he pointed out instances in world history that triggered Christian disunity among the current 2.2 billion Christians distributed among approximately 45,000 denominations. Historic divisions date as far as the time of the sack of Constantinople by crusaders to the rise of Protestantism and the violent relations between Catholics and Protestants. Father Steve gave a brief account of the Thirty Years War of the 1700s when King Ferdinand imposed Catholicism as the only religion, persecuting other religions and resulting in a bloody aftermath of eight million deaths all over Europe, a toll surpassed only by World War II fatalities.

Father Steve then relayed how the Christian churches were overcome by deep sadness and repentance and realized that division, animosity, bloodshed, rivalry, and suspicion are contrary to God’s dream for His followers. It does not reflect the message of love of Jesus Christ. This realization paved the movement for ecumenism.

He said that despite an initial laggardness, the Catholic Church has warmed up to the ecumenical movement, even issuing encyclicals and church documents on the matter. These include:

1961: Pope John XXIII established the Secretariat for the Promotion of Christian Unity.
1962: Eccelesiam Suam, an encyclical emphasizing dialogue as central
idea in promoting Christian unity—dialogue with the world, other Christian denominations, other religious and dialogue within the Church.
1964: Unitatis Redintegratio, the Second Vatican Council’s decree on ecumenism.
1995: Ut Unum Sint, a landmark encyclical that reiterates the Church’s commitment to Christian unity through dialogue.

Father Steve presented the four forms of dialogue being pushed by the Church:
1. The dialogue of life, in which people endeavor to live in a spirit of openness;
2. The dialogue of action, in which believers work for human promotion;
3. The dialogue of theological exchange, in which the faithful strive to deepen their understanding of each other’s religious beliefs and heritage; and
4. The dialogue of religious experience, in which the faithful share spiritual riches in regard to prayer, faith, and contemplation of God.

So why is this year significant for the Filipino faithful? Father Steve emphasizes that in the light of conflicts that are present in Philippine society, where the archipelago and diverse languages present even more challenges to dialogue and peaceful coexistence, there is an urgent need to foster love and harmony through communication.

As the CBCP pastoral letter says, “The ultimate goal of dialogue is that the whole of humanity lives in harmony and fraternal love. This fraternal love will guarantee peace in our land, which actually seems elusive.”

Let sincere dialogue be our language of peace. Image