NEWS RELEASE
Mennonite World Conference (MWC)
December 13, 2000
THOMASHOF, Germany–The third meeting of the Mennonite-Roman Catholic international dialogue took place at the Thomashof Tagungsstatte, a Mennonite conference centre near Karlsruhe, Germany, November 24-30, 2000. Eight Mennonites, from six countries and four continents, and seven Catholics participated in these sessions.
Co-sponsored by the Mennonite World Conference and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Vatican City, the dialogue began in 1998. It will run for five annual sessions, after which it will issue a report.
The general purpose of the dialogue is to promote better understanding of the positions about Christian faith held by both groups, and to contribute to overcoming prejudices that have existed between Mennonites and Catholics since the 16th century. It is hoped that out of this experience will come a healing of memories and relationships.
This year’s session focused on two themes: (1) What is a peace church? and (2) The impact of the Constantinian shift on the church.
The interest in the question of peace arose because Mennonites are identified as one of the Historic Peace Churches, and because Catholics have addressed the issue of peace more intentionally in recent times, resulting in a series of statements being issued by the Vatican. The three papers on the peace issue were presented by two Mennonites, Andrea Lange, a pastor in Germany, and Mario Higueros, a church leader in Guatemala, and by Drew Christiansen, a Jesuit scholar from the USA. In a common concluding statement the Catholic and Mennonite participants agree that “the church is called to live as an efficacious sign and an instrument of peace overcoming every form of enmity and to reconcile all peoples in the peace of Christ.”
On the second theme of this year’s dialogue, two papers were presented. Alan Kreider, a Mennonite representative from Elkhart, Indiana, USA, addressed the topic, “Conversion and Christendom: an Anabaptist Perspective,” and Peter Nissen, a Catholic scholar from The Netherlands, spoke on, “The Impact of the Constantinian Shift on the Church.”
In commenting on the significance of this mutual study process, Helmut Harder said, “The discussion increased our appreciation for the historical positions of each of our two church bodies, and together we expressed regret for the church’s use of force in evangelization and for its persecuting of religious minorities.”
On Sunday morning, November 26, the dialogue participants were guests of the Thomashof Mennonite Church for worship. That evening they met with Mennonite, Catholic and other leaders from different parts of Germany for dinner, followed by discussion concerning the international dialogue as well as the general ecumenical situation. On Monday afternoon, November 27, the participants visited the Mennonite community at the Weierhof, including the new facility of the German Mennonite Historical Archives.
The dialogue participants have grown closer as a result of the forthright discussions, worship experiences and fellowship they have had during the past three years. They can thus share both affirmations and matters of concern freely with each other. The Mennonite delegates spoke frankly about the deep wounds which still exist in Mennonite and other churches in various parts of the world where they had been persecuted or pressured by Catholics and others. The “healing of memories” is thus recognized as an important topic at these meetings, and it is also acknowledged that it will take time for these memories to heal.
But the need for healing is not a one-sided matter. During one of the discussions John Radano, a Catholic participant, noted, “We have heard clearly from Anabaptist-Mennonites what they think happened in the 16th century. It is important to also say how Catholics, Lutherans and others saw the Anabaptists. The rest of Christianity saw Anabaptists as threatening the Apostolic Church. This fact needs to be part of the healing of memories, too.”
The Mennonite delegates asserted that the section on the church in the statement, Dominus Iesus, which was issued by the Catholic Church earlier this year, was not helpful in building relationships between the Catholic Church and other churches. Andrea Lange reported that in Germany the statement resulted in a substantial setback to ecumenical discussions.
The two delegations had separate caucuses during the meeting to talk about issues which needed to be brought to the table for discussion. During the Mennonite caucus meeting it was noted that substantial energy is going into the search for better understanding with Catholics, but what, they asked, is being done to create more unity within the Anabaptist family of churches? One test of the international dialogue with Catholics, they agreed, is whether or not it will bring about greater understanding at the local level.
The fourth annual session of the dialogue is scheduled for November 2001. The two topics which will be addressed at that meeting are, “The Struggle between Church and Secular Authorities in the Middle Ages” and “Contemporary Theology of Sacraments (Ordinances).”
Mennonite participants in the Mennonite-Catholic Dialogue at Thomashof, Germany, were:
Helmut Harder, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, co-chairperson
Larry Miller, Strasbourg, France, co-secretary
Neal Blough, Paris, France
Mario Higueros, Guatemala City, Guatemala
Alan Kreider, Elkhart, Indiana, USA
Andrea Lange, Bolanden-Weierhof, Germany
Howard J. Loewen, Fresno, California, USA
Nzash U. Lumeya, Kinshasa, Congo and Fresno, California, USA
Catholics participants:
Bishop Joseph Martino, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, co-chairperson
Msgr. John A. Radano, Rome/USA, co-secretary
Joan Patricia Back, Rome/England
Drew Christiansen, S.J., Washington, D.C., USA
Msgr. John Mutiso-Mbinda, Rome/Kenya
Peter Nissen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
James Puglisi S.A., Rome/USA
Sidebar
Anabaptists And Catholics: Members Of The Choir Of God’s Polyphony
A quote from Alan Kreider’s presentation, “Conversion and Christendom: An Anabaptist Perspective.” Kreider was invited to participate in this year’s session as an expert on the early church, particularly on the question of the “Constantinian shift.”
“In the post-Christendom world, I believe that the early Christians, especially those of the early centuries, can offer us models for common life and evangelization which are extraordinary, and which can be extraordinarily relevant. I believe that … early Christian history can help accentuate this relevance; for we Mennonites, on the basis of our unique history, have sensitivities and questions that enable us to see things in the early materials that may elude others. But we dare not sing on our own. We, Anabaptists as well as Catholics, are members of the choir of God’s polyphony. God has given us all parts to sing, each of which is necessary if the music is to cohere and the harmony is to resonate. We get in trouble, indeed we mar the choir and dishonor its Director, if we attempt to ignore or silence each other; and this … is the tragedy of Christendom as well as of much Mennonite history. But God’s church is built on strong foundations, and God is always reforming it. My hope is that our Catholic siblings will learn that they can sing their part in the polyphony better as they rethink the history of Christendom and reexamine their approach to the structural inversions to which I have pointed here. My hope is also that we Mennonites can be healed by learning from those whose predecessors persecuted us and by repenting of our pride. And my belief is that, by God’s grace, the resultant polyphony can have great missionary potency in the post-Christendom world that God loves so much.”
— Larry Kehler, MWC News Editor
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