As the Conference of Secretaries of Christian World Communions opened in Antelias, Lebanon, on 3 November, H.H. Catholicos Aram I delivered a keynote lecture on "The Future of Ecumenical Engagement."
"The essence of the ecumenical movement is togetherness, meaning praying, suffering, struggling for justice together, and working for reconciliation and peace," said Aram I. "We cannot confine the aim of ecumenism to the pursuit of visible unity, it must embrace a broader and inclusive vision."
His Holiness urged making the church "a missionary and impact-making reality within society." He called for a deeper understanding of who we are as church. The ecclesiological self-understanding of the church should lead us to a critical assessment of the major challenges facing the ecumenical landscape today, Catholicos Aram said.
This requires identifying the issues confronting churches in different parts of the world. It also requires us to reconsider certain aspects of ecclesial life and mission, which should be responsive to the realities and expectations of the churches, he said. "Although we may have different perceptions and expressions of faith, we must remain faithful to the oneness that brings us together."
The church must be understood primarily as a community united by faith, reflected Aram I.
"Throughout history, churches have increasingly identified themselves with particular geographical territories and local communities," he said. "Yet Jesus Christ sent his disciples into the world. Missionary outreach should start with missionary inreach. They are interconnected," affirmed His Holiness.
We increasingly live in societies without rigid walls or boundaries, Aram I noted.
"In this globalized world, we cannot simply say that a particular problem belongs to another community and does not concern us," he said. "Where does the ecumenical movement stand in relation to these contemporary realities?"
Ecumenism is not simply an institutional arrangement, His Holiness remarked. "It is an existential reality that brings churches together." "Ecumenism must be contextual and responsive to the realities of different regions, yet, at the same time, it must transcend the given context."
The meeting is being hosted by the Armenian Apostolic Church, Holy See of Cilicia.
Originally from the World Council of Churches
CCD reprinted with permission
