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John Patrick Grace: Christian unity nearer after pope's U.S. visit
What's ahead for Prostestant-Orthodox-Catholic relations in America in the wake of Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Washington, D.C., and New York City?
Christian Broadcasting Network founder and news anchor Pat Robertson pronounced the visit a resounding success and ventured that it might even trigger a "rapprochement" between Protestants and Catholics. That's a good French word that carries the meaning of both reconciliation and coming together.
Robertson was among the invited guests to Pope Benedict's meeting with leading figures from other Christian churches held in St. Joseph Catholic Church on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The CBN founder and one-time presidential candidate was seated just behind a bevy of Greek and Russian Orthodox bishops. He said the presence of these bishops also encouraged him to believe that warmer times might be coming in inter-church relations.
The pope had two meetings with Jewish leaders as well, one in Washington and one at Park East Synagogue in New York.
From what I could tell watching on the Eternal Word Television Network (Catholic), which provided live coverage of just about everything the pope did except for closed-door meetings, there was a general air of good will and expansiveness during and after all the pope's ecumenical encounters.
Benedict XVI is just the third pope in history to visit the United States, the others being Paul VI and John Paul II. The enthusiasm of the papal crowds in the Washington Nationals' new baseball stadium and at the soon-to-be-retired Yankee stadium in the Bronx and of seminarians, young nuns and postulants and young lay people of both genders in a Yonkers rally matched the outpouring for John Paul II during his six visits.
Both in his meetings with Catholics and in his meetings with Protestant and Orthodox leaders, the pope seemed to project the stated theme of his visit, "Christ, Our Hope," and bask in the applause and shouts of "Viva Il Papa!" that rained down from the stands.
The pope made an apology to victims of sexual abuse by priests almost a cornerstone of his trip. He began with a statement of apology on the plane en route from Rome to Washington; he reiterated the apology in Washington, then met privately with five survivors of clerical abuse. And he brought up the scandal again in New York City and once again expressed his deepest regret and commitment to assure that children will be protected from such abuse.
Without these statements and gestures, perhaps neither his encounters with his own flock nor his meetings with representatives of other churches would have gone as well as they did. His plea for forgiveness and healing seemed to touch everyone.
Here's what now seems possible:
- A deeper and more complete healing process for victims of sexual abuse.
- A warmer and more open (read: less defensive) dialogue between Catholics and Protestants and Orthodox Christians.
- More opportunities for interdenominational worship and celebration and cooperation on outreach projects.
- A more-than-academic interest in Christian unity and a commitment to let the Holy Spirit show the way.
As one priest-commentator remarked, "Unity is not so much a project of the Catholic Church. It's the Holy Spirit's project, and we have to pay attention and follow his lead."
John Patrick Grace covered the Vatican for The Associated Press during the reign of Pope Paul VI. He is now a book editor and publisher and lives in Huntington. He is a regular contributor to The Herald- Dispatch editorial page.
