On the seventh day of our journey, February 11, we visited the Roman
Catacombs of Domitilla, just outside of the city of Rome. An
underground complex of passageways and burial tombs dug out of volcanic
rock, the catacombs were the burial place for more than 150,000
Christians, many of whom were martyred in the second century. A
Basilica was built over the catacombs in the fourth century when
Christianity became the official religion in the Roman Empire.
In this church, Bishop Hanson donned a chasuble and alb, as our
group descended two levels underground to a small alcove, which had
been furnished with an altar, candles, and linens. Bread and wine
awaited us for our Eucharistic worship.
As we read God's Word and celebrated Christ's sacrament of Holy
Communion, I was touched with astonishing gratitude for this
experience.
When we sang the Doxology, I realized we truly were living our
Christian belief that the great cloud of witnesses to the love and
promises of Christ are for eternity, and for us.
"Praise God to
whom all blessing flow...Praise God all creatures here below..." We were
those creatures below, connected forever with the communion of saints
for all time and place.
When we began our journey in London, I had every intention of
writing a daily blog to send at regular intervals. A malfunction in my
wireless service and the realization that we had very little time each
day for writing allowed me to absorb the experiences at hand, and make
the connections later.
The most powerful learning is my new understanding and appreciation
for the oneness of God's people in Christ. Yes, there were differences
in culture, in worship, in theology, and in current pressing issues as
we traveled to four major Christian centers, and met with prominent
Christian leaders in London, Istanbul, Rome and Geneva. However, the
hospitality, love and respect for us, and us for them, and our common
faith in Jesus Christ transcended the difficulties, which sometimes
threaten to divide us and undermine the common Christian witness to the
world.
When Jesus prayed before his death on the cross that we all might be
one, as he and the Father are one, I realized this was already being
accomplished, through His Spirit in the lives and witness of the
faithful people we encountered.
Bishop Burkat with the Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth Palace.
In London the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan D.
Williams, and Bishop Mark Hanson affirmed the full communion agreements
between the worldwide Lutheran and Anglican expression in Canada,
Europe and the United States. Going forward we discussed with Anglican
ecumenical leaders how important it is for us to work together to
address the common challenges we face in this increasingly secular
world; particularly, to commit resources and to summon the courage and
will to fight poverty and disease across the globe, and in our own
neighborhoods.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I with the bishop in Istanbul.
In Istanbul, I was impressed by the love and hospitality of
our Orthodox brothers and sisters in spite of religious suppression.
Their patience, hope and faith that God will find a way for the Turkish
government to allow freedom of faith expression and the opening once
again their seminary was a heartfelt plea, and continues now to be part
of my prayer petitions.
On Sunday morning, February 14, we worshipped and received the Word
of God and the sacrament of Holy Communion secretly in an upper room of
the hotel at 6:30 a.m. because Christian worship in a public place is
prohibited in Turkey. How remarkable, because this is the country in
which all seven historic ecumenical councils were held, including the
council of Nicaea 325 which brought forth the Nicene Creed in which we
confess our belief in the one, holy catholic and apostolic church.
His All Holiness, the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, was
gracious in receiving us, and in spite of his exalted title is a
humble, kind and faithful servant of God. Some of the icons at the
Patriarch's church and at the seminary chapel date back to the fourth
century. Now when I look at an Orthodox icon, I see the faithful
devotion of a people following Christ for two thousand years and I feel
connected to this one holy, catholic and apostolic church.
Just as I returned to the United States, I received a communiqué
announcing a statement on ecumenism by the Ecumenical Patriarch that
was read in Orthodox churches worldwide on February 21. Bartholomew I
says, "Orthodoxy must be in constant dialogue with the world. The
Orthodox Church does not fear dialogue because truth is not afraid of
dialogue." The Patriarch continued: "If Orthodoxy is enclosed within
itself and not in dialogue with those outside, it will both fail in its
mission and no longer be the 'catholic' and 'ecumenical' Church.
Instead, it will become an introverted and self-contained group, a
'ghetto' on the margins of history."
[The Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, General Secretary of the National
Council of Churches, responded to the statement with a plea to
Secretary of State Clinton: "The Ecumenical Patriarch now experiences
threats to his safety that require police protection and barbed-wire
barriers. ...We are grieved that his safety and freedom are constantly
threatened." Writing on behalf of the 36 member communions of the
Council, he added, "Despite the many traditions and histories that our
member churches bring to our council, we are emphatically agreed that a
threat to the Ecumenical Patriarchate is a threat to Christians
everywhere."]
Father
Gregory Fairbanks of the Vatican's ecumenical affairs office with
Bishops Burkat and Hanson. Fr. Fairbanks was formerly posted in
Philadelphia and was the Archdiocesan representative to Bishop Burkat's
installation.
In Rome, at the Vatican, thanks to Bishop Hanson's position
as President of the Lutheran World Federation, which represents 69
million Lutherans worldwide, Pope Benedict XVI received us as a group
in a private "encounter." Our Lutheran delegation appreciated his and
Bishop Hanson's commitment to continuing dialog, in spite of some
serious disagreements in teaching, theology and ethics. "Our
ecumenical journey which is now bringing us to you is a sign that we
bear witness to Jesus' prayer--that we might be one," Bishop Hanson
said to the Pope. Pope Benedict responded to us, "May the Lord help us
to treasure what has been accomplished so far, to guard it with care,
and to foster its development." He also shared that he hoped our
meeting and conversations would be used by our Lord to bring about the
unity He desires.
And so we concluded our journey in Geneva, Switzerland, home of the
Lutheran World Federation and the World Council of Churches. We
worshipped in the chapel at the World Council headquarters. The
architecture and furnishing of the chapel visibly represented the faith
expressions of the member churches.
During meetings in Geneva, Bishop Burkat poses with Bishop Hanson and Dr. Ishmael Noko, General Secretary of the LWF.
During our time at the Ecumenical Center we celebrated the ministry
of the retiring General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation, the
Rev. Dr. Ishmael Noko, from Nigeria, and welcomed the new General
Secretary, The Rev. Dr. Martin Junge, a Chilean pastor and theologian
who will take office next fall.
The Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit, a Lutheran theologian from Norway,
was elected General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, which
represents 349 member churches, and 560 million Anglican, Orthodox and
Protestant believers, including the ELCA. Dr. Tveit told our
delegation that "Jesus' prayer that all believers would be unified is
not only a word of information, but it is a word of transformation.
That is what we do here. You are not only here to be informed, you are
here to make a difference."
In every group we met, Bishop Hanson reminded those gathered that we
as ELCA Lutherans are an evangelical church, a confessional church, an
ecumenical church and a missional church.
Every single day we encountered the devotion to Christ by the people
of God in every country, we participated in hearing the Word and
receiving the sacrament in various settings, from the most ornate to
the most humble. We toured and admired the art and architecture that
glorifies God from generation to generation, century to century, even
after kingdoms have fallen and disappeared. We were renewed in our
faith in Christ and our love for His Church throughout the world. I witnessed first hand how we are bound more closely to Christ than our scriptural and doctrinal differences can separate us.
In Christ,
+ The Rev. Claire S. Burkat
Bishop