Week
of
June 27, 2001
Inside the Register
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Ecumenism at core of Church's mission
Archdiocese affirms
commitment
despite change of status with council
The Register recently interviewed Bill Beckman, ecumenical and interreligious affairs officer for the Archdiocese of Denver, about changes in the archdiocese's membership in the Colorado Council of Churches.
DCR:
The relationship of the Archdiocese of Denver and the Colorado Council
of Churches has changed significantly in the past year.
Beckman: We changed from full member to observer with the council of churches about a year ago. As a member we had a voice and a vote on all matters before the council, and we were obligated to pay annual membership dues. As observer, we're free from any financial burden, but we may sit in on meetings and voice our opinion. This corresponds more closely to the Catholic Church's relationships with the National and World Councils of Churches, where the Church is not a member but does cooperate on some initiatives.
Last year, as a gesture of good will, the Archbishop decided to provide the same annual amount for the coming year, not as dues to the council, but to support the salary and benefits of the new council executive, Dr. James Ryan, who had accepted the position only three months earlier. The Archbishop, impressed with Dr. Ryan's energy and dedication, agreed to support his work to avoid the financial hardship to him that would have resulted from abruptly eliminating the contribution.
Will the archdiocese continue to financially support the council executive?
We think the council has had sufficient time to find new sources of funding. The archdiocese will seek to fund new ecumenical initiatives.
How did the admission of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC) affect the archdiocese's decision to change its status with the council?
The archdiocese had been reviewing its membership status in the Colorado Council of Churches well before the council voted to admit the MCC. That action made it clear that we needed to expand our ecumenical relationships and opportunities.
We maintain respect for the member churches of the council and value our relationships with them. But there are many Christian churches and communities that are not members of the council, for example, the Orthodox and the Evangelicals. The urgency of ecumenism in this new millennium calls for a fresh vision and new vehicles.
The decision to change the status with the council has been cast by some as a sign that the Catholic Church does not welcome homosexuals. How do you respond to that?
First of all, the Catholic Church welcomes everyone with the love of God. The open arms of Jesus Christ on the cross exclude no one. However, today's media environment often gives rise to misunderstandings about the Church's pastoral care for homosexual persons.
For all of us, the Christian life is a continual process of repentance and conversion from sin — not compromise with sin. The Church teaches that homosexual acts are immoral and that homosexual persons deserve respect, compassion and sensitivity. This is not a condemnation of homosexual persons. It is the door to freedom in Jesus Christ.
We are all called to holiness, regardless of our particular inclination toward sin. Through prayer and the sacramental life of the Church, all Christians can live chastely and come to Christian perfection.
Now that the archdiocese is not directly involved with the Council of Churches, what other ecumenical avenues exist?
Ecumenism is at the core of the Church's mission, and the Archdiocese of Denver remains enthusiastic about the work for Christian unity. The Council of Churches is one aspect of a much larger ecumenical landscape. In fact, the majority of Christians in Colorado are not represented in the council.
It's a very hopeful sign that there are many ecumenical opportunities present today that didn't exist just five years ago. How can we forget the remarkable friendship between Archbishop Chaput and Metropolitan Isaiah of the Greek Orthodox Church? Among other things, they've visited each other's cathedrals and issued a joint statement urging their faithful to pray for progress in Catholic-Orthodox dialogue. The Archbishop also has good relationships with other Christian leaders, including evangelical Protestants.
More examples of fruitful ecumenical cooperation include the Colorado Prayer Luncheon, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, multi-church collaboration on the National Day of Prayer, several opportunities for Taizé prayer, meetings with Bill McCartney and Catholic participants in Promise Keepers, and numerous parish-level activities.
We intend to expand these opportunities and find new ones, especially those that advance real ecumenical dialogue toward full Christian unity. Archbishop Chaput invites us to join him in prayer daily that the words of Jesus, "That they may all be one (Jn 17:21)," will soon come to fulfillment.