Eleuterio F. Fortino

The purpose of the celebration of the Great Jubilee is to render glory to the Most Holy Trinity for the divine plan of salvation. Being a commemoration of the Incarnation of the Word of God, of which we mark the jubilee, the celebration will have a marked Christological character as indicated in the central theme: "Jesus Christ only Saviour of the world, yesterday, today and for ever" (cfr Heb 13,8). In fact the ideal structure of this three-year period (1997-1999), "must necessarily be theological, and therefore Trinitarian" (TMA 39) although it will centre on Christ the Son of God made man. The choice of reflection, year by year, on one Person of the Trinity, is not a fragmentation of the Trinity, but a catechetical option, to focus on one of the three Persons, within the Trinitarian dimension of the Christian faith. The same must also be said of the beginning of our preparation starting with the second article of the Creed and not from the first on the Father. Therefore this first year of preparation is "devoted to reflection on Christ, the Word of God made man by the power of the Holy Spirit." (TMA 40).

This planning of the Jubilee based on the centrality of Jesus Christ and the glorification of the Trinity, has an ecumenical platform of fundamental importance. It is underlined by the Apostolic Letter Tertio Millennio Adveniente, "From an ecumenical point of view this will certainly be a very important year for Christians to look together to Christ, the one Lord, deepening our commitment to become one in him, in accordance with his prayer to the Father. This emphasis on the centrality of Christ, of the word of God and of faith ought to inspire interest among Christians of other denominations and meet with a favourable response from them". (TMA 40).

Within the arrangement of the Jubilee's theological thematic structure proposed by the Holy Father we find elements which are the basis of the partial but authentic communion existing among Christians. Two texts, of different origin, but coherent and convergent among them selves, can serve to illustrate this affirmation.

An affirmation of the Second Vatican Council

On the part of the Catholic Church, when indicating the basis for our quest for unity among Christians the Second Vatican Council said: «Taking part in this movement, which is called ecumenical, are those who invoke the Triune God and profess Jesus, as Lord and Saviour. They join in not merely as individuals but as members of communities» (UR 1). At the basis of ecumenism then is the profession of faith in Jesus Christ and in the Most Holy Trinity. This is the common basis, but there are also many other different elements of communion among the various Churches and Communions as the Dogmatic Constitution of the Church explains when it says that with other Christians «the Church knows she is united by many reasons». (LG 15). The Council indicates, besides faith in Christ and in the Trinity, other elements of communion, and says that Christians have in common Sacred Scripture as rule of faith, they are marked with the sign of baptism through which they are united with Christ, they recognise other sacraments. Many of them have the episcopate, celebrate the Holy Eucharist and share devotion to Mary.

An affirmation of the World Council of Churches

The second text comes from non-Catholic Churches and Communions. The Constitution of the World Council of Churches defines its basis as follows: «The World Council of Churches is a communion of Churches which believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour according to the Scriptures and they therefore seek to carry out together their common calling to render glory to the one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit» (WCC Constitution art.1). This organization for the promotion of ecumenism, founded in 1948, today counts 324 member Churches. The Catholic Church is not a member but since the Council she does co-operate in various sectors and in regular meetings though a Mixed Work Group set up in 1965. The basis therefore of the Constitution of the WCC, a basis which must be accepted by all who demand membership, is profession of faith in Jesus Christ and in the Trinity. As we have seen this is also the prospective for the celebration of the Jubilee. It is a basis which embraces all Christians.

Baptism a sacramental bond

Among the elements of communion among Christians, Baptism has a decisive role. The apostolic Letter TMA invites us this year to "a renewed appreciation of baptism as the basis of Christian living" (n. 41).This in-depth study proposed by the Pope leads us also to consider the relevance of baptism in relations with other Christians. The Council is explicit when it declares that other Christians «justified by baptism in faith, are incorporated into Christ, and therefore they are rightly endowed with the name of Christian and justly recognised by the children of the Catholic Church as brothers in the Lord»

The incorporation in Christ of every baptised person in the name of the Holy Trinity builds up the one Body of Christ, a mysterious reality of grace which no additional divergence can cancel or remove. The Directory for the Application of the Principles of the Norms on Ecumenism (1993) offering a compendium of the Concilar directions and the significance of post-Conciliar achievements summarises thus: «By the sacrament of Baptism a person is truly incorporated into Christ and into his Church and is reborn to a sharing of the divine life. Baptism of itself then constitutes the sacramental bond of unity existing among all who through it are reborn» (92). And it is precisely on the sacrament of Baptism that the Directory bases «communion in life and spiritual activity among the baptised» (numbers 92-160).

Faith in Jesus Christ, only Saviour

Faith in Jesus Lord and Saviour and in the Trinity, in the sacramental bond of Baptism, received after the profession of faith, constitutes the fundamental communion existing among Christians. The first divisions, expressions of which still remain, took place after the third and fourth ecumenical council (Efesus 431, Calcedonia 451). The Nicene Creed was formulated and proclaimed by the first two ecumenical councils (Nicea 325 and Constantinople 381). This is why the Catechism of the Cathlic Church is able to affirm that this creed «remains common to all the great Churches both of East and West to this day» (195). In recent years this creed was studied by a doctrinal commission "Faith and Constitution" of the World Council of Churches, which gave an ecumenical explanation of it. The explanation presents what is common in the profession of faith, but also indicates the problems which remain unsettled. The aim of the project is "to help the Churches to tend towards common profession of apostolic faith". This is particularly interesting because the explanation takes as its basis "the apostolic faith as it is expressed in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan, 381". With some of the ancient Churches of the East (the Assyrian Church and those so-called precalcedonian because they did not accept the Christological formulation of the ecumenical council of Calcedonia 451), namely: the Coptic Church, the Ethiopian Church, the Syr Church, the Armenian Church) there remained a Christological contension about how to understand the one person and the two natures, divine and human, of Jesus Christ. With the new relations established between the Catholic Church and these Churches, that contention has been solved. In several common declarations the Holy Father and the Patriarchs of those Churches have announced that to day we profess together that Jesus Christ is true God and true man, one person in two natures. This claraification liberates us from a spirit of reticence and reciprocal suspicion which rendered hesitant all relations. This is an important event in ecumenical relations. Clarity in our profession of faith in Jesus Christ ,strengthens communion among Christians.

The most recent common declarations in this sense were those with the two Armenian Catholicos (from Etchmiadzine and from Antelias) in December 1996 and January 1997. Together with the Catholicos of Etchmiadzine, supreme Patriarch of all the Armenians, the Holy Father declared that Jesus Christ is «perfect God in his divinity, prefect man in his humanity; his divinity is united with his humanity in the Person of the Only Son of God, in a union which is real, perfect, without confusion, without alteration, without division, without any form of separation» (December 14th 1996). In the past, similar declarations were made with the Copt Patriarch H.H. Shenouda III, with the Syro Patriarch H.H. Zakkha Iwas. In November of 1994 another Common Declaration was made with the Patriarch of the Assyrian Church, Mar Dimkha IV. In the encyclical Ut unum sint, the Holy Father made this positive summary: «Ecumenical contacts have thus made possible essential clarifications with regard to the traditional controversies concerning Christology, so much so that we have been able to profess together the faith which we have in common». (n. 63) More recently, during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (23rd January 1997) the Holy Father said: «Theological misunderstandings, linguistic difficulties, cultural difference had, for all these centuries, prevented true dialogue. The Lord has conceded us, to our profound joy, at last to profess together the same faith in Jesus Christ true God and true man». The Churches and Communions therefore look towards the new millennium with the will to proclaim to the new generations our common faith in Jesus Christ Lord and Saviour.

Instrument of salvation

Incorporation into Christ confers also on the other Churches and Communions a ministry of salvation among men, preaching the Gospel and celebrating Baptism, calling new generations and peoples, who do not know Jesus Christ, to form communities which profess Jesus Christ Lord and Saviour.

The Second Vatican Council, referring to these Churches and Communions regarding the realization of salvation declared: «though we believe they suffer from defects already mentioned, they have by no means been deprived of significance and importance in the mystery of salvation. For the Spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as means of salvation which derive their efficacy from the very fullness of grace and truth entrusted to the Catholic Church». (UR 3). The Spirit of Christ therefore works in the other Churches and Communions and through them brings about salvation and sanctification. The Holy Father speaking of the witnesses of Christian faith of this century, under Nazi and Communist and other persecutions, affirmed: «In a theocentric vision we already have a common Martyrology». (Ut unum sint 84). Furthermore he explained this more fully: «These Saints come from all the Churches and Ecclesial Communities which gave them entrance into the communion of salvation». (ibid).

Already the Second Vatican Council underlined the need to recognise Christ's work through the other Churches and Communions. «It is right and salutary to recognise the riches of Christ and virtuous works in the lives of others who are bearing witness to Christ, sometimes even to the shedding of their blood. For God is always wonderful in His works and worthy of admiration». (UR 4).

In catechesis for this preparatory year for the Jubilee of Jesus Christ on no account can we ignore this aspect of his work. Otherwise not only will our catechesis be incomplete, it will fail to do justice to the action of Christ. Acknowledgement of it is a source of Christian joy.