CHAPTER 3: EUCHARIST IN ECUMENICAL MONASTERIES 103 in previous years. In her biography of Brother Roger, Sabine Laplane elaborately describes the events leading up to this first occasion. She notes the first opportunity that presented itself when Cardinal Augustin Bea, president of the SPCU, visited Brother Roger in Rome towards the closure of the Second Vatican Council in November 1965: He then pulls the booklet Dynamique du provisoire out of his pocket, opens it and reads aloud: ‘Only the Eucharist, at the same time means for and result of unity, is capable of providing the supernatural strength and power to accomplish on earth our unity between the baptized. This contains an existential truth. As sacrament of unity, she has been given to us to dissolve in and around us all ferments of separation. In her, all who have despised one another out of ignorance are united. The ecumenical momentum will fade, should the day not come in which all unite around the same table who, although separated confessionally, believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.’ The old man wholeheartedly agrees with these words. He believes that, should he propose so, the pope might be willing to grant to the brothers this much awaited Eucharistic hospitality. However, the prior remembers having reacted on the spot and without the slightest hesitation: 'No, no privileges for us alone!' (...) [H]e will cherish the memory of this conversation as ‘one of the great moments in the ecumenical life of Taizé' and even believes that he has missed a chance that evening.252 Indeed, the next opportunity only came when a Catholic joined the community permanently. In the meantime, Brother Roger’s intuition was undoubtedly strengthened by a remark from Patriarch Athenagoras when 252 Laplane, Frère Roger de Taizé, 297–98. Original text in French: “Et voici qu’il tire le petit Dynamique du provisoire de la poche; il l’ouvre et lit tout haut: ‘L’Eucharistie, à la fois moyen et aboutissement de l'unité, est seule capable de nous donner la force surnaturelle et le pouvoir d'accomplir sur la terre notre unité entre baptisés. Il y a là une vérité existentielle. Sacrement d'unité, elle nous est offerte pour que se dissolvent, en nous et autour de nous, tous les ferments de séparation. En elle sont reliés ceux qui se méprisaient par ignorance. La vague œcuménique retombera, s'il ne vient pas bientôt le jour où se réuniront autour de la même table tous ceux qui, séparés confessionnellement, croient en la présence réelle du Christ dans l'Eucharistie'. Le vieil homme acquiesce profondément à ces mots. Il pense qu’il pourrait demander au pape et que celui-ci accorderait aux frères cette hospitalité eucharistique si attendue. Or, le prieur se rappelle avoir réagi sur le champ et sans la moindre hésitation: 'Non, pas de privilèges pour nous tout seuls!' (...) [I]l gardera le souvenir de cet entretien comme d''une des grandes heures de la vie œcuménique de Taizé' et pensera même que ce soir-là, il a laissé passer une occasion" (translation: FW).
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