CHAPTER 6: TEMPORARY SOLUTION FOR A PERMANENT PROBLEM 177 6 A TEMPORARY SOLUTION FOR A PERMANENT PROBLEM hapter 4 introduced the personal journey of the monastics towards ecumenical awareness and commitment in the communities they now inhabit. Chapter 5 explored the place of the Eucharist within the dynamic of their common life and their ecumenical process. One of the pivotal moments so far, in my opinion, has been the experience of the place and meaning of the Eucharist in the ecumenical process, precisely through the counter-experience of not-sharing the sacrament. Both communities have known episodes and occasions both within and outside the context of the monasteries in which partaking together has, or would have, caused scandal. Even though they use this word ‘scandal’ to describe the aftermath of such occasions, they are much more inclined to reserve the term ‘scandal’ for those moments in which they were separated during the Eucharist. In short, they consider not-sharing far more scandalous and problematic than sharing the Eucharist outside contexts of full and formal visible communion. This is the theme of section 6.1. Section 6.2 focuses on the established practices of Eucharistic hospitality in the communities, which they consider far from problematic. They speak of a local, temporary solution for a permanent problem. Their own quest, especially in Taizé, has been guided, and continues to be guided by a sense of provisionality. Still, on several occasions, the monastics indicate that they question their own practice. This is the focus of section 6.3. They understand that it is far from ideal and cannot be considered a substitute for full communion. At the same time, they consider it the best option available for their specific context, one that enables the monastics to bear the pain of division and to work towards fuller unity. C
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