CHAPTER 7: LIVING IN COMMUNION 207 gave them, what their tradition gave them, and it should have a part in their life of faith.469 Remembering the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1986, TC recalls his message to the brothers. He paraphrases the pope, highlighting the joint principle of being faithful to one’s origins and immersing oneself deeper into the mystery of Christian unity: It's quite powerful, in a sense, he says, by remaining faithful to your origins... the brothers were from different Christian traditions... you will help... huh?... the church... It's a good thing that... and at the same time, as you are faithful... to your origins, you always go deeper... into the mystery, huh? of Christ. Now, so you do both things, no? You remained faithful to~ and Brother Roger thought that was possible for, for himself, he thought it was possible for Taizé, that it's not impossible... to be faithful... and to go deeper.470 Describing his own relationship with his church of origin, BE indicates that he understands one of the purposes of his life in Bose is to promote ecumenical openness in that church. He tries to maintain contacts, partly to achieve just that: At the same time, not being proud of, this belonging to this church, it’s not, it’s not, because I know that this church is better and that I want to remain here, that’s because I received that tradition from that chu~, the Christian faith uh, through that tradition, but I had the impression that I had to be faithful to what I received, but without closing myself in this identity. But knowing that I come fromhere, but in… in a… with a goal of communion, of catholicity, or whatever you want to call it. Opening myself, perhaps my own tradition to other realities of other churches… … ….471 Finally, several monastics indicate ways in which they express their faithfulness by not partaking of the Eucharist in certain circumstances. Several examples of this have been listed in sections 6.1 and 6.3. The monastics indicate 469 TC-1,32. 470 TC-1,30. A translation of Pope John Paul II’s speech is available at the Taizé website: “By desiring to be yourselves a ‘parable of community’, you will help all whom you meet to be faithful to their denominational ties, the fruit of their education and their choice in conscience, but also to enter more and more deeply into the mystery of communion that the Church is in God’s plan.” John Paul II, “One Passes through Taizé as One Passes Close to a Spring of Water,” Taizé website, accessed March 9, 2020, http://taize.fr/en_article6718.html. 471 BE-1,30.
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