CHAPTER 10: IMPLICATIONS II 261 relationship. My suggestion, based on these observations and the convictions about communion and belonging expressed in the interviews, would be for the monasteries to reflect on this dimension of double belonging or faithfulness, and to search for means to reestablish or deepen the (sacramental) bonds with the churches of origins of the monastics, especially when these are not the Roman Catholic Church. Still, in essence, the monastics show that double or multiple belonging can be lived in an inclusive and ecumenically fruitful way. Through their lives in Taizé and Bose, the monastics substantiate and cultivate the exchange of gifts, which is a fundamental aspect of spiritual ecumenism. Sacramental sharing, especially Eucharistic sharing, is at the core of their liturgical and spiritual practice, affected by and affecting the rest of their lives. The particular way in which this life has evolved over time may not necessarily be a model for others to follow, but the general direction of their path may indicate a way for others. Cardinal Kasper spoke of “a discreet indication by the Holy Spirit for the future ecumenical path.”550 I think that this opening up of denominational identity and the possibility of inclusive membership – membership that does not exclude the possibility of faithfulness and belonging to another denomination by definition – is an important factor of the life of the communities that may take the ecumenical movement further. It creates an environment in which the Baptismal identity is the starting point for encounter, common life, and a common liturgy. As such, the ecumenical communities act as nodes in the network of churches that have pledged to “move together.”551 I do think that the examples and experiences of the two communities challenge churches to allow more of such nodes to exist and to facilitate them. One can think of other ecumenical communities, both monastic and parochial, interdenominational marriages (the Germans speak so beautifully of marriages that conjoin confessions: Konfessions-verbindende Ehe), ecumenical study groups and diaconal teams, co-workers, especially in Christian organizations, etcetera. What all these groups have in common is that they engage, to a certain extent, in a form of communal life, which is a fundamental factor in the narrative of the monastics. Bishops can evaluate whether they have the potential to engage 550 Kasper, “Mercy and the Ecumenical Journey of Brother Roger,” 294. 551 Cf. World Council of Churches, “Message of the 10th Assembly of the World Council of Churches,” in Encountering the God of Life: Official Report of the 10th Assembly, ed. Erlinda N. Senturias and Theodore A. Gill Jr. (Geneva: World Council of Churches Publications, 2014), 35–36, https://www.oikoumene.org/sites/default/files/Document/10thAssemblyReport.pdf.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTk4NDMw