54 PART ONE: INTRODUCTION reciprocal Eucharistic hospitality based on biblical, dogmatic, liturgical, and historical arguments. 135 Arguing that Protestant-Catholic dialogues have established sufficient theological convergence regarding Eucharist, ministry, and apostolic succession, they urged the leaderships of both churches to engage in reciprocal Eucharistic hospitality, especially with the ecumenical Kirchentag soon approaching (this was scheduled for and took place in May 2021 predominantly online due to the COVID-19 pandemic).136 They conclude that the history of the Eucharist is marked by liturgical multiplicity (Chapter 4 of Gemeinsam am Tisch des Herrn) as well as by ambiguity concerning the uninterrupted apostolic succession through the laying on of hands (Chapter 6). With an appeal to ecumenical sensitivity in liturgical action (as proposed, for example, in the 1982 Lima report) and to acknowledgement of forms of collegial and communal exercise of the office of episkopè and corresponding views on apostolic succession, they argue that the mutual recognition of Eucharist/Holy Supper and ministry is possible. In addition to these (in the understanding of the ÖAK) resolved arguments against intercommunion, the document also lists arguments in favor of intercommunion, most notably the fundamental ecclesiological significance of Baptism, the consequences of mutual recognition of the sacrament in both traditions, and the fact that it is Jesus who hosts the Eucharist rather than the church. Geert van Dartel, president of the Council of Churches in the Netherlands, interviewing his predecessor Ton van Eijk about Gemeinsam am Tisch des Hernn, notes that the document did not spark as much debate as he had anticipated.137 In the interview, Van Eijk praises the document’s solid biblical-theological basis, the reflection on the historical variety of liturgical forms, and the 135 Dorothea Sattler, ed., Gemeinsam am Tisch des Herrn: Ein Votum des ökumenischen Arbeitskreises evangelischer und katholischer Theologen, 2019, https://www.uni-muenster.de/imperia/md/content/fb2/zentraleseiten/aktuelles/ gemeinsam_am_tisch_des_herrn._ein_votum_des___kumenischen_arbeitskreises_ evangelischer_und_katholischer_theologen.pdf. 136 Presiding ministers of both confessions indeed exchanged – and accepted – reciprocal invitations to partake of their respective Eucharistic celebrations on 15 May 2021, see Katholische Nachrichten-Agentur, “Keine leichte Entscheidung. Kirchentagsveranstalter verteidigen ökumenische Gastfreundschaft,” Domradio.de, May 16, 2021, https://www.domradio.de/themen/kirchentag/2021-05-16/keine-leichTC-entscheidungkirchentagsveranstalter-verteidigen-oekumenische-gastfreundschaft. 137 Geert van Dartel, “Oecumenische fijnproeverij. Interview met dr. Ton van Eijk over ‘Gemeinsam am Tisch des Herrn,’” Perspectief, no. 49 (2020): 5, http://www.oecumene.nl/files/Books/Perspectief/49/index.html.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTk4NDMw