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Donna Geernaert, SC Introduction In its 1993 Directory for the Application of the Principles and Norms of Ecumenism, the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity affirms the significance of Councils of Churches as "among the more permanent structures that are set up for promoting unity and ecumenical cooperation". Like the World Council of Churches (WCC), many regional and national Councils of Churches describe themselves as "a fellowship of Churches which confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Saviour according to the scriptures and therefore seek to fulfill together their common calling to the glory of one God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit".1 Local, national, regional, and world Councils of Churches are all committed to serving and expressing the one ecumenical movement. Over the past few years, there has been a significant increase in Roman Catholic membership in national Councils of Churches.2 Yet, membership in the WCC is not being actively considered at the moment. This presentation will focus on some of the particular challenges and possibilities raised by Roman Catholic participation in conciliar ecumenism. A review of current forms of collaboration between the Roman Catholic Church and the WCC and of recent trends in national Councils of Churches may suggest a framework for reflection on the idea of a "Christian Forum" as proposed at the WCC General Assembly in Harare. Collaboration between the Roman Catholic Church and the WCC 1998 Report of the Joint Working Group As the most comprehensive and representative body among the many organized expressions of the ecumenical movement, the World Council of Churches has a unique identity. Formed in 1948 with its membership drawn primarily from European and North American Churches, the WCC now includes 339 member Churches from more than 100 countries in all continents and virtually all Christian traditions. Although it is not a member of the WCC, the Roman Catholic Church maintains regular working relations with the Council. Since 1965, the role of initiating, evaluating, and sustaining collaboration between the WCC and the Roman Catholic Church has been assigned to the Joint Working Group (JWG). Not limited to the administrative aspects of collaboration, the JWG "tries also to discern the will of God in the contemporary situation and to offer its own reflections in studies".3 An account of JWG activities since the 1991 Canberra Assembly is contained in the committee’s Seventh Report, prepared for the WCC’s Eighth General Assembly. The JWG has been instrumental in facilitating contacts between Roman Catholic agencies and parallel structures at the WCC. In the field of missionary endeavour, for example, collaborative relationships are enhanced through the appointment of a full- time Roman Catholic consultant based in Unit II of WCC staff in Geneva.4 Since 1989, four representatives from the International Unions of Superior Generals of Women and of Men have been full members of the WCC’s Conference on World Mission and Evangelism. Between 1995 and 1997, an exchange of visits and a jointly sponsored consultation provided further opportunities for co-operation. Also, 10 official Roman Catholic consultants participated in the 1996 conference on world mission and evangelism, "Called to One Hope — The Gospel in Diverse Cultures", which was held in Salvador, Brazil. As a means of supporting and encouraging ecumenical progress, the JWG publishes its own studies on specific topics. Fulfilling a mandate given to it in 1985, the JWG completed its text on "Ecumenical Formation: Ecumenical Reflections and Suggestions" in 1993. A 1996 study document on "The Ecumenical Dialogue on Moral Issues: Potential Sources of Common Witness or of Divisions" reflects the work of two consultations and includes 10 guidelines for ecumenical dialogue on moral issues. Also published in 1996, "The Challenge of Proselytism and the Calling to Common Witness", places the problems of civic religious freedom and proselytism within the context of Church unity and common witness. These three documents are appended to the JWG’s Seventh Report. Looking towards the future, the JWG recommends two general priorities for the period 1998-2005: ongoing commitment to a common, integrated vision of the one ecumenical movement, and attention to those tensions which may threaten the movement in its diversity. Specific priorities were identified in terms of: issues affecting koinonia, and common concerns facing the WCC and RCC. Issues affecting koinonia were named as: 1) the ecclesial consequences of common baptism, 2) the ecumenical role of inter-church marriages, 3) the practical and ecclesiological implications of membership in councils of Churches, 4) the impact of ecumenical agreements and dialogues on actual church legislation. Four topics were seen as areas of common concern: 1) the establishing of dialogue with conservative Evangelicals and charismatic Pentecostals, 2) the impact of various fundamentalisms on the ecumenical commitment of Churches, 3) the place of women in the Churches, 4) ecumenical education. Major Faith and Order Studies Concern for the unity of the Church is basic to the mandate of the Faith and Order Commission. This commission draws some of its members from Churches that do not belong to the WCC and since 1968, 12 Roman Catholic theologians, approved by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, have been full members.5 Thus, through Faith and Order, the Roman Catholic Church has direct active participation in the WCC. While the Fourth World Conference on Faith and Order which had taken place in Montreal in 1963 marked the beginning of Roman Catholic involvement in the ecumenical movement, the Fifth World Conference in 1993 benefited from the intervening 30 years of dialogue.6 Held in Santiago de Campostela, this Faith and Order event drew participants from every continent and ecclesial tradition. Roman Catholic participation included the PCPCU President Cardinal Cassidy and a 23 member delegation, as well as more than 40 others who were hosts, speakers, younger theologians, coopted staff and consultants. An extensive preparatory process included a series of regional consultations and the development of a draft text, "Towards Koinonia in Faith, Life and Witness". The Conference Report examines the nature and meaning of koinonia and explores steps towards its manifestation. The message proclaims: "there is no turning back, either from the goal of visible unity or from the single ecumenical movement that unites concern for the unity of the Church and concern for engagement in the struggles of the world".7 Following the 1991 Canberra statement on "The Unity of the Church as Koinonia: Gift and Calling" and in light of the Churches’ responses to the 1982 document on Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry, the Commission has seen ecclesiology as a major focus of its recent work. Recognizing the common confession of the apostolic faith as one of the essential conditions and elements of Christian unity, the Commission initiated a theological programme which resulted in the publication of its text, Confessing the One Faith (1990), and an accompanying study guide, Towards Sharing the One Faith (1996). The ecclesiology study recommended by the Fifth World Conference has produced a text on The Nature and Purpose of the Church (1998) which has been identified as "a stage on the way to a common statement". An instrument for an ecumenical reflection on hermeneutics, A Treasure in Earthen Vessels (1998), considers questions of interpretation of Scripture and ecumenical documents, and encourages dialogue across cultures and confessions. The Commission’s study So We Believe, So We Pray (1995) explores a common ordering of the primary elements of Christian worship and examines ways in which worship already fosters the unity of the Church. In addition, an interdisciplinary study process has been initiated on "Ethnic Identity, National Identity and the Search for the Unity of the Church". Collaborative reflection between Faith and Order and the WCC’s Unit III (Justice, Peace and Creation) has produced three reports. Rønde’s Costly Unity (1993) stresses the essential connection between the search for the visible unity of the Church and the calling of the Churches to prophetic witness and service. In Tantur’s Costly Commitment (1995), the relation of eucharist, covenant and ethical engagement is explored. The Johannesburg report Costly Obedience (1997) highlights the ethical implications of Christian worship and asks what the Churches’ common ethical reflection and action might mean for the koinonia which already exists among them. Reflections on the WCC’s Eighth General Assembly A Jubilee Assembly Marking the 50th anniversary of the Council’s inauguration, the Harare Assembly was identified as an ecumenical jubilee. Its theme, "Turn to God: Rejoice in Hope", invited member Churches to look again at the very foundation of their faith and life, to discern together the promises and challenges of a new century and a new millennium. More than 900 delegates from the 339 Protestant, Anglican and Orthodox member Churches of the WCC, along with more than 3,000 other participants gathered for the event. A delegation of 23 observers led by Bishop Mario Conti of Aberdeen represented the Roman Catholic Church. With its opening session occurring less than a week before the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, members of the Assembly were invited to work together with representatives of other religious traditions to identify areas and modes of cooperation in human rights advocacy. Solidarity with the people of Africa, and with oppressed people throughout the world, was a frequently reiterated theme. In this context, there were several references to the social implications of the jubilee tradition and in particular, to the international campaign to forgive the debts of the world’s poorest nations. Prayer and bible study were integral to the experience of the Assembly. Each day began with a worship service expressed in a variety of languages, songs and prayers from all over the world. Following the morning services, participants gathered in small groups to explore the biblical readings, themes, and images from the daily worship and to reflect on the programmatic aspects of the Assembly. These smaller gatherings provided a unique opportunity to encounter the diversity of the worldwide Christian community. I was fortunate to lead a group which included a Lutheran bishop from Norway, a social worker from Indonesia, a pastor from South Africa, and a student from Uganda. On most days, there were two choices for evening worship: one service was quiet and repetitive with an opportunity for individuals to voice their own prayers, the other followed a freer and more public pattern of prayer and singing. Confessing their inability to gather around one Eucharistic table, the Assembly participants divided to attend Sunday worship in several of the local churches. While some regretted this decision, others saw it as an expression of honesty before God. Reviewing the WCC Programme At the time of its formation, the WCC brought together two earlier movements: Faith and Order which focused on the exploration of doctrinal divisions, and Life and Work which promoted collaboration on social action. The International Missionary Council, representing an even earlier stream of work for Christian unity, joined the WCC in 1961. The World Council on Christian Education, with its roots in the 18th century Sunday School movement, became part of the Council in 1971. Aspects of each of these earlier movements are reflected in the Council’s four programme units:1) Unity and Renewal; 2) Churches in Mission — Health, Education, Witness; 3) Justice, Peace and Creation; 4) Sharing and Service. Through a series of "Hearings", participants had an opportunity to review the work of the programme units and to suggest directions for the future. The hearings process was structured in two phases. In the first phase, each of the programme units provided a written report with an outline of meetings, activities and projects undertaken since the 1991 Canberra Assembly. To encourage free and creative exploration in the process of setting guidelines for the future of the WCC, the second phase of the hearings was organized around six clusters of issues rather than around the programme units. Intended to comprise all the areas in which the Churches have been engaged together through the ecumenical movement, the six clusters were: Justice and Peace, Unity, Moving Together, Education and Learning, Mission and Witness, Solidarity. At the Padare, a local word meaning "meeting place", more than 550 exhibits, performances, and discussions on a vast array of issues and activities were presented by Churches and related organizations. Padare offerings were grouped into six streams parallelling the six clusters of issues identified in the second phase of the hearings process. I was involved in giving various panel presentations in the "Unity" stream, particularly with reference to the work of the WCC’s Faith and Order Commission. In the "Moving Together" stream, I participated in a workshop on the role of the Roman Catholic Church in the ecumenical movement. For many delegates to the Assembly, the Padare was particularly important in allowing for a free exchange of ideas and in developing networks to sustain ecumenical involvement. One of the most sensitive issues at the Assembly was the question of relationships between the WCC’s Orthodox and non-Orthodox member Churches. A structural minority in relation to the overwhelming majority of Protestant Churches in the WCC, the Orthodox Churches are further marginalized by Westernized decision-making processes and approaches to the discussion of such topics as women’s ordination, inclusive language, and homosexuality. Without seeking an increase in membership quotas, the Orthodox Churches want to be recognized as one of the two major Christian traditions represented in the Council. The Assembly voted on 12 December to set up a theological commission to look at ways of responding to Orthodox concerns through changes in the "structure, style and ethos" of the WCC. On 14 December, the Assembly adopted resolutions on global debt, globalization, the status of Jerusalem, child soldiers, and human rights. It also approved a three-page "message", adopted broad policy guidelines and priorities for the next seven years and approved some follow-up processes for the 1988-1998 Ecumenical Decade of the Churches in Solidarity with Women. In addition, the Assembly approved a motion made from the floor by a delegate from the Mennonite Church in Germany to declare the years 2000 to 2010 as "The Decade to Overcome Violence". Directions for the Future In the 50 years since the formation of the WCC, much has changed in the Churches’ relations with one another. There is a growing awareness that all Churches, in spite of their divisions, belong to the one family of God. Churches all over the world are linked in various ecumenical partnerships which facilitate dialogue as well as joint action in witness and service. Yet, the contemporary world seems increasingly fragmented and new questions are being raised about the future of the ecumenical movement. In this context, the WCC has been engaged for several years in a study of how it can best serve the Churches in their ongoing search for visible unity and common witness. With a view to developing a text which might serve as an "ecumenical charter" for the 21st century, the WCC’s Central Committee adopted a policy statement, Towards a Common Understanding and Vision of the WCC (CUV), which outlined a new programme and management structure for the Council and proposed the establishment of a "Forum of Christian Churches and Ecumenical Organisations". After considerable debate, the Assembly accepted this proposal which could potentially bring to a single ecumenical table nearly all of the main Christian Churches and organizations in the world. In his Report to the Assembly, WCC General Secretary, Konrad Raiser, stated: "We cannot, after celebrating this jubilee and affirming again that we intend to stay together, simply return home and continue with ecumenical business as usual". For Dr Raiser, the Assembly’s adoption of the Christian "Forum" idea signals a commitment to change. While the "Forum" has quite explicitly not been suggested as a replacement for the World Council, it is intended to be an open process which could lead eventually to a new configuration of the organized ecumenical movement at the world level. Commenting on the CUV process, Dr Raiser affirms the significance of a common vision which "engages the Churches in the ecumenical movement to make manifest a new quality of their relationships to one another". He states: "The strength and integrity of the ecumenical movement lie in such a worldwide network of relationships which can sustain the intention of Churches in each place to be truly Church, to form lively and sustainable communities, to build supportive neighbourhoods, to provide sanctuary and space to those who are lost or excluded. By giving expression to such a vision through their worship and life, the Churches can offer new meaning to those who feel lost or abandoned and anticipate that wholeness which is God’s eschatological promise. With such a vision, the Churches can, by God’s grace, truly become communities of hope in a world in need of firm foundations" (WCC Eighth Assembly, Report of the General Secretary). Roman Catholic Participation in National and Regional Councils of Churches According to the Seventh Report of the Joint Working Group, 55 of the 88 National Councils of Churches around the world include the Roman Catholic Church as a full member. Also, the Roman Catholic Church is a full member of regional Councils of Churches in the Caribbean, the Pacific, and the Middle East. A preparatory paper for the 1993 Consultation of National Councils of Churches on "The NCCs as Servants and Advocates of Unity" comments on this trend. "The fact that there is no uniformity among NCCs leads the Roman Catholic leaders to find a variety of ways of Roman Catholic Church participation in NCCs depending on the local situation. Its increased presence creates new dimensions, new opportunities and new challenges for inter-Church relations between the RCC and other NCC member Churches". Roman Catholic participation in NCCs "changes the dynamics of ecumenical relations at these levels quite considerably". Also, "It has been noted that joining a Council of Churches means undertaking serious responsibilities for the Roman Catholic Church".8 In his address to the 1971 first world consultation on national Christian Councils, Lukas Vischer, then director of Faith and Order, identified three "impasses" in which NCCs found themselves: 1) lack of inclusion, insofar as possible, of all ecumenically engaged Churches and Christians in a specific area; 2) absence of reflection in most NCCs on the differences in theology and practice which divide their member Churches; 3) uneasy relationships with the many movements and unofficial groups involved in peace and justice issues. Addressing the second world consultation in October 1986, Dr Thomas Best identified considerable progress since 1971 in the first two "impasses". Yet, the issue of NCCs’ relations with action movements and unofficial groups "remains the most problematic". Further, according to Best, "the broadening of council membership, particularly where the Roman Catholic Church has been involved, has led to renewed reflection upon the role of the Council and its relation to its member Churches".9 Workshop discussions at this consultation noted a certain complementarity within a NCC that includes Roman Catholic membership. Specifically, "the Roman Catholic Church as a world communion can inspire the national council of Churches to be more ecumenical, while the national Churches in the NCC can inspire the Roman Catholic Church to be more locally oriented".10 Reflecting on trends in the self-understanding, nature and function of NCCs, the preparatory paper for the 1993 Consultation draws on the experience of the British Council of Churches which was replaced in 1990 by a new structure, the Council of Churches for Britain and Ireland (CCBI). The product of a consultative process which lasted several years and included not only church leadership but also many local Christians, the CCBI may best be described by the concept of "togetherness". In fact, the ecumenical bodies in England, Scotland and Wales actually use the expression "Churches Together" in their name, rather than "Council". In brief, the consultation process recommended that "the Churches should move from cooperation with one another to commitment to each other". This significant shift in emphasis is outlined as follows: Commitment to each other in the search of the unity Christ prayed for requires that Churches accept for themselves the goal of reaching this unity, that they pursue it and in so doing, help, stimulate and challenge one another. It implies therefore that the goal of unity is indeed at the very heart of the raison d’être of the council to which the Churches have chosen to belong. It has other consequences as well. The council is no longer there to do things on behalf of the Churches, but to be the place where Churches do things together, as an exercise in, and a foretaste of the unity to come. Thus cooperation acquires a new quality. Programmes of the council become the joint responsibility of the Churches working together instead of being run by the council as a body that is distinct from the Churches.11 As Churches move in this direction of mutual commitment and joint responsibility, council structures tend to become more decentralized. In addition, this new orientation seems to admit a wider range of Churches. Although experience in both the United Kingdom and New Zealand indicates that some Churches which had been members of the old council have not joined the new body. At a meeting of the WCC Central Committee held in Johannesburg in January 1994, Rev. John Reardon discussed various aspects of Roman Catholic participation in the CCBI. He began his presentation by linking Roman Catholic membership in the Council to a form of ecumenism which is based on the Churches themselves. In this model, "the Churches set the priorities and agree to work on them together. The Churches recognise that there is an ecumenical dimension to all their life and work". Unlike the old British Council of Churches which worked through a whole range of ecumenical committees, "now our function is to coordinate the work of the Churches and gradually to find new models of cooperation which capitalise on the strength of the Churches themselves". To take account of the different ways in which the Churches themselves reach decisions, the CCBI decision-making process requires much prior consultation and the shaping of policy to reflect the views the Churches themselves express and hold. While progress in ecumenical cooperation is slower, Reardon states, "the bonus is that the ecumenical endeavour is recognised and owned by all".12 Inspite of the frustrations that have occurred, he maintains that "our experience with full Roman Catholic involvement has been almost entirely positive. It has forced us to take the member Churches far more seriously than otherwise we might have done and it has given us the potential of moving further forward in our ecumenical pilgrimage than the older models of ecumenism could have done".13 Among the questions raised by Roman Catholic participation in NCCs is the process for issuing public statements. While it is not unwilling to speak publicly on certain topics, the Roman Catholic Church is also conscious of accountability to a larger confessional body beyond the national level.14 Further, as the preparatory document for the 1993 consultation suggests, the insistence of Churches on "greater ownership" of a NCC carries the risk that the council will loose "its ecumenical vocation of being a pioneer, a body that is able to take on issues and explore new avenues where the Churches are as yet unwilling to go".15 With its distinctive self-understanding, the Roman Catholic Church gives careful attention to the limitations of Councils of Churches and specifies that the Bishops in the area served by the Council are responsible for the actual decision to join it.16 Yet, it is evident that a good many Episcopal Conferences have seen membership in a national Council as a positive means of promoting the search for Christian unity. A pamphlet published in 1985 outlines the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops’ reasons for seeking membership in the Canadian Council of Churches (CCC). In brief, the text asserts, membership in a Council of Churches makes the Catholic Church’s commitment to ecumenism more clearly visible. While ecumenical cooperation in specific projects can be very effective, Council membership witnesses specifically to the search for Christian unity. Further, membership provides a forum for sustained study of growth in unity and for dialogue on questions of Gospel and culture, evangelization, and ethical issues as well as on matters which divide the Churches. It gives the Churches a common voice to fulfil the prophetic function of Christian discipleship and enables them to act together more effectively on social justice issues both locally and internationally. Exploring the Idea of a "Christian Forum" From a Canadian perspective, the WCC discussion of a Christian "Forum" suggests some reflection on recent changes at the CCC. Over the past number of years, the Council has been revising its By Laws and Constitution in favour of a more participatory mode of operation. The view is that a council of Churches should function as a "forum" which will provide an opportunity for "Churches to meet as Churches to decide together on common agenda". As clarified through discussions of the CCC’s Governing Board, a forum is a clearing house for Churches to exchange views on those issues of fundamental importance to them, to see on what grounds they can cooperate and whether any common action is poss-ible. In brief, this means that the responsibility for the issues resides in the individual member Churches. It is not the Council as council but the Churches that make the presentations. This understanding gives individual Churches the opportunity to align themselves with the presentation or to demur or even opt out. In describing their new model as a "forum" or "meeting place", both Councils appear to highlight the importance of creating spaces where a genuine exchange about the challenges facing the ecumenical movement can take place. Participation in a forum requires a willingness to listen to and learn from potential partners. The focus is on building relationships that will sustain an ecumenical commitment "to stay together", "to grow together in unity", as affirmed in the WCC Central Committee’s statement of Our Ecumenical Vision. The phrase, "fellowship of Churches", in the constitutional Basis of both the WCC and the CCC highlights the importance of relationships. In fact, "fellowship" is sometimes used to translate the Greek term koinonia which has been central to many recent ecumenical dialogues about the church and its unity. However, the relationship among Churches in a Council is not yet koinonia in a full sense. Various authors have noted that the use of the word "council" in English lacks the clarity of meaning which is expressed with two different words in many other languages. In French, for example, a representative gathering of an undivided church is a "concile", and a provisional fellowship of yet divided Churches is a "conseil".17 As a "fellowship of Churches", a Council is clearly not a church, not a "concile" for making decisions on behalf of the church. Yet, the relationship of Churches in a Council is more than simple affiliation. Within the fellowship of a Council, Churches "seek to enter into living contact" with the other members. Sharing the one baptism and the confession of Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, the member Churches exist in a "real, even though imperfect communion" with one another. Through their "fellowship" in a Council, the member Churches seek to fulfill together a "common calling". The purposes and functions of the WCC are succinctly stated in constitutional revisions adopted at the Harare Assembly: "The primary purpose of the fellowship of Churches in the World Council of Churches is to call one another to visible unity in one faith and in one eucharistic fellowship, expressed in worship and in common life in Christ, through witness and service to the world, and to advance towards that unity so that the world may believe".18 In a paper on "The Mission of Councils of Churches" presented at the 1993 Consultation of NCCs, Jean Tillard maintains that the concept of "service" which has been integral to various definitions of purpose has been radically inadequate. He states: "In fact, diakonia belongs to the very esse of the church. It is one of the elements which makes the church a koinonia and weaves the fabric of its existence. Diakonia creates the church before making it visible, and makes the church visible by creating it".19 Since it is God’s work of reconciliation that the church is called to serve, moreover, it is only in unity that the church can be itself. Thus, in spite of their divisions, Churches when united in a Council confess and witness together to the living God. Councils of Churches, according to Tillard, have a sacramental basis. They are not simply to be regarded as associations founded on mutual good will but are "the fruit of the Spirit which keeps the Churches in the initial dynamic of baptism".20 Over the past number of years, there has been a good deal of discussion about the ecclesiological status of Councils of Churches. Within the framework of an ecclesiology which to date "knows only two states of the Church of God: the state of communion in organic unity and the state of separation or schism", Jean Tillard suggests that Councils might be seen as "interim expressions of unity".21 "The aim of any genuine council of Churches", he states, "is precisely to allow the Churches and ecclesial communities comprising it to provide each other with the means to grow together towards full ecclesial status, each helping the other to acquire what it lacks". While they do not represent a final stage of unity, Councils do have "an important ecclesiological status. They already express a unity in via, making possible ecclesial acts in common which belong to the very essence of the Church of God".22 Thus, membership in a Council implies serious commitment: A council of Churches provides an ecclesial situation in which inherited values and elements of separated Churches are tested and discerned and in which there is a real though imperfect experience of the future diversity of full conciliar fellowship (concile). Such a council (conseil) gives a new direction and impetus to the overall life, unity and mission of the church. Membership ... expresses a commitment to practise some real measure of mutual recognition and reconciliation of every level of church life. In brief, Councils exist to serve the Churches’ unity. "The experience of unity acquired in the framework of the council does not belong to the council but belongs wholly to the Churches which compose the council. The councils ... will disappear at the moment of unity".23 From the above, it seems evident that the CCC’s definition of its functioning as a forum "where Churches meet as Churches to decide together on common agenda" is quite consistent with ongoing discussions of the ecclesiology of Councils of Churches and with developments in several other NCCs. In light of the variety of organizations it intends to admit, however, the concept of a "Christian Forum" as proposed at the Harare Assembly seems to represent something of a departure from this ecumenical reflection and experience. Here, the distinction that is made in Canada between the CCC and the coalitions may be helpful. Where membership in the CCC is limited to Churches, the coalitions may include a wide variety of Churches and affiliated agencies. Yet, both contribute to the ecumenical agenda and both recognize, at least in theory, that their contributions are stronger and more effective when they are made in cooperation with each other. While effective collaboration will strengthen conciliar ecumenism, partnership with other agencies must be carefully spelled out if a Council is not to loose its specificity. It may seem that the Forum concept is the only way of bringing together the multiplicity of Churches at the international level. Still, I think it important to retain the idea of a Council and to explore the specific lessons from the experience of NCCs for a sense of direction. The broad partnership envisioned in the proposed Christian Forum may no longer bring Churches into the kind of relationship that will effect change. Conclusions While a Council of Churches needs structures to exist and function, it is important to note that conciliar ecumenism is not just a matter of organization and bureaucracy. A Council of Churches is not only an instrument but also an expression of the ecumenical movement out of which it has grown. Over several years of discussion with its member Churches and various other partners, the World Council of Churches Central Committee has affirmed the following vision of the ecumenical movement. We
long for the visible oneness of the body of Christ, We
expect the healing of the human community, We
trust in the liberating power of forgiveness, We
open ourselves for a culture of dialogue and solidarity, Notes 1"Constitution of the World Council of Churches," in Assembly Workbook: Harare 1998 (Geneva: WCC Publications, 1998), p. 121. 2Thomas Best, "The Life and Meaning of NCCs: the Ecclesiological Issues," in T. Best, ed., Instruments of Unity – National Councils of Churches within the One Ecumenical Movement (Geneva: WCC Publications, 1988), p. 31, states that Roman Catholic membership in NCCs has increased from 11 in 1971, to 19 in 1975, to 33 in 1986. The preparatory paper for the 1993 consultation on "The NCCs as Servants and Advocates of Unity" reported 41 instances of RC membership in NCCs; in 1998, the Seventh Report of the JWG reported 55. 3Joint Working Group between the Roman Cath-olic Church and the World Council of Churches, Seventh Report (Geneva: WCC Publications, 1998), p. 25. 4At present, the consultant is Sister Elizabeth Moran of the Missionary Sisters of Saint Columban. 5Action approved by the WCC’s Fourth General Assembly, held in Uppsala. 6The conference report reflects the insights of bilateral dialogues, of united and uniting Churches, of the Christian world communions, and of regional and national councils of Churches. 7Thomas F. Best and Gunther Gassmann, eds., On the Way to Fuller Koinonia. Faith and Order Paper 166 (Geneva: WCC Publications, 1994), p. 225. 8 "Some Major Trends in the Life of NCCs since 1986", typescript, pp. 6-7. 9 Instruments of Unity, p. 32. 10Ibid., p. 10. For example, "the Protestant Churches ask the Roman Catholics, ‘Is national pluriformity possible?’ and the Roman Catholics ask the Protestants, ‘Do you realize that you are part of a world church?’" 11 "Some Major Trends in the Life of NCCs since 1986", p. 1. 12John Reardon, "Roman Catholic Involvement in the Council of Churches for Britain and Ireland", typescript, p. 2. 13Ibid., p. 4. 14 See, Instruments of Unity, pp. 9-10. "In the Netherlands, for example, where the ethical question of euthanasia has engendered widespread public controversy in the last several years, discussions in the council of Churches about making a statement were complicated because the Roman Catholic bishops were bound to authoritative Catholic moral teaching on the issue". 15 "Some Major Trends in the Life of NCCs since 1986", p. 2. 16Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism (Vatican City: Vatican Polyglot Press, 1993), art. 166-171. 17Aram Keshishian, Conciliar Fellowship: A Common Goal (Geneva: WCC Publications, 1992), pp. 1-2. See also, Hervé Legrand, "Councils of Churches as Instruments of Unity within the One Ecumenical Movement", in Instruments of Unity, pp. 67-68. 18Assembly Workbook, p. 122. 18J.M.R. Tillard, "The Mission of Councils of Churches", typescript, pp. 1-2. 20Ibid., p. 5. 21Presentation given at the 1982 "Consultation on the Significance and Contribution of Councils of Churches in the Ecumenical Movement". Quoted by T. Best in Instruments of Unity, p. 35. 22Ibid., p. 36. 23Quoted from the Report of the 1982 Consultation, in Instruments of Unity, p. 37. 24Assembly Workbook, p. 119.
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