October, 2000

Dear Catholics of the diocese of Salzburg

It is around the year 110a.d. when a little fleet was sailing the Mediterranean toward Rome. On board one of these ships a bishop is sitting, Ignitius of Antioch, chained to the " leopards". They are the guards who become crueler the friendlier he is to them. The journey is going to the death. At last, in 117 at the coliseum Ignatius is thrown to the wild beasts. What was the condemned bishop doing in moments of rest? He was writing letters to seven different communities of faith. In one of his letters he writes (to the community in Philadelphia} "Strive to celebrate only one Eucharist for there is only one body of our Lord Jesus Christ and only one chalice to unite with His blood, only one altar, as there is only one bishop in the union with the presbytery and the deacons… And in the letter to the Smyrneans ; " Nobody conduct anything regarding the church without the approval of the bishop. Only those celebrations of the Eucharist are valid as sanctioned by the bishop or those appointed by him". Thus said Ignatius , the "second Petrus" of Antioch, who for the first time calls the church "catholic". With this we arrive at our theme. The ONE Eucharist. The Lord Jesus instructed the twelve at the Last Supper:" Do this in memory of me". He took bread , broke it and gave it to the apostles with the words: "This is MY BODY which will be given up for you". And He also took the chalice and said: "This chalice is the new covenant in MY BLOOD. Do this in memory of me" Since the days of the apostles the church contents that in this one Eucharist the unique sacrifice of Christ on the cross is not repeated but made present through the words of the priest as he speaks in the authority of Christ, capitis eccleciae,

The unity of the church ­ founded by Christ ­ become lost. The church separated through the eastern schism in 1054 into an East and Western church: the orthodox and roman-catholic church. In the 16th. Century the Western church split apart: the name "reformation" only described Martin Luther's concerns, the result was a new schism. From the base of these two separations developed new "churches": within the orthodoxy formed "national churches", in the west more divisions followed, ex. Anglican Church. The revival movement of 18th century England particularly practiced by John and Charles Wesley resulted in the "Methodist church." Today this is divided into about 70 different member churches forming the universal council of Methodist churches. The further divisions among "free churches" and other Christian groups are without number. John Paul II calls the 2nd millennium the millennium of "divisions."

But the desire grows also. The longing of many who believe in Christ, again to unite in one church, gather around only one altar and to praise God with one voice. The II. Vatican council not only encouraged Catholics but also many other Christian groups in their ecumenical endeavors., especially also through the efforts of John Paul II.

But the road to complete unity is much more difficult and longer than was expected during euphoria at the beginning of the council. Who and what can lead to "unity"? One might think the gospel, which all Christians have common may lead to unity. Unfortunately not so.. All the different "churches" preach the gospel. And interpret it in so many different ways that continuously new Christian groups are forming.. And so who will believe in our message and us?

The longer I am pondering the more I realize that it is the Eucharist, the one Eucharist under the one High Priest Jesus Christ. However that is not yet possible. Because the interpretations of church, office and priesthood are still "world's apart" to quote a protestant church leader. The protestant church does not celebrate the Eucharist but the "Lord's Supper", they also are lacking the sacrament of ordination and many of the other groups have lost even more. These chasms, deepened by centuries of division and theological arguments can not be overcome by a brave "leap of love". Who may still attempt it, is like the

Winter. He covers the faults over with snow. But the thin blanket of snow does not bear his weight.

Now if a priest co-celebrates the Eucharist with a member of the clergy from another Christian church who, as a "lay-person" has no priestly authority, he is practicing a deception., since this is invalid according to catholic teaching.. By doing so, priests of the Catholic Church lead their faithful astray, giving them bread and wine rather than the Body and Blood of Christ. Through this a tremendous amount of damage is done to the catholic faith and unity of the church and the true (authentic) ecumenical movement How can a priest further the reunification of the separated Christians by dividing his own church?. Yes, and so the body of Christ is being split again! Ignatius of Antioch confirms that the one Eucharist, under authority of the bishop, is the sacrament of the unity. But however knowingly and repeatedly participates in these "intercelebration" does exactly the opposite of This. This sin weighs very heavy… . One may say that the "intercelebration" is already common practice. When the protestant bishop Maria Jepsen in Rome noted that protestant and catholic Christians in the parishes already celebrate the Lord's Supper" together (she did not say Eucharist), and the "Ecumenical Church Day 2003 " in Berlin plans "open communion" with mutual " Lord's Supper" it may be already too late. The II. Vatican council thinks differently: The conversion of hearts and sanctity of life in connection with private and public prayer for the unity of Christians is to be seen as the soul of the ecumenical movement It can truly be called spiritual ecumenism (Unitatis Redinregratio #21)

The media distributes much nonsense. One talks and writes boldly without knowledge of the matter, even less of history. It is to be bitterly regretted that many of our loyal contributors, but also many of our Sunday Christians barely know anything about the essence of the Holy Mass. How come? What has been preached about it for the past 30 years…? How could the understanding of the Eucharist disappear in spite of the renewal of the liturgy? Questions over questions. With certainty over 90% of the faithful do not know anymore what this argument is all about.

But when the situation is such ­ and I could name many other examples - it points to a long-term failure of the shepherds. We, from the Lord appointed keepers, have done our duty poorly, we have become tardy. We bishops have cared too little for our flocks and have permitted the rapacious wolves to enter. For decades the catholic faculty of the universities paralyzed catholic many truths and the dogma of the Eucharist. In religious instructions were and are the Eucharist realities taught with grave deficits. Yes, the shepherds have become guilty. The salt has become stale; soon it will be trampled into the ground.

All I can say and do in this hour of need is this: we must gather around our pope and even more around our Lord Jesus Christ - Dominus Jesus. Let us pray! Let us adore! Let us pray to Mary, the mother of the church. I close with a word of the poet Reinhold Schneider who showed so many the way during the war and post war time: "Only the praying can still succeed…."