by Adèle Brodeur

Adèle Brodeur is the Associate Director of the Canadian Centre for Ecumenism in Montreal.

Ce document est aussi disponible en français : L'essence de la mission.

This special issue signals the fortieth year of publication of the quarterly Ecumenism, and stresses two important moments in the evolution of the review and in the Centre's history. We include here the very first editorial written by Irénée Beaubien, S.J., founder of the Canadian Centre for Ecumenism. It was published in February 1966 at the time of Vatican II. We have also repeated another editorial written by Father Beaubien in 1982 to mark the magazine's transition from a newsletter to an ample quarterly periodical Ecumenism. Certain lines from this editorial have a special resonance today. Thus, the author points out those essential dimensions of ecumenism which form part of the mission of each Christian, when he writes "… unity respects diversity; … the principal inspiration of the ecumenical movement is the Spirit who urges us to come together in a climate of truth and love."

This message is at the heart of mission and in this issue which examines our Christian mission in face of the challenges of our era, we realize that our contributors reiterate that it is the presence of the Spirit, in all our human activities and in all the spheres they touch which allows each one to be recognized, develop and to fully participate in building a world where progress is measured by growth in truth and love.

The first article is from Father Georges Tavard who looks at the reception of the Decree on ecumenism Unitatis Redintegratio, promulgated on November 21, 1964. Father Tavard participated in the drafting of this decree in his capacity as a theological Consulter. He reminds us that the reception of ecumenical councils does not automatically come about and that among the faithful and priests and bishops even those who participated in Vatican II, some expressed questions and doubts. Father Tavard also underlines John Paul II's reception of the Decree as seen in his reminder of the need for a purification of memory in order to be reconciled, to look to the future, to make room for truth and love.

The following article renders homage to Jean Paul II for whom mission was entrenched in each human being's dignity. This man of dialogue, this apostle of reconciliation, knew how to be an instrument of the Holy Spirit. He understood that unity of Christians cannot be achieved unless each one, individually and collectively, within our churches and ecclesial communities, we have understood how important it is to be reconciled.

In the following article, Brian McDonough considers social responsibility as it is understood in the Christian tradition. He emphasizes the two poles of this responsibility: the charity pole and the social justice pole. The two poles remind us at one and the same time of our individual responsibility and our collective responsibility as disciples of Christ. He bases his argument on the social thinking of the Catholic Church, specifically on two documents from the Second Vatican Council: The Church and the Modern World and Nostra Aetate.

After Brian McDonough's article, we give the text of a study paper adopted in 2000 by the World Council of Churches Commission for World Mission and Evangelism in preparation for the World Conference on Mission and Evangelism. This document analyzes the concepts of mission and evangelism from an ecumenical perspective. One of its sections (Mission and Evangelism in Unity: an Imperative and a Vocation) is explicit in affirming "Mission is central to Christian faith and theology. It is not an option but is rather an existential calling and vocation. Mission is constitutive of and conditions the very being of the church and of all Christians." In this document, faith is seen as being an integral part of all fields of human activity; it is not exclusively attached to spirituality.

In the next article, Glenn Smith considers God's mission in the contemporary urban setting. He shows us how, as Christians, we must work in this mission of God's, following the example of Christ, God incarnate, who came to accomplish this divine mission. The author says: "Mission is the church sent into the world to love, to serve, to preach, to heal, to liberate." In other words, the author explains to us that mission cannot be defined simply as an individual and collective activity, but comes from God; this presence of God, at the heart of every Christian and of the Church, is the Spirit which calls us all to participate in mission.

This number also tells you about the 24th Christian commemoration of Yom HaShoah, which took place at St Joseph's Oratory on Mount Royal. This commemoration was a special moment in dialogue, when Christians, Jews and representatives of other religions prayed together that we would be always listening to the Spirit present in us. In this way, we can no longer think, speak or act in an inhuman or destructive manner, but we will think, speak and act in ways that respect the dignity of our brothers and sisters, "that they will be precious in our sight"; we will then be able to develop our humanity together, as God has given it, in God's image.

Happy reading!