wfn.org | WCC FEATURE: First ecumenical calendar of saints and martyrs

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World Council of Churches - Feature
Contact: + 41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org 

For immediate release - 21/10/2004

 "SURROUNDED BY A GREAT CLOUD OF WITNESSES"  FIRST ECUMENICAL CALENDAR OF
SAINTS AND MARTYRS

			    By Henrike M|ller (*)

					  Free photo available * see below.

The light in the church is dimmed, and it is only through small windows
above the Iconostasis (**)  that small streams of light penetrate the
highly decorated building. Fumes of incense become visible in this light,
and their strong scent fills the nostrils and contributes to the special
atmosphere of an Orthodox service.

Bit by bit, people enter the church, going straight forward to kneel in
front of an icon. One woman kisses the holy image, making the sign of the
cross before moving back into the nave to attend the worship. Today's
service honours St George, a 5th century martyr who is adored as an example
of fidelity unto death.

A Sunday morning worship in a medieval Protestant church: the chancel is
very simple, with white walls and roman-style windows with stained glass
that make the light refract colourfully on the floor. The altar is
decorated with a cross, the Bible and two candlesticks; the communion
chalice and plate are already prepared.

In his sermon, the pastor quotes Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor and
theologian - By gracious powers so wonderfully shelter'd and confidently
waiting come what may * -  famous words from a poem Bonhoeffer wrote
shortly before he was killed in a concentration camp in 1945. Since then,
people treasure his words as a source of comfort and an example of trust in
God.

>>> The variety of remembrance

Different churches have different ways of commemorating and adoring saints
and martyrs - people who lived a Christ-like life or can serve as an
example of faith. But one thing has become evident in recent times: the
divide between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches on the one hand,
and the Protestant churches on the other regarding the martyrs' impact on
spirituality is no longer as deep as it was.

Dr Lukas Vischer, former director of the World Council of Churches' (WCC)
Faith and Order Commission and of the Protestant Office for Ecumenism in
Bern (Switzerland), puts it like this: "On the Roman Catholic side, the
significance of the veneration of saints has considerably diminished." On
the other hand, "Protestant churches increasingly recognize that the
radical rejection of the veneration of saints has led to distortions in
their own midst. The legitimate condemnation of abuses has undermined
consciousness of communion with the witnesses of the past."

>>> Who may be called a saint?

But whom are we talking about when we refer to saints, witnesses and
martyrs? In a general sense, they are examples for Christian life, of an
extraordinary faith and trust in God. Yet they are also ordinary people,
close to us, and reminders that sanctity is for all who turn to God.

Such a Christ-like life is not limited to a specific era. Thus, the circle
of martyrs and witnesses has no fixed borders, and the question: "Who are
our saints, our witnesses?" cannot be answered fully - neither for a
specific period nor for a specific denomination. But although "all churches
are no doubt in agreement that the answer to this question lies ultimately
with God alone," as Vischer points out, churches and Christians agree in
acknowledging several shared fathers and mothers in faith.

"Examples can easily be given," Vischer continues, "Saint Francis of Assisi
is accepted, and respected by Christians of all confessions as a convincing
example of Christian life. Or think of martyrs of recent times such as Paul
Florensky (Orthodox), Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Protestant), Janani Luwun
(Anglican) and Oscar Romero (Roman Catholic). There is no church where
their martyrdom is not gratefully recalled."

However, different churches recall in different ways. Saints are canonized
and regularly remembered in the Roman Catholic Church's worship practice
and ecclesiastical year, for example. Each saint has his or her special day
of remembrance, and people celebrate their personal saint's day. And
sainthood has lost none of its relevance: since the beginning of his
pontificate in 1978, Pope John Paul II has canonized almost twice as many
saints as were canonized over the past 400 years since the Roman Catholic
Church first installed official canonization.

Likewise, saints play an important role in Orthodox liturgy and
spirituality, through the presence of icons, for example. As images of
exemplary faithful lives, the icons remind believers of the invisible
presence of the whole company of heaven, and thus visibly express the idea
of heaven on earth. Orthodoy churches have "glorified" thousands of new
martyrs in the last decade, victims of persecution during the Soviet
period.

In the Protestant churches' worship, the commemoration of witnesses and
saints has no fixed place. Their lives and faith are remembered in other
ways, mostly by telling stories about people's exemplary trust in God. "The
saints were not abolished at the time of the Reformation," says Dr Dagmar
Heller, ecumenical officer of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD). "But
the reformers turned against the adoration of saints and their use as
intercessors and intermediaries between God and mankind." Thus, in
Protestant churches, saints are important as examples in faith and
witnessing.

>>> Towards an ecumenical calendar

In 2002, the interdenominational monastic community of Bose (Italy)
published a compilation of saints and martyrs, following a 1978 suggestion
from the Faith and Order Commission which suggested that the existence of
such a book would "strengthen the solidarity of all Christians in prayer
and action".

The "Libro dei Testimoni" was a first step towards presenting this concern
to a broader church public. Taking up its ecumenical approach and bringing
it back to the churches themselves, a new ecumenical calendar of saints and
witnesses will now gather the widest-ever spectrum of saints and martyrs
from all Christian traditions.

But in terms of ecumenical cooperation, further questions arise. Is it
possible to keep different churches' remembrances in one single calendar?
How can agreement be reached on who should be accepted? And how can
Christians handle the fact that some members of the ecumenical church
family honour and praise saints considered as heretics by other churches?

To discuss these questions and to realize this project, a joint working
group of representatives from different ecumenical organizations, including
the WCC, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), the Pontifical Council for
Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU), as well as the Community of Bose, is
collaborating on a so-called "Clouds of Witnesses" project - an image taken
from the Bible (Hebrews 11:1).

>>> The cloud of witnesses - an ecumenical concern

According to this group, the calendar will "give shape to this exchange of
gifts" and "promote a wider and more comprehensively shared recognition of
this 'cloud of witnesses'".

Remembrance is "one of the most important steps most churches desire to
take in order to provide new and fresh energy to the ecumenical endeavour".
The common memory of the cloud of witnesses strengthens the idea of a
fellowship that goes beyond borders and time, since it has its cause in
God's covenant with mankind. A contribution to common worship and prayer,
the calendar can bring people from different traditions closer to each
other and direct their view to the common ground of Christian belief.

A shared memory of saints can contribute to the worldwide witness to
Christ, since the examples of the past show how people can lead their lives
in the spiritual and practical discipleship of Christ. Such a witness will
necessarily impact on human community: "How can we be credible proclaimers
of the good news without being able to envisage paths of peace and
reconciliation first of all among ourselves?," the members of the
ecumenical working group ask.

>>> Putting the project into practice

During the recent plenary meeting of the WCC Faith and Order Commission in
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, (28 July - 6 August, 2004), the project was
presented to the members of the Commission. They agreed to support and
monitor its progress.

To begin, they asked the churches to compile a list of saints known and
remembered in each church. The churches are also being asked to look beyond
their confessional borders to identify those Christian witnesses from
outside their tradition whom they would like to see included in this
calendar.

Once completed, the calendar is to be published by the WCC, and is expected
to be an inspiring source for and a contribution to ecumenical
spirituality.

Until the first edition of the ecumenical calendar of saints and martyrs
becomes available - and of course afterwards -, churches and parishes are
being invited to walk towards each other and to discover the common memory
and roots within their various worship and spirituality traditions.

The feast of All Saints, for example, could provide a good opportunity to
celebrate the shared witness of the saints. [1540 w]

- - -

(*) Henrike M|ller, a curate in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Hanover,
is working in the Media Relations Office of the WCC in Geneva.

(**) The iconostatis, or icon screen, is a central characteristic of
Orthodox and other Eastern Christian churches. Usually a wall covered with
icons and with large central doors situated between the altar and the main
part of the church, the iconostatis symbolizes the union between heaven and
earth, and of the union of God with mankind in Jesus Christ.

A free high resolution photo to accompany this story is available at:
http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/press_corner/martyrsdoor.html 

Opinions expressed in WCC Features do not necessarily reflect WCC policy.
This material may be reprinted freely, providing credit is given to the
author.

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