From Sandro Magister's Italian-only blog:
The article published on the 3rd of November at
www.chiesa caused unsurprising irritation in the two figures mentioned.
However, it also inspired further criticism about the
ecumenical project promoted by both of them, especially the Prior of Bose,
fresh from his papal nomination as consultant to the Pontifical Council for the
Unity of Christians.
The author of the following note is a priest in the
diocese of Bari, Professor of Liturgy and Consultant of the Congregation for
Divine Worship along with the Congregation for the Cause of Saints.
THE NON-CATHOLIC ECUMENISM OF ENZO BIANCH
By Nicola Bux
The “deconstruction of the papacy in its present form”
– as Sandro Magister noted – is dear to the Prior of Bose, who thinks that
there is nothing more to hope for as regards the unity of the great Traditional
Churches, inasmuch as their separation about who has primacy would be exactly
what prevents the unity of Christians today.
“It is written
in the Gospel that the disciples began arguing among themselves about who was
the first. It seems to me that this
argument has continued throughout the history of the Church and is still one of
the central cruxes on the question of unity. What is not taken into account is
that each tradition is limited and partial and arriving at the full truth is
possible only if we are all united..” (E. Bianchi, “Ricominciare”, [Beginning
Again] Marietti, Genova, 1999, p 73-74).
In reality, Jesus Himself resolved the pre- Pasqual
discussion among His disciples by establishing the primacy of Simon-Cefa.
Furthermore, those who are truly Catholic know that
“traditional Churches” do not exist, but only one Church and that those
Christians who autonomously set up Churches and Communities between the first
and second millennium must come to recognizing the Apostolic Tradition shared
and sealed by the Roman Church.
So Bianchi does not
dissimulate a relativist idea of unity in the Church; nor does he hide sharing
the vision of Jean-Marie Tillard, whose idea is that the Church is made up in
the totality of “sister Churches”. In
order to highlight the wrongness of such a concept, the Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith issued a notification on 30th June 2000:
Note on the expression “Sister Churches”: (in English)
Further, Bianchi appeals to the fact that the Pope
should not decide anything by himself, but on the other hand he would ascribe
him the power “to restore unity to the Church”. (”Ricominciare”, pp. 72-73).
Instead, the ecumenical theologian, Max Thurian, described
the ecumenical consequences of the Credo common to Christian confessions thus:
“Visible unity among Christians may only be achieved
in the recognition of the Eucharistic celebrations and in the high offices that
structure the Church, in the apostolic succession and communion with the Bishop
of Rome.[…] For the Catholic Church, the fullness of apostolicity lies in the
succession of bishops after the Apostles and in their communion recognized in
the office of Peter continued through the Bishop of Rome.” (Avvenire, 39th June
1997).
For Bianchi, it’s the opposite, the recognition of
papal primacy is the real barrier to unity in the Church.
I don’t know if Pope Francis knew all of this when he
nominated the Prior of Bose consultant to the Ecumenical Office of the Holy See
last July 22nd.
Enzo Bianchi’s ideas express that “hermeneutic of
discontinuity and break” which includes the “philo-red” of the Bolognese publication (in several
volumes), “Conciliorum oecumenicorum generaliumque decreta”, in which, “some
reservations of a doctrinal nature remain,” according to Vatican authorities.
To this, Archbishop Agostino Marchetto has punctually,
in a detailed and documented way, made a counterpoint. And the Pope has defined
him “as the best interpreter of the Second Vatican Council.”
Therefore there should be no doubts about who is not
telling it right.
Translation: Contributor Francesca Romana.
