Pope said other churches are "defective", is he right?

NEW DELHI: Pope Benedict XVI has ruffled feathers of the flock by saying orthodox churches are defective and that other Christian denominations aren’t true churches. His views are contained in a 16-page document of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith released this week, in which he has also called for allowing wider use of the Mass in Latin. Many perceive the document as a blow to reforms initiated by the revolutionary Second Vatican Council (1962-65).

The council is considered a landmark reform movement within the Catholic faith that, among other major theological positions, phased out Latin Mass, allowed folk guitar at Mass instead of Gregorian chants, and effectively stopped looking at Jews, Muslims, and Christians of other denominations as heretics.

As a 35-year-old Rev Joseph Aloi Ratzinger, the current Pope, was one of its members. The wheel has come a full circle, with the leader of the Vatican taking a few steps that appear, to many, as a short march backward from the Vatican II reforms. Seen along with the Pope’s University of Regensburg lecture in September 2006, in which he associated Islam with violence, it would appear that the leader of the Vatican favours strong assertion of Catholic identity even if going purely by public reactions it alienates large sections of Muslims, Jews, and now, also Protestants.

There have been protests against the Pope’s observations across India. Mumbai-based Jesuit theologian Julian Saldanha, a supporter of the Second Vatican Council, says, "Stating that other Christian denominations were not truly churches is unnecessarily provocative. The Catholic claim that it continued the tradition of Christ and his apostles is strong, but many elements of tradition are also found in other churches." Orthodox and Protestant groups in Kerala have reacted more strongly. "No denomination is perfect. To say that Catholic Church is the only true church would mean it doesn’t need any reform, which is unacceptable," says KG Daniel, Bishop of East Kerala Diocese of the Church of South India.

"Since many years now, the Cathoic Church has been engaged in an ecumenical dialogue with other Christian churches. The Pope’s position is a setback to the dialogue process," says Orthodox theologian and member of the World Council of Churches Father KM George. Agreeing with him is Church of North India (CNI) general secretary Enos Pradhan, "We don’t owe allegiance to the Pope. CNI, which is autonomous, expressses shock at the Pope’s observations. All churches are the body of Christ. We are all guided by his teachings, and what the Pope has said is a great blow to the unity movement within the churches."

Secretary of Chhotanagpur Diocese of CNI in Ranchi PP Surin was surprised. "Our religious head, the Bishop of Canterbury, is often invited by the Pope. Had our churches been false, we wouldn’t have been invited by the Catholics to join hands or even allowed to proclaim Christianity." In Kohima, Rev Zhabu Terhuja, general secretary of the Nagaland Baptist Church Council, said, "A man of his stature should not have commented on the affairs of other churches." Archbishop Oswald Gracias of Bombay said, "I understand the reaction and would ask people to go deeply into the document. The fact is it is positively worded. It calls for dialogue and not increasing differences. The call for Latin Mass is because the people have themselves been clamouring for it."

Archbishop of Delhi Rev Vincent M Concessao said: "There are some who are confused by the post-Vatican II developments, and want clarity. There is no difference between Catholic and Orthodox churches except some of the rites," and adds, "If they (other churches) are critical, it isn’t helpful. But our respect for them does not diminish." Says Rev Dominic Emmanuel of Delhi Archdicoese, "His Holiness has called for is clarity and dialogue. One doesn’t dilute one’s position and clarity of thought is a must for dialogue."

(With inputs from Ashley D’Mello in Mumbai; Ananthakrishnan G from Thiruvananthapuram; Jaideep Deogharia from Ranchi and Oinam Sunil from
Guwahati)