.
Ecumenism of
Blood
by Dan Keating
How can the
‘ecumenism of
blood’ lead to
a deeper
ecumenism of
heart and
mind?
You
might not be
familiar with
the phrase,
‘ecumenism of
blood’. It is
an idea that
has gained
momentum among
Christians
especially in
the past 5-10
years.
The sense of
an ‘ecumenism
of martyrs’
was widely
publicized by
Pope John Paul
II twenty
years ago
around the
time of the
millennium.
What is the
vision behind
this? If
Christians –
of whatever
background and
conviction –
die for their
faith in
Christ, then
they
demonstrate
the ultimate
act of
‘witness’ to
him. Martyrs
in the modern
world in fact
come from all
the different
churches. And
all of them
give their
‘all’ to
Christ in a
definitive
way.
The idea is
that if
martyrs from
various
churches can
be joined in
this common
act of
complete
witness to
Christ, then
this shows a
unity achieved
beyond what we
have been able
to attain in
the normal
life of
Christians.
The martyrs,
then, by their
act of this
complete gift
of their
lives, show
that unity is
possible and
already being
reached.
As we gaze on
our common
martyrs, we
are then
strengthened
to pursue
unity here and
now
– to
serve
together,
witness
together, and
suffer
together.
The ‘ecumenism
of blood’ has
become Pope
Francis’
favorite way
of speaking
about how
Christians are
called to
witness
together
today. Here is
an excerpt
from his
address to an
ecumenical
gathering of
Christians in
Phoenix, AZ
(USA) in 2015.
(In case you
don’t spot it,
he is talking
about the
‘devil’ in the
opening
sentences.)
“There
is someone who
‘knows’ that,
despite our
differences,
we are one. It
is he who is
persecuting
us. It is he
who is
persecuting
Christians
today, he who
is anointing
us with (the
blood of)
martyrdom. He
knows that
Christians are
disciples of
Christ: that
they are one,
that they are
brothers! He
doesn’t care
if they are
Evangelicals,
or Orthodox,
Lutherans,
Catholics or
Apostolic … he
doesn’t care!
They are
Christians.
And that blood
(of martyrdom)
unites. Today,
dear brothers
and sisters,
we are living
an ‘ecumenism
of blood’.
This must
encourage us
to do what we
are doing
today: to
pray, to
dialogue
together, to
shorten the
distance
between us, to
strengthen our
bonds of
brotherhood.”
A
striking
example of
this
‘ecumenism of
blood’
occurred in
North Africa
in 2015. A
video was
released
showing the
beheading of
twenty-one
Coptic
Christians
along the
Libyan coast.
Why were they
killed? Simply
because they
were
Christians and
confessed to
being so.
Fellow
Christians
across the
world joined
in mourning
their deaths
but also
rejoiced in
the power of
their witness.
For these
twenty-one
Coptic men,
‘the adventure
of
discipleship’
ended suddenly
and with great
cost. It was
probably not
what any of
them had
planned. But
to them was
granted the
great
privilege to
die for Christ
– and so to
prove
themselves
Christ’s
friends.
As we witness
fellow
Christians
giving their
lives (their
blood) for
Christ, we can
take heart
that they are
forging a
unity in
Christ deeper
than anything
that divides
us. May we be
strengthened
by their
example, to
live and to
die for the
Lord.
Unity:
Perhaps there
is another
mystery at
work when
martyrdom and
persecution go
together, as
so many
Christians in
the world are
experiencing
today: they
lead to deeper
unity among
those who
suffer. Our
differences,
though
important, now
seem petty as
we come to
fight together
for a cause
that is far
more important
than our
differences –
the salvation
of the whole
world – a
cause for
which our Lord
himself
suffered both
persecution
and martyrdom.
Dr. Daniel A. Keating (Doctor of
Philosophy,
University of
Oxford) is
associate
professor of
theology at
Sacred Heart
Major Seminary
in Detroit,
Michigan, USA
and an elder
of The
Servants
of the Word,
a lay
missionary
brotherhood of
men living
single for the
Lord.
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