Mark Joren Sera 2nd Year –KAHAYAG

Rev. Fr. Richard Bantugan Ecumenism

Where is Ecumenism today?

Ecumenism is the movement to restore unity among Christian churches throughout the
whole world. We the Catholic Church seeks to recover the apostolic sense of the early church for
unity in diversity, and it confronts the frustrations, difficulties, and ironies of the modern
diversified world. In the Catholicism, Ecumenism means to obtain universal unity through the
conversion of souls as One, True faith as the Apostles were commanded by our Lord Jesus
Christ. But rather than evangelizing souls to convert to Catholicism, the Church establish points
of commonality that exist between Christianity and with other religions by means of the most
common technique, the communication.

I was somehow realize that this ecumenical movement started long time ago and
somehow never reach to its purpose. But, as I can see in our diocese in Tandag. This ecumenical
movement hits different. Our bishop Raul Dael is the one who are more determined to continue
reaching out to the people who are associated as unacceptable. Risking his life to look out of our
provincial perspectives and opening ourselves to a bigger picture. It is a matter of thinking
globally and live trustfully with the differences in community.

I can see that, Churches nowadays are like competing corporations in the business world.
If one will fall, the other one will rise. Let’s us point in mind that any loss of divine truth and life
is a loss to Christ and his church. To be honest, in my experiences as I attended some mass in
different religion. Their rabbi or pastor is always differentiating the practices and teachings of
theirs and from the Catholics. I never saw about talking what are similarities that will bind us to
be one. It’s hard to say but, also our own Parish priest neglected them. He tends to criticize even
their small actions in their practices. I myself also was guilty in being close minded and not
willing to learn from other community.

This is a very challenging for me to be able to be part of this ecumenical movement.

There can be no ecumenism worthy without a change of heart. I believe that, it is the heart who
can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.