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Index > Interconfessional Dialogues > JWG > | CONT. > Patterns of Relationship
 
Contents

- Preface
- Introduction
- I - The World Council of Churches, the Roman Catholic Church and the Ecumenical Movement
- II - What Form Should Closer Relationships Take?
III - Membership of the Roman Catholic Church in the World Council of Churches
- Conclusions

FULL TEXT

III
Membership of the Roman Catholic Church in the World Council of Churches

    The question of Roman Catholic membership in the World Council of Churches has been raised by the Fourth General Assembly at Uppsala (1968) and by Pope Paul VI in Geneva (1969). It has been the subject of discussion at various ecumenical gatherings and in published articles. As was mentioned in the introduction, with all of its recognized imperfections and inadequacies, within its fellowship churches and individuals have grown to know each other, to understand each other, to pray together, to work together. Various possible forms of relationships between the Roman Catholic Church and other Christian churches and communities have been indicated. It is logical that particular attention now be given to the question of membership in the existing fellowship of the World Council of Churches.

A. Practical Questions Connected with Roman Catholic Membership

1. The Mode of Roman Catholic Membership


    The Roman Catholic Church is a world-wide church. The membership of the World Council of Churches, on the other hand, is composed mainly, though not exclusively, of churches which are confined to particular geographical areas. If the Roman Catholic Church joins the World Council of Churches, should it do so as a single church? Or should it join through those units which are comparable with the great majority of the present member churches?
    The following points are important in deciding this question
(a) The Rules of the World Council of Churches have this to say about criteria for membership:

3. The following criteria, among others, shall be applied, in addition to the primary requirement of the Constitution that churches eligible for consideration for membership shall be those ‘which express their agreement with the Basis upon which the Council is formed'.
(a) Autonomy. A church which is to be admitted must give evidence of autonomy. An autonomous church is one which, while recognizing the essential interdependence of the churches, particularly those of the same confession, is responsible to no other church for the conduct of its own life, including the training, ordination and maintenance of its ministry, the enlisting, development and activity of the lay forces, the propagation of the Christian message, the determination of relationship with other churches and the use of funds at its disposal from whatever source.
(b) Stability. A church should not be admitted unless it has given sufficient evidence of stability in life and organization to become recognized as a church by its sister churches, and should have an established programme of Christian nurture and evangelism.
(c) Size. The question of size must also be taken into consideration.
(d) Relationship with other churches. Regard must also be given to the relationship of the church to other churches.

(b) Since the World Council of Churches does not require from the churches any particular self-understanding, neither does it decide the level at which the individual church becomes a member of the World Council, each church must join in accordance with its own understanding of itself. On practical grounds, of course, it is desirable for the work of the World Council of Churches that as far as possible its member churches should be comparable entities. But if a church is so constituted that it can only join as a world-wide fellowship, there is no fundamental objection to this on the part of the World Council of Churches.

(c) It is hoped that each individual member church will participate in its entirety in the World Council of Churches. It is important, therefore, that the variety present in any church should find expression in the work of the World Council of Churches. This would apply equally to the Roman Catholic Church if it were to become a member. Recent developments have emphasized the rich geographical, cultural, theological and spiritual variety found in the Roman Catholic Church. This variety must be enabled to contribute to the life of the World Council of Churches.

(d) The local and territorial churches within the Roman Catholic Church must be in a position to regard the World Council of Churches as a fellowship of which they are a part. Unity must ultimately be achieved in concrete situations. It is important that it should be possible in the ecumenical movement to take as direct an account as possible of experience gained in concrete situations.

(e) The practical developments of the principle of collegiality have led to increasing responsibilities being attributed to the patriarchal synods and episcopal conferences within the Roman Catholic Church. At the same time as encouragement is being given to the local and national churches to develop their liturgical, theological and spiritual life in accordance with their own special genius and the particular pastoral needs of the area, great stress is laid upon the interdependence of the local churches and their responsibility for the universal Church. As has been mentioned before, the question of the relationships between the patriarchal synods and the episcopal conferences with the Roman See, and also between the conferences themselves, was considered at the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops in 1969 and it was recognized that further study of both its theological and practical aspects is required.

    It is clear, however, that the Roman Catholic Church's understanding of itself as one universal fellowship is so fundamental that its central authority would have to be represented in the fellowship of the World Council of Churches, otherwise its representation in the World Council would not do justice to its character as a church. At the same time, the Roman Catholic Church must also be in a position to give expression to the great variety characteristic of it. Its membership in the World Council would need to be in a form which would match this two-fold requirement.
Various forms of membership have been suggested,

(a) The individual patriarchal synods and episcopal conferences would apply for membership, in which case membership in the World Council of Churches would rise from around 240 to around 330. Roman Catholic membership would thus be more comparable with that of the great majority of the present member churches. Such a form, however, would not take into account sufficiently the understanding the Roman Catholic Church has of itself as one universal fellowship nor of the relationships existing between the local churches and the Holy See or with each other, as described above.

(b) The Roman Catholic Church would apply for membership as one member church and would express this membership exclusively through the Holy See. This would emphasize the universal character of the Roman Catholic Church and the unity it enjoys. However, it may not be sufficient to represent the great variety which is also characteristic of it.

(c) The Roman Catholic Church would apply for membership as one member church and express her membership by actively engaging the patriarchal synods and episcopal conferences in its exercise. They might be expressly named as participants in the membership. Similar solutions have already been adopted for certain World Council of Churches member churches. In the case of the Roman Catholic Church it would need to be stated in a note attached to the document of admission what precisely the participation of the episcopal conferences would mean in practice. This form of membership seems to harmonize best with the twofold requirement mentioned above. In working out the manner by which this form of membership might be concretely realized, the following points might be taken into consideration (subject to the regulations affecting the relationship of the conferences with the Holy See and each other):

1) the episcopal conferences could be asked to propose to the Holy See the names of delegates to the Assembly and to other organs of the World Council of Churches;

2) communications from the World Council of Churches could be sent to the episcopal conferences as well as to the Holy See;

3) the episcopal conferences could be regarded as the appropriate partners of the World Council of Churches in matters affecting the area which is within their competence according to the rules of the Roman Catholic Church.

2. Size of Representation

    The Roman Catholic Church is larger than any of the member churches. On what principles would the size of Roman Catholic representation in the World Council of Churches be determined? The following considerations may offer some guidance here:

(a) The Roman Catholic Church's representation would need to be such as to give full weight to its geographical and cultural diversity within the World Council of Churches.

(b) Its representation should not be so large that other churches would no longer be genuine partners in dialogue and fellowship. This consideration already plays an important part in the World Council of Churches. Large churches are not represented in exact proportion to their size; small churches have a larger representation than their numerical strength would warrant. The Roman Catholic Church has also recognized this principle in its ecumenical activities.

(c) It would be desirable that delegations from the Roman Catholic Church should include persons representative of both the Holy See and the patriarchal synods and episcopal conferences. In this connection the criteria used for choosing representatives to the ordinary Synod of Bishops would be instructive.

(d) The World Council of Churches stresses that not only the clergy but also the laity, women and youth representatives especially, should share in its work. This is in accord with trends in the Roman Catholic Church. There is, however, no question of limiting the churches' freedom to determine the composition of their delegations. Binding rules here would, indeed, make Roman Catholic membership and cooperation more difficult.

3. Roman Catholic Representation in the Various Organs of the World Council of Churches

(a) Voting procedures. Each official delegate at an Assembly and each member of the Central Committee has one vote. There is one exception to this rule. If the Assembly votes on the admission of new member churches, one vote is accorded to each delegation.

(b) Assembly. The Roman Catholic delegation should not be less than one fifth and not more than one third of the total number of delegates. In the event of the Roman Catholic Church becoming a member of the World Council of Churches, the Assembly would need to be so constituted as not to deprive any of the small churches of their representation.

(c) Central and Executive Committees. Representation on these committees would need to be in roughly the same proportion as that in the Assembly. The Central Committee should probably be increased in membership (e.g. from 120 to 150). There would have to be a comparable increase in the size of the Executive Committee. If the Executive Committee's serviceability is not to be impaired this increase would have to be small (e.g. 30 members in all).

(d) Praesidium. The six presidents of the World Council of Churches are not normally elected in virtue of their leading position in the church. They are mostly chosen from among those who have rendered distinguished service to the ecumenical movement. Care has always been taken, of course, to ensure that the various confessional traditions are represented among the group of presidents. The Roman Catholic Church would have to be represented in this group.

(e) Officers. The group of officers consists of the chairman and vice chairmen of the Central Committee together with the General Secretary. It would be desirable for the Roman Catholic Church to be represented in this group. Perhaps the number of vice-chairmen would have to be increased.

(f) Staff. The staff of the World Council of Churches is normally recruited from the member churches. The main criterion for selection is ability in the particular field of work involved. Care is taken, of course, to ensure that the different confessions are represented. The ecumenical centre in Geneva ought itself to be an ecumenical fellowship. If the Roman Catholic Church were to join the World Council, Roman Catholics would be increasingly appointed to the staff. It would be important to ensure that some Roman Catholic members of the staff held senior positions.

(g) Members of the Central Committee. These are chosen by the Assembly. The Executive Committee is chosen by the Central Committee. The presidents are appointed directly by the Assembly. The officers are chosen by the Central Committee. The staff is appointed by the Central Committee or by the Executive Committee. Normally the World Council of Churches takes the initiative in appointments although names are often suggested by the member churches. No nomination is normally brought before the Central or Executive Committee without the approval of the member church having first been obtained.

4. Relations between Organizations of the World Council of Churches and the Roman Catholic Church in the Event of Membership of the Latter

    Each section of the World Council of Churches has its own special way of conducting its affairs. It is in touch with other groups in the member churches within its particular field of interest. The World Council does not restrict its contacts to the level of official representatives of the administration of a member church but, with the consent of the church, maintains links with particular organizations and groups concerned with special tasks. For example:

(a) the work of the Division of World Mission and Evangelism is carried out in close liaison with the national Christian Councils or with other organizations concerned with the mission task;

(b) the Division of Inter-Church Aid, Refugee and World Service (DICARWS) has links on the one hand with church relief and service organizations and on the other hand with the national Christian Councils;

(c) certain special tasks are performed by organizations which are in some measure independent. These include the Christian Literature Fund (CLF), the Theological Education Fund (TEF) and the Christian Medical Commission (CMC).

    Within the Roman Catholic Church there are the various congregations and secretariats of the Roman Curia as well as pontifical commissions charged with particular responsibilities. There are international organizations which maintain a great deal of autonomy for their work but have certain ties with the Holy See. In addition, the Holy See maintains delegates or representatives to other international organizations (e.g., specialized agencies of the United Nations such as UNESCO, etc.). On the regional level, many organizations exist either as separate bodies for handling particular affairs of the region or as regional counterparts to international groups (national commissions for relief service, for missionary activity, for education, etc.).
    The complexity of the internal organization of these groups, of their inter-relations with other groups, of their diverse relations with church authorities on different levels, do not permit an exhaustive presentation of the means by which their activities might find expression within the fellowship of the World Council of Churches, should the Roman Catholic Church become a member. Certain points should be kept in mind:

(a) Every effort should be made to avoid duplication of effort, where this is possible. Full participation rather than joint commissions should be envisaged.

(b) Where bodies of similar size and scope exist, coordinated activity is highly recommended and, according to the nature of the bodies, efforts should be made towards greater integration.

(c) One body may already exist, where there is no counterpart on the other side. For example, the Roman Catholic Church is served by a great many international organizations that have no corresponding bodies among other churches; similarly there is no equivalent in the Roman Catholic Church for the Christian Medical Commission (CMC). In cases of this sort efforts should be made to use existing bodies insofar as their potentialities allow this.

(d) Where the creation of new bodies is judged useful, serious attention should be given to the suppression or transformation of existing groups which are no longer adequate in the face of new demands of the one ecumenical movement.

(e) The possibility of cooperation between religious orders within the Roman Catholic Church and various agencies of the World Council of Churches should be explored, keeping in mind the particular nature of these orders and their relations to church authorities.

(f) In attempting to implement the above suggestion, careful attention, must be given to respect and safeguard the right of an organization to work with sufficient autonomy so as to contribute to its proper work within its own church and to the Christian witness its church is expected to give. This principle applies especially to central organs of administration of the Roman Catholic Church, and to the Bishops' Conferences and their official agencies, although it is not restricted to them.

(g) In the event of Roman Catholic membership in the World Council of Churches, the role of the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity would remain a substantial one according to the norms determined by the authority of the Roman Catholic Church. It would continue its work of promoting the ecumenical movement within the Roman Catholic Church. While the particular relations of the World Council of Churches with the various organs of the Roman Catholic Church, would have to be worked out in mutual consultation, the Secretariat would be the ordinary organ of contact with the General Secretariat of the World Council of Churches. Furthermore, it would remain the competent body for bilateral relations between the Roman Catholic Church and other churches and confessional families as well as for promoting and guiding the other ecumenical activities which develop parallel to the structured fellowship of the World Council of Churches.

5. Conferences and Consultations

    A distinction needs to be made between conferences engaging the World Council of Churches to some extent and consultations which are held under the auspices of the World Council of Churches. Participants in larger conferences which tend to engage the World Council of Churches (e.g. World Conferences on Faith and Order) are chosen by the churches. There is more flexibility with regard to consultations.
    Consultations are arranged in order to promote ecumenical discussion and to open up new dimensions previously undiscovered by the churches. Because the World Council of Churches is an instrument for promoting the unity of all Christians and offering help to the churches for renewal, consultations are vital to its work.
    There is a great variety of consultations, and the different departments of the World Council of Churches as well as the Ecumenical Institute themselves invite the necessary people to participate. For instance, there are conferences in the area of Faith and Order which it is evident that specialist theologians from all the churches, including non-members, are invited to attend. To conferences organized by the Department of World Mission and Evangelism are invited missionaries, missiologists and lay specialists in the area of mission and evangelism.
    In addition to these there are also consultations organized in order to maintain the dialogue with nominal Christians, agnostic scientists and political ideologists, and it goes without saying that, in such cases, the department responsible for the organization of the particular consultation recruits participants from outside the churches. The same holds true for other departments, particularly Church and Society and Inter-Church Aid when they organize consultations on the complex problem of development, to which it is becoming increasingly necessary to invite as participants sociologists, economists and specialists of international organizations to help the churches in this field. It should also be noted that the World Council of Churches tries to maintain relationships with minority groups and young Christians who contest some aspects of the institutional organization of the churches today.
    The World Council of Churches' departments responsible for the organization of consultations preserve a flexibility with regard to ways and means of recruitment while at the same time taking care not to cause any kind of embarrassment to any of the member churches on account of the composition of these consultations. Texts produced by consultations in the first instance commit only the consultations themselves although they can influence the life of the churches through their treatment of the subject and the conclusions they draw. Thus, although not officially representing the churches, they can open up fields of study and action and lay the groundwork for more official action on the part of individual churches or the World Council of Churches. Texts produced by consultations can become representative of the World Council of Churches only by being approved by an Assembly or Central Committee and by winning the endorsement of the member churches.
    The Roman Catholic Church has organized consultations and conferences of a similar nature. In the event of membership in the World Council it would remain free to convene such meetings as it deems necessary. Care should be exercised however to avoid unnecessary duplication.

6. Multilateral and Bilateral Contacts

    As has been noted earlier, world confessional families play a significant role in the ecumenical movement. Several world families have engaged in bilateral conversation with a view to clarifying the issues which divide their traditions. The Roman Catholic Church has initiated several conversations at this level.
    It is important that these bilateral contacts continue. They can serve to bring churches of particular traditions closer together and at the same time offer positive contributions to the wider ecumenical movement. While the entry of the Roman Catholic Church into the World Council of Churches would not necessitate a change in the fundamental structure of the Council, the Roman Catholic Church will certainly welcome the fact that greater account is being taken by the World Council of Churches of the practical importance of the various confessional families and of the need to maintain regular contacts with them. The interdependence of multilateral and bilateral conversations between the various churches and confessional families on the life of the World Council of Churches and the mutual relations of its member churches needs careful attention.

7. Christian Councils

    Christian Councils are not members of the World Council of Churches, but many of them are affiliated to it. The World Council keeps close contacts with them. They are an indispensable instrument for the work of the World Council of Churches, since there is an interrelation of the ecumenical movement at the international and the regional, national and local levels which needs to be recognized. It is possible that an increasing number of episcopal conferences and dioceses will join the Christian Councils. If the Roman Catholic Church joins the World Council of Churches, the relationship of the Council with the Christian Councils will gain fresh importance.

8. Official Languages

    Thus far, the World Council of Churches has had as official languages English, French and German (Rules XIV, 5, m). It usually works in those languages while others are added if translation is provided by those concerned. If the Roman Catholic Church were to join the World Council of Churches, the question of whether this number should not be increased would need to be considered.

9. Finances

    There are considerable difficulties in fixing the amount of financial contributions. Every member church is expected to contribute to the funds of the World Council of Churches in accordance with its capacity. The factors determining the amount of the contribution are the church's size, the strength of its permitted representation in the World Council of Churches, its financial resources. These criteria are not easy to apply. Statistics concerning the number of members are based on different assumptions in different churches. Financial resources vary considerably from church to church. Account has to be taken of special circumstances.
    In the last resort the amount of its contribution rests with the individual member church itself.
    The contribution of the member churches cover only the basic expenses. A large part of the work of the World Council of Churches is financed from additional sources. In part these are made available by member churches over and above their ordinary contributions. Special projects are in part paid for by church organizations with special resources at their disposal.
    If the episcopal conferences were to share in Roman Catholic membership of the World Council of Churches in the manner described above, it would be desirable for them to provide some part of the financial contributions expected.

B. Some Specific Questions Connected with Roman Catholic Membership in the World Council of Churches

    As was mentioned in Chapter 1, it has sometimes been suggested that participation by the Roman Catholic Church in the World Council of Churches would require that church to abandon certain doctrines or modify its understanding of itself. A careful study of what has been presented in Chapter I concerning the World Council of Churches may help to resolve this question. Particular attention is called to the sections on the nature of the World Council, its ecclesiological significance and the authority of Council statements and decisions.
    What follows is an attempt to discuss some particular points which need further consideration.

1. Ecclesiology of the Roman Catholic Church

    Since the statement issued by the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches at Toronto in 1950, it has been clear that membership in that body would not require the Catholic Church to renounce its own ecclesiology. This appears most clearly in the fourth and fifth ‘assumptions' which, according to the Toronto Declaration, underlie the World Council:

"4. The member churches of the World Council consider the relationship of other churches to the Holy Catholic Church which the Creeds profess as a subject for mutual consideration. Nevertheless, membership does not imply that each church must regard the other member churches as churches in the full sense of the word.

5. The member churches of the World Council recognize in other churches elements of the true Church. They consider that this mutual recognition obliges them to enter into serious conversation with each other in the hope that these elements of truth will lead to the recognition of the full truth and to unity based on the full truth."

2. Authority

    In Chapter 1, A, 7, the authority of the World Council of Churches as expressed in the Constitution and the Rules, was described. In accordance with these authoritative texts, it is clear that if the Roman Catholic Church were to become a member of the World Council of Churches its full freedom to exercise its authoritative magisterium would not be impeded. Its participation in the speaking and acting of the World Council of Churches would be on another level than the speaking and acting on its own behalf; in the World Council of Churches it would be taking an active part in a manner of speaking and acting which seeks to reflect the convictions and concerns of all churches. The authority of these statements for the Roman Catholic Church can be determined by that church itself.
    The Roman Catholic Church speaks and acts authoritatively at the universal level. Other churches have been much less evident at this level; the member churches of the World Council of Churches tend to regard it as the organization which enables them to fulfil certain tasks at the world level. The question arises what would be the relation of Roman Catholic speaking and acting to the activities of the World Council of Churches. On the one hand it must be said that the two modes of speech and action can be positively related to one another; it may more and more come to be seen as an advantage that two different modes are available at the world level. While the authoritative speech or action of the Roman Catholic Church may be desirable in one situation, the common voice of the World Council of Churches member churches might be in another.
    It must be honestly recognized, however, that certain difficulties may arise. It may be that a statement of the Roman Catholic Church may differ from a statement arising out of an ecumenical discussion. The following considerations are important in this respect:

(a) There have been occasions when member churches express criticism of World Council of Churches decisions and adopt a different line. Such divergence does not necessarily disrupt the fellowship, at least as long as the churches concerned are ready to remain in conversation and to seek mutual agreement. It is precisely the raison d' etre of the World Council of Churches that the divided churches should have the opportunity to face any differences which obscure their common allegiance to the same Lord.

(b) Without suggesting that the Roman Catholic Church or any member church is obliged to share all information, or that the World Council is obliged to prior consultation on all matters, it is highly desirable that, in order to avoid unnecessary conflict and misunderstanding, a system of mutual information and previous consultation be devised.

(c) The possibility of conflict and misrepresentation could be further reduced if, in the actual way the World Council works, the authority and weight to be attached to the various types of statements according to the Constitution and Rules were made clearer. Clarification also is needed as to whether a church is assumed to be in agreement with World Council policies and programmes unless there is a public statement to the contrary.

    The proper explanation of the authority of the World Council of Churches as distinct from the authority of a particular member church is a pastoral problem which must receive attention. Final authority rests with the churches.

3. The Papal Primacy and the World Council of Churches

    The Roman Catholic doctrine and the universal jurisdiction of the Pope require special mention. It must be said again, however, that they do not constitute a barrier to Roman Catholic membership in the World Council of Churches. Since each member church is free to teach and to practice its convictions, these doctrines can in principle find their place within the fellowship of the World Council of Churches. In the context of membership, however, certain practical difficulties may arise. The questions which must be asked are the following: would Roman Catholic membership create the impression among the Roman Catholic faithful (and perhaps among others) that the Pope has abandoned something of his authority? As he would speak and act not only alone but the Roman Catholic Church would also be involved in common speaking and acting, would it be implicitly forced to relativize its doctrines of the primacy and the universal jurisdiction? On the other hand, would the exercise of the papal ministry in the fellowship of the World Council of Churches create the impression that the Pope was speaking and acting on behalf of the World Council of Churches and its member churches?
    The following considerations need to be taken into account:
(a) Membership in the World Council of Churches would not alter the international structure of the Roman Catholic Church and the role the Pope fulfils on the basis of Roman Catholic ecclesiological convictions. It would however provide the Roman Catholic Church with an additional way of speaking and acting.

(b) Membership will in fact present less difficulties for the exercise of the papal ministry than non-membership. Today when a declaration by the Roman Catholic Church and the World Council of Churches is to be made it is necessary for the Pope or a spokesman authorized by him to make the statement jointly with representatives of the World Council of Churches. If the Roman Catholic Church were to become a member of the World Council of Churches there would no longer be need for such joint declarations involving the personal authority of the Pope directly. The statement would be made by the organs of the World Council of Churches according to the proper procedures and with that authority it possesses according to the rules.

(c) The difference between the authoritative speaking of the Pope and the speaking resulting from the common life in the World Council of Churches must be kept in mind. Though the Pope strives to speak representatively of Christian convictions, it would be understood that unless requested to do so he would not be speaking and acting on behalf of the World Council of Churches.

(d) Difference in structure rests ultimately on different understandings of ecclesiology. But one of the tasks of the World Council of Churches is to bring about a confrontation between divergent traditions. The problems arising in this field will have to be a subject of ecumenical discussion.

4. Juridical Status of the Holy See

    The Roman Catholic Church also differs from all the other churches in that the Holy See is recognized as a juridical person in international law. It can conclude political treaties. It maintains diplomatic relations with many governments. The Lateran Treaty of 1929 accorded it a territory of its own, the Vatican State, thereby reinforcing the legal standing of the Holy See.
    If the Roman Catholic Church is a member, difficulties could arise, especially where the churches' witness in the political realm is concerned, from the diplomatic status of papal nuncios or the difference of representation in the United Nations and related agencies. But, in principle, the legal standing of the Holy See represents no fundamental obstacle to membership. No agreed understanding of the churches' action in international affairs is required for membership. It is
certainly desirable, however, that this theme should later be made a matter for ecumenical discussion.


Conclusions


    A study of the possible patterns of relationships between the Roman Catholic Church and tile World Council of Churches is a complex affair. Yet closer relations between the two are required by the exigencies of the ecumenical movement. This preliminary study has not exhausted all the aspects of this question. Wider discussion within the churches may bring out elements which need further explanations and clarification. But a preliminary study of the various alternatives points to Roman Catholic membership in the World Council of Churches as the most realistic approach. Increased collaboration does not seem to be finally an alternative to membership but rather a contributing factor on the way to it. The disadvantages attendant upon the creation of a new form of Christian fellowship differently constituted seem to outweigh very much the possible advantages.
    Membership in the World Council of Churches does not mean curtailing relationships between churches and confessional families. There is wide room for development of national Christian Councils according to the nature of the communities forming them and the needs of particular areas.
    As was mentioned earlier, in considering Roman Catholic membership in the World Council of Churches, it is essential to bear in mind the historical reality of the two entities. Neither the ultimate decision nor the process of study preceding it takes place in an historical vacuum. The pressures of change evident in the world are felt as well both in the Roman Catholic Church and in the World Council of Churches. The Roman Catholic Church is accommodating itself to new structures (e.g. the episcopal conferences, the synod of bishops) which are still in the stage of development. The World Council of Churches is meanwhile in a stage of development which could yield significant changes; in its present study of its structure it is not indifferent to the implications of possible Roman Catholic membership. What is said in this report, therefore, may need modification in the light of subsequent developments within both the Roman Catholic Church and the World Council of Churches.
    The Joint Working Group recommends the present document to its parent bodies for their careful study. For membership to be a responsible step, the decision must be carefully prepared, and this involves a great deal of pastoral enlightenment both as to what membership means and what it does not mean. The entry into membership would have to commit the Roman Catholic Church as a whole and the member churches of the World Council of Churches would for their part have to be prepared to make this extension of its fellowship a living reality not only in theory but also in practice.
    An application for membership of the World Council of Churches has to be approved by the Assembly or the Central Committee. The relevant rule of the Constitution is as follows:
    Election to membership shall be by a two-thirds vote of the member churches represented at the Assembly, each member church having one vote. Any application for membership between meetings of the Assembly may be considered by the Central Committee; if the application is supported by a two-thirds majority of the members of the Committee present and voting, this action shall be communicated to the churches that are members of the World Council of Churches, and unless objection is received from more than one-third of the member churches within six months the applicant shall be declared elected.
    The matter must have reached sufficient maturity for the decision on it to be assured in advance.
While the special nature of the relationship of the World Council of Churches and the Roman Catholic Church has pointed to the desirability of a preliminary joint study of this question, and while this study should be shared as widely as possible within the Roman Catholic Church and the member churches of the World Council of Churches, it remains true that the decision to apply or not to apply for membership rests with the Roman Catholic Church. Particular study of the question must be made by that church in accordance with the procedures it judges best.

[The Ecumenical Review 24, 3 (1972) 247-288]

 
 
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