Oriental lumen

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

With the Apostolic Letter Orientale lumen (abbreviation: OL) (Latin: The Light from the East), Pope John Paul II took up relations with the Eastern Churches on May 2, 1995 . This document is based on the Apostolic Letter Orientalium dignitas (1894) of Pope Leo XIII. and celebrates the 100th anniversary of this papal letter.

intention

With this letter, John Paul II wanted to show how important it was to him to continue efforts towards unity. Therefore one has to take care to get to know each other better (OL 6 and 24) in order to find out how much there is in common in both churches. In particular, he would like to draw attention to getting to know the liturgy of the Eastern Churches and the spiritual tradition of the fathers and teachers of the Christian East.

He writes:

“Since the time-honored tradition of the Oriental Churches is an essential part of the inheritance of the Church of Christ, Catholics must above all get to know this tradition in order to become familiar with it and, as far as the individual is able, to promote the process of unity. "

He expressly emphasizes the role of the Orthodox Church and emphasizes that the Oriental Catholic Brothers, together with the Orthodox Brothers, are the living bearers of this tradition (OL 1).

Contents overview

  • Chapter I. Getting to Know the Christian East: An Experience of Faith
Gospel - Churches and cultures - Between memory and expectation - Monasticism as a model for the baptized life - Between word and Eucharist - A liturgy for the whole person and for the whole cosmos - A clear view of self-discovery - A Father in the Spirit - Community and service - a person in relationship to God - adoring silence
  • Chapter II: From getting to know each other to meeting
Experiences of unity - walking together towards the "Orientale Lumen"

To eastern monasticism

John Paul II calls monasticism a special point of view that allows us to recognize many of the characteristics of oriental Christianity . And he adds:

"Monasticism in the Orient was seen not only as a kind of exceptional situation that only affects one category of Christians, but actually as a point of reference for all baptized within the framework of the gifts given to each individual by the Lord, so that it appears as a symbolic synthesis of Christianity ( OL 9). "

About prayer

The Pope recalls the “attitude of prayer ” that the East prefers and continues to offer to all who believe in Christ.

"To see God means to come down from the mountain with a face so radiant that one has to cover it with a veil, and so that our meetings know how to give space to the presence of God while avoiding self-glorification (OL 16)."

John Paul II thus offers a basis for mediating between East and West. On the one hand, the West grants the East its domain, on the other hand it shows the willingness and ability to enter into a spiritual exchange with the East on the level of spirituality. The Pope puts the rosary in this light: "Through contemplative prayer, man opens himself to the love of God, which transforms his whole life in a real and perceptible way".

"Secret of Light"

The Pope is not interested in leading those who pray the Rosary to ecstatic experiences. He is far from the modern tendency to seek sensually perceptible experiences of God and to substitute them for the pure act of faith. We read about this in the document:

“At the height of the knowledge and experience of God stands his absolute transcendence . One does not come to it primarily through systematic meditation , but rather through the reception of Scripture and the liturgy in prayer (No. 16). "

The Pope's main concern becomes clear when one looks again at the beginning of this document. There he speaks of the characteristics of the spiritual and theological tradition that are common to the various churches of the Orient , and continues:

“In these traits, the oriental conception of Christianity emerges, the aim of which is participation in the divine nature through communion with the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity ... In this regard, oriental theology ascribes a very special role to the Holy Spirit: through the Power of the spirit dwelling in man, the deification already begins on earth, the creature is transfigured and the kingdom of God begins. (OL 6) "

Web links