Letter to a Roman Catholic (A Response)

The following letter was submitted as a response to last week's post ("Letter to a Protestant").[1]  

Dearest friend in Christ,

First off, thank you for your letter.  I know how hard it can be to initiate a conversation between two parties who can be so entrenched in their preconceived understandings.  It took guts for you to write to me, and I respect you for that.

I, too, confess that I like you.  Everything that I have seen in you has been praiseworthy and beyond reproach.  You speak gently and with grace in humility.  I hope I can approach you in much the same manner.  But mostly, let it be known that I, too, consider you my brother in Christ.

It is funny that you should call me “Protestant” because it really isn’t a term that I claim for myself.  I know that you use it in a general sense to refer to me as being “non-Catholic,” but honestly I make no public “protest” of the Catholic Church.  I imagine most other Protestants would feel similarly.  They may think of themselves in specific terms as Lutheran or Methodist, or even in general terms as Charismatic or Evangelical.  (These categories may be wholly unfamiliar to some Catholics, and for that I apologize.  Perhaps we could discuss them at greater length another time.)

My point is that as a Protestant I believe myself to be a part of the body of Christ.  Thank you for reassuring me that you believe the same.  And I like that you referred to us as “family.”  To use a sociological term, what you describe is “fictive kinship” – a closeness shared between two or more members who are NOT related by blood.  I think it is a very poignant term to use for Christians because, even though “fictive” technically means “not real,” what could be more real than the relationship we share through Christ?  You see, in a very real sense we are related – through the BLOOD of Jesus Christ!

Because of this, it pains me to see the divisions that fracture the Church.  How can Christianity be attractive to the world when we are so divided against ourselves?  How can they “know we are Christians by our love” when more often than not we breed hate within our own family?  But your letter has given me hope.  Hope that, through our brokenness, we can be made whole again.  Hope that, though the Church may appear to be in ruins, God will make it glorious again.  I believe this is the collective hope of Easter that all Christians share.

I believe we share more in common than either many Protestants or Catholics realize.  Did you know that I believe that God is the creator of all things?  That Jesus Christ was his only Son, eternally begotten, very God of very God?  That in him was joined the human nature and the divine in one person?  That he suffered pains of body and soul, died, was buried, and rose again from the grave?  That the Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son? 

Did you further know that I believe that Christ, through his Apostles, gathered unto himself a Church, and that this catholic Church is holy and shares fellowship with God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit?  And that God forgives us of our sins, and will raise us up on the Last Day?

I dare not speak for you, but are we not on at least this much agreed?  I know there is much that may be added either from Catholic tradition or any number of Protestant traditions. But leaving aside those opinions (whether they be doctrine or not), can we not from this foundation encourage one another to love and good works?  Even if we cannot think alike in all things, at least we may love alike.

And speaking of love, I must warn you – not all Protestants will approach you with the love that I share for you.  That doesn’t make me magnanimous in any way.  I’m just letting you know that some of us are so lost in our misunderstanding of the “other” that it may be very difficult to find an opening to genuine dialogue.  Some will tell you that you are not Christian, or that you are an idolater.  Please know that these people do not speak for all Protestants.  But I ask that you pray with me that their hearts may be turned towards us as ours are toward them.

But what am I saying?  Let us forget about anyone else for now.  Without waiting for others, let us be the first stitch in this torn tapestry (and what a beautiful tapestry it is – how much more beautiful it will be!).  You and I, if we are thus far agreed, will be the bridge.  You and I may be the example to which others can look.  Perhaps as we continue to strengthen our bridge, others will be encouraged and say, “Hey, I want to build a bridge too!”  I pray for more bridge-builders.  Thank you for laying the first brick of our own bridge.  Here’s one more.

Your fellow servant for Christ’s sake,

Christopher

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[1] Chris is a worship leader at Iglesia Nueva Vida in Cleveland, OH.  He holds a Master of Arts in Theology from Aquinas Institute.  His research interests include worship, ecumenism, and the relationship between science and religion.  He lives with his wife -- Vanilda, and two kids -- Emilia and Dominic.