Preserve ecclesial communion

It calls my attention how Pope Francis puts emphasis on ecclesial communion in his address to members of the Neocatechumenal Way (published in DCH last Sunday). His first recommendation was “to take the greatest care to build and preserve the communion within the particular Churches where you will go to work” (Italics mine).
The Pope added: “Communion is essential: at times it can be better to give up living out in detail what your itinerary would call for, in order to guarantee unity among the brethren who form one ecclesial community, which you must always feel a part of”.
“Why such emphasis?”, we may ask. The reason for this can be found in the Pope’s words themselves. Ecclesial communion is so important that even Jesus Christ Himself prayed hard for it before His passion. “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one” (Jn 17: 20-22).

But why emphasize on ecclesial communion at this point in our Church’s life? On deeper introspection, I think, we can point out three reasons: first, the increasing attacks against the Catholic Church all over the world; second, the sensationalized defection of few Catholics on doctrinal grounds, especially by those who cannot accept the Church’s doctrines on life, marriage and family; and, third, the looming danger of “group-centrism” faced by some Catholic movements and small communities.

By “group-centrism” in Catholic small communities, I mean the conscious or unconscious tendency to focus one’s spiritual life and practices of piety exclusively on the ecclesial or charismatic group to which a Catholic faithful belongs. It is characterized by the perception of spiritual satisfaction attained exclusively from participation in the group’s charismatic activity or worship. When one begins to feel satisfied with the Mass only when it is celebrated in his own group, “group-centrism” starts to creep in.
Ecclesial charismatic groups and communities that often request for exclusive celebrations of Masses are more prone to this danger. Of course, to celebrate Mass on the group’s anniversary or other special occasions is understandably tolerable. However, great care should be exercised when it comes to exclusive regular Mass celebrations as it may result to the group’s isolation from the life of the local Church or parish. We don’t want to create ecclesial ghettos.

One possible panacea to this danger is active participation in parish activities. As Archbishop Romulo G. Valles once emphasized to ACLAIM members two years ago, small ecclesial communities – national or local – may gather together as a group to renew their zeal of serving the Lord and their commitment to their charism. But, later, “they should go back to their respective parishes, the proper ambiance where this zeal and this commitment should be incarnated”.

Finally, heading the Pope’s call, these communities should be willing even “to give up living out in detail” whatever is peculiar to their group’s charism if it proves to be a hindrance to ecclesial communion. To guarantee unity among all Catholic believers, we should adhere to what the Church Magisterium disposes even to the point of sacrificing our particular group’s practices.