Referring to “ecclesial communities” is not only helpful but PREVENTS false ecumenism. I was careful not to include the word “false” in the link, but I wanted there to be an accurate document in response to the comment.
Even the document itself accepts that these communities are called Churches…though not “properly” so.
Use of the word “false” by lay commentators is then beyond the pale and not helpful for dialogue and a good faith, humble approach to reconciliation.
May as well call all persons in active 2nd marriages adulterers…even though some are now not necessarily barred from Communion.
Colloquialisms, though common are not usually conducive to productive theological dialogue
You may not have quite got it yet. It is not a colloquialism, it is how most speakers of English use the word. Maybe its a good think to start out using the word the way the people we are allegedly reaching out to define it?
To not do so is as helpful as continuing to assert bread is not physically present in the Eucharist. By todays definition of the word “physical” (not Aristotles) that statement should be quite acceptable to educated Catholics. Yet, as the recent closure of that topic demonstrates, many Catholics still want to fight to the death denying that…purely due to a tired outdated definition that modern english people simply do not use or understand anymore.
The CC is focused on educating the faithful in appropriate theology and approaches to ecumenism.
Redefining a commonly used word to meet ones own community’s differing theology makes as much sense as trying to stop the word “marriage” from changing. The word stopped meaning what Catholics understand by that word long before the gay lobby changed legislation.
Keeping to an archaic vocabulary while the world moves on, like medieval standards of episcopal accountability, is a fruitless exercise. It advances confusion re ecumenical understandings and unskills the laity in how to charitably and effectively deal with the outside world. Nothing to do with theology but polemics. Effective apolgetics/dialogue starts with the worlds definitions rather than ours.
Sure, thats just my opinion. But unlike many isolated Euro Catholics here I live in a truly multicultural, multi religious society which is not a culturally Christian nation.
If you have never lived outside of America or Europe then our differing views are due to chasms of difference in lived experience not theology.
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