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The Nordic Churches and the Ecumenical Movement

Ecumenical Review, The, April, 2000 by Peter Lodberg

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The general impression one gets from the responses in the diocese of Aarhus is that most congregational councils are positive about the contacts of the national church with other church communities. The great disagreement is over whether or not Porvoo serves the participation of the national church in international church cooperation.

While only a few of the congregational council members oppose on principle the national church's signing of the Porvoo common statement, the opponents believe there is a "more Danish" way of organizing interchurch work than signing common statements, which ties and narrows the freedom of the national church. At the same time, many congregational councils welcomed the discussion of Porvoo as a contribution to a long overdue debate on the identity of the national church. The bishop and his colleagues were called on to involve the congregational councils in this continuing discussion.

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"We are happy as we are"

All responses from the diocese of Aarhus express general satisfaction with the situation, structure and theological identity of the national church. Practically no congregational council speaks of a need to change it. Supporters of the Porvoo common statement argue for an endorsement within the existing scope of the national church; opponents base part of their resistance on the threat they see it posing to the national church.

Theodor Jorgensen has pointed out that Porvoo can be read in two different ways: one he describes as defensive, destructive and confessionalistic, the other as offensive, constructive and confessional.(14) This is confirmed by the responses from the diocese of Aarhus. Much of the opposition is based on a fear of what Porvoo might lead to: a future national church which has become a political power bloc ruled by the bishops. The supporters on the other hand try to read the text on the basis of the current situation of the national church. It is evident that for some opponents the very existence of the Porvoo document confirms their negative scenario; and most of the congregational councils which say that they have not understood the text respond with a No. There is little inclination among those having any doubts to refrain from taking a stand and leave the matter to the bishops' judgment. This "hermeneutic of suspicion" was bolstered by a number of statements from national church organizations.

There are parallels here with the political debate on the European Union. The Porvoo common statement is rejected because it is said to promote a union between the churches that will destroy the local principle which is characteristic for the Danish national church, contrary to the much more top-controlled Anglican Church. A typical response warns that "Porvoo will transform the Danish national church (the folk church) into a bishops' church, governed by officials". Porvoo is seen as a directive from above, conflicting with the nature of the national church, which is ruled from below, starting from the parish. The natural starting-point for the identity of the national church is our parish, in which the neighbour is a concrete living person and it is possible to take responsibility for each other's lives. But the parish does not seem to have any importance in the Porvoo common statement. Thus a closer attachment to foreign churches might alienate us from the concrete church we belong to.

The Nordic Churches and the Ecumenical Movement

Ecumenical Review, The, April, 2000 by Peter Lodberg

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