RES and the Pope’s Vigil

At the invitation of the Rev. Peter De Jong, editor of The Outlook. I am submitting this statement. The following is my answer to the article entitled “The RES and the Pope’s Vigil.” which appeared in the February issue of The Outlook.

When my husband received an invitation to participate in the World Day of Prayer in October. he determined that the RES should not be represented in Assisi. He would not be able to attend. but neither did he want me to represent the RES there. In fact. he wrote a letter to that effect to Dr. Pierre Duprey of the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity at the Vatican . stating that I would like to attend but “in proprio persona.”

Quite unexpectedly in November a representative from the Grand Rapids Press called and asked me for an interview concerning the World Day of Prayer. He wanted it immediately and on the telephone because he had a deadline to meet. The Press representative. unintentionally. I am sure. misquoted me and put words in my mouth that I did not express in that fashion. For example. I quoted Shakespeare as saying. “More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.” I did not mention St. Paul or say that more things are wrought by prayer than anything else.

The article in The Outlook stated “sordidly syncretistic affair.” The Pope and his committees (including evangelical Protestants) emphasized that there was to be no syncretism in the services. Let me quote from the introductory speech of Cardinal Roger Etchegaray. President of the Pontifical Commission for Justice and Peace. delivered on the Day of Praver. “We are here together without any trace of syncretism.” Near the close of the p-rogram the Pope gave a speech in which he made it very clear that the only way to God is through our Saviour, Jesus Christ. He gave a distinctly Christian message to all who were present.

Of course I believe that the only prayer that is acceptable to God is through Jesus. I, personally, would not have invited all the non–Christian religions to participate. I was merely explaining in the telephone conversation why the Pope invited them. I did not join in prayer with adherents of other faiths. I did join in prayer, Scripture reading, and singing during the long service that the Christians held by themselves.

As far as finances are concerned, although I have represented Paul in four different foreign countries. the RES has never paid a dollar for my transportation costs. I pay for those myself. No money of the RES was spent on my trip to Assisi.

The idea of preaching is farthest from my mind. What the Rev. Knodel suggests might have been “preaching on her husband’s behalf” at the meeting of the Secretaries of the Christian World Communions consisted of reading a report. written by my husband. about the activities of the RES during the previous year. I also explained some of our publications and answered questions about the RES.

What is regrettable is that the Rev. Knodel and those who took it over in The Outlook give no indication of being cognizant of the deadly danger facing the world in this nuclear age. It was the awareness of this threat of a global catastrophe that moved the Vatican to call for prayer.

I am amazed that not one of all the Christian business men, ministers, lawyers or whatever who comprise the Board of Trustees of The Outlook displayed the courtesy of calling me before they voted to publish this article, written by a minister who seems to have taken for unquestioned truth every word written in an article appearing in a daily newspaper. I hope I have allayed the fears and removed the insinuating suspicions that were expressed in the article by the Rev. Knodel.

Sincerely,

Bernice Schrotenboer

P.S. If the readers of your magazine wish to learn what my husband’s views on non-Christian religions are they should read the RES Mission Bulletin on “Inter-religious Dialogue.” And if they are concerned about his attitude toward Roman Catholics, they should ask for a copy of the pamphlet, “A Contemporary Evangelical Perspective on Roman Catholicism.” Both are available from the RES Secretariat. 1677 Gentian Dr. SE. Grand Rapids, MI 49508.

Dear Peter,

I would like to respond, however briefly, to Mrs. Bernice Schrotenboer, along the following lines. I don’t agree that either the Grand Rapids Press or we erred in our essential characterization of her involvement. I have no doubt that Mrs. Schrotenboer wishes our error. But if anything, her response confirms our charges.

After dispensing with all the incidentals of the case, her dual defense is that this prayer convocation was not syncretistic. and was certainly justified (here by the threat of nuclear war). Your readers must evaluate just these issues.

What is her evidence that association at a prayer convocation with Dali Lamas, archbishops and popes (of various kinds) is not syncretistic? Well, as you can plainly see, she quotes the Roman Pope. It’s not syncretistic because the pontiff‘s party early on, said it wasn‘t. This is the baldest kind of hypocrisy. In order for its acceptance. one must give up the simp lest forms of honesty and truth. On the face of it, it’s preposterous.

Then she justifies everyone’s Assisi convocation involvement with the threat of nuclear war. Nuclear war. in this case, sanitizes syncretism (which in this case was really raw polytheism) of its sin. It looms over us with such awful heaviness that we all ought to get together and pray.

Now think of this. If the threat of nuclear war justifies such things, what about the threat of Divine Judgment? This latter dwarfs the former by comparison. On this line of reasoning. syncretism should have been orthodoxy’s main agenda ever since the beginning. But the apostle, along with all the previous faithful declared. “What has Christ to do with Belial?”

Yet this is the kind of reasoning emanating from the household of the secretary of the RES! And we are supposed to feel sorry for hold ing it up to the light of day. I just can’t buy it. In an earlier era. if Luther were faced with such events and their justifications. he would have referenced their practitioners by some lower part of the animal kingdom, and written them off as being hopelessly deluded. Calvin would have banned them from Geneva. And the Reformers· company. however haltingly. Journey would like to represent today.

In the Lamb.

R.E. Knodel (Editor)