Ecumenism has come a long way

In September, the Vatican released a document on salvation entitled "Dominus Iesus." It sparked a great deal of discussion among Protestants because of its statement that ecclesial communities that have not preserved the valid episcopate through apostolic succession and thus do not have a valid Eucharist "are not churches in the proper sense."

Many Catholics and Protestants were taken by a surprise. Some feared that it could harm ecumenical dialogue. A few may have envisioned a return to old hostilities.

And make no mistake about it, life could be harsh for both Catholics and Protestants during the Protestant Reformation, depending on who was in charge in an area.

Take, for example, St. Cuthbert Mayne, who was born in 1544 at Youlston, Devonshire, England. His uncle, a schismatic priest, raised Cuthbert as a Protestant.

After his ordination as a minister at age 19, Cuthbert went to Oxford for additional studies. At St. John's College he met Edmund Campion, who still pretended to be a Protestant because he feared losing his job if he announced that he had become a Catholic.

Soon after, Campion fled to France to teach at the newly founded seminary at Douai and wrote several letters to Cuthbert seeking to convince him to convert to Catholicism.

One of these letters was intercepted and Cuthbert narrowly escaped. He went to Douai where he became a Catholic and entered the seminary. He was ordained in 1575 and, the next year, was the 15th priest from Douai sent back to England.

He served as a priest while maintaining an identity as steward of the estate of Francis Tregian at Golden, Cornwall. He was arrested in 1577 after he reportedly was found with several religious articles, including a missal, chalice and vestments.

He was charged and convicted of treason because he was a Catholic priest. Cuthbert was told his life would be spared if he accepted the sovereignty of the Queen of England over the English church. His response was to kiss the Bible and say, "The queen neither ever was nor ever shall be the head of the Church of England."

He was hanged, drawn and quartered on Nov. 25 at Launceton.

That made him the first Englishman trained for the priesthood at Douai to be martyred. He is the primary martyr patron of English seminaries.

Cuthbert was canonized by Pope Paul VI in 1970 as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales. We celebrate his feast on Nov. 30.

His death reminds us of the need for religious tolerance, despite our differences in beliefs.

Sources: Butler's Lives of the Saints and 365 Saints