Fr. Kilian McDonnell, who passed into eternity this week just shy of his 104th birthday, was a giant of a man. He was one of the premier ecumenists of our time, building bridges of unity and reconciliation among his fellow Catholics, and across many streams of the Body of Christ. Many know of his instrumental work as one of the key theologians who put together the Malines Documents, which presented to the larger Church the legitimacy and ecumenical significance of the Charismatic Renewal, and which helped to introduce the renewed importance of Baptism in the Holy Spirit to the faithful.
Fr. Kilian was also a great friend to Pentecostals worldwide. He was the founding Catholic Co-chair of the International Catholic-Pentecostal Dialogue, which was launched by what is now the Dicastery of Promoting Christian Unity in the aftermath of Vatican II. His colleague as Pentecostal Co-chair was David du Plessis, who was a Pentecostal observer at Vatican II and partnered with Fr. Kilian in modeling the idea that unity between Catholics and Pentecostals was an advantageous possibility. But in the 1970s and 1980s, Pentecostals did not know how to pursue unity with Catholics or very many other streams of the faith.
Fr. Kilian patiently and lovingly facilitated thoughtful and respectful conversations and relationships with Pentecostals. As a theologian who understood the Charismatic Renewal, Baptism in the Holy Spirit, and the Pentecostal movement, Fr. Kilian actually knew Pentecostals better than they understood themselves! But through his kindness, his humility, and his winsome, whimsical personality, Fr. Kilian modeled how to not just talk about unity, but more importantly, how to live it out.
A new generation of Pentecostals and Catholics are pursuing common ground and spiritual ecumenism together today because of a great pioneer in the faith, the theologian, historian, ecumenist, and mentor, Fr. Kilian McDonnell.
On a personal level, I was most privileged to engage with Fr. Kilian in several sessions of Catholic-Pentecostal Dialogue in the 1990s, and I truly consider him a key ecumenical mentor in my life.
Words by Dr. David Cole,
Co-Secretary, International Catholic Pentecostal Dialogue
