By Father Peter Choy Wai-man
When the Chinese ecumenical version of the Nicene Creed was completed by the translation team, each of the Church representatives involved consulted their own Church and sought acceptance or approval from the authorities. I remember that in the case of the Catholic Church, there was a big response from some priests. They thought any acceptance would mean replacing the version that the churches have been using with this ecumenical one. In fact, such a reaction is quite normal, since the Catholic Church is accustomed to regard the articles of faith as unchangeable truths and any changes that do not conform to them are, at best, rejected or, at worst, regarded as heretical.
However, looking back at the development of the Church, the words that express faith have never been the absolute standard of faith. For at the heart of our faith is the idea that an infinite God was born into finite human history, and that man can only express his encounter with this infinite transcendence in the history of culture.
So at the end of the Gospel of John, the author states that he has written down all the facts he has witnessed, but he also adds that if everything were written down, even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written [John 21:24-25].
The articles of faith are in fact symbols which, through understandable expressions, give access to the mystery of the incomprehensible. In the past, these written expressions, however profound, have never been able to fully illustrate this mystery. For example, the most important teaching in the history of the Church on the two natures of Jesus does not in fact explain positively how the two natures are united in a single person, but only through the negation of the four misunderstandings, leading one to interpret it in an ineffable sacred space.
The articles of faith therefore serve another purpose as a basis for the identification and cohesion of Christian identity. Although each Christian’s experience of celestial encounter is unique and personal, through one Lord, one faith and one baptism we are connected to one another and belong to one Church.
What, then, is the significance of the Nicene Creed in its Chinese translation?
- It is an attempt to bridge the gap between words and the experience of faith, especially the differences caused by different Chinese translations, through ecumenical communications. In the process of translation, group members deliberated word by word, trying hard to figure out the experience behind the words and to seek mutual agreement. When confronted with a number of different denominational terminologies, it may seem difficult to choose between them, but in the end the group found that if we can understand each other in the process then a consensus can be reached, and that the different terms were simply different expressions of the same faith experience.
- It is a further manifestation of the unity of the different Churches. The Nicene Creed is a text shared by different Christian denominations, it is only for historical reasons that different Chinese translations have emerged. Now, through the ecumenical Chinese version, the Chinese Churches are able to proclaim the same faith with one voice especially in ecumenical gatherings.
St. Augustine once said the one who sings prays twice. If brothers and sisters from different Churches can show their faith by singing together, expressing the unity of heart and soul in song, I believe they can better express the communion in diversity.
The Chinese translation of the Nicene Creed is only a small step on the path to ecumenism. It is hoped that as it becomes more widely accepted and used in the Church, it will help to promote Christian communion.
