Ut Unum Sint (On Commitment to Ecumenism)
We find ourselves apart from our fellow Christian brethren due to doctrinal differences, other misgivings inherited from the past, mutual misunderstandings and prejudices. Complacency, indifference and insufficient knowledge of one another worsens the divide. Ecumenism requires a conversion of heart and prayer which is capable of healing old wounds. (2)
The Church is a student of history, she learns from it not to trust entirely on human support so that she can live the Gospel law of the Beatitudes. She exercises authority in service of truth and charity. (3)
Christ desired that all Christians be one. The Church is not closed in on herself; she is open to missionary and ecumenical endeavour. She is sent to be a witness, to make present and to spread the ‘mystery of communion.’ (5) The unity of humanity is God’s will. That is why He sent His Son. Christ came to reconcile us to God and to make us one body – His body. Division contradicts the will of Christ and obstructs the proclamation of Good News. (6)
The Church sees ecumenical effort as a duty of a Christian conscience. Unity lies at the heart of Christ’s mission. It isn’t a secondary attribute of the apostolic community; it is their essence. “Unity is an expression of the whole depth of His agape.” (9) Unity is not a mere gathering; it is held together by bonds of faith, sacraments and hierarchical communion. ‘The faithful are one because they are in communion with Christ who is in communion with the Father. Thus, communion is a manifestation of God’s presence. “To believe in Christ means to desire unity; to desire unity means to desire the Church; to desire the Church means to desire the communion of grace which corresponds to the Father’s plan from all eternity.” (9)
The separated Churches, though they profess a defective faith are still instruments through which Christ carries on His salvific work. (10) The Catholic Church has defects of her own like the infidelity of her priests, mediocrity of members and other general sins of her people. Nevertheless, the elements of sanctification and truth present in other Christian communities are the objective basis of communion even though they be imperfect. (11) Some of these elements are: consecration through baptism, celebration of sacraments, recognition of an episcopate, celebration of the Holy Eucharist and devotion towards Mother Mary. (12) All those who are baptized deserve the title ‘Christian’ since they have become members of Christ’s body.
Dialogue is the means of achieving some sort of understanding. In dialogue, we are able to look at ourselves in the light of the Apostolic Tradition. (16) Looking at things from the Apostolic point of view is one of the most important aspects of Ecumenism. The work for unity concerns every member of the Church, lay and clergy alike. Each should contribute as per their ability. (19) Ecumenical work should not be seen as an appendix to the Church’s mission but “an organic part of her life and work.” (20)
A conversion of heart and mind, holiness of life along with public and private prayer for unity is the soul of the whole ecumenical movement. The Pope terms it ‘spiritual ecumenism.’ It is love that gives rise to any desire for unity. “If we love…we strive to deepen our communion and make it perfect.” (21) Prayer is a powerful way in which we can foster the process of unity. When we pray together, we hasten the process.
The responsibility for organizing dialogue is not reserved to the Holy See. Local churches need to take an active part. Special commissions are being set up at episcopal conferences, synods are organized but these are only initiatives. They provide structure and framework. Dialogue has to happen concretely and for that it requires willing leaders and participants.
Prayer needs to accompany dialogue; prayer makes dialogue more fruitful. (33) Dialogue in turn, helps prayer to become more mature. It also works as an examination of conscience because it confronts us with different experiences and different points of view. The goal of course is to attain truth and to enflesh unity or full communion. Full communion will result from an acceptance of truth which will be revealed by the Holy Spirit. All forms of reductionism and facile agreement must be avoided. Serious concerns must be addressed. (36) This must take place in a spirit of fraternal charity and respect for one’s own and the other’s conscience, a sincere humility and love for the truth. Sacred Scripture and Tradition are essential points of reference in dialogue. (39)
Relations among Christians allows for Christ to manifest Himself. It should not be limited to knowledge of each other’s theologies and liturgy, prayers in common or dialogue. “Unity of action leads to the full unity of faith.” (40) Cooperation among Christians turns into witness and a means of evangelization.
“The ‘universal brotherhood’ of Christians has become a firm ecumenical conviction.” (42) Where there was once difference and animosity, there is now solidarity. Although it isn’t universal, there are a good number of positive examples; where there continues to be difficulty, those engaged in ecumenism need to take bold decisions and initiatives. Leaders of Christian communities ought to take a joint stand in the name of Christ on issues that concern freedom, justice, peace and the future of the world. By doing this, they will communicate the mission of Christians: reminding society of God’s will. (43)
There has been a good amount of collaboration in terms of translating the Word of God into different languages. Another area of growth has been liturgical renewal – some Christian groups have taken the ecumenical suggestion and have begun celebrating the Lord’s Supper on a weekly basis. A significant change is noticed in the allowance of Catholic ministers to minister the Sacraments of Eucharist, Penance and Anointing of the Sick to “Christians who are not in full communion with the Catholic Church but who greatly desire to receive these sacraments.” Catholics can also receive these same sacraments from ministers of Churches in which these sacraments are valid. (46)
“Dialogue does not extend exclusively to matters of doctrine but engages the whole person; it is also a dialogue of love.” (47) Relations between members of Churches have enabled us to discover the wonders God is doing across Churches. Vatican II declared that “elements present among other Christians can contribute to the edification of Catholics.” (48)
The journey of the Church began on the day of Pentecost. The structures of the Church in the East and West developed from the missionary activities of the apostles. The unity of the Church in the First Millennium was maintained within those structures by the Bishops who were successors to the Apostles. Our unity today should fall back on that experience of communion. (55)
The following elements are shared with non-Catholic Christians:
1. They recognize the Divine authority of the Bible and promote love and veneration for the Sacred Scriptures. Through it they access the life of Christ and His teachings.
2. The Sacrament of Baptism which is common, represents the sacramental bond of unity. Even though Baptism is important, it is only the beginning of a journey towards salvation and “complete participation in Eucharistic communion.” (66)
Even as they accept the Scriptures like us, they have a different opinion about the relationship between Scripture and the Church. We believe that the Magisterium is an authentic explanation of the Word of God. They do not accept Magisterium.
At the time of the Reformation, doctrinal and historical disagreements arose regarding the Church, the sacraments and the ordained ministry. Since they do not accept the Sacrament of Holy Orders, they do not possess the total reality of the Eucharistic mystery. What they call the Lord’s Supper or its equivalent, is merely a memorial and not a sacrament. (67)
Baptism entails a spiritual life and a specific moral code. The Christian way of life expresses itself in personal prayer, meditation on Scripture, healthy family life, worship as a community, efforts to improve social conditions and promote peace. (68)
All that has been achieved so far in ecumenical dialogue is but a stage on the journey. We are still a distance from calling ourselves ‘one, holy, catholic and apostolic church.’ (77) This effort requires the commitment and effort of all churches (78).
The following are the areas in which full consensus is yet to be achieved:
1. Relationship between Scripture and Tradition
2. Eucharist as a sacrament of the real presence.
3. Ordination as a sacrament
4. Magisterium arising from Christ given authority
5. Recognition of Mary as Mother of God and mother of all believers. (79)
A “dialogue of conversion” is the spiritual foundation of ecumenical dialogue. This dialogue begins with a personal awareness of sin and an attitude of conversion in and through Christ. This then expands to each community. Fraternal koinonia is built on this dialogue. (82) We already share full communion at the highest point of life of grace – martyrdom. So many martyrs from various Christian groups have shed their blood in witness. (84)
It is the role of the Pope as Chief Shepherd to encourage pastors of all Churches to all the real voice of Christ to be heard in their respective churches. In this way the oneness of the Church will be manifested. The Pope therefore is the “first servant of unity.” (94) It is the responsibility of all Bishops to promote unity of all Christians by supporting all activities and initiatives undertaken with this intention. (101)













