Among those in which Catholic traditions and institutions in part continue to exist, the Anglican Communion occupies a special place. To preserve this faith these Churches have suffered and still suffer much. 36 and 50). Unitatis Redintegratio: A New Interpretation After 40 Years, Cardinal Walter KasperPresident of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, 'UNITATIS REDINTEGRATIO', VATICAN II'S DECREE ON ECUMENISM. . 'Subsistit in' expresses a historically concrete ecclesiology. It commends this work to the bishops everywhere in the world to be vigorously stimulated by them and guided with prudence. ), Il ministero petrino. 2 Cf. Unitatis Redintegratiodraws out this implication explicitly, and attempts to describe what is meant by such imperfect communion. 4, Bologna, 1999, 436-446. Christ the Lord founded one Church and one Church only. This formulation of the ecumenical problem is the Council's most important theological contribution to the ecumenical question. It seemed the sleep with the woman in his arms was the only necessity. Unitatis Redintegratio Quotes & Sayings. 14. II, vol. 990; CONC. However, it is evident that, when individuals wish for full Catholic communion, their preparation and reconciliation is an undertaking which of its nature is distinct from ecumenical action. The basic idea of the Second Vatican Council and in particular the Decree on Ecumenism can be summed up in one word: communio.14 The term is important for a proper understanding of the issue of the "elementa ecclesiae". On the basis of the one common Baptism, ecumenism goes far beyond mere benevolence and simple friendship; it is not a form of ecclesial diplomacy but has an ontological foundation and an ontological depth; it is an event of the Spirit. Unitatis Redintegratio, nn. Pope John Paul II also emphasized this connection in his Encyclical on missions, Redemptoris Missio (1990, nn. Decree on Ecumenism ( Unitatis Redintegratio) made a careful distinction between spiritual ecumenism, mainly prayer and the practice of virtue, and practical ecumenism, which actively fosters Christian reunion. But we rejoice to see that our separated brethren look to Christ as the source and center of Church unity. Cattolici e ortodossi in dialogo, Rome, 2004. Today, in many parts of the world, under the inspiring grace of the Holy Spirit, many efforts are being made in prayer, word and action to attain that fullness of unity which Jesus Christ desires. With this notion, present in the Bible and used in the early Church, the Council defines the deepest mystery of the Church, which is in the image of the Trinitarian communio as an icon of the Trinity (cf. The way and method in which the Catholic faith is expressed should never become an obstacle to dialogue with our brethren. This is the licit kind of passive communion that Catholics and non-Catholics can share. The Eastern schism encompasses both the ancient Churches of the East separated by the Imperial Church in the fourth and fifth centuries, and the schism between Rome and the Eastern Patriarchates, whose symbolic date has been established as the year 1054. We believe that Our Lord entrusted all the blessings of the New Covenant to the apostolic college alone, of which Peter is the head, in order to establish the one Body of Christ on earth to which all should be fully incorporated who belong in any way to the people of God. The Council knew that the Church journeys on through history to bring to fruition in history what her deepest nature actually is ("est "). The Council did not, of course, reduce the differences to mere political and cultural factors. We believe that this unity subsists in the Catholic Church as something she can never lose, and we hope that it will continue to increase until the end of time. When comparing doctrines with one another, they should remember that in Catholic doctrine there exists a hierarchy of truths, since they vary in their relation to the fundamental Christian faith. But we live in a very un-ideal world. The Decree on Ecumenism, aka Unitatitis Redintegratio, was not among the longest or most weighty documents of the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, but it was certainly ranks among its greatest achievements. 1, 4). A love and reverence of Sacred Scripture which might be described as devotion, leads our brethren to a constant meditative study of the sacred text. But of itself Baptism is only a beginning, an inauguration wholly directed toward the fullness of life in Christ. 24. United in their efforts, and with mutual respect, let them bear witness to our common hope which does not play us false. In such cases, these various theological expressions are to be considered often as mutually complementary rather than conflicting. If this cause is wholeheartedly promoted, the Council hopes that the barrier dividing the Eastern Church and Western Church will be removed, and that at last there may be but the one dwelling, firmly established on Christ Jesus, the cornerstone, who will make both one.[38]. Ad Gentes, nn. 5-12). Since then 40 years have passed during which the Document has had unprecedented repercussions whose impact has been felt far beyond the Catholic Church. Indeed, the Church does not only have an institutional dimension but also a charismatic one, as the Council emphasized (cf. Tradues em contexto de "Uniti" en italiano-portugus da Reverso Context : Uniti de asisten social (Unit di assistenza sociale) [10] Among their number He selected Peter, and after his confession of faith determined that on him He would build His Church. It first appeared with Yves Congar as an extension of St Augustine's anti-Donatist attitude (cf. The restoration of unity among all Christians is one of the principal concerns of the Second Vatican Council. He can rightly be considered the spiritual father of the Decree on Ecumenism; it is he who willed the Council and he who defined its purpose: renewal within the Catholic Church and the unity of Christians. Omnes enim vos unus estis in Christo Iesu ( Gal. According to the Council, these divergences partly concern the doctrines of Jesus Christ and of redemption, and especially Sacred Scripture in its relationship with the Church, the authentic Magisterium, the Church and her ministries, the role of Mary in the work of the salvation (cf. When such actions are undertaken prudently and patiently by the Catholic faithful, with the attentive guidance of their bishops, they promote justice and truth, concord and collaboration, as well as the spirit of brotherly love and unity. 34 ff., 83 ff.). Communionis Notio, n. 9). 16 The distinction is not yet clearly made in the terminology of the Conciliar texts. Understood in this way, ecumenism is the "way of the Church" (Ut Unum Sint, n. 7). S. IOANNES CHRYSOSTOMOS, In loannem Homelia XLVI, PG 59, 260-262. Online piracy needs to be dealt with itself, because people are just wholesale stealing people's work and not paying for it. 9. 28, 57), enriches them and at the same time makes their gifts her own; she brings them to the fullness of their catholicity and thereby fully attains her own catholicity (cf. The restoration of unity among all Christians is one of the principal concerns of the Second Vatican Council" (n. 1). What has just been said means that every particular Church which celebrates the Eucharist is a Church in the full sense of the word, but not the whole of the Church (cf. Lumen Gentium, n. 7; Unitatis Redintegratio, n. 2). Online piracy needs to be dealt with itself, because people are just wholesale stealing people's work and not paying for it. The Church, then, is God's only flock; it is like a standard lifted high for the nations to see it:[16] for it serves all mankind through the Gospel of peace[17] as it makes its pilgrim way in hope toward the goal of the fatherland above.[18]. The restoration of unity among all Christians is one of the principal concerns of the Second Vatican Council. 2, 18-19. Though the ecclesial Communities which are separated from us lack the fullness of unity with us flowing from Baptism, and though we believe they have not retained the proper reality of the eucharistic mystery in its fullness, especially because of the absence of the sacrament of Orders, nevertheless when they commemorate His death and resurrection in the Lord's Supper, they profess that it signifies life in communion with Christ and look forward to His coming in glory. It would therefore be erroneous to disregard this fundamental continuity by considering the Council as a radical break with Tradition and identifying it with the advent of a new Church. The eschatological and pneumatological dynamic needed conceptual elucidation. This council wishes to set before all Catholics the ways in which they can respond and take action. 5 G. Philips, L'glise et son mystre aux deuxime Concile du Vatican, vol. It is because of this that the Council rests all its hope on the prayer of Christ for the Church, on our Father's love for us, and on the power of the Holy Spirit. This movement toward unity is called ecumenical. Those belong to it who invoke the Triune God and confess Jesus as Lord and Savior, doing this not merely as individuals but also as corporate bodies. 1, 6-9; 1 Jn. For the Church must bear in her own body the humility and dying of Jesus,[25] against the day when Christ will present her to Himself in all her glory without spot or wrinkle.[26]. VATICANUM 1, Sess. 6. [29] This exhortation is directed especially to those raised to sacred Orders precisely that the work of Christ may be continued. Before the whole world let all Christians confess their faith in the triune God, one and three in the incarnate Son of God, our Redeemer and Lord. As a spiritual movement, the ecumenical movement does not uproot Tradition. It's very hard to figure out a way to fix it. Ecumenism and mission are like twins.3. Peter T. King. 16. The goal of this chapter is to capture some of these highlights and trace the post-conciliar legacy of Unitatis Redintegratio ( UR ), pointing to areas in which its teaching has been fruitfully received as well as calling attention to aspects of the document that still await full reception as we approach the five-hundredth anniversary of the [35] Hence, through the celebration of the Holy Eucharist in each of these churches, the Church of God is built up and grows in stature[36] and through concelebration, their communion with one another is made manifest. In the Decree Unitatis Redintegratio, the Second Vatican Council recognized that the ecumenical movement is a sign of the Holy Spirit's action and said that it considered the promotion of this movement to be one of its principal tasks. The Church is wherever the Eucharist is celebrated. During the Council, "subsistit in" replaced the pre-existing "est".6 This contains in nuce the whole of the ecumenical problem.7, The "est" affirmed that the Church of Jesus Christ "is" the Catholic Church. The title of the document is taken from the opening words of the Latin text. Christ the Lord founded one Church and one Church only. 3 J. Therefore, without minimizing the differences between the various Christian bodies, and without overlooking the bonds between them which exist in spite of divisions, this holy Council decides to propose the following considerations for prudent ecumenical action. 28, 18-20, collato Jn. This is the sacred mystery of the unity of the Church, in Christ and through Christ, the Holy Spirit energizing its various functions. On the other hand, Catholics must gladly acknowledge and esteem the truly Christian endowments from our common heritage which are to be found among our separated brethren. However, many Christian communions present themselves to men as the true inheritors of Jesus Christ; all indeed profess to be followers of . Edit Details Spiritual ecumenism means interior conversion, spiritual renewal, the personal sanctification of life, charity, self-denial, humility, patience, but also renewal and reform of the Church. Full text of Unitatis Redintegratio. 5. The notion of "subsistit in" means, according to the intention of the Theological Commission of the Council, that Christ's Church has its "concrete place" in the Catholic Church; Christ's Church is encountered in the Catholic Church, and it is there that she is to be concretely found.11 It is not a question of a purely platonic body or of a merely future reality; it exists concretely in history and is concretely found in the Catholic Church .12. A SINGLE LETTER TO BE CHANGED. There from the glorious times of the holy Fathers, monastic spirituality flourished which, then later flowed over into the Western world, and there provided the source from which Latin monastic life took its rise and has drawn fresh vigor ever since. W. Kasper (ed. The crux of the problem in the relations between East and West is the issue of Petrine ministry (cf. 11, 26; Presbyterorum Ordinis, n. 5; Ad Gentes, n. 39). Baptism therefore establishes a sacramental bond of unity which links all who have been reborn by it. It is a mystery that finds its highest exemplar and source in the unity of the Persons of the Trinity: the Father and the Son in the Holy Spirit, one God. In addition, the way is prepared for cooperation between them in the duties for the common good of humanity which are demanded by every Christian conscience; and, wherever this is allowed, there is prayer in common. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.[33]. In such dialogue, everyone gains a truer knowledge and more just appreciation of the teaching and religious life of both Communions. In this way too the outlook of our separated brethren will be better understood, and our own belief more aptly explained. All of these, which come from Christ and lead back to Christ, belong by right to the one Church of Christ. Given in Rome at St. Peter's, November 21, 1964. 12, 83). Mt. 1 Jn. Even before the Second Vatican Council, the Pontiffs had encouraged prayers for unity in addition to the "Week of Prayer for Christian Unity". In this regard, the ecumenical movement is a charismatic phenomenon and an "operation of the Holy Spirit". Catholics, in their ecumenical work, must assuredly be concerned for their separated brethren, praying for them, keeping them informed about the Church, making the first approaches toward them. The eschaton does not in fact refer to a future reality that is located outside history. The Sacred Council exhorts all the Catholic faithful to recognize the signs of the times and to take an active and intelligent part in the work of ecumenism. We now turn our attention to the two chief types of division as they affect the seamless robe of Christ. To re-establish unity, therefore, it is essential to "impose no burden beyond what is indispensable (Acts 15:28)" (Unitatis Redintegratio, n. 18). [6] For all you who have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ for you are all one in Christ Jesus. These Churches, although separated from us, yet possess true sacraments and above all, by apostolic succession, the priesthood and the Eucharist, whereby they are linked with us in closest intimacy. 18. It is in the particular Churches and formed out of them that the one and unique Catholic Church exists, and conversely, it is in the one Church and formed out of her that the particular Churches exist (cf. It has already declared its teaching on the Church, and now, moved by a desire for the restoration of unity among all the followers of Christ, it wishes to set before all Catholics the ways and means by which they too can respond to this grace and to this divine call. Unitatis Redintegratio, n. 3; Ut Unum Sint, n. 14), but she now has a dialogical awareness of this and takes the other Churches and Ecclesial Communities into account. Their longing for union with Christ inspires them to seek an ever closer unity, and also to bear witness to their faith among the peoples of the earth. Despite their different, often considerably differing stances, the reformers conceive of the Church as a creatura verbi whose point of departure is the Word of God24 and not the Eucharist. 13. 2 ff.). I also try to never make it personal. Council clearly makes ecumenism binding as the work of the Spirit. 17 John Paul II, Encyclical Slavorum Apostoli (1985), n. 27. And hope does not disappoint, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.[42]. Unitatis Redintegratio affirms that it is in the Eucharist where "the unity of the Church is both signified and brought about" (Unitatis Redintegratio, n. 2). After being lifted up on the cross and glorified, the Lord Jesus poured forth His Spirit as He had promised, and through the Spirit He has called and gathered together the people of the New Covenant, who are the Church, into a unity of faith, hope and charity, as the Apostle teaches us: There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one Baptism. We are also linked to the Communities born of the Reformation by many important elements of the true Church, including above all the proclamation of the Word of God and Baptism. On several occasions the Pope has said that the ecumenical venture is irrevocable (cf. The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity addressed this theme in detail at its Plenary Assembly in 2001. The goal of full unity [can] be reached only through the action of the Spirit of God and the conversion of all to the one Head of the Church, Jesus Christ. With regard to Eucharistic ecclesiology, the distinction between the Churches and the Ecclesial Communities derives from this absence of any Eucharistic substance. Of course, Unitatis Redintegratio has also left some unanswered questions; it faced criticism and experienced further development. 1 Petr. ibid., nn. This expresses once again the new spirit with which the Council intends to overcome differences. What has revealed the love of God among us is that the Father has sent into the world His only-begotten Son, so that, being made man, He might by His redemption give new life to the entire human race and unify it. We should therefore pray to the Holy Spirit for the grace to be genuinely self-denying, humble. L'Osservatore Romano is the newspaper of the Holy See. It was desired to give its proper due to the fact that outside the Catholic Church there are not only individual Christians but also "elements of Church",10 and even Churches and Ecclesial Communities which, while not in full communion, belong rightfully to the one Church and are a means of salvation for their members (cf. In this liturgical worship, the Christians of the East pay high tribute, in beautiful hymns of praise, to Mary ever Virgin, whom the ecumenical Council of Ephesus solemnly proclaimed to be the holy Mother of God, so that Christ might be acknowledged as being truly Son of God and Son of Man, according to the Scriptures. Today, 40 years later, the ecumenical . The Biblical and liturgical movements, the preaching of the word of God and catechetics, the apostolate of the laity, new forms of religious life and the spirituality of married life, and the Church's social teaching and activity - all these should be considered as pledges and signs of the future progress of ecumenism. Extraordinary Synod of Bishops of 1985 (II C 1). To the extent that we are united to Christ, we will all be united to one another as well, and will actuate in all its fullness the catholicity proper to the Church. [22] Cf. The Council is the Magna Charta for the Church's journey in the 21st century (cf. We thank God that many Eastern children of the Catholic Church, who preserve this heritage, and wish to express it more faithfully and completely in their lives, are already living in full communion with their brethren who follow the tradition of the West. 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