BRS 306

What is Ecumenism?

The word ecumenism comes from a family of Classical Greek words: oikos, meaning a “house,”
“family,” “people,” or “nation”; oikoumenē “the whole inhabited world”; and oikoumenikos,
“open to or participating in the whole world.” Like many biblical words, these were invested
with Christian meaning. The word oikoumenē describes the place of God’s reconciling mission
(Matthew 24:14), the unity of the Roman Empire (Luke 2:1) and of the kingdoms of the earth
(Luke 4:5), and the world destined to be redeemed by Christ (Hebrews 2:5). The vision of one
church serving God in the world came to reflect a central teaching of the early Christian faith.

In later centuries the word ecumenical was used to denote church councils (e.g., Nicaea,
Chalcedon whose decisions represented the universal church, in contrast to other councils that
enjoyed only regional or limited reception. The honorary title of ecumenical patriarch was given
to the Greek Orthodox patriarch of Constantinople in the 6th century because his see was located
in the capital of the oikoumenē and his leadership was accepted as primus inter pares (first
among equals) in the faith and mission of the whole church. The Apostles’, Nicene and
Athanasian creeds are called ecumenical because they witness to the faith of all Christians. Since
the 19th century the term ecumenism has denoted the movement of the renewal, unity, and
mission of Christians and churches of different traditions “so that the world may believe.”It is a
movement within Christianity that aims to restore unity amongst the various Christian
denominations, to present a united universal Christian body to the world.

The word Ecumenism is used 15 times in the New Testament, some examples: (Matthew 24:14;
Luke 2:1; 4:5; 21:26; Acts 11:28; 17:6, 31; 19:27; 24:5; Romans 10:18; Hebrews 1:6; 2:5;
Revelation 3:10; 12:9; 16:14). In every instance of usage, the term meant either the inhabited
earth or the inhabitants of the world. Therefore, any effort or undertaking that would cover in its
scope the whole world or all the inhabitants of the world could be described as ecumenical in
nature.

Additionally, ecumenism is a vision, a movement, a theology and a mode of action. It represents

the universality of the people of God and affects the way Christians think about their faith, the
church, and the world. Ecumenism is a long process that draws Christians together, uniting their
life and mission and bringing the Body of Christ and the human community closer to the
fulfillment of God’s purposes. Those involved in ecumenism participate in ideas, activities, and
institutions that express a spiritual reality of shared love in the church and the human
community. Ecumenism is characterized by the work of officially organized ecumenical bodies,
the confessing and witnessing of Christians in local places, and the spirituality and actions of
those who live together in love and prophetic proclamation.

Ecumenism accepts the diversity of God’s people, given in creation and redemption, and strives
to bring these confessional, cultural, national, and racial differences into one fully committed
fellowship.
Purpose of Ecumenism

The purpose of ecumenism is to glorify the triune God and to help the one missionary church to
witness effectively and faithfully among all peoples and nations. In the second half of the 20th
century, Christians began confessing new dimensions of this vocation, especially in relation to
what divides the churches. Progress was made on historical theological issues that have divided
Christians through the centuries—baptism the Eucharist and ministry. But equally divisive
among Christians are the divisions of the human family: racism, poverty, sexism, war, injustice,
and differing ideologies. These issues are part of the agenda of ecumenism and bring a particular
context, dynamic, spirit, and urgency to the pursuit of Christian unity as well as of justice, and
peace. The church’s unity becomes essential for the renewal and unity of the human family.
Through its unity the church becomes a sign, the first fruits of the promised unity and peace
among God’s peoples and the nations.

Ecumenism is the search for Christian Unity - a response to the biblical account of Jesus’ final
prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, the night he was arrested: that all his followers may be one,
as he and the Father are one (John 17:20–22). The ultimate goal of all ecumenical efforts is full,
organic unity - a single Church of Christ, united both visibly and invisibly. This is often refereed
to as full ecclesial communion, or full communion for short. However, different Churches have
different ideas about what this would like and how to get there, and the various dialogues and
councils of churches reflect this diversity. One thing that everyone agrees on is that unity does
not mean uniformity. It does not mean that all Christians would simply have to become Roman
Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Anglicans, Lutherans or whatever - but that unity would allow a
diversity of worship styles, devotions, organizations, etc.

There are several purposes. One is to pray for one another. St. Optatus describes this purpose in a
book against Donatism: “Christ, foreseeing this time----how it would come to pass that you
should today be at variance with us, gave such commands with regard to prayer, that, at least in
prayer, unity might remain, and that supplications might join those who should be torn asunder
by faction. We pray for you, for we wish to do so, and you pray for us, even though you do not
wish it.” (Against the Donatists Book 4 Chapter 2)

Another purpose is to help us be friendly with one another. This goes a long way. Enemies are
hard to convert. Friends are easier. St. Peter Faber said: “[We should] win their goodwill and
inclinations to such an extent that they may reciprocate our kind feelings and think well of us.
This may easily be done by speaking to them affectionately, and dwelling in familiar
conversations on those points only on which they agree with us, avoiding everything like a
dispute, in which one side always assumes an air of superiority, and shows contempt of the other.
Those subjects should be first chosen in which there is a sympathy and union of wills, rather than
those which tend to disunite them by opposition of opinion.” (Instructions How to Deal with
Heretics, as it appears in The Life of Blessed Peter Favre by Giuseppe (Boero, Chapter 13)

Another purpose is to be a good example of charity to others. Pope St. Gregory VII says: “We
and you must show in a special way to the other nations an example of this charity, for we
believe and confess one God, although in different ways, and praise and worship Him daily as
the creator of all ages and the ruler of this world.” (Letter to Anzir [Nacir], King of Mauretania)
The ecumenical movement seeks to recover the apostolic sense of the early church for unity in
diversity while it confronts the frustrations, difficulties, and ironies of the modern pluralistic
world. It is a lively reassessment of the historical sources and destiny of what followers of Christ
perceive to be the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church of Jesus Christ

Example of Biblical Ecumenism: Promoting Ecumenism

St. Paul

St. Paul in very keen in promoting ecumenism because Christ is the common ground for the
unity of all Christians, they are baptized in the name of Christ (1 Cor. 3:11). He calls Christians
to maintain unity and openness for the conversion of gentles. St. Paul’s vision for ecumenism is
characterized by unity in diversity. This means that there is a diverse expression of Christian
Faith in different Christian Churches. It is supposed to be a reconciled diversity, which is integral
to first century Christianity as unity.

The first council of Jerusalem serves as example of unity in diversity (Acts 15: 1-29). Through
the decree of the council, there emerged a Church united in faith, but diverse in its practices,
namely the radical Jewish Christian and Gentile Christians. Paul was inspired to advocate for
unity in the Church due to his figure standing between the two cultures, namely the Jewish and
Hellenistic cultures. Due to this fact Paul was open for ecumenism. Moreover, Paul’s experience
near Damascus and later on as an apostle and missionary made his to promote unity. Also St.
Paul understands the Church as Ecclesia as household (1 Thes. 1:1), he understands the Church
as body of Christ which suggests uniformity, also as the people of God which points to diversity.
All these attempt to describe the believers union with Christ which is the foundation of believers
union with each other.

St. Paul talks about justification by grace through faith (the center of the sixteenth century
Reformation and Schism of the Western Christendom). There was a problem in theological
understanding and interpretations of Paul’s doctrine of justification.

Activities of the Ecumenical Movement

 Christian unity Week and celebrations of Church Feasts like Christmas and prayers
 Partnerships aimed at improving the economic life of the people, Efforts to build health
centers or schools for the benefit of the faithful from several churches
 Annual Walk of Witness on Good Friday
 Cooperation with several religious bodies
Unity in diversity of many churches and faiths

The Bible affirms unity

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is God’s chosen means to reconcile sinful human beings to God. The
Gospel isn’t an indefinable feeling or idea, it is a message that has concrete meaning and
significance. The Gospel is God’s good news about Jesus Christ, his atoning death on the cross
and his resurrection from the dead. At the heart of this message is God’s gracious gift of
justification that we receive through faith in Christ.

Through this Gospel God brings about two new relationships: we are united to God (Eph 2:13,
16-18), and we are united to each other (2:14-15, 20).

In Ephesians ch. 4, Paul stresses the importance of and joy of Christian unity. The focus is on life
in the local church, but this teaching can extend beyond the parameters of the local gathering of
believers. It is important not to conflate everything that is a church with what a Christian
organisation is and does, or with what a denomination is and does. Denominations are not a
church, rather they are a group of churches (and with other organisations thrown into the mix).
Christian denominations are organisations which exist to serve Churches of shared theological
convictions. They may provide a network of Gospel relationships, an institution for training
clergy, mission training and strategy, and organisations that help with social care. In
denominations such as Anglicanism, there also exists formal hierarchical oversight, with bishops
appointed to shepherd groups of churches. While they are not a church, the theological principles
given by Paul are useful and wise. After all, what should be the unifying factor for
denominations if not the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

Paul outlines that we don’t ultimately establish Christian unity, for that work belongs to Christ
through his shed blood on the cross, and by the Spirit of God. He unites us firstly to God, and
through him to one another (Eph 2:11-22). At the same time though, Paul insists that we need to
work hard at maintaining this unity and growing this unity. Growing unity is expressed through
works of service, love, speaking the truth in love, and Christian maturity.

There is sometimes a false dichotomy introduced between relationship and doctrine, as though
unity is found by being in relationship with one another, as opposed to doctrine which has
propensity to divide. The unity that God is on about is a commitment grounded in common
assent to the Gospel; it is both relational and doctrinal (i.e. 1 Tim 4:16). Returning to Ephesians
ch4, we learn that there two ingredients necessary for authentic unity to grow and mature: love
and truth (both are found in Christ). Such dynamic growth stems from the ministry of the word.
As the word of God rules the Church, her people are equipped for works of service, and the
outcome is maturity, strengthening, speaking the truth in love, and growth. The Apostle even
warns that when truth is absent or hidden or misused, the effect upon the church is devastating,

“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and
there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful
scheming” (4:14).
The Bible affirms diversity

Ephesians 2:11-22 beautifully describes the power of the Gospel to break down the barrier
between Jew and Gentile; by the shed blood of Christ the two people become one.

“For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the
dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and
regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making
peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to
death their hostility. 17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to
those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s
people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is
joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being
built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” (Eph 2:14-22)

Gospel unity is not uniformity. There is a type of diversity that is to be welcomed and even
desired. In the Gospel God draws together men & women, young and old, people from every
race and language, and from different cultures. Such demographic diversity reflects God’s
purposes in the world.

Within the local church there is also a diversity of gifts given by God, and there are many
different opportunities to serve the body and to love the local community.

It is also the case that no single church can reach every person from every culture and place.
Thus a diversity of churches in different places and with various cultural expressions is natural
and laudable.

What about theological diversity? To my knowledge nowhere does the New Testament
encourage or endorse a diversity of theological persuasions. There a couple of places which
reference a breadth of views (i.e the weaker brother in Romans 13), but this is Paul recognising a
situation rather than esteeming such divergence. Here are some thoughts about theological
diversity:

i. The closer the working relationship, the more important it is to be on the same page
theologically. This is one of the reasons why we have denominations. Interestingly though, the
unifying factor for denominations is often their ecclesiology, rather than other areas of theology.
Given the nature of denominations, it makes sense that there is a shared view of church, however
is this enough to keep a Christian denomination growing in unity?

ii. A different standard exists for leaders than for congregation members (cf 1 & 2 Timothy,
Titus 1:5-16; James 3:1). While new Christians have an ignited love for God, it is normal for
them to have many questions and to lack discernment over many theological matters (cf.1
Timothy 3:6). Leaders, however, are rightly expected to hold deeply to the faith and to be
disciplined when they err.

iii. While there are no unimportant doctrines, Christians have historically believed that some
doctrines are more central than others. Christians have historically disagreed over matters such as
church governance, baptism, Charismatic gifts and eschatology, but over many other matters any
disagreement has been rightly deemed heterodox.

iv. The Bible does not include issues of sexuality among those disputable matters:

“We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that the law is made
not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and
irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for the sexually immoral,
for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers— and for whatever
else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the
blessed God, which he entrusted to me.” (1 Timothy 1:8-11)

“Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived:
Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men 10 nor
thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of
God. 11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you
were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians
6:9-11)

These two passages are important to this discussion for several reasons including, sound doctrine
is integrally connected to the Gospel, and sinful acts contradict sound doctrine. If the Bible
teaches that a particular act is sinful and keeps people from God’s Kingdom and is a reason for
God to reveal his wrath, accepting diverse opinion on that matter would be to deny unity in the
Gospel.

Solving the unity/diversity tension

When it comes to applying this tension to actual relationships we should be aware of our own
natural preferences, which may be to emphasise unity over diversity or diversity over unity. We
all have our blind spots, which is one reason why it’s so important to together humbly return
again and again and again to God’s word for correction and direction.

In Ezekiel 13:9-11, God speaks of a “flimsy wall” that Israel’s leaders were building. Upon
completion they would whitewash the wall in an attempt to hide its poor construction. We can
dress it up with colourful paint, But the rain will eventually wash off the paint and the wind will
tear down the wall if it is not strong.
History of Ecumenism

 Ecumenism finds its origins first in the trans-denominational movements of the

seventeenth and eighteenth century that led to the Evangelical movement.
 The close cooperation of many Protestant denominations in mission work compelled their
members to consider their differences and work toward some kind of unity. The
beginning of the ecumenical movement is normally reckoned with the 1910 World
Missionary Conference in Edinburgh, Scotland.
 In 1921, the International Missionary Council was established, followed by the World
Conference on Faith and Order in 1927 (focusing on doctrinal differences); these all led
to the establishment of the World Council of Churches (WCC) in 1948. Much discussion
and dialogue has taken place regarding areas of agreement and disagreement among the
various groups.
 While much of the action of ecumenism has taken place within the national and
international ecumenical organizations, other efforts have been undertaken on the
denominational level.
 Roman Catholics have engaged in dialogue with any branch of Christendom willing to
converse with them; Lutherans and Anglicans, Anglicans and Eastern Orthodox, and
many other such groups have engaged in much dialogue.

In 1997, the Episcopal Church in the United States and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America established full communion with one another, perhaps one of the greater displays of
professed unity within the movement. The conversations and joint participation in matters of
agreement continue to this day

The creedal controversies in the early councils were attempts to set boundaries to the faith, and
they provided canons for exclusion of heretics as well as inclusion of believers. In 1054 a radical
division, the Great Schism, culminated the separation between Eastern and Western Christianity,
and in the sixteenth century the Western church was further divided into the many separate
denominations that resulted from the Reformation.

It is to the credit of the groups thus divided that they continued to believe that their divisions
were "sinful," but not until the nineteenth century, with its missionary advance from Europe and
North America to the rest of the world, was the situation recognized as intolerable. The efforts to
"make disciples of all nations" (Mt. 28:19) was in fact imposing divisions of European origin on
newly converted Christians in Asia, Africa, and Latin America in ways that distorted the unity in
Christ.

It is therefore significant that the first major attempt to begin a healing of the divisions within
Christianity originated in the missionary societies. In 1910, a number of missionary societies
held a conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, that by common consent is described as the birth of
the modern ecumenical movement. The purpose of the conference was to develop a common
missionary strategy that would not only avoid the scandal of the past but provide for a more
creative and collaborative use of resources in the future.
After Edinburg: As delegates to the Edinburgh conference looked ahead, they saw that some
kind of structure would be necessary if the goals of the conference were to be accomplished. A
continuation committee was established, and by 1921 it was clear that three concerns would need
attention, continuing reflection, and structural implementation: (1) the missionary task of the
church, (2) the kinds of common service the churches could render to the world even in their
divided state, and (3) the doctrinal issues that were responsible for the ongoing divisions.

In response to the first concern, the International Missionary Council was established in 1921 to
help various mission boards coordinate their previously separate and competing activities and to
hold conferences that would enable members to think in new ways about the church's mission.
During its forty-year life, the council held five conferences that dealt with the impact of
secularism on the life of the church (Jerusalem, 1928); the relationship of the Christian religion
to other world religions (Madras, 1938); the need to see missions as a two-way street on which
the so-called younger churches would now be giving as well as receiving (Whitby, 1947); the
imperative need for Christian unity, if mission was to retain its credibility (Willingen, 1952); and
recognition that the time had come for missionary concern to be related structurally to those
Christians already grappling with questions of unity and service (Ghana, 1957). The last
conference translated into a decision to merge with the already established World Council of
Churches, a decision that was implemented in 1961.

The Edinburgh-inspired concern for the church's common service to the world was embodied in
a second structure, called the Commission on Life and Work. Recognizing that organic reunion
was years if not light-years away, members of this commission sought to develop a consensus on
matters to which divided churches could relate. "Doctrine divides, service unites" became the
slogan. The first Conference on Life and Work, held in Stockholm in 1925, was widely
representative—over 600 delegates from 37 countries attended and discussed the church's
responsibility in such areas as international relations, education, economics, and industry.

A second Conference on Life and Work, held in Oxford in 1937, drew delegates from 40
countries and 120 denominations who discussed church and state, church and community, and
the church and its function in society, while small groups dealt with education, the economic
order, and the world of nations. Two realities loomed behind the Oxford discussions. One was
the rapid consolidation of Adolf Hitler's power in Nazi Germany and the almost "emergency"
situation it created for understanding the task of the church in such a world. The other was a
realization that service could not adequately be discussed apart from considerations of doctrine.
Consequently, the delegates voted that the Life and Work Commission should seek to merge
with the Faith and Order Commission, the third outgrowth of Edinburgh.

This third structure provided a place for the doctrinal issues that divided the churches to be
explored. The members, adopting the name Faith and Order, held an initial conference in
Lausanne in 1927, with over 400 delegates from 108 churches, including not only Protestants but
Eastern Orthodox representatives as well. The report of the conference exemplified a descriptive
process called "comparative ecclesiology," which sought to pinpoint and describe doctrinal
differences as well as similarities, without as yet attempting to resolve them. However, the
commonly shared conviction at Lausanne that "God wills unity" led the delegates to project a
second conference, which was held at Edinburgh in 1937, with delegates from 122 participating
bodies. Unanimous agreement was reached on a statement about "the grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ," although in other areas, such as church, ministry, and sacraments, awesome divergences
remained. The delegates did acknowledge, however, that their task was not so much to create
unity, which is God's gift, as to exhibit more clearly the unity that their empirical divisions
obscured.

Members of the Faith and Order Commission realized that doctrine involves action and service,
and they voted at Edinburgh (in complementarity with a similar action taken by the Commission
on Life and Work) that the two groups should merge. Delegates from both groups therefore met
in 1938 at Utrecht to work out proposals for "a world council of churches." World War II
intervened, and until 1948 the world council was "in process of formation."

Other Ecumenical Advances: From 1910 to 1948, ecumenical activity was not limited to high-
level consultations. Many denominations established international bodies, such as the Lutheran
World Federation and the World Alliance of Reformed and Presbyterian Churches, so that global
concerns could receive greater attention. National ecumenical agencies were created, such as the
British Council of Churches and the Federal Council of Churches in the United States, which
later became the National Council of Churches of Christ, providing vehicles through which
Protestant groups could work cooperatively on many issues.

Another ecumenical impetus reminding Christians that "the world is too strong for a divided
church" was the rise to power of Hitler, whose policies were bent on the extermination of the
Jews, the suppression of any Christian groups opposing Nazi claims, and the extension of
racially based totalitarian rule. The Barmen Declaration (1934) of the Confessing Church in
Germany was a theological "no" to Hitler that brought Reformed and Lutheran groups together
for the first time since the Reformation. Christians living under persecution from 1933 to 1945
discovered that in concentration camps or occupied territories their unity far outweighed their
differences.

World Council of Churches

In 1948 at Amsterdam, the World Council of Churches (WCC) became a reality, fusing the
concerns of the Faith and Order and Life and Work commissions. In 1961 the International
Missionary Council joined the WCC, thus completing the structural reunification of the three
areas of concern originating at Edinburgh. Some 146 churches—Protestant, Anglican, and
Orthodox—were the original members of the World Council. During World War II, a skeleton
staff in Geneva engaged in refugee relief and found various ways for Christians to communicate
across the national barriers created by the war. The person most responsible during these interim
years, W. A. Visser 't Hooft, a Dutch lay theologian, was elected the first general secretary of the
WCC, and permanent headquarters were established in Geneva.

At the time of its creation, the WCC defined itself as "composed of churches which acknowledge
Jesus Christ as God and Savior." From the beginning the WCC has made clear (despite
misunderstanding by outsiders) that its task is "to serve the churches," not to become a super
church itself or to be a Protestant/Orthodox counterpart to the Vatican.
The issue of membership in the WCC has been a delicate one. All churches accepting the basic
affirmation of "Jesus Christ as God and Savior" have been welcome to apply for membership,
and at each world assembly (held every five or six years) new churches have joined, so that after
the Vancouver world assembly (1983) there were three hundred member churches representing
around four hundred million Christians and including almost all the major Protestant and
Orthodox bodies in the world. Membership in the WCC, however, does not imply that member
churches believe that their own doctrine of the church is inadequate, nor does it mean
acknowledging that other members are "fully" churches. At the New Delhi assembly in 1961, a
more fully developed basis for membership was approved. It reads: "The World Council of
Churches is a fellowship of Churches which confess the Lord Jesus Christ as God and Savior
according to the Scriptures and therefore seek to fulfill together their common calling to the
glory of one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit."

Although the WCC has gone through several structural reorganizations since its inception and
will continue to respond structurally to new situations, the emphases of all three Edinburgh
streams have remained central throughout its history. A brief description of the structure as it
existed after the Vancouver assembly will indicate the wide variety and scope of WCC
commitments.

There are three major foci of concern in the WCC, identified as "program units." Program Unit I,
devoted to Faith and Witness, is where the earlier Faith and Order Commission is housed. Faith
and Order has continued to have an active history since the formation of the WCC, dealing with
issues related to the visible unity of the church and preparing reports on such topics as accounts
of Christian hope; the theology of baptism, Eucharist, and ministry; the relationship between
church and state; and the unity of the church in relation to the unity of humankind. The subunit
on World Mission and Evangelism is clearly the repository of many of the concerns of the earlier
International Missionary Council and deals with problems raised in proclaiming the faith today,
discerning the true missionary congregation, and developing ways for churches throughout the
world to share their resources, both material and spiritual.

The subunit on Church and Society is one of the continuing vehicles for the concerns of the
earlier Commission on Life and Work; the WCC has held important conferences in this area,
most notably a conference on "The Church in the Social and Technical Revolutions of Our
Time" (Geneva, 1966), which included worldwide representation and set a new direction for
Church and Society concerns. There have also been subsequent conferences on the uses of
nuclear energy and issues in medical ethics. The subunit on Dialogue with People of Living
Faiths and Ideologies has been a vehicle for widening contacts far beyond the Christian arena.
The subunit on Theological Education seeks to make resources available for training for ministry
in as ecumenical a context as possible.

Program Unit II is concerned with Justice and Service, another place where certain Life and
Work emphases continue to be manifest in concrete ways. The subunit on Inter-Church Aid,
Refugee and World Service has been a conduit for specific, practical, and immediate help to
people in need. The subunit on Churches' Participation in Development enables churches to be
involved in economic development in their own lands through grants and other acts of solidarity
such as long-term low-interest loans, along with extensive educational programs and the sharing
of technical services. The subunit on International Affairs calls the churches' attention to
situations of injustice and conflict, particularly in such areas as the violation of human rights.
The Program to Combat Racism, through separately solicited funds, gives financial support to
groups of racially oppressed peoples so that they can work for their own liberation. The Christian
Medical Commission engages in programs of community health care and education, particularly
in areas that are without adequate hospitals or professional medical assistance.

Program Unit III is concerned with Education and Renewal and is oriented to new thinking about
Christian education and its impact on parish life. The subunit on Education sponsors programs to
develop leadership, educational curricula for churches, and Bible study. The subunit on Renewal
and Congregational Life provides resources for local congregations and other Christian groups.
The subunit on Women is helping the entire Christian family to rethink the roles of women in
both church and society. A similar subunit on Youth gives special attention to the needs of young
people.

Even this cursory listing indicates the council's breadth of concern. It directs ongoing attention to
theological reflection in the context of the contemporary world (Program Unit I), specific actions
in various projects of service (Program Unit II), and ongoing attempts at renewing the mind for
the life of the people of God (Program Unit III). In addition to a staff of about 275 persons to
administer these various activities, the WCC has a Central Committee, composed of about 135
members, chosen proportionately from among the member churches, which meets annually to
determine the ongoing tasks of the WCC between assemblies.

At the world assemblies, member churches meet to discuss their common task and to work on
problems that have emerged since the previous assembly. The topics of the assemblies give an
indication of the central themes of the WCC's ongoing life. From 1948 to 1983, six assemblies
were held: "Man's Disorder and God's Design" (Amsterdam, 1948), "Jesus Christ the Hope of the
World" (Evanston, 1954), "Jesus Christ the Light of the World" (New Delhi, 1961), "Behold I
Make All Things New" (Uppsala, 1968), "Jesus Christ Frees and Unites" (Nairobi, 1975), and
"Jesus Christ the Life of the World" (Vancouver, 1983).

The most volatile storm center of controversy in the life of the WCC has been the Program to
Combat Racism. Provided for at Uppsala (1975) shortly after the murder of Martin Luther King
Jr., who was to have been the keynote speaker, the Program to Combat Racism assigns
considerable sums of money each year to groups throughout the world who are victims of racism
and are trying to find ways of escaping such repression. Small grants have occasionally been
given to "freedom" groups, particularly in Africa, occasioning protest from others who feel that
such gifts will foster violence. Although there have been no instances in which the charges have
proven accurate, the issue has remained an emotionally charged one and has the effect of
deflecting the public's attention from many of the other activities of the WCC.

Initial Problems within the WCC

(1) There was not a full realization of a worldwide extension implied in the term
“ecumenical.” The “missionary expansion which led to Edinburgh had unpleasant
 associations with colonialism as an oft-told story; and parallels can be traced between the
dependent situation of so-called `younger’ churches and that of their countries.” People
who gathered at Lausanne were primarily from Europe and USA. Only 17 out of the 400
were from outside of Europe and USA. The hope was that the WCC would be “genuinely
representative of indigenous leadership” could be quickly realized.

(2) Progress was also hindered by logistical problems such as travel and communication.
Members from third world countries had to communicate in English (which may be their
second or third language) since it was the language of the leaders from the USA and
European countries. However it is no longer so today. Many of the members in the World
Council of Churches come from Third World Countries. In later years, a problem that
arose was the preoccupation of the WCC with the concerns of the “Third World.”

(3) The WCC was an endeavor of the churches. However, many who attended the Stockholm
Life and Work conference believed that the WCC movement would be safer in the hands
of an independent minority within the churches. This overcomes the constricting limits of
any official inter-church cooperation. Critics told the leaders of the movement that the
official often tends to be static, and that a movement soon ceases to move unless it is
quickened by the inspiration which comes rather from groups and individuals than from
the main body. Additionally, critics said that, the ecumenical leaders need to be elected
into office. To do that, they must not behave like the politicians of the world and be
popular with the electorate. New leaders elected into office must sing the tune of the
majority. In this way the ecumenical movement is guaranteed success, and it did succeed!

(4) There is a misconception that the WCC is a Protestant Organization. It is true that the
majority of churches that made up the ecumenical movement came from within the
Protestant camp. But that does not mean that the WCC was all Protestant. The Orthodox
churches were represented by 40 delegates at the WCC’s First Assembly. However, by
the Third Assembly (1961), all the Orthodox churches in the world became WCC
members. The joining of the Orthodox churches with the WCC was not without its
difficulties. A month before the first WCC conference in Amsterdam, a consultation of
Orthodox leaders met in Moscow discouraging its members from participating in the
ecumenical movement. Some of the reasons for the objection were:
(a) it concentrated too much on social and political issues;
(b) it was alleged to be seeking a creation of an “Ecumenical Church”; and
(c) it was falling into the temptation rejected by Christ in the wilderness.

As early as the 1920’s the Orthodox churches were very wary of the Western Christians. This
was due to the members of the Orthodox churches in Western countries becoming Protestants.
This was what a 1920’s encyclical said, “So many troubles and sufferings are caused by other

This overture from the Roman Catholic Church to all Protestant churches including the Greek
Orthodox Church is very revealing. This change of heart and mind from the largest “Christian”
church in the world with more than 1 billion members speaks very loudly to the listening world.
 A) East and West Schism

West started with pope Leo III who crowned Charlemagne of Franks as Holy Roman Emperor.
This was a slap to the Eastern Emperor. Byzantine Emperor was made redundant. What also
brought division was that West did not speak Greek and East did not speak Latin. Also East Used
leaven bread symbolizing Risen Christ while West used unleavened bread symbolizing the last
supper. Moreover, theology in the west was more practical with arts, making realistic crucifix.
The East focused on theoretical divinity of Christ which was more mysterious. Additionally
personality and politics contributed to the division, for instance East denied the validity of the
Holy Eucharist in the West, while west regarded the patriarchs as puppets of Byzantine
emperors.

b) The Western church schism

In the fourteenth century there was a split within the Roman Catholic Church, at this time,
kingdoms of France, Germany and England did not want to submit to Pope. There were three
people who claimed to be the Pope. They were driven by politics not theological disagreement.
French kings had their head quarters at Avignon for forty years. Due to political chaos in Rome,
Pope Clement V settled in Avignon France, for the next years 1305-1377 all Popes were French
and resided in Avignon. When Clement died Gregory XI replaced him in Avigno and at the same
time there was Pope Benedict XIII in Rome.

During the time of Reformation in 1517 unity among the hierarchy was compromised. Main
problem was the virtue of indulgences which Martin Luther criticized. Put emphasis on faith
alone. Other churches were established, e.g. John Calvin, Zwingli , the English Reformation

Roman Catholic Church and Ecumenism

During most of the developments described above, the Roman Catholic Church remained
uninvolved. Its posture was clear: church unity could be achieved only by the return to the
Roman Catholic Church of all the Christian bodies who had separated from it. Since full
ecclesial reality was possible only for churches in communion with Rome, Roman Catholics
were initially forbidden by Rome to participate in ecumenical activities. For example, Roman
Catholic observers were not permitted to attend either the Amsterdam (1948) or Evanston (1954)
assemblies of the WCC.

However, a few Roman Catholic ecumenical pioneers very cautiously began to initiate contact
with non-Catholics. After World War I, Max Metzger, a German priest, founded of the Una
Sancta movement to foster dialogue between Protestants and Catholics. French priest Paul
Couturier worked for revision of the prayers of the Christian Unity Octave of the Roman liturgy,
so that Catholics and Protestants could begin to pray together. The Foyer Unitas in Rome was
established for the study of non-Catholic traditions. Dominican priest Yves Congar in France,
Jesuit Gustave Weigel in the United States, and other individuals trod a lonely path of seeking to
put Protestants and Catholics on speaking terms with one another. After the Amsterdam
assembly (1948), an "Instruction" was issued by the Holy Office in Rome in 1949, providing
some cautious initial guidelines for Catholic and non-Catholic encounters; even so, an invitation
to the Vatican to send Catholic observers to the Evanston assembly (1954) was declined. In
1961, however, during the pontificate of John XXIII, a similar invitation to send observers to the
third assembly at New Delhi (1961) was accepted, and five priests attended.

A major ecumenical turning point occurred when John XXIII invited the major Protestant,
Anglican, and Orthodox bodies to send observers to the Second Vatican Council, convened in
the fall of 1962. Lasting warm and personal relationships that dissolved the frosty barriers of the
centuries were established during the four sessions of the council (1962–1965).

Vatican II enhanced Catholic engagement in ecumenism in a number of ways. For one, the very
calling of a council was seen as an instance of ecclesia semper reformanda ("the church always
being reformed"), a concept Protestants had previously thought was anathema to Rome. Second,
the inclusion of the observers demonstrated that Rome did not wish to continue to live in
ecclesiastical isolation. Third, the influence of the "missionary bishops" who had often worked
with Protestant missionaries brought fresh perspectives to other bishops trained in exclusivist
patterns. Fourth, many of the council documents opened new doors of ecumenical understanding.

Of the sixteen promulgated conciliar documents, at least seven had significant ecumenical
import. The document on ecumenism opened new doors for dialogue and understanding; the
document on the liturgy restored the use of the vernacular and made Catholic worship less
foreign to non-Catholics; the document on the church affirmed the "collegiality of the bishops,"
correcting certain one-sided emphases from Vatican I concerning the primacy of Peter that had
been ecumenically counterproductive; the document on revelation gave scripture a greater
prominence and authority in relation to tradition; the document on religious liberty dispelled
fears about Catholic ecclesiastical imperialism; the document on the church and non-Christian
religions created the possibility of dialogue between Roman Catholics and adherents of other
world religions; and the document on the church and the world today indicated areas of concern,
such as economics, labor unions, nuclear weapons, and culture, on which Catholics and non-
Catholics could work together despite lack of full doctrinal consensus.

Assessments of the long-range impact of Vatican II are diverse. For many Catholics, the council
brought the church into the modern world and made new levels of activity and dialogue possible.
For other Catholics, the council created so many lines of rapport with modern thought and
movements that the distinctiveness of the Catholic faith seemed to be placed in jeopardy. For
most Protestants, the council unexpectedly legitimated Catholic attitudes that continue to enrich
ecumenical life.

In the new atmosphere created by Vatican II, the relationship of Roman Catholicism to the WCC
was raised anew. There is no theological reason why the Roman Catholic Church could not
become a member of the WCC, since the basis of membership poses no challenge to Catholic
faith. At the Uppsala assembly (1968), three years after the conclusion of Vatican II, the relations
with Roman Catholic observers were so cordial that it seemed as though an application for
membership might soon be possible, but by the Nairobi assembly (1975) such momentum had
diminished. One important consideration, acknowledged by both sides, has been that, because of
its size, the voting power of the Roman Catholic Church in the WCC would be disproportionate
and cause alarm to member churches that have numerically small constituencies. Nevertheless, a
close working relationship has been established between Geneva and Rome, not only in areas of
social service projects, such as the Commission on Society, Development, and Peace, but in the
theological arena as well, and Roman Catholic theologians have for some time been full voting
members on the Commission on Faith and Order, contributing to discussions and reports about
ministry, baptism, and Eucharist.

A further ecumenical contribution has come from Roman Catholicism. Building on the Vatican
II document "The Church and the World Today," Catholics in Third World countries,
particularly Latin America, have created a "theology of liberation," affirmed by the Latin
American bishops in a meeting in Puebla, Mexico, in 1979, which involves committing the
church to making "a preferential option for the poor." This has led to significant numbers of
Catholics, frequently joined by Protestants, siding with the destitute at great personal risk in
oppressive situations; Catholic-Protestant differences have paled before the awesome
responsibility of ecumenical challenges to the oppressive status quo. This "practical ecumenism"
provides a significant model for ecumenical involvement elsewhere.

John Paul ll (1977:40-41) suggests teaching catechesis as a way of restoring perfect unity among
Christians. It is from catechesis that learners obtain the fullness of revealed truth and understand
the means of salvation found in the Catholic Church. This is done so in the sincere respect, in
words and in deeds , for the ecclesial communities , it is important to give correct and fair
presentations of the other churches and ecclesial communities that the Spirit of Christ does not
refrain from using as means of salvation; -to help Catholics have deeper understanding of their
own faith and a better acquaintance with and esteem for their other Christian brethren , thus
facilitating the shared search for the way towards full unity in the whole truth. It should also help
the non-Catholics to have a better knowledge and appreciation of the Catholic Church and her
conviction of being the “universal help towards salvation”:

Catechesis will have an ecumenical dimension if it fosters a true desire for unity…., it should
foster self-purification in the humility not to be hindered by doctrines by the perfect unity. Also
prepare children as well as young people living in contact with non-Catholics, affirming their
Catholic identity while respecting the faith of others

Pg. Bishop can even have field of catechesis with another denomination-creating a theological
foundation in the elements shared by all Christians: Ecumenical collaboration is by its nature
limited due to some cases like proud divergences, catechesis means initiating into the Christian
life bringing full participation in the sacraments of the church, catechesis mixture of different
denominations in schools.

Some unresolved Ecumenical Issues

The ecumenical movement is not so close to being successful that it will shortly render itself
unnecessary. The three areas of mission, doctrine, and service still contain formidable obstacles
to be overcome, though their formulation has shifted in some interesting ways since 1910.

In the area of mission the matter of "sending ambassadors of Christ" to faraway places must be
viewed from a new perspective, since it now depends on who is deciding what is "far away."
"Foreign missions" used to mean activities beyond the boundaries of North America and Europe.
These continents constituted the "center," the rest of the world the "periphery." Mission was
conceived of as a one-way street, emanating from the center toward the periphery. By the time of
the Whitby conference of the International Missionary Council in 1947, it was clearly and even
sternly affirmed that mission had become a two-way street and must remain that way. The new
Christian vitality in the last half of the twentieth century seems to be coming from what used to
be called the periphery, that is, the younger churches.

The real issue in the 1980s and 1990s and beyond may be the degree to which the "older
churches" at the "center" can have the grace to be recipients of new understandings of the gospel
that will come from the "younger churches" at the "periphery." For the time being, at least, it
may be more ecumenically blessed for the older churches to receive than to give. (The WCC,
which at its inception was made up almost entirely of "leaders" from North America and Europe,
has responded creatively to the new situation. Increasing numbers of its staff and leadership are
drawn from other parts of the world.)

In the area of doctrine there have been a surprising number of theological convergences, even
though certain unresolved issues remain central to the question of church reunions. There are
increasing degrees of consensus on the meaning of baptism and even on Eucharist, though the
matter of ministry (i.e., who is properly validated to administer the sacraments) is far from
resolved.

But Catholics and Protestants, for example, are much closer than before on such issues as the
authority of scripture, the relationship of scripture to tradition, the meaning of "the priesthood of
all believers," the nature of liturgy, the meaning of faith, and the necessity of social involvement
on the part of Christians for the good of all. The office of the papacy naturally continues to
divide Roman Catholics from the Orthodox, Anglicans, and Protestants, and the claim to
infallibility of church teaching, while interpreted in different ways by the Orthodox and the
Catholics, is an area where they are discernibly closer to each other than either of them is to the
Protestants. The role of Mary in the economy of salvation is another unresolved area, although
the Mary of the Magnificat (Lk. 1:46–55) is increasingly important to Protestants as well as
Catholics.

The difference of atmosphere from earlier times, however, is marked. Rather than closing off
unassailable areas from discussion, there is a willingness to reexamine and even restate deeply
held truths in the light of what is learned in ecumenical dialogue. Many non-Catholics, for
example, could now acknowledge the possibility of some form of papacy, if defined as primus
inter pares, the pope as a "first among equals." While this is not a definition acceptable to
Roman Catholics, many Catholics are nevertheless attempting to define more precisely the
meaning of papal authority, especially in the light of Vatican II's conclusion that the bishop of
Rome shares teaching authority with the other bishops in the "episcopal college."

Another doctrinal issue, however, will be increasingly important in the life of the ecumenical
movement. It has little to do with formulations of a doctrine of the papacy or Eucharist or
baptism, but a great deal to do with how doctrines are actually formulated. Protestant ecumenical
theology has had a strong classical European stamp upon it, solidly rooted in the biblical heritage
of Luther and Calvin. Roman Catholic ecumenical thought has likewise been nurtured by a
European frame of reference, though, thanks to thinkers like Karl Rahner, it has been moving in
new directions. Orthodox theologians have seen themselves as guarantors of past tradition, and
their modes of describing that tradition have the stamp of centuries upon them.

But this is not the background from which Asians, Africans, and Latin Americans have come
into the ecumenical movement. There is no reason, this new generation argues, why ways of
doing theology in Europe should be normative everywhere. They are insisting that their own
theology must now be done indigenously, arising out of their own cultures and using imagery
appropriate to those cultures. Thus African Christians are drawing on images and experiences
that maintain some continuity with their tribal pasts, to provide new metaphors to speak of the
love of God in Jesus Christ. Asians are doing the same with a heritage more venerable than that
of Europe, and "water-buffalo theology" (Kosuke Koyama) is more resonant for them than
forensic images drawn from medieval courts of law. Latin Americans are insisting that theology
must grow out of the experience of the poor, rather than being imposed on the poor by
intellectuals in universities. A theological system arises out of human struggle, they are asserting,
rather than being provided ahead of time by experts and then "applied" to specific situations. To
the degree that the former "periphery" does begin to speak to the former "center"—and is heard
—the issue of theological methodology will become an increasingly critical area of discussion.

In the third area, that of service, many difficult ecumenical issues have been posed for
discussion, and the drawing of lines of difference bears little resemblance to the situation at the
beginning of the modern ecumenical era. If, in the earlier period, it was true to say that "doctrine
divides, service unites," the reverse has almost become the descriptive reality: service divides,
doctrine unites.

A basic difference between two types of Christian approach to service seems to be part of a
legacy that each era leaves to its successor. This legacy is a distinction between (1) those who
see the Christian life as fundamentally an individual matter, in which, by giving sufficient
attention to the personal and inner dimensions of life, a spirit is created that will transform the
outer structures of society, and (2) those who believe that Christian faith is so incurably social
that it is never enough just to change individuals and assume they will change society. This
second view necessitates a simultaneous frontal attack on the unjust structures of society because
they are causes of and manifestations of, as well as the results of, human sin. Almost all
Christians, when pressed, would agree that both concerns must be present and that a theology
containing one and not the other would be truncated and incorrect. But in practice, the matter of
priority, or, even more, proportion, between the two is a significant cause of division.
What becomes ecumenically confusing is that divisions over such matters bear no resemblance
to past denominational or confessional allegiances. For example, the lines between Roman
Catholics and Protestants are not usually drawn on an issue such as the appropriateness from a
Christian perspective of possessing nuclear weapons. Some Catholics will be closer to some
Protestants than they will be to most other Catholics; some Presbyterians may be more at home
in the company of Methodists on this matter than with their fellow Presbyterians. Within a
Catholic religious order, the most diversified opinions may be found on the ethical responsibility
of multinationals, and within member churches of the WCC similar divisions occur.

Issues of practice, then, are more often volatile sources of disagreement than issues of belief. For
example, when "conservatives" attack the WCC, the issue is less likely to be a Faith and Order
commission report on baptism than the allocation of funds for the Program to Combat Racism.
Some Catholics appear to be more upset with the social analysis of Catholic liberation
theologians than with Protestant views of the meaning of papal infallibility. Church members in
the twenty-first century are better able to tolerate doctrinal differences on the meaning of the real
presence in the Eucharist than to allow for two points of view on whether or not "class struggle"
is a legitimate descriptive term in Christian social analysis. So it is tensions within the realm of
service—how the church is to relate to the world, what it is to do in relation to revolutionary
situations, how it is to make a critique of the economic order (or whether it is even appropriate to
do so)—that have become the causes of the deepest ecumenical ruptures.

Beyond the focal points of mission, doctrine, and service, other unresolved, structural issues
remain. For example, what should be the relationship of world confessional bodies, which are
global expressions of denominationalism, to the WCC? Is the continuation of such groups as the
Lutheran World Federation or the World Alliance of Reformed Churches a contribution or a
detriment to ecumenism? Do they impede the cause of Christian unity, or are they provisionally
necessary for the maintenance of certain doctrinal emphases and portions of a tradition that
might otherwise be lost?

Coupled with such matters is the problem of size. Is there a "critical mass" beyond which
concern for the Christian message will be dissipated simply because of the need to keep the
wheels of a large organization running smoothly? To the degree that ecumenical dialogue brings
about new understandings that render unnecessary the ongoing life of separate denominations,
will the resultant mergers necessarily be vehicles for a refining of the prophetic nature of the
gospel, or will bigness breed slowness and timidity? Whatever the answers to these and yet
unanticipated questions, ecumenical concerns will persist in the life of the church as long as there
is a discrepancy between the actual state of the church and the will of the head of the church
"that all may be one."

Christians and great hatred and enmity are aroused, with such insignificant results, by this
tendency of some to proselytize and entice the followers of other Christian confessions.”

The Roman Catholic Church and Ecumenism

The reasons for the Church engaging in ecumenical movement is because Jesus Christ mandated
the church to maintain unity John 17:21, 10:30, 14:10-11,20 and Eph 4:3-6
The Catholic Church was not represented at all in the WCC until the ratification of the Vatican II
Council in the mid 196\0’s. The reason was the declaration of Anathema between Eastern and
Western Churches (105\4) and later the reformation. The church did not only engage in
ecumenical dialogue but also condemned it. This took a long time, and in June1948, the Holy
See announced that no Roman Catholic was permitted to attend the Amsterdam Assembly even
when several of them were invited as observers. This is the testimony of Cardinal Walter Kasper.
Moreover, the encyclical letters Satis cognitum of Leo XIII (1896) and Mortalium animos of
Pius XI (1928) even condemned the ecumenical dialogue which seemed to challenge the claim of
the Catholic Church to be the true Church of Jesus Christ. Yet Pius XII already paved the way to
a more open attitude, in 1949 Pius XII conceived the need to foster dialogue with separated
brothers. He issued an\ instruction Ecclesia Catholica in 1949 in which he gave rules directing
Catholics participation in ecumenical dialogue with true faith and doctrinal purity. However,
only the initiative of Pope John XXIII (+1963) and the Second Vatican Council (1962-65)
brought a shift. In 1960 John XXIII created a secretariat for promoting Christian unity. He also
prepared all the directives which will govern all the constitutions and decrees which were
proposed for Vatican II council including that of ecumenism.

With this Decree, the Council wanted to honour ‘the Eastern Churches’institutions... liturgical
rites, ecclesiastical traditions and ordering of Christian life’(Orientalium Ecclesiarum, n. 1),
declaring that they, like the Churches of the West, ‘have the right and duty to govern themselves
according to their own special disciplines’ (Orientalium Ecclesiarum, n. 5). Their ancient
tradition is a real treasure for the whole Church, as was apparent at the same Council in the
significant contribution made precisely by Eastern Catholics.

The conciliar Decree on Ecumenism Unitatis Redintegratio

stated that the ecumenical movement was a sign of the work of the Holy Spirit in our time
(Unitatis redintegratio, issued by Paul VI, but was the fruits of John XXIII efforts), opening the
way for the ecumenical movement and highlighting the importance of dialogue with separated
brothers and sisters and with separated churches and church communities (Unitatis redintegratio,
4; 9; 11; 14; 18; 19; 21-23). Pope Paul VI made the idea of dialogue central in his inaugural
encyclical Ecclesiam suam (1963). This line was taken up in a Document of the then Secretariat
for Promoting Christian Unity entitled Reflections and Suggestions Concerning Ecumenical
Dialogue (1970), later the Ecumenical Directory (1993) and finally in the great important and
even prophetic ecumenical encyclical of John Paul II Ut unum sint (1995).

But times have changed much since then. On January 21 1996, Pope John Paul furthered the
efforts of Paul VI, made this prayer in Italian, but translated here into English. In it he made to
unite together as one body in Christ. He even made this appeal through the Virgin Mary! Dear
Brothers and Sisters, 1. We are in the ‘Week of Prayer for Christian Unity”
and I gladly take this opportunity to call the attention of all believers to the ecumenical
commitment that marked the Second Vatican Council. This commitment was particularly evident
in the Decree Unitatis redintegratio. John Paul II published a directory for application of
principles and norms on ecumenism in 1993.

The directory is divided into five chapters, the first chapter focused on Vatican II especially on
Lumen Gentium and Unitatis Redintegretio which reflects the Church as communion. The
second chapter gives a canonical understanding of the organization of the Church at the service
of Christian unity. The third chapter deals with the importance of the shared worship, forms of
Christian Spirituality and ecumenical formation of clergy and collaborators. The forth chapter
treats the question of intercommunication, and the final chapter deals with ecumenical
cooperation, dialogue and common witness. The directory offers encouragement to those who
should be taking ecumenism seriously. It sets reasonable and clear outlines for action and
provides a solid theological rationale for ecumenical work by all faithful Christians in the
Catholic Church.

Furthermore, John Paul II published encyclical by the title Ut Unum Sint in 1995 in which he
expressed his hope against the scandal of division, which he expected to come to an end. John
Paul II also traveled widely and also was involved in many ecumenical dialogue, for instance the
journey he made to Assisi, he invited leaders of various churches to join him to pray for world
peace. Pope Benedict also worked for ecumenism, called cardinals to gather in Sistine chapel to
outline his vision of the papacy and the priorities of his mission. He encouraged cardinal to foster
ecumenical activities and dialogue. He said that promotion of unity is the central and
fundamental priority of the church. He made a trip to Istanbul-Turkey in 2006, where he met
Bartholomew the Orthodox Patriarchy of Constantinople. The two signed a declaration in which
the two church leaders expressed their fraternal charity. They renewed their commitment to
progress towards full communion.

Pope Francis has also shown his sensitivity in promoting ecumenism, he presented himself in
2013 as bishop of Rome, he said that gestures are more eloquent than words in ecumenical
dialogue. He went to Jesuralem in 2014 to meet Patriarchy Bartholomew of Constantinople on
the level of equality and fraternity. They talked about the need to have united church the topic
that was discussed by Paul VI and Athenagoras in 1964. They believed that such meetings would
give hope to Christians who are facing persecution in the Middle East.

May the Blessed Virgin, Mother of unity, make us feel the force of the Lord’s voice repeating to
his disciples: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock’(Rev 3:20), as the theme of the Week of
Prayer for Christian Unity appropriately recalls. The Lord Jesus is calling everyone to a
courageous and profound review of life and urges us to deepen our ecumenical fervour and
longing, as the third millennium swiftly approaches. May the Mother of Christ and of the Church
obtain for all the baptized promptness and fidelity in responding to the Redeemer’s ardent
appeal.

Catholic Principles of Ecumenism

Promotion of the unity of all Christians will be successful if it follows some important principles
underlined in the Bible and in various canonical documents of all the denominations. The
Catholic Church highlights some. 1. We should know that the Son of Man was sent to the entire
human race that he might renew it and unite it. “There is one ecumenical movement and one call
of Christ, which Catholics share equally with other Christians. Though we acknowledge the
important elements of the Church in other communities, One true Church subsists in the Catholic
Church”1 2. The Lord Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to gather together all people of the New
Covenant. 3. The apostle Peter, after his confession of faith, was mandated to shepherd the
Church in perfect unity. 4. The Catholic Church accepts the faithful in the separated communities
with respect and affection as brothers. 5. The ecumenical movement in the Catholic Church
strives to overcome obstacles such as doctrinal and structural differences. 6. Growth in holiness,
in closeness to Christ, should bring us closer to one another. 7. Positive attitude towards other
Christian denominations is a required factor; it helps to overcome our divisions.

In his Encyclical letter “Ut Unum Sint” (1995), Pope John Paul II says: “Christian unity is not
just some sort of appendix which is added to the Church’s traditional activity. Rather,
ecumenism is an organic part of her life and work, and consequently must pervade all that she is
and does.”(no. 20)

However, many of these principles do not belong to the Catholic Church exclusively, for they
are found in other Communities. Indeed, in the Church Pocket Book and Diary 2006 we find the
Vision and the Mission of the Anglican Church in Kenya. Here it is said:
Our vision is to have a strengthened Anglican Church built on the foundation of the apostolic
faith in Jesus Christ with the ability to equip all God’s people to face the challenges of the New
Millennium. Our mission is to bring all people into a living relationship with God through Jesus
Christ; through preaching, teaching, healing and social transformation and enabling them to grow
in faith and live life in its fullness.

Talking about Ecumenism, the Protestant theologian Karl Barth, called his fellow Protestants to
a spirit of self-examination or self-criticism and consequently undermined any form of
apologetic conduct. In fact, “it was his hope this kind of self-examination will lead the Christian
Churches, at the hour decided by the Spirit, to meet one another at the point of their origin in
Christ.”2

1
Jeffrey Gross et alii, op.cit., p. 36.
2
Boniface A, Willems, Karl Barth’s contribution to the Ecumenical Movement in Concilium no.14 (New York: Paulist
Press, 1966), p. 47
 Moreover, without discussing the nature, the mission and the works of the World Council of
Churches, which is one of those resourceful and vibrant organizations for Christian unity, it is
perhaps important to look at one of its basic assumptions. The World Council of Churches
believes that the Church of Christ is more inclusive than one’s own Church. Four lessons might
be learnt from this statement: the first is that all Christian Churches are altogether parts of the
Church of Christ and all Churches have their identify within the universal Church. Second, Parts
are not bigger than a whole. Three, the whole is more than each part. Four, All Churches should
embrace, without complexity whatsoever, the domain of complementarity whereby their
shortcomings would be fulfilled and their weaknesses built up. This complementarity, which is
both theological and sociological, acknowledges differences as well as values in each Church.

It seems to me that all these principles are substantially positive; provided that they promote
Christian unity; they can be applied in various ways in different Churches. However, they
should not be altered or distorted. The decree on Ecumenism, for instance, invites the Catholic
Bishops everywhere to apply their diligence and prudence as they go on promoting the unity of
all Christians.(no.4) If there is time for everything, let us note that there is no time for doing
evil. As ecumenism is concerned, the right to insult others, the freedom to utter offensive or
tasteless words, are highly harmful.

Projects November

There are large areas in which Christians can act in union and communion to maintain Christian
values and move forward vital initiatives for the promotion of this unity. Here are the
commonest and most accessible: joint prayer meetings, formal and informal conversations with
Christians of other denominations, joint Bible translations, collaboration for social common
works, scholarly exchanges, exchanges of teachers in various Christian colleges and institutions.3

Let our joint prayer meetings begin with an interior conversion and self-denial based on the
Word of God, continue with authentic preaching and end with the Lord’s Prayer; our formal and
informal conversations ought to be free from suspicion and any form of complexity -inferiority

3
Cf. Johannes Sang-Tai Shim, op. .cit., p. 101.
or superiority- since we discourse with our brothers not with our enemies. Joint Bible
translations and scholarly exchanges should be led by the love of science and wisdom;
collaboration for social works should aim at looking what is holy, good and right; exchanges of
teachers in Christian colleges and institutions should be based on the criteria of competence and
performance.

Religious Studies departments in our universities play a vital role in this process and could be
more resourceful since they cover a large range of Christian studies. Courses like Church
History, Biblical Studies, Ecumenism, Christology and Ecclesiology should be not only
compulsory but also taught academically and with high degree of objectivity.

Why are there divisions in the church? A Different Perspective

Groups are denominated according to geographical reasons. The Anglican or Episcopal Church
is one example of this. Anglican means it belongs to the Anglos. It is the Church of England. 1.
When it was carried over to America, it was called the Episcopal Church. But it was in reality
still the Church of England. When it was brought to China, it became the Church of England in
China. And when the Episcopal Church also came to China, it became the Church of England in
America in China!

2.Take the example of the Catholic Church. It is in reality the Church of Rome. There are many
denominations that originate according to geographical reasons confuse the churches throughout
the world.

(3) Confusion may arise out of the difference in time. For example, when Catholicism was
introduced in China during the Tang dynasty, it was called Nestorianism. Then during the Ming
dynasty, a new wave came in distinct from the former Nestorians. During the Ching dynasty, all
kinds of sects and denominations started to flow in. None of them were related in any way to the
former two groups. When they all came to Shanghai, the time lapse between their establishments
had produced a host of different churches.

(4) Churches may be divided according to people. The group that Mr. John Wesley started
eventually became the Methodist Church. It has its independent organization and administration
and has branches all over the world. Then there is the Lutheran denomination, which was formed
after the death of Martin Luther. Now Lutheran churches appear all over the world also.

(5)There may be a difference in the emphasis of truths. Those who emphasize justification by
faith set up the Lutheran Church. Those who look to Pentecostal experiences started the
Pentecostal churches. And those who believe in immersion, as opposed to sprinkling for baptism,
formed the Baptist Church.
Some groups emphasize church administration. Those who believe in the independence of
jurisdiction formed the Congregational churches. Those who proposed the order of eldership
started the Presbyterian Church. Those who emphasize apostolic succession began the Apostolic
Church. Thus, all these fifteen hundred denominations were formed. Every group has its history
and doctrines.

Efforts to foster Christian unity (Unitatis Redintegratio)

The attainment of union is the concern of the whole Church, faithful and shepherds alike. This
concern extends to everyone, according to his talent, whether it be exercised in his daily
Christian life or in his theological and historical research. This concern itself reveals already to
some extent the bond of brotherhood between all Christians and it helps toward that full and
perfect unity which God in His kindness wills.

Every renewal of the Church (27) is essentially grounded in an increase of fidelity to her own
calling. Undoubtedly this is the basis of the movement toward unity.

Christ summons the Church to continual reformation as she sojourns here on earth. The Church
is always in need of this, in so far as she is an institution of men here on earth. Thus if, in various
times and circumstances, there have been deficiencies in moral conduct or in church discipline,
or even in the way that church teaching has been formulated - to be carefully distinguished from
the deposit of faith itself - these can and should be set right at the opportune moment.

Church renewal has therefore notable ecumenical importance. Already in various spheres of the
Church's life, this renewal is taking place. The Biblical and liturgical movements, the preaching
of the word of God and catechetic, 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.

There can be no ecumenism worthy of the name without a change of heart. For it is from renewal
of the inner life of our minds,(28) from self-denial and an unstinted love that desires of unity take
their rise and develop in a mature way. We should therefore pray to the Holy Spirit for the grace
to be genuinely self-denying, humble, gentle in the service of others, and to have an attitude of
brotherly generosity towards them. St. Paul says: "I, therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to
lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and meekness,
with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond
of peace"Eph. 4:1 .(29) This exhortation is directed especially to those raised to sacred Orders
precisely that the work of Christ may be continued. He came among us "not to be served but to
serve".(30)

The words of St. John hold good about sins against unity: "If we say we have not sinned, we
make him a liar, and his word is not in us".(31) So we humbly beg pardon of God and of our
separated brethren, just as we forgive them that trespass against us.
All the faithful should remember that the more effort they make to live holier lives according to
the Gospel, the better will they further Christian unity and put it into practice. For the closer their
union with the Father, the Word, and the Spirit, the more deeply and easily will they be able to
grow in mutual brotherly love.

This change of heart and holiness of life, along with public and private prayer for the unity of
Christians, should be regarded as the soul of the whole ecumenical movement, and merits the
name, "spiritual ecumenism."

It is a recognized custom for Catholics to have frequent recourse to that prayer for the unity of
the Church which the Saviour Himself on the eve of His death so fervently appealed to His
Father: "That they may all be one".(32)

In certain special circumstances, such as the prescribed prayers "for unity," and during
ecumenical gatherings, it is allowable, indeed desirable that Catholics should join in prayer with
their separated brethren. Such prayers in common are certainly an effective means of obtaining
the grace of unity, and they are a true expression of the ties which still bind Catholics to their
separated brethren. "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the
midst of them".(33)

Yet worship in common (communicatio in sacris) is not to be considered as a means to be used

indiscriminately for the restoration of Christian unity. There are two main principles governing
the practice of such common worship: first, the bearing witness to the unity of the Church, and
second, the sharing in the means of grace. Witness to the unity of the Church very generally
forbids common worship to Christians, but the grace to be had from it sometimes commends this
practice. The course to be adopted, with due regard to all the circumstances of time, place, and
persons, is to be decided by local episcopal authority, unless otherwise provided for by the
Bishops' Conference according to its statutes, or by the Holy See.

We must get to know the outlook of our separated brethren. To achieve this purpose, study is of
necessity required, and this must be pursued with a sense of realism and good will. Catholics,
who already have a proper grounding, need to acquire a more adequate understanding of the
respective doctrines of our separated brethren, their history, their spiritual and liturgical life, their
religious psychology and general background. Most valuable for this purpose are meetings of the
two sides - especially for discussion of theological problems - where each can deal with the other
on an equal footing - provided that those who take part in them are truly competent and have the
approval of the bishops. From such dialogue will emerge still more clearly what the situation of
the Catholic Church really is. In this way too the outlook of our separated brethren will be better
understood, and our own belief more aptly explained.

Sacred theology and other branches of knowledge, especially of a historical nature, must be
taught with due regard for the ecumenical point of view, so that they may correspond more
exactly with the facts.

It is most important that future shepherds and priests should have mastered a theology that has
been carefully worked out in this way and not polemically, especially with regard to those
aspects which concern the relations of separated brethren with the Catholic Church. This is
important because the instruction and spiritual formation of the faithful and of religious depends
so largely on the formation which their priests have received.

Moreover, Catholics engaged in missionary work in the same territories as other Christians ought
to know, particularly in these times, the problems and the benefits in their apostolate which
derive from the ecumenical movement. The Catholic faith must be explained more profoundly
and precisely, in such a way and in such terms as our separated brethren can also really
understand.

Moreover, in ecumenical dialogue, Catholic theologians standing fast by the teaching of the
Church and investigating the divine mysteries with the separated brethren must proceed with
love for the truth, with charity, and with humility. 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. Thus the way will be opened by which
through fraternal rivalry all will be stirred to a deeper understanding and a clearer presentation of
the unfathomable riches of Christ.(34)

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. United in their efforts, and with mutual
respect, let them bear witness to our common hope which does not play us false. In these days
when cooperation in social matters is so widespread, all men without exception are called to
work together, with much greater reason all those who believe in God, but most of all, all
Christians in that they bear the name of Christ. Cooperation among Christians vividly expresses
the relationship which in fact already unites them, and it sets in clearer relief the features of
Christ the Servant.

This cooperation, which has already begun in many countries, should be developed more and
more, particularly in regions where a social and technical evolution is taking place be it in a just
evaluation of the dignity of the human person, the establishment of the blessings of peace, the
application of Gospel principles to social life, the advancement of the arts and sciences in a truly
Christian spirit, or also in the use of various remedies to relieve the afflictions of our times such
as famine and natural disasters, illiteracy and poverty, housing shortage and the unequal
distribution of wealth. All believers in Christ can, through this cooperation, be led to acquire a
better knowledge and appreciation of one another, and so pave the way to Christian unity.

In a time of worldwide cultural upheaval, the report aims to motivate world Christianity to
pursue the biblical calling to unity in Christ (John 17:21) and to promote abundant life for all
(John 10:10). This common vocation ranges from actions undertaken in the global context to
those of congregations and their associates on the local level.

The ecumenical movement has its centre in the Triune God and not in us nor our own efforts,
plans and desires.”
WCC should“take on a convening role as a gift to churches and ecumenical partners”, while
noting that this convening role “is exercized in recognition of and within the limits set by the
1950 Toronto Statement, which clarifies that the WCC is not a church nor a super-church.”

Those who are active in the ecumenical movement are advised to take into account today’s
“financial constraints” and to discover creative ways of “staying focused and coherent while
encouraging churches to invest in the vision and work, and finding resources to sustain the life-
giving impact of the ecumenical movement.”

The report calls on Christians to reflect on the implications for churches, ministries and mission
programmes of the ongoing shift in the demographic centre of Christianity from the northern
hemisphere to the global South.

The Church requires a constant process of conversion and renewal by the faithful as individuals
and by communities. This also includes the humble request for the forgiveness of sins
committed. The universal dimension of the Church must increasingly be expressed in missionary
activity, inculturation of the faith and ecumenical effort guided by the Holy Spirit, until the
divine call to faith in Christ is fully achieved.

To live fully and faithfully, under the action of the Holy Spirit, that unity in which the Church
was constituted by Christ. In this way the true meaning of prayer for unity and of the efforts
made to further understanding among Christians becomes clear (cf. Encyclical Letter Ut unum
sint, n. 21). Creating agreements is not merely a question of gathering together people of
goodwill; rather, it is necessary to accept fully the unity desired by Christ and continuously
bestowed by the Spirit. This cannot be reached simply by convergences agreed on from below:
rather it is necessary for each to be open to sincerely accepting the impulse that comes from on
high, docilely following the action of the Spirit who wants to unite men under one shepherd

The Church's unity will not be expressed to the full until Christians make Christ's desire their
own, accepting among his gifts of grace the authority he gave to his Apostles, that authority
which today is exercised by the Bishops, their successors, in communion with the ministry of the
Bishop of Rome, the Successor of Peter. Around this divinely instituted "cenacle of apostolicity",
that same unity of all the faithful in Christ, for which he prayed intensely, must be achieved at
the visible level through the power of the Holy Spirit.

At the dawn of the new millennium, how can we not invoke for all Christians the grace of that
unity merited for them by the Lord Jesus at so high a price? The unity of faith, in adherence to
revealed Truth; the unity of hope, in the journey towards the fulfillment of God's kingdom; the
unity of charity, with its multiple forms and applications in all areas of human life. In this unity
all conflicts can be resolved, and all separated Christians can find reconciliation, in order to
reach the goal of full and visible communion.

Steps taken to Achieve Christian Unity.

  Spending more time considering evidences of grace in other Christians than you ponder
their sins and weaknesses. You, as a Christian, probably have a much greater ability to
see weakness in other believers than to see strength. It is as if you use a magnifying glass
when looking for weakness and a telescope when looking for grace. Brooks warns, “Sin
is darkness, grace is light; sin is hell, grace is heaven; and what madness is it to look
more at darkness than at light, more at hell than at heaven.” Indeed.
 Consider that spiritual safety comes through spiritual unity. Christians united together
are difficult to separate, difficult to break, difficult to pick off and destroy. It is when you
isolate yourself by disrupting or denying unity that you are most at risk.
 Meditate on God’s many commands demanding that we love one another. When you feel
your heart begin to turn against another Christian, this is the time to turn to the many
commands to love one another, John 15:12, Romans 13:8, Hebrews 13:1, 1 John 4:7, 1
Peter 1:22, and so on.
 Spend more time considering areas of agreement than disagreement. The doctrines you
share with other true believers are the foundational doctrines; the ones you do not share
are necessarily less central to the faith. Acknowledging that you and those with whom
you disagree will spend eternity together should encourage you to not allow peripheral
doctrines to separate you here on earth.
 Consider your peaceful God. God is the God of peace, Christ is Prince of peace and the
Spirit is the Spirit of peace. Having made peace with God, having bowed before Christ,
having been indwelled by the Spirit whose fruit is love, joy, peace…, you now have the
ability, and ought to have the desire, to be at true, deep and lasting peace with other
Christians.
 Renew in your mind and heart what it means to be at peace with God. Preach the gospel
to yourself, because as you consider who you are in light of God’s perfect goodness,
holiness and peace, you must soften toward others.
 Meditate on the unique relationship between Christians. Psalm 133:1 proclaims the
goodness and pleasantness of dwelling together in unity; there are some things in the
world that are good but not pleasant and others that are pleasant but not good. But to live
in peace is both pleasant and good. Consider what it means to be bound together in God’s
family with fellow travellers who are on that same pilgrimage to that very same
destination. There is a cost for disunity. So walking and working with other Christians is
important.
 Be the first to seek peace and reconciliation. You are a Christian today only because God
was the first to seek peace with you. You are now called and equipped to be the first to
seek after peace and to attempt to pursue and maintain unity. As you do this you have the
high honor of acting as an imitator of God.
 Judge yourself more than you judge others. If you were to spend more time considering
your own sin, and less time considering the sins of others, you would never be so quick to
judge and to separate yourself from other true believers.
 Pursue humility. Humility necessarily generates peace among Christians. Humility will
prepare you to serve instead of be served, to overlook an offense, to pursue every kind of
unity, to see others succeed where you fail, and to respond with joy and grace to every
other possible source of disunity.

Future of Ecumenism
It is essential for the church to acknowledge that she lives in an intermediate situation between
the “already” and the “not yet”. Full communion in the complete sense can therefore be only an
eschatological hope. Here on earth the church will always be a pilgrim church struggling with
tensions, schisms and apostasy. As a church of sinners she cannot be a perfect church. The
ecumenical task therefore cannot be to abolish all tensions, but only to transform contradictory
affirmations into complementary affirmations and into constructive tensions; that is, to find a
degree of a substantial consensus permitting us to lift excommunications.

We reached this goal in the Christological agreements with the Ancient Churches of the East and
in the Joint Declaration on Justification. In other questions, particularly issues regarding the
ministries in the church, we have not yet been successful. Thus, we live still in a transitional
period, which will probably last for some time to come.

We need to focus on the “ecumenism of love” and the “ecumenism of truth”, which both
naturally remain very important, must be added an “ecumenism of life”. The churches did not
only diverge through discussion, they diverged through the way they lived, through alienation
and estrangement. Therefore, they need to come closer to each other again in their lives; they
must get accustomed to each other, pray together, work together, live together, bearing the sting
of the incompleteness of the communio and of the still impossible Eucharistic communion
around the Lord’s table.

1. Ecumenical transition must have its own “ethos” involving renunciation of all kinds of open or
hidden proselytism, awareness that all “inside” decisions touch also our partners, healing the
wounds left by history (purification of memories), and wider reception of the ecumenical
dialogues and agreements already achieved. Without danger to our faith or our conscience we
could already do much more together than we actually do: common Bible study, exchange of
spiritual experiences, gathering of liturgical texts, joint worship in services of the Word, better
understanding of our common tradition as well as existing differences, co-operation in theology,
in mission, in cultural and social witness, co-operation in the area of development and the
preservation of the environment, in mass media, etc. Ecumenical reception and formation are
particularly important for this transitional period.

2. We must find institutional forms and structures for the present transitional period and for the
above-mentioned “ecumenism of life”. This can be undertaken in particular through Councils of
churches on the regional and national level. They do not constitute a super-church, and they
require none of the churches to abandon their own self-understanding. Responsibility for the
ecumenical journey ultimately remains with the churches themselves. But they are an important
instrument, and a forum for co-operation between the churches and instrument for the promotion
of unity (cf. Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism, 1993, 166-
171).

3. After the substantial clarification of the central content of the faith (christology, soteriology
and doctrine of justification), it is the question of the church and her mission which becomes
central. It will be necessary to clarify the understanding of church and communio and to come to
an agreement on the final goal of the ecumenical pilgrimage. All churches will have to do their
homework in order to understand and explain better the nature and mission of the church. In
doing so we have to present our agreements and our differences; this is the only way to come to a
clarification and, ultimately, to a consensus.

4. Part of the discussion of the understanding of communio relates to ministries in the church.
This is at present the crucial point of the ecumenical dialogue. Particularly at stake is the
episcopate in Apostolic succession and – in answering the question and the request of Pope John
Paul II in the encyclical “Ut unum sint” (n. 95) - the future exercise of the Petrine ministry within
the new ecumenical situation. We should make it clear that both are a gift for the church that we
want to share for the good of all. But it is not only others who can learn from us - we, too, can
learn from the Orthodox and Reformation traditions, and consider further how best to integrate
the episcopate and the Petrine ministry with synodical and collegial structures.

5. In this interim stage two forms of ecumenism are important and interrelated: ecumenism ad
extra through ecumenical encounters, dialogues and co-operation, and ecumenism ad intra
through reform and renewal of the Catholic Church herself. There is no ecumenism without
conversion and reform. It is particularly important for us also to develop a “spirituality of
communio” (Novo millennio ineunte, 42 f), in our own church and between the churches. Only if
in this way we are able to restore the recently lost confidence will further steps be possible. In
more concrete terms, only through a balanced relationship between the universal church and the
local churches can we conceive a two-speed ecumenism and – what is even more important – can
we find credibility for the ecumenical concept of communio as unity within diversity and
diversity within unity.

6. Last but not least, from its very beginning the ecumenical movement has been and will
continue to be an impulse and a gift of the Holy Spirit (UR 1; 4). So pre-eminence among all
ecumenical activities belongs to spiritual ecumenism, which is the heart of all ecumenism. Often
less ecumenical activism would be more; in this light, spiritual ecumenism should be more
strongly promoted, and relations with and between ecumenically concerned monasteries,
movements, brotherhoods and groups should be strengthened.

As we embark upon the new Millennium, we need new ecumenical enthusiasm. But this does not
mean devising unrealistic utopias of the future. Patience is the little sister of Christian hope.
Instead of staring at the impossible, and chafing against it, we have to live the already given and
possible communio, and do what is possible today