The Search for

Christian Unity
A popular version of the
Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales

© 2002 Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales

www.catholic-ew.org.uk

Published in January 2002 by the Catholic Communications Service,

39 Eccleston Square, London SW1V 1BX. ccs@cbcew.org.uk

Printed by Hastings Printing Company Ltd, St Leonards-on-Sea

ISBN 0 905241 21 5
Contents

Foreword by Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor 5

Introduction 7

Preface 9

I. The search for Christian unity 10

II. Organisation in the Catholic Church 18

at the service of unity

III. Ecumenical formation in the Catholic Church 27

IV. Communion in life and spiritual activity 42

among the baptised

V. Ecumenical co-operation - dialogue 60

- common witness

Further reading 72

Index 74
 Foreword

I wish to wholeheartedly commend this popular version

of the Ecumenical Directory. The ecumenical journey is,
as I have said, a ‘road with no exit’.

It is my sincere hope that through the study of this

document the work of ecumenism will be given new
impetus in dioceses and parishes. As the Pope recently
said, the journey may sometimes seem a long one but
‘The invocation “ut unum sint” is … a binding
imperative, the strength that sustains us. … It is on Jesus’
prayer … that we base the hope that even within history
we shall be able to reach full and visible communion
with all Christians’ (Novo Millennio Ineunte, n. 48).

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor

Archbishop of Westminster
President, Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales

5
 Introduction

This is a shortened version of the Directory for the

Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism
which was issued by the Pontifical Council for
Promoting Christian Unity in 1993. The 1993 Directory is
much fuller than the earlier versions published in 1967
and 1970. Not only does it give Vatican II’s teaching on
ecumenism (especially in the Decree Unitatis
Redintegratio), but it also gathers together the
teaching, legislation and guidance issued since that
time by successive Popes, the Holy See and the Code of
Canon Law. Our shorter version focuses mainly on those
parts of the 1993 Directory judged by the editors to be
of more immediate concern to clergy and laity at
‘grassroots’ level, and tries to present the material in a
way which is both accurate and readily accessible. In
preparing the text we also consulted with our
ecumenical partners via the Theology and Unity Group
of Churches Together in England.

This shortened version is published under the authority

of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and
Wales. Nevertheless, it must be stressed that only the full
Directory is the official and authoritative text. This was
approved by Pope John Paul II on 25 March 1993, and
signed by Cardinal Cassidy, then the President of the
Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and by
Bishop Duprey, the Secretary. The English translation was
published by the Catholic Truth Society in 1993.

The text that follows is based entirely on the Directory

itself, but in a few places a short editorial explanation is

7
inserted. These are printed in square brackets, thus: [ie.
traditions other than the Eastern Orthodox].

The Directory frequently uses the expression ‘Churches

and Ecclesial Communities’. ‘Ecclesial Communities’ are
communities which the Catholic Church sees as having
some, though not all, of the necessary elements of the
Church of Christ. Either by their own desire or the
practice of Vatican II they are not called ‘Churches’. In
this shorter directory we simply say ‘Churches and
Communities’, or more briefly still, ‘traditions’.

How to use this directory

This shortened version of the Directory gives a simplified
text. The numbers at the end of each paragraph refer to
the sections in the original document.

After each major topic there is a question or series of

questions. These can be used for private reflection or,
better still, for discussion in a small group. These
questions are marked with a question mark.

At key points there are also suggestions ‘for action’,

marked with an arrow.

At the end of each chapter is a list of ‘keywords and

ideas’. These give an overview of the main themes that
have been discussed. They are followed by some
suggestions for action or questions. This section is
marked with an exclamation mark.

8
 Preface

The Catholic Church has gathered a great deal of

ecumenical experience over the last thirty years. This
experience, together with the need for Catholics to play
a greater part in ecumenism, means that accurate
teaching and up-to-date discipline are called for. The
Directory aims to provide this. (1-3)

The Directory is addressed first and foremost to the

bishops who, with the Pope, are responsible for
ecumenical policy, but it also concerns Catholics in
general, who are called to pray and work for the unity
of Christians. (4)

It should also be helpful to our brothers and sisters in

other Christian Churches and Communities, so that they
can better understand our ecumenical attitudes. (5)

The Directory has five chapters:

‘I. The search for Christian unity’ makes the Catholic
Church’s ecumenical commitment very clear.
‘II. Organisation in the Catholic Church at the service of
Christian unity’ describes how the Church officially
structures its search for unity.
‘III. Ecumenical formation in the Catholic Church’ deals
with the vital issue of learning about ecumenism and
forming an ecumenical attitude.
‘IV. Communion in life and spiritual activity among the
baptised’ spells out appropriate ways of sharing in prayer
and in both sacramental and non-sacramental worship.
‘V. Ecumenical co-operation, dialogue and common
witness’ looks at practical details of working, witnessing
and sharing in dialogue together.

9
 I. The search for Christian unity
This chapter looks at why we must work for Christian
unity

faith, hope Ecumenism is a response to the grace of God. It calls all

and love Christians to faith in the kind of Church God wants, to
hope that Jesus’ prayer - ‘May they all be one’ - may one
day be answered in its fullness, and to charity which is
the Spirit’s gift uniting all believers.

‘The Second Vatican Council clearly asked Catholics to

reach out in love to all other Christians with a charity
that desires and works actively to overcome in truth
whatever divides them from one another.’ (9)

This chapter gives the teaching of the Catholic Church on

ecumenism as developed at the Second Vatican Council
in the 1960s and also afterwards. It forms the doctrinal
basis of the whole Directory. (10)

The basis
The Church and its unity in the plan of God
all together God is drawing all human beings, and all creation, into
union with himself. To accomplish this the crucified and
risen Christ is calling human beings into the new People
of God, the Church. This Church embraces an immense
variety of men and women. To establish this People,
Christ called the twelve Apostles, with Peter as head, and
gave them the task of preaching the Gospel, celebrating
the sacraments, and leading the People of God in love.
The Church continues to be served by the ordained

10
 ministry of bishops, priests and deacons. What holds the
Church together are the bonds of faith and sacrament,
and a ministry which is hierarchical. (11/12)

United in this way, the People of God forms a

communion - to give it its Greek name, koinonia,
‘fellowship’. From Vatican II, this idea of communion has
had a powerful influence on official teaching about the
Church. (11/12)

The Church as communion

in communion Fundamentally this communion is fellowship with God -
with God and with the Father through Christ in the Holy Spirit. The
with each other fellowship reaches its fullness in heaven, but it is present
here on earth as well. When Christians are united in
faith, hope and love, in common teaching and
sacraments, and in the guidance of their pastors, they
are part of that communion. Each local diocese,
gathered round its bishop, makes present, ‘in this place’,
the one communion and Church of Christ. (13)

communion ... This communion is between dioceses as well as within

between dioceses them. This world-wide communion is maintained
especially by the communion between the bishops, and
between them and the Bishop of Rome, Peter’s successor.
(14)

communion ... Each local diocese has the mission from Christ to bring
for mission the good news of the Kingdom to more and more
people, offering them this communion with God and
with everyone who already shares in it. As each diocese
carries out this mission, the prayer of Jesus is being
fulfilled: ‘Father, may they be one in us, as you are in me
and I in you, so that the world may believe it was you
who sent me’ (John 17:21). (15)

11
communion ... At the same time this unity-in-communion also contains
in diversity a rich diversity of peoples and cultures, across the world
and across the centuries: Christ’s Church is indeed
‘catholic’. The very richness of this catholicity sometimes
gives rise to tensions - but, in spite of these, the Spirit of
God is always at work calling Christians, in all their
diversity, to ever deeper unity. (16)

It is Catholic teaching that this one Church of Christ

‘subsists’ in the Catholic Church. What this means is that
the whole of revealed truth, sacraments and ministry are
found in it, although as individuals we Catholics do not
make full use of these gifts of Christ. This Catholic
teaching needs to be remembered when we refer to
other Christian communities as ‘other Churches and
Communities’, etc. (17)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1.‘The Catholic Church embraces with hope the
commitment to ecumenism as a duty of the Christian
conscience, enlightened by faith and guided by love’ (Pope
John Paul II, Ut Unum Sint, 8). What does it mean to take
seriously our duty to be committed to ecumenism?

2. How do you try to carry out the mission of the Church in

your parish? How could you do it better with other
Christians? (see para 15)

3. Paragraph 16 suggests that unity involves diversity. How

can we have unity without uniformity?

4.Why are you a Catholic and not a member of a different

tradition? What is it about the Catholic Church that you
think is distinctive and valuable?

12
 Where we stand now
Divisions among Christians and the
re-establishing of unity
partial From the very beginning of the Church, folly and
communion - sinfulness weakened its unity, and rifts soon appeared,
how others but much more serious divisions arose later on. The
relate to us eastern Churches and the Church of the west divided,
and then, in the west, deeper divisions emerged
concerning discipline, doctrine and the nature of the
Church. All the same, the communion between us,
though damaged, has never been completely destroyed.
While the fullness of unity belonging to the one Church
of Christ has always remained in the Catholic Church,
other Churches and Communities have still been in
partial communion with us, and, as the Decree on
Ecumenism, Unitatis Redintegratio (UR), puts it, ‘The
Spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as
means of salvation’ (UR3). (18)

the ecumenical At the same time, Christians should never be satisfied

movement with these lesser forms of communion. They do not
correspond to the will of Christ, and they weaken the
Church in the exercise of its mission. In the twentieth
century especially, the grace of God has moved members
of many traditions to strive to overcome these divisions
by prayer, repentance and meeting together. This is
what is meant by ‘The Ecumenical Movement’. (19)

defining unity At Vatican II, the Catholic Church pledged itself to work
for Christian unity. It defined this unity as ‘confession of
one faith ... the common celebration of divine worship ...
the fraternal harmony of the family of God’ (UR2). This
kind of unity of its very nature requires the full visible
communion of all Christians - in Catholic teaching this is

13
 the ultimate goal of the ecumenical movement. This does
not however mean that we have to sacrifice the great
diversity that has grown up among Christians, as long as
this diversity is faithful to the apostolic tradition. (20)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What do you think of the definition of unity in paragraph 20?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What can we do?

Ecumenism in the life of Christians
working for All who have been baptised in Christ’s name are by that
unity very fact called to commit themselves to the search for
unity; to live our baptism is to take part in Christ’s
mission of making all things one. (22) Catholics,
therefore, are invited to co-operate in this:

‘Where ecumenical work is not being done, or not being

done effectively, Catholics will seek to promote it. When
it is being opposed or hampered by sectarian attitudes
and activities that lead to even greater divisions ... they
should be patient and persevering.’ (23)

dangers and There are two opposite dangers here:

possibilities • indifferentism (ignoring important differences);
• proselytism (coercive persuasion).

When Catholics are in ecumenical contact with other

Christians they need to:

14
 • act honestly, prudently and with knowledge of the
issues;
• know their own Church - its discipline and its
ecumenical principles;
• have accurate knowledge of the Christian traditions
they are dealing with. (23/24)

change of heart Ecumenism gets right to the heart of Christian

spirituality. It calls for ‘a change of heart and holiness of
life, along with public and private prayer for the unity of
Christians’ (UR8). After all, those who identify with
Christ must identify with his prayer, above all his prayer
for unity; those who lead a life of repentance will be
sensitive to the evil of divisions and will pray for
conversion; those who seek holiness will be able to
recognise it also outside the visible boundaries of the
Catholic Church. (25)

The different levels of ecumenical activity

Every level of the Church - parochial, diocesan, national
and universal - has its appropriate forms and discipline
for ecumenical work.

At parish level, for instance, the pain that is felt by

families whose members belong to different traditions
and cannot receive Holy Communion together can be an
incentive to prayer and ecumenical effort.

At the national level, members of a Bishops’ Conference

should work together to develop effective ecumenical
relations with other Christian traditions in their region.
After all, they share the same culture.

At the global level it is for the whole College of Bishops

with the Pope to make the necessary decisions about

15
 restoring full communion with other Churches, and for
guiding ecumenical activity throughout the world.
(26/29)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1.What have you learnt from the above section?

2. How can we avoid ecumenism becoming a search for the

lowest common denominator?

3.What is the difference between encouraging people to join

the Church (eg. through RCIA), and proselytism?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Complexity and diversity of the ecumenical

situation
the bishop Ecumenical situations can be diverse in the extreme, and
at times quite unprecedented, so there is a special need
for the apostolic ministry of the bishop, in order to
encourage the disheartened and moderate the
imprudent, and ensure that our ecumenical life is
conducted on Catholic principles.

the whole church When Catholics are in the majority it is obvious that the
ecumenical scene will differ from when they are in the
minority compared with other Christians. It will be
different again when the majority population belongs to
a non-Christian faith. Nevertheless, even when Catholics
are in the majority, it is essential to be ecumenically
active: the ecumenical movement needs to involve the
whole Church. (30/32)

16
Sects and new religious movements
This describes a world-wide phenomenon today, which is
very complex and varies enormously. In many cases these
religious groups have little or no interest in fostering
good relations with the Catholic Church. The local
bishop must decide on the appropriate policy regarding
the ones in his diocese. The principles of co-operation
outlined in this Directory only apply to Churches and
Communities which do have ecumenical relations with
us. (35/36)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Communion/koinonia
Unity not uniformity
Subsists
Change of heart/conversion
Ecumenism at all levels

Survey your parish and local ecumenical relationships

Take each of the words in turn

and ask yourself about ecumenism in your area

As a result, what do you notice?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

17
 II. Organisation in the Catholic
Church at the service of
Christian unity
This chapter looks at who does what

our In different parts of the world, Catholic dioceses often

circumstances exist side by side with other Christian Churches and
can help Communities, sharing with them a common spirituality,
a common ethnic and cultural background, and a
common political history. In addition, these other
traditions often have their highest authority in regions
corresponding to the territory of a particular Bishops’
Conference. These circumstances can lead to very fruitful
ecumenical relations and can benefit the ecumenical
movement generally. (37-38)

who regulates? Vatican II entrusted leadership in the Catholic

ecumenical task to the bishops throughout the world: to
the whole College of Bishops with the Pope for the
world-wide Church, and to bishops or Bishops’
Conferences for local dioceses and regions. It is, then,
their responsibility to regulate the work of the persons
or commissions that are described here. (39-40)

The diocesan ecumenical officer

the work of The bishop needs to appoint a competent person to
the officer fulfil this task. His/her responsibilities will include:

• animating the work of the diocesan ecumenical

commission;

18
• encouraging diocesan initiatives concerning prayer for
unity;
• seeing that ecumenical attitudes influence diocesan
activity;
• representing the Catholic community in relation to
other Christians and their leaders;
• facilitating contacts between other Christian leaders
and the bishop, clergy and laity;
• advising the bishop and other members of the diocese
on ecumenical matters;
• keeping in touch with ecumenical officers and
commissions in other dioceses.

Even when personnel are scarce, or when Catholics are in

the majority, it is still right to appoint an ecumenical
officer for whatever ecumenical work may be
appropriate. (41)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Who is your diocesan ecumenical officer?

What does he/she do?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You may want to write to the ecumenical officer perhaps to

invite him/her to meet you, or to discover what resources for
ecumenism may be available for use at local level.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

19
 The diocesan ecumenical commission
the commission’s The bishop should set up a commission or secretariat to
membership and implement his ecumenical policy and promote
work ecumenical activity in the diocese. If necessary, several
dioceses may jointly form such a commission. (42)

The membership should reflect the Church as a whole

and include clergy, male and female religious, and laity
with the relevant (especially ecumenical) skills. It would
be a good idea to have representation from the diocesan
council of priests, the pastoral council and the diocesan
or regional seminary.

In general, the commission should co-operate with other

groups or persons in the diocese that have an
ecumenical purpose. It should be in contact with
parishes, with religious communities and with lay
organisations. It should be a support for the ecumenical
officer. (43)

terms of More specifically, the commission’s terms of reference

reference should include:

• putting into effect the decisions of the Church

authorities on ecumenical matters;
• keeping in touch with the ecumenical commission of
the whole Bishops’ Conference;
• encouraging spiritual ecumenism;
• taking forward the ecumenical formation of clergy and
laity by means of day conferences, seminars and the
like;
• taking an interest in the way seminary students are
being prepared for the ecumenical dimension of their
future ministry;

20
• promoting good relations between Catholics and
other Christians;
• initiating dialogue with other Christians at diocesan
level;
• promoting joint witness to the Christian faith and co-
operating with other Christians in such matters as
education, peace and justice, and culture. (44)

Parishes, too, should be encouraged to take part in

ecumenical initiatives at their local level, sharing their
ecumenical experience with other parishes and with the
diocesan authorities. (45)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Who are the members of the Diocesan Ecumenical

Commission?

How could they help you?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Discover what the Commission does and the resources they

may have to help your parish ‘take part in ecumenical
initiatives at local level’. (45)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

21
 The ecumenical commission of the
Bishops’ Conference
the task of the Each Bishops’ Conference needs to set up a commission
Bishops’ of bishops for ecumenical affairs, assisted by experts
Conference (clerical, religious and lay), if possible with a permanent
Committee for secretariat. This commission is to give guidance on
Christian Unity ecumenical matters connected with the region. If the
Conference is too small for a commission of bishops, at
least one bishop should be given responsibility for
overseeing the commission’s work, which is as follows:
(46)

• doing most of the things the diocesan commission

(above) has to do, but for the wider territory;
• putting into effect any instructions from the Holy See;
• facilitating co-operation between diocesan ecumenical
officers, and between commissions, across the region,
and arranging meetings;
• assisting other commissions and sections of the
Bishops’ Conference to have an ecumenical dimension
to their work;
• helping to set up dialogues and consultations with
other Christian traditions at national level, and
appointing qualified people to take part in them;
• keeping in touch with the ecumenical work of other
groups, such as the religious orders and others in
consecrated life;
• maintaining contact with the Bishops’ Conference and
with the ecumenical commissions of other Bishops’
Conferences, and also with the Pontificial Council for
Promoting Christian Unity. (47)

22
 Religious orders and societies of
apostolic life
the ecumenical The particular commitments of these communities in the
work religious Church, and the circumstances in which they frequently
orders and live out these commitments, mean that they enjoy
societies should special opportunities for ecumenical thought and work.
undertake In a way that is consistent with their calling they should,
for instance:

• raise awareness of the ecumenical importance of the

religious life - conversion of heart, holiness, prayer, and
service are at the very heart of the ecumenical
movement;
• help people to realise the ecumenical aspect of the
vocation of all Christians to a life of holiness, by
offering guidance in spiritual formation, prayer and
the service of others;
• arrange meetings among Christians for liturgical
prayer, for retreats and spiritual exercises and for the
deeper understanding of Christian spiritual traditions;
• develop relationships with religious communities in
other Christian traditions, sharing experience and
resources;
• collaborate with other Christians in working for social
justice, peace and the care of creation, and in the fields
of health and education.

These religious communities will naturally need to work

within the ecumenical policy of the bishop and the
Bishops’ Conference, keeping contact as appropriate with
their ecumenical commissions and with the Holy See.

It would be a good idea if the central authorities of

these religious communities each appointed a delegate,

23
 or a commission, to foster their ecumenical commitment
and to be responsible for ecumenical formation, advice
and practical initiatives. (51)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. If you are a member of a religious order how many of the
above practical points are you involved in?

2.What more could your order do to forward the

ecumenical journey?

3. If you are not a member of a religious order find out what

religious congregations working locally are doing to
forward ecumenism.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Organisations of the
Catholic faithful
local At every level in the Church, from the parochial to the
organisations international, there are organisations for spiritual
have a part to renewal, peace and justice, education and economic aid.
play All these need to pay serious attention to the ecumenical
aspects of their work. (52)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How far do our parish organisations ‘pay serious attention’ to

the ecumenical aspects of their work?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

24
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you are a member of a Catholic organisation (eg. SVP,
UCM, CWL), find out who are your equivalents in other
denominations locally. See if there are ways you could do
some aspects of your work together.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Pontifical Council for

Promoting Christian Unity
the work of the At the level of the universal Church, the Pontifical
Pontifical Council operates as a department of the Vatican, and its
Council brief is that of promoting full communion among all
Christians. It tries to promote an ecumenical spirit and
ecumenical activity within the Catholic Church, and
cultivates relations with other Churches and
Communities. It is responsible for the proper
interpretation of the Catholic principles of ecumenism; it
arranges official dialogues at the international level; it
appoints Catholic observers to various international
ecumenical bodies. At times, it issues directives
applicable to the entire Catholic Church. It maintains
contact with bishops and with Bishops’ Conferences and
their ecumenical commissions. It is important that
communication between these and the Pontifical
Council should be a two-way affair, because this
strengthens ecumenical life across the Church and
intensifies communion within it. (53/54)

25
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Catholic structures for ecumenism
Raising awareness
Developing relationships
Co-operation

What do these words mean in practice

in your local situation?

What one thing might you do as a result

of reading/studying this chapter?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

26
 III. Ecumenical formation
in the Catholic Church
This chapter looks at learning about ecumenism and
how we can develop an ecumenical attitude.There are
four sections:
A. Formation of all the faithful
B. Formation of pastoral ministers (ordained and lay)
C. Specialised formation
D. On-going formation

everyone’s The search for Christian unity is everybody’s concern in

concern the Church: laity and clergy alike. All need to be
educated and formed to play their appropriate part, and
the means of such formation are already to hand in the
Catholic Church. (55)

flexible approach People and circumstances vary enormously, so methods

of formation have to be ‘tailored’ and flexible.
Ecumenism calls for a conversion of heart and a change
of attitude, so those in charge need to proceed very
sensitively and often very gradually. (56)

basic principles When a scheme is being worked out for steadily

developing ecumenical formation, whether for teachers
or for those in pastoral ministry, there are some basic
principles to bear in mind. There should be:

• from the very start, a deepening of biblical and

doctrinal knowledge, together with a study of the
country’s history and its ecumenical situation;
• a study of the history of Christian divisions, and of the
effort to heal them;

27
 • a study of the doctrines of other Churches and
Communities in their historical context;
• a study of theological dialogues and studies in
common, with any clarification that has resulted.

This developing formation will lead those involved to

distinguish real differences of principle from matters of
legitimate diversity, and will prevent merely subjective
interpretations of other Christians’ belief and life, and
indeed of Catholic doctrine itself. As the formation
progresses, concern for the unity of the Catholic Church
and concern for communion with other Christians
should become two sides of the same coin, and quite
inseparable. (57)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the light of your own local situation put this list in order of
priority for action. Decide how you will go about getting it
started.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A. Formation of all the faithful

unity with The gift of unity that Our Lord prayed for on the night
Christ - the before his Passion is something of fundamental
Church - other importance for every member of the Church, imbued as
Christians each is with the Spirit of Christ.

• In the first place this unity is our union with Christ

himself - in one movement of love that, through Christ,
extends to the Father and to our neighbour;
• secondly, this unity is our communion with the whole

28
 Church world-wide - through being in communion
with the particular diocese we belong to;
• thirdly, this unity is the fullness of unity we seek with
all other Christians. (58)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What is the connection between your own personal growth

in holiness and Christian unity?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The means of formation

Hearing and studying the Word of God in the Bible

we are formed in Along with us, our fellow-Christians have a deep love
different ways and reverence for the holy scriptures; so if we study the
Bible lovingly and listen to it with attention, one and the
same Word of God will strengthen the path to unity. (59)

Preaching
The different parts of the liturgical year offer many
opportunities for preaching on themes connected with
unity. ‘Preaching should concern itself with revealing the
mystery of the unity of the Church, and, as far as
possible, promoting visibly the unity of Christians.’ (60)

Teaching the faith (catechesis)

Religious education (for the young and for adults) is a
crucial time for forming ecumenical attitudes. To ensure
that this happens, however:

• We must teach the whole of Catholic doctrine, firmly

and charitably, and remember that some doctrines are

29
 nearer the very heart of Christian revelation than
others (what is known as the ‘hierarchy of truths’).

• We must present the teaching and practices of other

Christian traditions correctly and honestly, recognising
that many very valuable elements of Christ’s Church
are found there, and that God uses these Churches and
Communities as means of salvation. This will help us to
see more clearly the truths we hold in common,
deepen our own Catholic faith and better appreciate
the faith of other Christians.

• Our religious education should arouse a real desire for

unity, and a resolve to purify ourselves humbly of
unnecessary obstacles that we might be putting in the way.

• We must make clear that a truth of faith can often be

expressed in more than one way - because this can help
ecumenical understanding and dialogue. (61)

Liturgy
The liturgy can make a positive contribution to the unity
of Christians, because the liturgy both celebrates unity
and furthers it. This is true above all of the Eucharist, so
it is vital that the Mass be celebrated well, to give the
faithful the best opportunity to be drawn into closer
unity with God and with each other. Liturgical prayer for
unity, such as the Votive Mass for Unity in the Missal, is
an important resource as well; so are the unity services
during the Week of Prayer in January or near Pentecost.
These can all help to form ecumenical attitudes. (62)

The spiritual life

‘Change of heart and holiness of life, along with public
and private prayer for the unity of Christians, should be

30
regarded as the soul of the whole ecumenical
movement’ (UR8). To live a genuine spiritual life is
already to share deeply in the ecumenical movement.

Catholics must learn to value the spiritual riches in other

Christian traditions. These include the scriptures, some
or all of the sacraments, the gifts of the Holy Spirit and
the key virtues of faith, hope and charity. There is the
mystical tradition of the Eastern Churches, their
monastic life (and that of the Anglicans); there are the
riches of Anglican worship and piety, evangelical
traditions of prayer and the forms of Protestant
spirituality. Catholics need to know all these much better
and, where appropriate, be enriched by taking part in
them. (63)

Other means of formation

Working together for the ‘social Gospel’, struggling
together for human rights and in the cause of peace,
sharing concern for the integrity of creation, are all
formative of an ecumenical attitude, especially when
there is joint reflection on the specifically Christian
reasons for doing this. (64)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From this list of means of ecumenical formation which one

do you think should come first?

Make a list in order of priority of what you could do in

practice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

31
 Where can formation flourish?

we are formed in These are some of the places where human and Christian
different places maturity, and the sense of companionship and
communion, can grow. They are also the seed-bed of a
welcoming ecumenical attitude: (65)

In the family
Vatican II called the family ‘the domestic church’. In the
family, day by day, unity is strengthened or weakened
according to the quality of its loving and communion
together. The ideal family is a community open to the
Church and to society, and a community where prejudice
is resisted.

Mixed marriages have a special responsibility here, as

they endeavour to live out their common baptism across
the divisions, and to be builders and examples of
Christian unity through the quality of their life together.
(66)

In the parish
The parish ‘should be, and proclaim itself to be, the
place of authentic ecumenical witness’. Through the
preaching and catechesis that goes on in the parish the
parishioners should be formed in the ecumenical spirit.
Someone in the parish needs to be given responsibility
for promoting and planning ecumenical activity, and
collaborating with the parishes and congregations of
other Christians. A parish, of course, should also witness
to the unity of the Church by the quality of its own
internal relationships, and the charity and mutual
respect between its members. (67)

32
In the school
Schools of all types should have an ecumenical
dimension to their RE syllabus. They should be training
young hearts and minds in openness to dialogue and in
the things that make for peace and good relationships.
At the relevant level, the school should teach young
people genuine ecumenism according to the doctrine of
the Catholic Church, and other subjects, such as history
or art, should be awake to ecumenical implications.
Teachers, therefore, need to be adequately informed
about the history and teaching of other Christian
traditions. (68)

In Catholic associations
These ought not to be inward-looking, but open to
consultation and the sharing of experience with similar
bodies in other traditions, and, where it would help,
eager to work with them. (69)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1.What have you discovered from this section?

2.What ideas do you see here for local initiatives?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

33
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ecumenism is everybody’s concern
Authentic ecumenical disposition
All need to be educated and formed
Growth through spirituality
Importance of the Bible
Importance of doctrine
Awareness of different methods of formation
Awareness of different places
Know your faith - know the faith of other Christians

In the light of the above and your consideration about

what action you will take as a result of this chapter,
what one thing will you do and when?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

B. Formation of those
in pastoral ministry
ORDAINED MINISTERS

candidates need ‘The candidate for the ministry needs to develop fully
to develop an those human qualities which make a person acceptable
ecumenical and credible among people, checking regularly his own
disposition language and capacity for dialogue, so as to acquire an
authentically ecumenical disposition.’ These qualities
apply to permanent deacons as well as to bishops and
priests. (70)

a) Doctrinal formation

part of the The ecumenical dimension in formation

Catholic Ecumenical activity has to be fully consonant with the
tradition faith the Catholic Church has always professed, yet open

34
 to dialogue and free from subjective interpretations of
either Catholic doctrine or that of other traditions.
Students can therefore be confident that the
unchanging dogmatic statements of the Church will
always convey the revealed truth if we interpret them
properly; yet they also need to learn the difference
between the revealed truth itself and the historically
conditioned ways of formulating it. They should
appreciate the difference between the fundamental
apostolic tradition and merely ecclesiastical traditions.
They should also recognise that there can be a perfectly
legitimate variation in theological language, so that
formulations can often be complementary, not
contradictory. The ‘hierarchy of truths’ (see 61) must
always be respected - ie. not all the truths we hold by
faith are equally central to the mystery revealed in
Christ. (73-75)

The ecumenical dimension in theological formation

common It is not merely a question of adding a course on
Christian ecumenism to the syllabus - each different subject
heritage should emphasise, where appropriate:

• our common Christian heritage of truth and holiness;

• the riches of spirituality, liturgy and doctrine proper to
other traditions;
• points of disagreement, which encourage deeper
exploration of the Word of God: this can help
distinguish real contradictions from only apparent
ones. (76)

The ecumenical dimension of individual theological subjects

ecumenism is Every subject on the theological syllabus should reveal a
part of the link with the mystery of the unity of the Church. A
whole syllabus comparative approach like that in paragraph 76 should

35
 lead to an awareness of the riches of whole Christian
tradition, and inspire fidelity to it. ‘When students
compare their own patrimony with the riches of the
other Christian traditions of east and west, whether in
their ancient or modern expression, they will become
more deeply conscious of this fullness.’ (77)

This is true of all the disciplines, right across the syllabus,

from scripture and the Fathers through to pastoral and
sociological studies: all of them can contribute to a
greater sense of the fullness of the Christian tradition.
(77-78)

A specific course on ecumenism

specific courses During seminary training there should be a compulsory
on ecumenism course on ecumenism. A general introduction should
come near the beginning of the curriculum, so that
students will be more alive to the ecumenical dimensions
of all that they study, and a full treatment towards the
end so that it can be integrated into their whole
theological formation.

The content will vary with circumstances, but topics such

as these would be important:

• the notion of ‘catholicity’ (the Church as world-wide

and all-embracing), and the Catholic understanding of
the visible and organic unity of the Church;
• the doctrinal basis and justification for ecumenical
activity - especially the real but incomplete communion
that already exists between Christians;
• the history of our divisions and of the efforts to heal
them - where we are at present;
• different forms and ‘models’ of unity;
• what the various Christian Churches and Communities

36
 are like today, their life and structure, their spirituality,
their doctrinal emphases, their forms of worship;
• spiritual ecumenism and prayer for unity;
• particular problems, such as shared worship, mixed
marriages, the role of the laity (especially women) in
the Church. (79-80)

It would, of course, be wise to invite lecturers and

experts from other communities, especially to deal with
the teaching and life of their own tradition. (81)

b) Ecumenical experience
experience as Ecumenical formation of students ought not to be
well as theory merely theoretical, but be related to the lived
experience of other traditions. Meetings, socialising,
discussion and dialogue could usefully be organised,
including meetings between students for the ministry.
Beyond this, authorities locally must make decisions
because circumstances vary so widely. (82)

NON-ORDAINED MINISTERS AND HELPERS

a) Doctrinal formation
ecumenical For lay catechists, teachers and other helpers, and in
education for all institutes of religious, pastoral and educational
- for catechists formation, the same type of programme and principles
and teachers would apply as for ordained ministers - but adapted to
the type of participant. (83)

- for religious There are also the religious communities of various

communities kinds. These too, in ways appropriate to them, need to
share in the ecumenical life of the Church. Ecumenical
formation should begin in the novitiate and continue
throughout the time of formation. Every subject should

37
 have an ecumenical dimension, and there should be a
specific course on ecumenism as well. Each religious
institute should have a specialist trained in ecumenism,
to be responsible for the ecumenical commitment of the
whole institute. (84)

b) Ecumenical experience
- for lay people Laity with ecumenical responsibilities should be
encouraged to develop contacts and exchanges with
other Christian Churches and Communities. For religious,
exchanges of information, or spiritual and even material
help, could be organised with the monasteries and
religious communities of other traditions. (85-86)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you are
• an ordained priest
• a deacon
• a seminarian or teach in a seminary
• a member of a religious order
• a catechist or in another lay ministry
what aspects of the above do you think you need to know
more about?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

38
 C. Specialised formation
The importance of formation for dialogue
Catholic universities, and other Catholic institutes of
higher education, have a key role in preparing people
who might later take part in official dialogue. Such
dialogue will need:

• sincere faith commitment (otherwise dialogue

becomes a mere academic exercise);
• a constant searching for new paths towards unity,
through greater fidelity to the Gospel and the
Christian faith;
• a conviction that official dialogue is not a private
conversation, but is on behalf of the whole Church, so
that it must be coherent with the Church’s teaching;
• a respect for the convictions of one’s dialogue-
partners, and a recognition that they can help us to
understand and explain their faith and life;
• a recognition that not everyone is equally qualified to
take part in such dialogue, since there are varying
degrees of education, maturity of mind and spiritual
progress. (87)

Ecclesiastical faculties of theology

Ecumenical questions should be studied in the first
degree course, and then again at the second degree
level, where specialised courses in ecumenism should be
offered. Naturally, the ecumenical dimension should be
present throughout the whole programme. (88)

Catholic universities
There should be an ecumenical dimension whenever the
subject calls for it. There can be ecumenical meetings
and conferences, ecumenical matters treated in

39
 university journals, the fostering of good relations
between Catholic and other Christian students, joint
prayer and retreats in line with the principles of shared
worship; and joint action in peace and justice issues. (89)

Specialised ecumenical institutes

There is a need, in every part of the Church, for institutes
where research and teaching on ecumenism are
conducted in co-operation with other Christians. These
provide an important resource for the ecumenical work
of the Church. (90)

[The meaning of this chapter on ecumenical formation is more fully

developed in a document of the Pontifical Council for Promoting
Christian Unity, The ecumenical dimension in the formation of those engaged in
pastoral work, March 1998 - see Briefing, vol 28 no 3, 19 March 1998.]

D. On-going formation
up-dating Both ordained and non-ordained ministers and workers
for the Church need frequent up-dating in ecumenical
affairs, because the scene is in constant development.
Bishops and religious superiors should give careful
attention to the systematic instruction of priests,
religious, deacons and laity on the current state of the
ecumenical movement. Ministers from other Churches
can be invited to explain their own traditions, and to
speak on pastoral issues which are so often common to
all. Local and regional meetings of clergy have the
potential to deepen relationships and enable problems
to be worked on together. The seminaries and other
theological institutions could offer opportunities for on-
going formation. The media, especially the religious
media, can provide a useful service by giving

40
information on recent developments. Joint spiritual
meetings and retreats, etc., give the opportunity to
reflect and pray together about unity, share spiritual
experience, and explore elements of spirituality which
are held in common, as well as those specific to a
particular tradition.

It is desirable that from time to time there be an

evaluation of the ecumenical life of the diocese,
religious community, etc. (91)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Different but similar formation for varying types of ministry

Open to dialogue - develop contacts
Ecumenical dimension to study ‘across the board’
Every subject should have an ecumenical dimension
Experience must go alongside theory

In the light of the above, what ecumenical formation,

or in-service training, do you think you need most urgently?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pass on this request/information to the appropriate person

in your diocese.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

41
 IV. Communion in life and
spiritual activity among
the baptised
This chapter looks at appropriate ways of sharing in
prayer and in sacramental and non-sacramental
worship. It does this under three sections:
A.The sacrament of baptism
B. Sharing spiritual activities and resources
C. Mixed marriages

A.The sacrament of baptism

baptism is a By baptism a person is truly incorporated into Christ and
beginning into his Church, and is reborn to a sharing of the divine
life: so baptism is the sacramental bond of unity among
all who have received it. But baptism is only a beginning,
for it is directed towards acquiring the fullness of life in
Christ, and should lead to a complete profession of faith,
a complete incorporation into Christ’s system of
salvation, and to Eucharistic communion. (92)

how baptism is Baptism must be conferred:

conferred • with water
• with a formula clearly indicating that it is done in the
name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

It is essential that all Christian traditions celebrate

baptism in this way, and that they agree as closely as
possible about its significance and what is necessary for
a valid baptism. There needs to be a dialogue between
them, so as to reach a common understanding of the
sacrament, a mutual recognition, and agreed procedures
in cases of doubt. (93/94)

42
 In reaching such common understanding, the Catholic
tradition would want to say:

1. Baptism by immersion or by pouring, together with

the Trinitarian formula, is of itself valid, so if a given
tradition’s liturgical books prescribe either of these
methods the baptism must be considered valid - unless,
in a particular instance, there are serious grounds for
doubting that the minister has followed the ritual.

2. The minister’s insufficient faith does not invalidate a

baptism, as long as he/she intended to do what the
Church does. This intention is presumed, unless there
are serious grounds for doubting it.

3. Doubts sometimes arise on how the water was used,

or whether it was used at all. The practice of merely
sprinkling, especially over several candidates at once,
can easily lead to doubts about validity. The normal
practice of the tradition concerned should be
investigated before a judgement is made. (95)

Catholics may join with other Christians in

commemorating the baptism which unites them, and in
renewing their baptismal promises. (96)

common baptism Although baptism incorporates a person into Christ and

but into one his one Church, in practice this can only be into a given
particular Church or Ecclesial Community. Accordingly, baptism
church cannot be conferred by two ministers of different
traditions. It is perfectly in order, though with the
bishop’s permission:

• for the minister of another tradition to read a lesson,

offer a prayer, etc., at a Catholic baptism;

43
 • for a Catholic minister to do the same at a baptism in
another tradition, if invited, provided that the
celebration does not conflict with Catholic principles or
discipline. (97)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Even though we hold a common baptism, why does the

Catholic Church say we cannot be a full member of two
Churches?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

godparents - Godparents, in the strict canonical sense, should be

who and why members of the same tradition as that of the baptism.
They are there not only for the candidate’s Christian
education, but to represent a faith community and to
guarantee the candidate’s faith and desire for
membership. However, because of the closeness of faith
between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox,
a suitable Orthodox Christian may be a godparent, for a
good reason, at a Catholic baptism as long as the other
godparent is a Catholic and the candidate’s Catholic
education is provided for. Equally, a Catholic may be a
godparent at an Orthodox baptism, if invited.

Because of our common baptism, and ties of blood and

friendship, a member of another [ie. non-Eastern Orthodox]
Christian tradition may be a witness [not technically a
godparent] at a Catholic baptism, as long as there is a
Catholic godparent as well. Equally, a Catholic may be a
witness at a baptism in another tradition. (98)

44
 is a previous All Christians have the right to be received into full
baptism valid? communion with the Catholic Church, if in conscience
they ask for it. In some circumstances it may then be
necessary to ascertain the validity of their previous
baptism. This is the procedure:

1. For Eastern Christians, their rite of baptism is certainly

valid, so all that is needed is to establish the fact of
the baptism. This would also cover confirmation,
because (even if it is not mentioned on the certificate)
in the Eastern tradition confirmation is administered
with baptism.

2. For other Christians, if there has been an agreement

on baptism with their Church or Community, all that is
needed is to ascertain that baptism was celebrated
according to that agreement. If an official certificate
has been given there is no reason to doubt the
validity, unless in a particular case there are serious
reasons to do so. If there has been no agreement with
the tradition in question, that should still not
automatically lead to doubt.

3. If, after investigation, doubt persists, the Catholic

minister will baptise conditionally, explaining what he
is doing and why he is doing it. Such a baptism should
be celebrated in private.

4. Bishops’ Conferences should issue guidelines for the

reception of baptised Christians, taking into account
that they are not catechumens, and may already have
considerable knowledge and experience of the
Christian faith. (99-101)

45
distinguishing If baptised Christians are received at the Easter Vigil,
baptised and there should be a clear distinction between them and
non-baptised those who are to be baptised. (100)

confirmation Regarding the sacrament of confirmation, there has

before been no agreement so far with the Reformation
communion traditions, so Christians who are received from these
traditions should be confirmed in the Catholic Church
before they take their first Holy Communion. (101)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. How do you welcome people from other Christian

traditions into your local situation?

2.What have you learnt from the above section?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

B. Sharing spiritual activities

and resources
principles for Appropriate sharing is much to be encouraged, and
sharing includes such things as prayer, liturgical worship and the
use of sacred things and places. There is a two-fold
principle at work here:

1. We are already in real communion with all the

baptised. The gifts which Catholic faith believes to be
bestowed in fullness upon the Catholic faith (ie. the
whole of revealed truth and all the means of
salvation) exist in varying ways outside the Catholic
Church’s visible boundaries. Churches and

46
 Communities not in full communion with us have
significance and value in the mystery of salvation,
because the Spirit of Christ uses them as means of
salvation. So in varying ways their celebrations ‘are
able to nourish the life of grace ... and provide access
to the communion of salvation’ (UR3-4). This real
communion between us can be expressed in shared
prayer and liturgy.

2. We are not yet in full communion, because of

differences of faith and understanding. Unrestricted
spiritual sharing would be incompatible with this.

So rules are needed to allow for sharing which is

appropriate to the different traditions.

(Note: Catholic priests are not permitted to concelebrate the Eucharist

with ministers of any other tradition, because concelebration is a visible
expression of full communion in faith, worship and community life.)

consult There needs to be give and take (‘reciprocity’) about this

sharing, because good will and charity are at the heart of
it. There needs to be consultation between the authorities
concerned to see how this can best work. (102-106)

‘Catholics ought to show a sincere respect for the

liturgical and sacramental discipline of other Churches
and Ecclesial Communities and these in their turn are
asked to show the same respect for Catholic discipline.
One of the objectives of the consultation mentioned
above should be a greater mutual understanding of
each other’s discipline and even an agreement on how
to manage a situation in which the discipline of one
Church calls into question or conflicts with the discipline
of another.’ (107)

47
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What do paragraphs 102-107 mean in practice in your area?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Prayer in common
make the effort Catholics should be positively encouraged to pray with
to pray with their fellow Christians. Such prayer in common is already
others a step towards unity. There are all kinds of needs we
should pray for together: eg. for peace, for the family,
for social concerns. It is right to pray together in times of
crisis or thanksgiving, or when we are remembering
those who have died for our country.

practical ideas Prayer in common is most appropriate of all when we

are praying for unity itself, such as during the Week of
Prayer for Christian Unity. In planning unity services,
representatives of all the traditions can get together,
making use of their common heritage of hymns and
prayers, but also of the riches belonging to the
individual Churches. The venue can be either a church of
one of the participants, or some other suitable place.
The form of dress for those leading the service should be
agreed beforehand. (108-113)

other ways Other forms of spiritual sharing include days of

recollection, retreats, and joint study of the various
spiritual traditions. There may also be permanent
associations for a deeper spiritual searching; but
valuable though these are, our real differences of
doctrine must not be forgotten, nor the Catholic
Church’s teaching about sacramental sharing. (114)

48
on Sundays? The celebration of the Eucharist on the Lord’s Day is the
foundation and centre of the whole liturgical year, that
is why Catholics are obliged to attend Mass on that day.
For that reason, it is better not to hold ecumenical
services on Sundays, because Catholics would still have
to go to Mass. (115)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. How do you celebrate the Week of Prayer for Christian
Unity in your area?

2.What from these four sections could you do?

3. Does paragraph 115 cause difficulties locally? If so, how

could these be tackled?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sharing in non-sacramental liturgical worship

unity services By ‘liturgical worship’ we mean worship according to the
books and customs of a particular Church or Community,
presided over by a minister or delegate of that tradition.
The non-sacramental liturgy of a particular tradition will
often be preferred to a specially constructed unity
service. Catholics are encouraged to take part in these. In
Catholic services of this kind (eg. Evening Prayer) other
ministers may have the place and liturgical courtesies
proper to their rank, and Catholic ministers may accept a
similar invitation in the services of other traditions. (116-
119)

funerals If their own minister is unavailable, Christians from

another tradition may be given a Catholic funeral, unless
it was clearly against their will. (120)

49
 praying for There can be prayers for other Christians, living or dead,
others during a Catholic liturgy, sacramental or non-
sacramental (eg. the Intercessions at Mass); but it is an
ancient tradition that during the Eucharistic Prayer only
those in full communion with the Catholic Church are
mentioned by name. (121)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Write a bidding prayer for next Sunday with ecumenism in
mind. Whom would you include and why? (You might also
like to include something in the parish newsletter or
bulletin.)

It has been suggested that local congregations regularly pray

for one another’s particular needs during Sunday worship.
Does this happen in your area? Could the practice be
introduced?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sharing in sacramental liturgical worship -

especially the Eucharist

a) Sharing with members of the Eastern Churches.

respect the There is a very close communion in matters of faith
discipline between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Churches.
They possess true sacraments: above all, the priesthood
and the Eucharist. This encourages liturgical sharing -
even of the Eucharist - in the right circumstances. But the
Eastern Churches may well have a stricter discipline,
which we must respect. (122)

how to approach A Catholic may ask the minister of an Eastern Church for
an eastern church the sacraments of penance, Eucharist and anointing of

50
 the sick, if there would be a genuine spiritual advantage
and if a Catholic minister is only available with great
difficulty. Indifferentism and the danger of error must be
avoided. The Eastern discipline must be observed as far
as possible regarding frequency, confession before
Communion, and the Eucharistic fast. If the particular
Eastern Church restricts Communion to its own
members, a Catholic should not attempt to receive it.
(123-4)

who can do what Catholic ministers may give the sacraments of penance,
Eucharist and anointing of the sick to Eastern Christians,
if they freely ask for them and are properly disposed.
There should be due consideration of the Eastern
discipline, and no suggestion of proselytising. (125)

Catholics may read the lessons at Eastern sacramental

liturgies and an Eastern Christian may do the same at
Catholic sacraments. (126)

A Catholic minister may take part in an Eastern Church

wedding, if invited, and a Catholic may be bridesmaid or
best man. Equally, an Eastern Christian may be
bridesmaid or best man at a Catholic wedding. (The
general discipline of both Churches about taking part in
such weddings must be observed, of course.) (127-8)

b) Sharing in sacramental life with Christians of other

Churches and Communities
principles There are two principles here that need to be kept in
mind, and never separated:

1. A sacrament is an action of Christ and of his Body the

Church. When a given community celebrates a
sacrament it is both a sign and a source of that

51
 community’s unity in faith, worship and community
life. So, for instance, Eucharistic Communion is
inseparably linked to ‘ecclesial’ communion (ie. the
Church-fellowship.)

2. At the same time, baptism does bring members of

other traditions into a real (though incomplete)
‘ecclesial’ communion with the Catholic Church, and
baptism of its very nature is the beginning of a
process. It is directed towards acquiring the fullness of
life in Christ, and finally to full Eucharistic
Communion, which is the food that unites us more
and more deeply to Christ and his saving work.

In the light of these two principles, taken together, the

Catholic Church normally restricts Holy Communion,
penance and anointing of the sick to her own members.
But exceptionally the same two principles enable the
Church to permit (and even commend) access to these
sacraments to other Christians in certain circumstances
of grave and pressing need. (129)

practical What are these circumstances?

applications
1. Danger of death - in danger of death, Catholic
ministers may give these sacraments to baptised
Christians of other traditions, provided that:

• their own minister is unavailable;

• they ask of their own accord;
• they manifest Catholic faith in the sacrament they desire;
• they are properly disposed.

2. Other circumstances of ‘grave and pressing need’ -

each diocesan bishop is strongly recommended to

52
 issue rules for judging other circumstances of grave
need, and for verifying the conditions in paragraph 1
above. [The bishops of Britain and Ireland have done so, in their
teaching document One Bread One Body, 1998, paras 95-117.] He
should first take into account any rules the Bishops’
Conference has issued, and consult with the other
Churches and Communities of his own diocese.
Catholic ministers will judge individual situations
according to these rules, where they exist. Otherwise,
they should judge according to the rules of this
Directory. (130-1)

If Catholics are in grave need under the conditions listed

above, they may only ask for these sacraments from a
minister of a Church whose sacraments are valid in the
eyes of the Catholic Church, or from someone who [ie. as
an individual] is known to be validly ordained. (132)

The scripture lessons at a Catholic Eucharist should be

read by a Catholic, but for a good reason the bishop may
allow another Christian to do so. But a homily which is
part of the liturgy itself is reserved to the priest or
deacon, because it is the presentation of Christian faith
and morals in accordance with Catholic teaching. (133-4)

At weddings, other Christians may be the chief

bridesmaid or best man, and Catholics may do the same
at weddings in other traditions. (136)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Not being able to share fully in the Eucharist causes pain to

all concerned.What can we do to help lessen it?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

53
 Sharing other spiritual resources
buildings Catholic churches are normally reserved for Catholic
worship, but if other Christians do not have a place of
their own, or lack the liturgical objects, the bishop may
allow the use of both. They may also, with permission,
make use of Catholic cemeteries. (137)

shared ownership Where ecumenical relations are good, and financial and
pastoral considerations seem to suggest it, serious
thought could be given to the shared ownership of
church premises, or shared use over a longer period. In
these cases, consideration needs to be given to the
reservation of the Blessed Sacrament, in view both of
Catholic theology and the respect required, and of
ecumenical sensitivity. There will need to be agreement
about how the various disciplines are going to be
observed, and a written agreement regarding financial
matters and anything arising from civil or ecclesiastical
law. (138-40)

schools In Catholic schools there must be respect for the faith

and conscience of pupils and teachers from other
traditions. Their clergy should be free to give spiritual
and sacramental care to their own faithful. With the
bishop’s permission this can include the use of the school
chapel. (141)

hospitals and Catholic hospitals and homes for the elderly should
homes promptly inform the appropriate ministers of the
presence of their members. They should offer every
facility for dignified spiritual care, including the use of
the chapel. (142)

54
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What possibilities do these paragraphs suggest for local

ecumenical action in your area?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

C. Mixed marriages
‘Mixed marriage’ here means any marriage between a
Catholic and a baptised Christian not in full communion
with the Catholic Church. (143)

difficulties The Church’s first concern is to uphold the indissoluble

bond of marriage and the family life that flows from it.
This is easier to achieve when both partners belong to
the same Christian faith community; mixed marriages
often give rise to difficulties regarding Christian
commitment and family harmony. In principle, then,
marriage between people of the same tradition is the
thing to be encouraged. (144)

values At the same time, the number of mixed marriages has

grown, and even though they have their difficulties they
have very valuable aspects too, and they can make a real
contribution to the ecumenical movement. This is
particularly the case when both partners are faithful to
their religious duties. (145)

support and The Church and especially her ministers and their
encourage assistants have a special responsibility for instructing and
supporting Catholics in mixed marriages, to help them
live their faith. They must also care for the couple as
such, in marriage preparation, in the wedding itself, and

55
 in the married life afterwards. Bishops could usefully
draw up guidelines for this pastoral care. (146)

If possible, this pastoral care should be carried out jointly

with the minister of the other tradition. (147)

preparation During marriage preparation, there should be great

emphasis on the positive riches the couple share as
Christians, and they should be encouraged to foster all
that can lead to unity. Yet they also need to be faithful
to their own commitment, and not ‘paper over’ real
differences. They would be advised to learn about their
partner’s personal religious convictions, as well as those
of his/her Church or Community. They should recognise
the fundamental importance of praying together as a
means of spiritual harmony and the usefulness of
reading the scriptures together. (148-9)

what about the The couple have to be instructed on the essential

children? purposes and nature of marriage, and they must not
exclude these. The Catholic partner will be asked to
affirm that he/she is prepared to avoid the dangers of
abandoning the Catholic faith, and to do all in his/her
power to have their children baptised and brought up in
the Catholic Church. The partner from the other
tradition must be told of the Catholic’s responsibilities,
but no formal promise is required of him/her. Indeed,
this partner may feel a similar but opposite obligation.

They should be invited to discuss the Catholic baptism

and upbringing of the children, and if possible come to
a decision on the matter, before they marry. An explicit
refusal by the non-Catholic partner will be one factor to
be considered - among others - when the bishop or his
delegate decides on a dispensation. (150)

56
 The Catholic parent must do his/her duty of passing on
the Catholic faith to the children, but with a proper
respect for the other parent’s conscience and regard for
the stability of the family and the marriage. If, in spite of
his/her best efforts, the children are not baptised and
brought up as Catholics, the Catholic must still share the
Catholic faith in other ways, by contributing to the
Christian atmosphere of the home, by being well
informed about Catholicism and ready to explain it, and
by praying with the family for Christian unity. (151)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1.What questions, or areas, arising from this section need to

be raised as people prepare for marriage?

2. How can we support people in mixed marriages?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Invite a local member of the Association for Inter-Church

Families to meet with you or talk to the appropriate people
in your parish.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

between Although doctrinal differences prevent full communion

Catholics and with the Eastern Churches, there is in both traditions a
Eastern sound and consistent teaching of the faith, and the
Christians presence of true sacraments. So in the pastoral care of
marriages between Catholics and Eastern Christians
those in either Church can be assured that the children
will, in any case, be nourished by the sacramental

57
 mysteries of Christ. Family prayer can be enriched by the
diversity of liturgy and devotion that will be available to
them. (152)

unlawful but A Catholic is obliged to marry before a Catholic priest or

valid deacon, plus two other witnesses. This obligation is
called ‘canonical form’. If a Catholic marries in an Eastern
Orthodox Church without a dispensation from ‘canonical
form’, he/she acts unlawfully, but the marriage is valid.
But if a Catholic marries in any other tradition without
dispensation, the marriage is invalid, as well as unlawful.
(153)

the wedding The bishop may dispense the Catholic from this for a
serious reason, eg. to preserve family harmony. But the
marriage must still be public in nature, and the exchange
of consent must be expressed once only, at one religious
service where one presiding person receives the
marriage vows.

The bishop may permit a Catholic priest or deacon to

attend such a wedding, and they may accept the
presiding person’s invitation to offer prayers, read from
the scriptures, give a brief address, and bless the couple.
Similarly, at a Catholic wedding, the bishop may permit
the presiding priest or deacon to extend the same
invitation to a minister of the other tradition. (154-8)

A mixed marriage normally takes place outside Mass,

because of problems with Eucharistic sharing for
witnesses and guests, though for a good reason the
bishop may permit a Nuptial Mass. In this case, the
decision on giving Holy Communion to the non-Catholic
spouse must be governed by the rules explained earlier,

58
 bearing in mind that two baptised Christians celebrating
the sacrament of marriage are in a very special situation.
(159)

inter- Even though the husband and wife in a mixed marriage

communion? share two sacraments - baptism and marriage - in their
married life Eucharistic sharing can only be exceptional.
The rules about sharing outlined earlier must be
observed. (160)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Common baptism
Membership
Real but partial communion
Prayer in common
Prayer for each other
Appropriate and specific circumstances
Support for mixed marriages

What have you discovered from this chapter?

Will you be taking any action?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

59
 V. Ecumenical co-operation -
dialogue - common witness
This chapter looks at the practical aspects of working,
talking and sharing together.

do everything When Christians live and pray together as in chapter IV,

together which is they are witnessing to the faith they share, to their
allowable baptism and to their fellowship of life and gifts. But
there are many other forms of ecumenical co-operation
that express and promote this fellowship, and enhance
the witness to the Gospel’s saving power before a world
in need of Christ. The contribution Christians can make
to all the areas of life where the need of salvation is
manifested will be more effective when they make it
together, and are seen to be doing so. Hence they will
want to do everything together that is allowed by their
faith.

We are limited in what we can do by divergence in

teaching, by wounded memories and by a long history of
separation - but co-operation can help overcome these
barriers and it can reveal what already unites us. (161-2)

The form or structure that ecumenical co-operation can

take varies a great deal, of course, from the short-term
‘one-off’ meeting to permanent councils and
committees. We turn to the latter now. (163-5)

Councils of Churches and Christian Councils

getting together Councils of Churches [and, in the four nations of Britain and Ireland,
‘Churches Together’] consist precisely of those: Churches and
‘Ecclesial Communities’. Christian Councils have a wider
membership. The purpose of both is to facilitate

60
 dialogue, common work and witness, the overcoming of
misunderstanding, and prayer. The only authority they
have is that accorded to them by their constituent
bodies. Since these Councils are an important form of co-
operation it is a welcome development that the Catholic
Church is increasing its contacts with them. (166-7)

The decision to join a Council, and the oversight of

Catholic participation in it, is the responsibility of the
bishop or bishops of the territory in question. While
bishops are considering whether to join they should be
in touch with the Pontifical Council for Promoting
Christian Unity. (168)

not churches in Before deciding to join a Council, bishops need to be

themselves sure that their membership of it will not blur the unique
and specific identity of the Catholic Church, and that it is
compatible with the Catholic Church’s understanding of
itself. Councils are not, and must not try to become,
Churches in themselves. The voting system, the decision-
making process, the manner of making public
statements and the degree of authority attributed to
such statements, together with the system of
representation, all need to be clearly settled before
Catholic membership is decided on. (169)

Catholic membership of these Councils is quite distinct

from the relationship between the Catholic Church and
the World Council of Churches. The latter does not have
authority over these Councils. (170)

a serious Deciding to join is to take on a serious responsibility, and

responsibility the Catholic Church needs to be represented by well-
qualified and committed people. (171)

61
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1.What is the name of your local ‘Churches Together’ (or
Council of Churches) or equivalent?

2.What does it do?

3.Who are its members?

4. How involved is your church?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ecumenical dialogue
openness is Dialogue necessitates openness about oneself, and trust
necessary in what others say about themselves. It is a listening and
a questioning, and a readiness to be questioned. One
must be ready to clarify one’s views further, and to
modify one’s personal views and behaviour. It enables
the participants to identify the areas where they are in
accord and where they differ. They try to discover the
roots of these differences, and then assess whether they
are really obstacles to a common faith. When they are
real obstacles, they try to overcome them in the light of
the faith they already hold in common. (172)

types of dialogue Local dialogue can range from the most informal and
every-day conversation, to organised discussions among
various classes of people (professional people, clergy,
theologians, etc.). Then there are formal dialogues
between representatives specifically appointed by the
Churches. Before the results of the formal dialogues can
engage the Church officially, the authority appointing
the representatives must give its approval. Catholics who
take part need to be well informed about their faith,
and careful to represent the Church faithfully. (173-5)

62
remember the As Vatican II says (UR11), the manner and order in which
hierarchy of Catholic truth is expressed should not be obstacles to
truths agreement, though of course the Catholic position must
be presented clearly and fully. But it does need to be in
words and ways that our dialogue-partners can
understand. Catholics in dialogue must remember the
‘hierarchy of truths’: while all revealed truth demands
the same acceptance of faith, some truths are nearer
than others to the foundations of the Christian message.
(176)

The report of a dialogue commission will have intrinsic

weight because of the competence of its authors, but it
will not be binding on the Catholic Church until the
authorities of the Church have approved it. (177-8)

results of The members of the People of God must, at their various

dialogue to be levels, be involved in the process of judging an Agreed
communicated Report, and thus exercise the ‘sensus fidei’ (the God-
and received given grasp of the faith). So every effort must be made
to bring the results of dialogues to the attention of all
Church members, together with the necessary
explanations. It is to be hoped that every Church or
Community involved in the dialogue will do the same -
and indeed other traditions too. Not just the doctrine of
faith, but the life and prayer of faith must enter into the
process of ‘reception’, by which the whole Church makes
its own the results of dialogue, in a process of listening,
testing, judging and living. (179-180)

If an Agreed Statement is expressing the faith in a new

(or newly discovered) way, this can enrich the Church. As
Vatican II taught (UR6), the revealed truth itself is one
thing, and the particular way it has been formulated is
another. It is useful, though, that this new language

63
 should avoid ambiguity [‘fudge’], especially when seeking
agreement on points that were traditionally
controversial. (181)

Faculties of theology have an important part to play in

the process of reception - and the final judgement must
be made by the Church’s teaching authority. (182)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1.What makes for good dialogue?

2.What principles would you lay down for dialogue?

3.What do you know about the Agreed Statements already

produced (eg. those with the Anglicans and with the
Methodists)?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Common Bible work

the scriptures - Veneration of the scriptures is a fundamental bond of
a fundamental unity between Christians. If Christians read the Word of
bond God, and do so together, it will strengthen this bond of
unity and enable them to be more open to the unifying
action of God. Everything should be done to encourage
this joint Bible study. Work together in producing
suitable editions of the Bible would be a great help here
- and a witness in itself. (183)

study together Catholics should share in this study of the scriptures, all
and discover new the way from local parish-groups to professional biblical
things scholars. This combined work can reveal how our
different doctrinal positions, and our different
approaches to the Bible itself, can lead to different

64
 interpretations of the Bible text. At the same time,
Catholics will certainly learn from the experience and
the traditions of the different Churches. They will see
certain passages in a new light, and discover God’s Word
anew. They will experience with joy the unifying power
of God’s Word, and will be encouraged, together with
their fellow Christians, to find its meaning in relation to
the world of today. (184-6)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You have been asked to organise a Bible study on ‘common
witness’. What text would you choose and how would you
organise the session?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Common liturgical texts

agree common Christians in the same cultural area should agree a
liturgical common version of at least the most important prayers,
resources psalms and scripture readings. A common collection of
hymns, and co-operation in producing liturgical music,
would be desirable as well. (187)

Co-operation in catechesis
co-operation in Co-operation in catechesis can certainly enrich the
catechesis where Catholic Church’s own life, and that of the other
possible traditions. It is also a valuable form of common witness
to the Gospel. All the same, collaboration in this field
can only be limited: there are differences between us,
and sometimes profound ones. In any case, catechesis is
not just about teaching doctrine; it is about initiating
someone into the whole Christian life, with a full sharing
in the sacraments of the Church. (188)

65
 Co-operation in institutes of higher studies
principles for Co-operation in theology and related disciplines
co-operation at contributes to research, enriches theological education,
higher and strengthens the ecumenical formation of clergy and
educational level other pastoral workers. It also enables Christians to
address together the intellectual challenges of the day.
(191)

In the first stages of theological education, students are

still receiving their basic formation in the faith and
tradition of their own Church. For Catholics, the teachers
of these first-level doctrinal courses, including the
introductory course on ecumenism (see paragraphs 79-
80), should be Catholics themselves. Nevertheless, there
can be ecumenical co-operation in other ways, even at
this level. Catholic students could, for instance, attend
courses at the theological colleges of other Churches and
Communities, bearing in mind the usefulness to them of
the course in question, the quality and ecumenical
attitude of the teacher, and the maturity of the students.
(192-4)

After the basic theological formation is complete, and at

second and third degree level, visiting lecturers from
other traditions could well be invited to give courses on
the doctrinal positions of the Churches and Communities
they represent. Catholic lecturers could well be invited
to reciprocate. Much of this would depend on the
maturity of ecumenical relations in the country
concerned. (195)

At levels beyond this (ie. theological lecturers, etc.) a

much wider field of ecumenical collaboration is possible.
Here we are talking about theological specialists sharing
their research, and a sharing of libraries, premises and

66
 other resources. There are in some countries Catholic
institutes specifically geared to ecumenical theology and
practice - all the better if they can co-operate with
similar institutes of other traditions, and have members
of other traditions on their staff. Elsewhere, there are
institutes that are ecumenically run, for specific purposes
such as relations with other faiths, or the scriptures, or
indeed the whole field of ecumenism. (196-202)

Pastoral co-operation in special situations

collaboration in Ecumenical collaboration can be very effective in the
particular pastoral care of hospitals, prisons, the armed forces,
situations - universities, industry and the world of the media.
hospitals, etc. Catholics working in such ecumenical chaplaincies need
to co-ordinate with the pastoral structures of their local
Church, and respect the Catholic Church’s ecumenical
norms especially regarding sacraments and worship.
(204)

Co-operation in missionary activity

co-operate in All ecumenical collaboration is a missionary witness, of
mission its nature, but we can give ecumenical witness in the
work of evangelisation itself. We can co-operate in
mission because of our common baptism and the
heritage of faith that we share. Catholics would want all
who are called to Christian faith to join with them in
that fullness of communion they believe to exist in the
Catholic Church, yet we must still rejoice at the work of
God’s grace when other Churches and Communities
draw people to faith and baptism. (205-6)

do not ‘spread’ As long as the evangelising work of other Churches and

our divisions to Communities is not sectarian or anti-Catholic, Catholics
new areas can join in supporting the missionary work of all the
traditions together. In the case of missions outside

67
 Europe there must be every effort not to transplant to
new areas the human and cultural factors in our original
European divisions. Where it is necessary to make clear
the points of faith or morals where we differ, it must be
done with mutual respect and love. We should nourish
new converts in the ecumenical spirit, but avoid
indifferentism or confusion. (207)

mission together It is certainly necessary to co-operate in the mission to

at home the post-Christian people of our own secularised world.
Our common witness to central Gospel truths can be a
powerful invitation to a renewed interest in Christianity.
We should be studying together the phenomena of
atheism, materialism and secularisation, and the ways of
relating the Gospel to our multi-cultural world. (208-9)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. If we are to engage in united witness what are the central
Gospel truths we would want to proclaim?

2. Have you any experience of witnessing to the Christian

faith together with members of other Christian traditions?
If so, what was good about it? If not, what could be done in
your area?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Co-operation in the dialogue with other religions

dialogue with Ecumenical contact with our fellow Christians, with the
non-Christians aim of Christian unity, differs radically from dialogue
together with the other religions. [The word ‘ecumenism’ refers to the
search for unity between Christians: the search for closer understanding
between Christianity and other world religions is called ‘inter-religious’
or ‘inter-faith’ dialogue.] Yet our contact with these other

68
 religions influences, and is influenced by, our ecumenical
relations. Dialogue with other religions is something we
Christians should be doing together. This is particularly
true of Christian/Jewish relations, where we can all
struggle with them against anti-Semitism and
fanaticism. Christians as a whole can collaborate with
other religions in promoting, for religious reasons,
family life, respect for minorities, peace and justice. (210)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the light of this paragraph what should you be doing in

your area?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Collaboration in social and cultural life

together for Christians need to collaborate in promoting the dignity
justice and peace of the human person, the blessings of peace and a
Christian spirit in science and the arts. They need to
collaborate in the struggle against famine, illiteracy and
poverty, and the unequal distribution of wealth. But all
this collaboration has to go alongside the other forms of
ecumenism mentioned earlier, especially prayer.
Otherwise the efforts become a sectional interest and an
ideology, and an obstacle to unity. (211-12) Here are a
few specific examples of collaboration. They are not
exhaustive: (213)

a) Common study of social and ethical questions

Groups could be set up to witness to basic Christian and
human values - i.e. ‘Christian humanism’. They could
study, eg. the meaning of human work, the value of life,

69
religious liberty, and the forces that threaten such
things, such as poverty, racism, consumerism, terrorism.
The tradition of Catholic social teaching has a valuable
contribution to make here. (214)

b) Co-operation in the issues of human need,

development and the stewardship of creation
Development is a response to need, but development
must show good stewardship. Catholics must play their
part in the study and combating of things threatening
the integrity of creation, such as uncontrolled
industrialisation. The whole area of development should
be ecumenically addressed at all levels, such as
promoting the dignity of women, peace, and a more just
society. In global emergencies the Catholic Church
encourages the pooling of resources and co-operation
with all the relevant agencies, Christian and otherwise.
(215)

c) Co-operation in the field of medicine

In poorer parts of the world, ecumenical collaboration in
providing health care is essential. There is also the field
of medical ethics - both a challenge and an opportunity
in ecumenical work. Identifying human and Christian
values is particularly vital here, when research is
developing so rapidly, eg. in genetics. The Catholic
Church’s doctrinal stand has to be made clear, and the
difficulties this creates for ecumenical co-operation have
to be honestly faced. (216)

d) Co-operation in the media

Co-operation is needed to infuse Christian principles into
the media industry, and to educate Christians in the
critical use of the media.

70
There can be joint advisory bodies, joint TV and radio
programmes, joint educational projects and professional
training. There could be common use of satellites and
cable TV networks. The formation of Catholic
communicators should include a significant ecumenical
preparation. The opportunities for co-operation are
enormous! (217-8)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Co-operation
Dialogue between Christians
Receiving from other traditions
Common work/witness/study
Role of Churches Together
Inter-faith dialogue

What have you discovered from this chapter?

In the light of this chapter,

what other examples of collaboration
do you think are possible (expecially locally)?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And finally ....

What will you do about ecumenism now?

71
 Further reading
Below are some suggestions for further reading and
study, compiled by the Committee for Christian Unity.

Church documents
Second Vatican Council documents of particular interest
are the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen
Gentium, and the Decree on Ecumenism, Unitatis
Redintegratio. These can be found, along with the rest
of the Council documents, in A Flannery (ed.), Vatican
Council II volume 1 (Dominican Publications 1996).

The Search for Christian Unity is based on the 1993

Directory for the Application of the Principles and Norms
of Ecumenism which remains the definitive text for
further study. It is published in the UK by the Catholic
Truth Society (CTS).

Essential reading for anyone involved in ecumenism is

Pope John Paul’s 1995 encyclical Ut Unum Sint. It is
available from the CTS.

The issue of sacramental sharing, especially in regard to

the Eucharist, is the subject of the 1998 teaching
document of the bishops of England, Wales, Ireland and
Scotland, One Bread One Body. This is also available
from CTS.

Dialogue statements
The process of dialogue - bilateral and multilateral - has
resulted in a large number of agreed statements and
reports of one sort or another - far too many to list here.
However, there are a number of collections available:

72
H Meyer & L Vischer (eds.), Growth in Agreement:
Reports and Agreed Statements of Ecumenical
Conversations on a World Level (Paulist Press 1984)
includes the ARCIC I documents and the Lima Report
‘Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry’.

J Gross, Growth in Agreement II: Reports and Agreed

Statements of Ecumenical Conversations on a World
Level 1982-1998 (Eerdmans 2000), picks up where the
previous volume left off.

W G Rusch & J Gross, Deepening Communion:

International Ecumenical Documents with Roman
Catholic Participation (Paulist Press 1998), fills in some
gaps in the other volumes.

Theological works
It is somewhat risky to identify a couple of useful books.
However, when reflecting on issues of church and
ecumenism many teachers find the following titles
useful to their students:

A Dulles, Models of Church, Expanded Edition (Image

Books, 1987)

F Sullivan, The Church We Believe in: One Holy Catholic

and Apostolic (Paulist Press, 1988)

Internet
A great way to find out about another denomination is
to access their web sites - all major denominations have
them and the best way to find them is to use a search
engine. For ecumenical resources, including links to
many documents, the Centro Pro Unione site is
invaluable. It can be found at www.prounione.urbe.it .

73
 Index

Agreed statement 63
Anglicans 31
Anointing of the sick 50, 52
Anti-Semitism 69
Apostolic ministry 16
Apostolic tradition 14, 35
Atheism 68
Authority 61
Baptism 14, 42, 45, 56
Bible 27, 29, 64
Bishop 16, 18, 34, 40, 52, 53
Bishops’ Conference 22, 23, 53
Catechesis 29, 32, 65
Catholic associations 33
Catholic churches 54
Catholic hospitals 54
Catholic schools 54
Catholic social teaching 70
Catholic universities 39
Catholicity 36
Chaplaincy 67
Christian council 60
Churches 8
Clergy 19, 20, 27, 40
Code of Canon Law 7
Common witness 68
Communion (koinonia) 11, 28, 36, 45, 46, 52
Community 32
Confession 51
Confirmation 45, 46
Conversion 15, 27
Council of priests 20
Council of Churches 60
Creation 23, 31, 70

74
Culture 21, 69
Danger of death 52
Deacon 34
Dialogue 21, 42, 62, 68
Diocesan ecumenical commission 18, 20
Diocesan ecumenical officer 18, 20
Dioceses 18
Disagreement 35
Dispensation 56
Diversity 28
Divisions 13
Doctrine 27, 29, 34, 35, 37
Easter Vigil 46
Eastern Churches 31, 45, 50, 57
Ecclesial communities 8
Ecclesiastical faculties 39
Ecumenical institutes 40
Ecumenical movement 13
Education 21, 23, 66
Ethics 69
Eucharist 30, 42, 49, 50, 52, 53
Evangelical traditions 31
Evening Prayer 49
Faculties of theology 64
The faithful 28
Family 32, 69
Formation 20, 34, 37, 40, 66
Funeral 49
Global level 15
Godparents 44
Grave and pressing need 52
Health 23
Hierarchy of truths 30, 63
History 27, 36
Holy See 22, 23
Holy Spirit 28
Homily 53
Indifferentism 14, 68

75
Institutes of higher studies 66
Intercessions 50
Inter-communion 55
John Paul II, Pope 7
Judaism 69
Justice 21, 23, 40, 69
Laity 19, 20, 27, 37, 38
Lay catechists 37
Libraries 66
Liturgy 30, 35, 43, 46, 49, 50, 54, 65
Marriage preparation 56
Materialism 68
Media 40, 70
Medicine 70
Missionary activity 67
Mixed marriages 32, 37, 55
Music 65
National level 15
New religious movements 17
Non-Christian religions 68
Novitiate 37
Nuptial Mass 58
One Bread One Body 53
Ordained ministers 34
Organisations of Catholic faithful 24
Orthodox 44
Parish 15, 32
Pastoral ministry 34
Peace 21, 23, 31, 40, 69
Penance 50, 52
Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
22, 25, 40, 61
Poverty 69
Prayer 30, 37, 40, 46, 48
Preaching 29, 32
Priest 34
Profession of faith 42
Proselytism 14, 16, 51

76
Reception 45, 63
Reciprocity 47
Religious 20, 22, 23, 37, 40
Religious education 29, 30
Repentance 15
Retreats 40, 48
Revealed truth 35
Revelation 30
Sacramental sharing 51
Schools 33
Scripture 53, 64
Sectarian attitudes 14
Sects 17
Secularisation 68
Seminary 20, 40
Shared ownership 54
Shared worship 37
Social gospel/teaching 31, 70
Societies of apostolic life 23
Spiritual ecumenism 37
Spirituality 35, 46
Subsists 12
Teaching/teachers 29, 33, 37, 66
Theology 35, 66
Unitatis Redintegratio 7, 13, 15, 31, 47, 63
Unity service 49
Validity 43
Vatican 25
Vatican II 10, 13, 63
Wedding 51, 53, 55
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity 30, 48
Witness 21
Women 37
World Council of Churches 61

77
 RECENT PUBLICATIONS

A Spirituality of Work

A Spirituality of Work, produced by the Committee for

the World of Work of the Bishops’ Conference of
England and Wales, brings together prayers and Church
teachings on work.

Chapter 1, ‘Work in the sacred scriptures’, examines the

place of human work in God’s plan since the beginning.

Chapter 2, ‘The Church’s teaching on work’, outlines the

development of the Church’s teaching on work,
particularly as expressed in the Second Vatican Council
and in the writings of the modern popes.

Chapter 3, ‘Human dignity and the value of work’,

explores this further, in the context of human dignity
and the wider society.

The fourth chapter provides prayers and meditations for

individuals and for use in groups and church services,
and a final section is a list of further Catholic resources.

A Spirituality of Work, A5, 52 pages, £2.50,

ISBN 0 905241 18 5.

All publications available from

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales
39 Eccleston Square London SW1V 1BX

78
 RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Substance Misuse Today: A Catholic Reflection

Substance Misuse Today: A Catholic Reflection, produced

by the Social Welfare Committee of the Bishops’
Conference of England and Wales, outlines how the
Church might respond, both as a whole and locally, to
the problem of drugs and alcohol misuse.

Substance Misuse Today covers the spiritual aspects of

addiction, social context, drugs prevention, parish and
family support, education and treatment, crime and
prisons, sport and image. It also provides practical
guidance for those approached by addicts, and an
appendix of useful contacts.

Substance Misuse Today: A Catholic Reflection, A4,

52 pages, £3.00, ISBN 0 905241 16 9.

Briefing

Briefing is the official monthly journal of the Catholic

Bishops’ Conferences of Great Britain. It contains
documents, information and news from the Church in
Britain, Rome and overseas; official documents from the
official sources.

£29.50 annual subscription.

79
 RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Teachers of the Faith:

speeches and lectures by Catholic bishops

Six cardinals and three other bishops have contributed

to a unique collection of speeches and lectures, entitled
Teachers of the Faith. All of the lectures were delivered
in Britain over the last 26 years, and have appeared in
the pages of Briefing, the official monthly journal of the
Catholic bishops of Britain.

• Cardinal Basil Hume speaks about his personal faith

journey and Jesus Christ today.
• Cardinal Thomas Winning discusses the Church in
the third millennium.
• Cardinal Cahal Daly’s two contributions concern
Northern Ireland, and the moral challenges facing the
Church.
• Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger’s address is on consumer
materialism and Christian hope.
• Cardinal Johannes Willebrands asks, is Christianity
anti-Semitic?
• Archbishop Derek Worlock reflects on Catholic
education and the 1944 Education Act.
• Bishop Alan Clark discusses the movement to
Christian unity.
• Bishop James Sangu of Tanzania examines justice in
the African context.

Teachers of the Faith: speeches and lectures by Catholic

bishops, A5, 160 pages, £6.00, ISBN 0 905241 19 3