Declaration of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Mysterium Ecclesiae (1973), n. 1; also the Declaration Dominus Iesus (2000), n. 17. However, it no longer describes the way in which the Catholic Church understands herself in terms of "splendid isolation", but takes note of the active presence of the one Church of Christ also in other Churches and Ecclesial Communities (cf. In other words, the Council gave fresh importance to the eschatological dimension, showing that the Church is not a static but a dynamic reality, that she is the People of God on pilgrimage between the "already" and the "not yet". Introduction by Cardinal Kasper, Communio. 11, 52. Le Guillou, Mission et unit. After taking all these factors into consideration, this Sacred Council solemnly repeats the declaration of previous Councils and Roman Pontiffs, that for the restoration or the maintenance of unity and communion it is necessary to impose no burden beyond what is essential. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.[33]. 6. 1. [10] Cf. To achieve this purpose, study is of necessity required, and this must be pursued with a sense of realism and good will. 10-14). Since then 40 years have passed during which the Document has had unprecedented repercussions whose impact has been felt far beyond the Catholic Church. All the faithful should remember that the more effort they make to live holier lives according to the Gospel, the better will they further Christian unity and put it into practice. For the Church must bear in her own body the humility and dying of Jesus,[25] against the day when Christ will present her to Himself in all her glory without spot or wrinkle.[26]. The eschatological and pneumatological dynamic needed conceptual elucidation. Lumen Gentium, nn. On the basis of the one common Baptism, ecumenism goes far beyond mere benevolence and simple friendship; it is not a form of ecclesial diplomacy but has an ontological foundation and an ontological depth; it is an event of the Spirit. Their longing for union with Christ inspires them to seek an ever closer unity, and also to bear witness to their faith among the peoples of the earth. [35] Hence, through the celebration of the Holy Eucharist in each of these churches, the Church of God is built up and grows in stature[36] and through concelebration, their communion with one another is made manifest. It includes conversion and renewal, without which there can be no ecumenism or dialogue, because ecumenism, rather than an exchange of ideas, is an exchange of gifts. Nevertheless, the divisions among Christians prevent the Church from attaining the fullness of catholicity proper to her, in those of her sons who, though attached to her by Baptism, are yet separated from full communion with her. Though the ecclesial Communities which are separated from us lack the fullness of unity with us flowing from Baptism, and though we believe they have not retained the proper reality of the eucharistic mystery in its fullness, especially because of the absence of the sacrament of Orders, nevertheless when they commemorate His death and resurrection in the Lord's Supper, they profess that it signifies life in communion with Christ and look forward to His coming in glory. XII (1517), Constitutio Constituti: Mansi 32, 988 B-C. [36] Cf. 2 ff.). The words of St. John hold good about sins against unity: "If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us". The editor in charge of the dogmatic Constitution on the Church, G. Philips, was sufficiently farsighted to foresee that much ink would be employed on expounding the meaning of "subsistit in".5 Indeed, ink continues to flow and more will probably be needed before the issues raised have been clarified. Unitatis Redintegratio, nn. The restoration of unity among all Christians is one of the principal concerns of the Second Vatican Council. Ut Unum Sint, n. 88). There from the glorious times of the holy Fathers, monastic spirituality flourished which, then later flowed over into the Western world, and there provided the source from which Latin monastic life took its rise and has drawn fresh vigor ever since. A. Nichols, Yves Congar, London, 1986, 101-106). The above words of Pope John Paul II, together with the opening words of the Vatican II Decree on Ecumenism, Unitatis Redintegratio - "The restoration of unity among all Christians is one of the principal concerns of the Second Vatican Council" - make clear beyond all doubt the Catholic Church's commitment to ecumenism, to the quest for . ; Ut Unum Sint, nn. In formulating her identity, the Catholic Church establishes a dialogical relationship with these Churches and Ecclesial Communities. We believe that Our Lord entrusted all the blessings of the New Covenant to the apostolic college alone, of which Peter is the head, in order to establish the one Body of Christ on earth to which all should be fully incorporated who belong in any way to the people of God. Thus the way will be opened by which through fraternal rivalry all will be stirred to a deeper understanding and a clearer presentation of the unfathomable riches of Christ.[34]. The path of ecumenism is not a journey towards the unknown. Lumen Gentium, nn. But the problems we encounter must not let us forget the rich fruit that it has yielded. No. They must recognize that this is of supreme importance for the faithful preservation of the fullness of Christian tradition, and for bringing about reconciliation between Eastern and Western Christians. The title of the document is taken from the opening words of the Latin text. John Wooden, All hopes of eternity and all gain from the past he would have given to have her there, to be wrapped warm with him in one blanket, and sleep, only sleep. 15. Together with the mission, ecumenism is the way of the Church through the 21st century and the third millennium. Understood in this way, "subsistit in" assumes the essential requirement of the "est". Unitatis Redintegratio, nn. Within the one Church there is leeway for a legitimate diversity of mindsets, practices, rites, canonical norms, theology and spirituality (cf. 16, 15. So we can't pray with non-Catholics in this active sense . In this way too the outlook of our separated brethren will be better understood, and our own belief more aptly explained. These are: first, every effort to avoid expressions, judgments and actions which do not represent the condition of our separated brethren with truth and fairness and so make mutual relations with them more difficult; then, dialogue between competent experts from different Churches and Communities. The Weekly Edition in English is published for the US by: The Cathedral Foundation L'Osservatore Romano English Edition 320 Cathedral St. Baltimore, MD 21201 Subscriptions: (410) 547-5315 Fax: (410) 332-1069 lormail@catholicreview.org, EWTN | 5817 Old Leeds Rd. This is the way that, when the obstacles to perfect ecclesiastical communion have been gradually overcome, all Christians will at last, in a common celebration of the Eucharist, be gathered into the one and only Church in that unity which Christ bestowed on His Church from the beginning. . LUGDUNENSE II (1274), Professio fidei Michaelis Palaeologi: Mansi 24, 71 E; CONC. Ut Unum Sint, n. 11), even if they are not yet in full communion with her. Baptism is fundamental in all of this. As distinct from what occurred in the situation of the schism of the East, with the Communities that resulted from the Reformation we are not only in the presence of doctrinal divergences but also of fundamental structure and of another type of Church. Is it ideal? W. Becker, in: LThK, Vat. Newman, Tradition has not become fossilized but is living. Unitatis Redintegratio, nn. For the closer their union with the Father, the Word, and the Spirit, the more deeply and easily will they be able to grow in mutual brotherly love. This movement was long regarded with suspicion by the Catholic Church. This gives us a good reason to enquire: what was the purpose of the Decree? Whatever is truly Christian is never contrary to what genuinely belongs to the faith; indeed, it can always bring a deeper realization of the mystery of Christ and the Church. . Therefore, the contribution of Unitatis Redintegratio to the solution of the ecumenical problem is not "the ecclesiology of the elements" but the distinction between full communion and partial communion (cf. 16. Lumen Gentium, n. 7; Unitatis Redintegratio, n. 2). The goal of this chapter is to capture some of these highlights and trace the post-conciliar legacy of Unitatis Redintegratio ( UR ), pointing to areas in which its teaching has been fruitfully received as well as calling attention to aspects of the document that still await full reception as we approach the five-hundredth anniversary of the 4. It is in the particular Churches and formed out of them that the one and unique Catholic Church exists, and conversely, it is in the one Church and formed out of her that the particular Churches exist (cf. Nevertheless, our separated brethren, whether considered as individuals or as Communities and Churches, are not blessed with that unity which Jesus Christ wished to bestow on all those who through Him were born again into one body, and with Him quickened to newness of life - that unity which the Holy Scriptures and the ancient Tradition of the Church proclaim. Copyright 2023 Famous Quotes & Sayings. Thus they promote the right ordering of Christian life and, indeed, pave the way to a full vision of Christian truth. I have been to Guantanamo. Indeed, the Church does not only have an institutional dimension but also a charismatic one, as the Council emphasized (cf. Ecumenism, Unitatis Redintegratio," in Decrees ofthe Ecumenical Councils, Vol. The Eastern schism encompasses both the ancient Churches of the East separated by the Imperial Church in the fourth and fifth centuries, and the schism between Rome and the Eastern Patriarchates, whose symbolic date has been established as the year 1054. It is the sacrament of faith through which the baptized are incorporated into Christ's one Body, which is the Church. 1, 6-9; 1 Jn. Lumen Gentium, n. 7), gives the unity and diversity of gifts and ministries (cf. It first appeared with Yves Congar as an extension of St Augustine's anti-Donatist attitude (cf. These most certainly can truly engender a life of grace in ways that vary according to the condition of each Church or Community. Mhler and J.H. II, vol. 5-8); Ut Unum Sint, nn. 3) "For it is only through Christ's Catholic Church, which is "the all-embracing means of salvation," that they can benefit fully from the means of salvation. The Catholic Church claims for herself, in the present as she did in the past, the right to be the true Church of Christ, in which the whole fullness of the means of salvation is given (cf. Unitatis Redintegratio, nn. 1 For the antecedents of the ecumenical movement in the Catholic Church, cf. And hope does not disappoint, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.[42]. 24 M. Luther, De captivitate Babylonica ecclesiae praeludium (1520): WA 560 ff. 3, 27-28 gr.). A series of official events, however, also prepared the ground for it. : H. Petri, Die rmisch-katholische Kirche and die kumene, in: Handbuch der kumenik, vol. Here is the text in its entirely in html and also as a free pdf download. [37] It is the Council's urgent desire that, in the various organizations and living activities of the Church, every effort should be made toward the gradual realization of this unity, especially by prayer, and by fraternal dialogue on points of doctrine and the more pressing pastoral problems of our time. For the Gospel is the power of God for salvation to every one who has faith, to the Jew first and then to the Greek.[39]. 1 Petr. It must however be admitted that in these Churches and ecclesial Communities there exist important differences from the Catholic Church, not only of an historical, sociological, psychological and cultural character, but especially in the interpretation of revealed truth. 23 We cite especially the Lima Document: "Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry" (1982), the documents of ARCIC with the Anglican Communion, the documents of convergence with the Lutherans ("The Eucharist", "Spiritual Ministry in the Church", etc. Online piracy needs to be dealt with itself, because people are just wholesale stealing people's work and not paying for it. It is significant that the term "dialogue" is repeated like a refrain at the end of the various parts of this section of the Decree (cf. Ecumenism, therefore, is a new beginning, inspired and guided by the Spirit of God (cf. [17] Cf. Ecumenical Quotes. Hey, Ocean Eyes," my father said. While invoking the Holy Spirit, they seek in these very Scriptures God as it were speaking to them in Christ, Whom the prophets foretold, Who is the Word of God made flesh for us. 20. When comparing doctrines with one another, they should remember that in Catholic doctrine there exists a hierarchy of truths, since they vary in their relation to the fundamental Christian faith. The ecumenical movement discards nothing that has so far been precious and important for the Church or in her history; it stays faithful to the truth recognized and defined as such in history and adds nothing that is new. This is the licit kind of passive communion that Catholics and non-Catholics can share. The Church is always in need of this, in so far as she is an institution of men here on earth. But of itself Baptism is only a beginning, an inauguration wholly directed toward the fullness of life in Christ. With the Toronto Declaration (1950) it also entered into the language of the World Council of Churches. This dynamic, as has happened all too often in the Church's history, could have been erroneously interpreted as a progressivist movement that saw the heritage of ancient traditions as obsolete, rejecting it in the name of what might be termed a progressivist conception of faith. The way and method in which the Catholic faith is expressed should never become an obstacle to dialogue with our brethren. This cooperation, which has already begun in many countries, should be developed more and more, particularly in regions where a social and technical evolution is taking place be it in a just evaluation of the dignity of the human person, the establishment of the blessings of peace, the application of Gospel principles to social life, the advancement of the arts and sciences in a truly Christian spirit, or also in the use of various remedies to relieve the afflictions of our times such as famine and natural disasters, illiteracy and poverty, housing shortage and the unequal distribution of wealth. What has revealed the love of God among us is that the Father has sent into the world His only-begotten Son, so that, being made man, He might by His redemption give new life to the entire human race and unify it. The Decree was a beginning. Herders Theologischer Kommentar Zum Zweiten Vatikanischen Konzil Hthk Vat Ii Orientalium Ecclesiarum Unitatis Redintegratio Christus Dominus Educationis Nostra Aetate Dei Verbum By Peter H Nermann Dr. Roman A. Siebenrock, Universitt Insbruck) Dei Verbum (Prof. Dr. Helmut Hoping, Universitt Freiburg) With regard to Eucharistic ecclesiology, the distinction between the Churches and the Ecclesial Communities derives from this absence of any Eucharistic substance. The notion of "subsistit in" means, according to the intention of the Theological Commission of the Council, that Christ's Church has its "concrete place" in the Catholic Church; Christ's Church is encountered in the Catholic Church, and it is there that she is to be concretely found.11 It is not a question of a purely platonic body or of a merely future reality; it exists concretely in history and is concretely found in the Catholic Church .12. Enjoy reading and share 5 famous quotes about Unitatis Redintegratio with everyone. All wish for unity and long for the one visible Church of God. However, many Christian communions present themselves to men as the true inheritors of Jesus Christ; all indeed profess to be followers of the Lord but differ in mind and go their different ways, as if Christ Himself were divided. For, according to Catholic belief, the authentic teaching authority of the Church has a special place in the interpretation and preaching of the written word of God. The Sacred Council gladly notes all this. Many also are the saints whose praise they sing, among them the Fathers of the universal Church. For although the Catholic Church has been endowed with all divinely revealed truth and with all means of grace, yet its members fail to live by them with all the fervor that they should, so that the radiance of the Church's image is less clear in the eyes of our separated brethren and of the world at large, and the growth of God's kingdom is delayed. In this regard, the ecumenical movement is a charismatic phenomenon and an "operation of the Holy Spirit". However, "very weighty differences" exist, "not only of a historical, sociological, psychological and cultural character, but especially in the interpretation of revealed truth" (Unitatis Redintegratio, n. 19). | Irondale, AL 35210 |. Jesus Christ, then, willed that the apostles and their successors - the bishops with Peter's successor at their head - should preach the Gospel faithfully, administer the sacraments, and rule the Church in love. Although the ecumenical movement and the desire for peace with the Catholic Church have not yet taken hold everywhere, it is our hope that ecumenical feeling and mutual esteem may gradually increase among all men.
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