Unitatis Redintegratio and Also in The Ecumenical Directory of 1967/1970

The document considers that the unity of all Christians is something desired by God,
preached by Jesus and mandated to the Church by him in the Holy Spirit. The
ecumenical movement seeks to respond to this call of bringing humanity to salvation
and unity in Christ. Seeking unity is part and parcel of the Church’s identity since the
Church itself is “a sacrament or instrumental sign of intimate union with God and of
unity of the whole human race” [9]. The main teachings for an approach in ecumenism
are contained in the documents of Vatican II that is mainly in Lumen Gentium and
Unitatis Redintegratio and also in the ecumenical Directory of 1967/1970.
At the base of ecumenism is the fact of faith and reality that the Church is a mystery of
unity by which God is united to the whole creation. The unity is brought about by a
tridimensional of unity in faith, hope and charity. In Jesus the concrete expressions of
this unity are in the faithful preaching of the gospel, administration of the sacraments
and government in love under the action of the Holy Spirit. Vatican II refers to the
Church as the New People of God and this new entity consist of men and women from
all nations and cultures united by nature and grace to be at service to one another in
view of salvation. The people are constituted into this new entity through accepting the
Word, being baptised, confirmed and celebrating the communion sacramentally. Thus
one can say that the ecclesial unity referred to in ecumenism is a Trinitarian dream,
revealed christologically and is being realised in the ecclesial pneumatological impulse.
The unity manifested in the bond of faith, sacramental life and hierarchical ministry. In
the hierarchy, there are bishops, priests and deacons who are the sacramental symbols
and signs of communion; koinonia [12]. The Church as communion has its model in the
Trinity. And to this communion belongs all, but until now it has been expressed in those
who live united in faith, hope and love, in mutual service, in common teaching and
sacraments as well as in obedience to the pastors. Moreover, this communion is by its
nature universal even though it calls for concrete realization in particular churches since
in each of these, “the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church of Christ is present and
alive” [13]. The spirit of communion is at work in the collegiality of bishops headed by
the Pope. In particular Churches, the ministers help in fostering communion within
diversity, recognising as the document says that diversity is a dimension of catholicity
[16].
From its foundations, the Church has a unitive and communicative nature. Being an
entity of unity is what it was willed to be, however as history unfolds, human folly and
sinfulness brought about divisions in it and the result was the beginning of other
ecclesial communities. The divisions were due to doctrinal and disciplinary issues.
“However, much that human culpability has damaged communion, it has never
destroyed it” [18]. In a strong affirmation to the persistence of the ecclesial desire for
the realization of its permanent unitive potential character, the Vatican II says that the
unity subsists in the Catholic Church as a permanent character. This character has to
transform the reality, that is, it has to be realised and visibilised in the world and in this
realization and visibilisation global is the ultimate goal of ecumenical movement.
The ecumenical movement is a grace of God and it finds expressions in other graced
moments like baptism. Baptismal communion is part of the process of recapitulating all
things in Christ. Christians should promote ecumenical work, be patient and persevering
when challenged by sectarian attitudes. In addition to this they should keep the true
ecumenical spirit safeguarding themselves against the temptations of indifferentism and
proselytism. For in practice the true ecumenical spirit does not aim at uniformity in
spirituality, discipline, liturgical rites but it aims at establishing unity in diversity while
keeping faithful to the Apostolic Tradition. A responsible participation in ecumenism
would also require obedience to the bishops, adequate knowledge of Church teachings
on ecumenism as well as accurate knowledge of other ecclesial communities.
The approach to ecumenism has a structure and disciplines appropriate for each level.
At a diocesan level the Bishop is the point of reference. At an advanced level which can
be national or regional, there are Synods of Bishops and episcopal Conferences which
deal more representatively with ecumenical issues. At the universal level, it belongs to
the College of Bishops and to the Apostolic See to judge, gathers, evaluates, coordinate,
guide and regulate ecumenical activities as well as taking ultimate decisions about the
restoration of communion. Being a complex duty, it requires from those in charge of
binding decisions a constant and careful discernment [30] as well as an ecumenical
spirituality in everyone characterised of conversion, holiness of life and prayer for unity.
In discerning ecumenical actions, ecumenical situation must be considered since each
local community has its own dynamic and particular possibilities. One should also be
aware of the factors that shape the ecumenical task such as economy, politics, ethnicity,
geography and culture.

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The document considers that the unity of all Christians is something desired by God,

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