ECUMENICAL GUIDELINES John E. Lynch, C.S.P.
1. What is ecumenism? One¡ of the principal concerns of the Second Vatican Council was the restoration of unity among ali Christians. The term "ecumenical movement"
indicates the various initiatives and activities encouraged and organized to promote Christian unity. lnsofar as Christ founded "one Church and one Church only," the division among the many Christian Communions scandalizes the world and impedes the spread of the Gospel. Every Catholic, therefore, must be solkitous for the restoration of Christian unity. For the rifts dawn through the centuries by which many communities became seporated from full communion with the Catholic Church, men of bath sides were often to biome. Ali who "believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are brought into certain though imperfect communion with the Catholic Church" (Decree on Ecumenism, n. 3.). ln the strict sense ecumenism refers to relations only among Christians. The Council, however, sought to promote interfaith movements with non-Christians and respect for the conscience of ali peoples, even those without religious convictions. 2. Did the Second Vatican Council consider other Christians only as individuels or did it acknowledge the role and dignity of their own communities before God? Before the Council theologiens hesitated to concede' any Christian reality to the non-Catholic communities as such. They reasoned thot corporate separation from the Cotholic Church entailed separation from the Spirit so thot grace was bestowed on individuel Christians not becouse of their religious communifies but in spite of them. The Decree on Ecumenism, on the ether hand, recognized thot "the seporated churches and communities os such," though 'they suffer from defect' have by no meons been deprived of significance for salvation" ( n. 3}. The dissident Christian shores in the life of Christ within his own Communion and by meons of it. These communities, then, hove a degree of communion with the Catholic Church which is greater or less depending on their sacramental full ness. A second concilier document, the Declaration on Religious Freedom, has significant implications for ecumenism; in foct, the first text of the Declara-
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