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5. The attainment of union is the concern of the whole Church,
faithful and shepherds alike. This concern extends to everyone,
according to his talent, whether it be exercised in his daily
Christian life or in his theological and historical research. This
concern itself reveals already to some extent the bond of brotherhood
between all Christians and it helps toward that full and perfect unity
which God in His kindness wills.
6. Every renewal of the Church[27] is essentially grounded in an
increase of fidelity to her own calling. Undoubtedly this is the basis
of the movement toward unity.
Christ summons the Church to continual reformation as she sojourns
here on earth. The Church is always in need of this, in so far as
she is an institution of men here on earth. Thus if, in various times
and circumstances, there have been deficiencies in moral conduct or in
church discipline, or even in the way that church teaching has been
formulated-to be carefully distinguished from the deposit of faith
itself-these can and should be set right at the opportune moment.
Church renewal has therefore notable ecumenical importance. Already
in various spheres of the Church's life, this renewal is taking
place. The Biblical and liturgical movements, the preaching of the
word of God and catechetics, the apostolate of the laity, new forms
of religious life and the spirituality of married life, and the
Church's social teaching and activity-all these should be considered
as pledges and signs of the future progress of ecumenism.
7. There can be no ecumenism worthy of the name without a change of
heart. For it is from renewal of the inner life of our minds,[28]
from self-denial and an unstinted love that desires of unity take their
rise and develop in a mature way. We should therefore pray to the
Holy Spirit for the grace to be genuinely self-denying, humble.
gentle in the service of others, and to have an attitude of brotherly
generosity towards them. St. Paul says: "I, therefore, a
prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to
which you have been called, with all humility and meekness, with
patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity
of the spirit in the bond of peace".[29] This exhortation is
directed especially to those raised to sacred Orders precisely that the
work of Christ may be continued. He came among us "not to be served
but to serve".[30]
The words of St. John hold good about sins against unity: "If we
say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in
us".[31] So we humbly beg pardon of God and of our separated
brethren, just as we forgive them that trespass against us.
All the faithful should remember that the more effort they make to live
holier lives according to the Gospel, the better will they further
Christian unity and put it into practice. For the closer their union
with the Father, the Word, and the Spirit, the more deeply and
easily will they be able to grow in mutual brotherly love.
8. This change of heart and holiness of life, along with public and
private prayer for the unity of Christians, should be regarded as the
soul of the whole ecumenical movement, and merits the name,
"spiritual ecumenism."
It is a recognized custom for Catholics to have frequent recourse to
that prayer for the unity of the Church which the Saviour Himself on
the eve of His death so fervently appealed to His Father: "That
they may all be one".[32]
In certain special circumstances, such as the prescribed prayers "for
unity," and during ecumenical gatherings, it is allowable, indeed
desirable that Catholics should join in prayer with their separated
brethren. Such prayers in common are certainly an effective means of
obtaining the grace of unity, and they are a true expression of the
ties which still bind Catholics to their separated brethren. "For
where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the
midst of them".[33]
Yet worship in common (communicatio in sacris) is not to be
considered as a means to be used indiscriminately for the restoration of
Christian unity. There are two main principles governing the practice
of such common worship: first, the bearing witness to the unity of the
Church, and second, the sharing in the means of grace. Witness to
the unity of the Church very generally forbids common worship to
Christians, but the grace to be had from it sometimes commends this
practice. The course to be adopted, with due regard to all the
circumstances of time, place, and persons, is to be decided by local
episcopal authority, unless otherwise provided for by the Bishops'
Conference according to its statutes, or by the Holy See.
9. We must get to know the outlook of our separated brethren. To
achieve this purpose, study is of necessity required, and this must be
pursued with a sense of realism and good will. Catholics, who already
have a proper grounding, need to acquire a more adequate understanding
of the respective doctrines of our separated brethren, their history,
their spiritual and liturgical life, their religious psychology and
general background. Most valuable for this purpose are meetings of the
two sides-especially for discussion of theological problems-where each
can treat with the other on an equal footing-provided that those who
take part in them are truly competent and have the approval of the
bishops. From such dialogue will emerge still more clearly what the
situation of the Catholic Church really is. In this way too the
outlook of our separated brethren will be better understood, and our
own belief more aptly explained.
10. Sacred theology and other branches of knowledge, especially of
an historical nature, must be taught with due regard for the ecumenical
point of view, so that they may correspond more exactly with the
facts.
It is most important that future shepherds and priests should have
mastered a theology that has been carefully worked out in this way and
not polemically, especially with regard to those aspects which concern
the relations of separated brethren with the Catholic Church.
This importance is the greater because the instruction and spiritual
formation of the faithful and of religious depends so largely on the
formation which their priests have received.
Moreover, Catholics engaged in missionary work in the same
territories as other Christians ought to know, particularly in these
times, the problems and the benefits in their apostolate which derive
from the ecumenical movement.
11. The way and method in which the Catholic faith is expressed
should never become an obstacle to dialogue with our brethren. It is,
of course, essential that the doctrine should be clearly presented in
its entirety. Nothing is so foreign to the spirit of ecumenism as a
false irenicism, in which the purity of Catholic doctrine suffers loss
and its genuine and certain meaning is clouded.
At the same time, the Catholic faith must be explained more
profoundly and precisely, in such a way and in such terms as our
separated brethren can also really understand.
Moreover, in ecumenical dialogue, Catholic theologians standing fast
by the teaching of the Church and investigating the divine mysteries
with the separated brethren must proceed with love for the truth, with
charity, and with humility. When comparing doctrines with one
another, they should remember that in Catholic doctrine there exists a
"hierarchy" of truths, since they vary in their relation to the
fundamental Christian faith. Thus the way will be opened by which
through fraternal rivalry all will be stirred to a deeper understanding
and a clearer presentation of the unfathomable riches of
Christ.[34]
12. Before the whole world let all Christians confess their faith
in the triune God, one and three in the incarnate Son of God, our
Redeemer and Lord. United in their efforts, and with mutual
respect, let them bear witness to our common hope which does not play
us false. In these days when cooperation in social matters is so
widespread, all men without exception are called to work together,
with much greater reason all those who believe in God, but most of
all, all Christians in that they bear the name of Christ.
Cooperation among Christians vividly expresses the relationship which
in fact already unites them, and it sets in clearer relief the features
of Christ the Servant. This cooperation, which has already begun in
many countries, should be developed more and more, particularly in
regions where a social and technical evolution is taking place be it in
a just evaluation of the dignity of the human person, the establishment
of the blessings of peace, the application of Gospel principles to
social life, the advancement of the arts and sciences in a truly
Christian spirit, or also in the use of various remedies to relieve
the afflictions of our times such as famine and natural disasters,
illiteracy and poverty, housing shortage and the unequal distribution
of wealth. All believers in Christ can, through this cooperation,
be led to acquire a better knowledge and appreciation of one another,
and so pave the way to Christian unity.
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