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To: markomalley

I would love to hear the Pope describe, in a straightforward manner, exactly what his and his church’s ecumencial goals are.

Is his goal to convince Anglicans and Protestants that they are completely wrong and that they should immediately convert to Catholicism?

Is his goal to convince the Orthodox that he is, in fact, the head of the universal church and that they must submit to his authority as he defines it?

Is his goal to promote better understanding among the denominations so that cat fights such as the one on this thread do not occur?

Is there anything he is willing to concede?


35 posted on 04/21/2008 9:36:30 AM PDT by bobjam
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To: bobjam
I would love to hear the Pope describe, in a straightforward manner, exactly what his and his church’s ecumencial goals are.

I would recommend the II Vatican Council decree on Ecumenism, Unitatis Redintegratio. I don't believe that the current pontiff's goals will diverge from that document's stated goals. As a taste, the first paragraph pretty well sums it up:

1. The restoration of unity among all Christians is one of the principal concerns of the Second Vatican Council. Christ the Lord founded one Church and one Church only. 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.(1) Such division openly contradicts the will of Christ, scandalizes the world, and damages the holy cause of preaching the Gospel to every creature.

But the Lord of Ages wisely and patiently follows out the plan of grace on our behalf, sinners that we are. In recent times more than ever before, He has been rousing divided Christians to remorse over their divisions and to a longing for unity. Everywhere large numbers have felt the impulse of this grace, and among our separated brethren also there increases from day to day the movement, fostered by the grace of the Holy Spirit, for the restoration of unity among all Christians. This movement toward unity is called "ecumenical." Those belong to it who invoke the Triune God and confess Jesus as Lord and Savior, doing this not merely as individuals but also as corporate bodies. For almost everyone regards the body in which he has heard the Gospel as his Church and indeed, God's Church. All however, though in different ways, long for the one visible Church of God, a Church truly universal and set forth into the world that the world may be converted to the Gospel and so be saved, to the glory of God.

The Sacred Council gladly notes all this. It has already declared its teaching on the Church, and now, moved by a desire for the restoration of unity among all the followers of Christ, it wishes to set before all Catholics the ways and means by which they too can respond to this grace and to this divine call.

Is there anything he is willing to concede?

One very important thing that this pope did was giving up the title, Patriarch of the West. That was a huge step that was greatly appreciated by the Orthodox Churches not in communion with Rome.

One other thing that has happened is a relaxation of the discipline of priestly celibacy...for Anglican and (IIRC) some Lutheran clergy who have felt compelled to return. Those who were exercising their ministries but were married were allowed to continue in those ministries and received ordination in the Church. That is a rather major step, as well.

The very change in language when referring to followers of Christ who were raised in communities formed out of the western schism has also changed in recent decades. The attitude of Catholics toward those of other confessions has also changed, as well (primarily as a result of that change n teachings). While some may consider it an insult to say "separated brethren" and "ecclesial communities," that is considerably better than saying "heretics" and "schismatic groups."

So I, for one, see that there has been a whole lot of change.

88 posted on 04/21/2008 3:34:16 PM PDT by markomalley (Extra ecclesiam nulla salus)
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