Oecumenism

The Œcuménisme is a movement tending successively and according to the periods of the history:

  • to promote the ecclesiologic unit of the Protestant churches resulting from the Reform. In which case, it is about unionism ;
  • to promote united actions between various the Christianity S, in spite of the doctrinal differences posted by the various churches, with for central objective the visible unit of the Church , in which case, it is the oecumenism .

This movement intends to answer the exhortation that the Évangile according to Jean () allots to the Christ:

“ That they are as we are a ”

Oecumenism, in its current direction, does not recommend the union of all the Chrétiens in only one institution connected with the church; it thus does not aim the meeting of all the Christian Churches except from the point of view roman catholic of which the concept of papacy constitutes an obstacle. The oecumenical movement recommends the joint work of the churches which wish it, in the mutual respect of the various institutions.

The term is resulting from the Greek “oikomono Ge” , which means “ground inhabited” , from a didactic point of view, it wishes to say: “universal” . This term was thus used to indicate a movement which initially concerns only the Christians, that one should not confuse with the Dialog inter-monk . One should not confuse either oecumenism with the uniatism , movement by which the Catholic church intends to reconquer the Eastern churches on the orthodoxe Christianity.

The founder of modern oecumenism is the Luthérien Lars Olof Jonathan Söderblom, archbishop of Uppsala (Sweden); he accepted the Nobel Prize peace in 1929 for this activity.

A little history

Modern oecumenism is relatively recent, dating only from the years 1910. It seems to have been more difficult to create bonds between the various Christian denominations than between the various religions of the world since the interreligieux Dialog began since 1877 and that the World parliament of the Religions of Chicago set up stable structures of dialog as of 1893.

One can distinguish three periods in the development and the installation of such structures in oecumenism:

  • of 1817 until in 1948 (foundation of the World Council of Churches)
  • of 1948 with 1962, i.e. of the foundation of the World Council of Churches until the Concile Vatican II which marks an engagement of the Roman Catholic church towards this movement
  • since 1999 the bonds of the Catholic church with the movement distend if the publications are considered and the attitude of the catholic hierarchy but are maintained if the base of the faithful catholics is considered.

Two successive attitudes dominate the movement: “unionism” then “modern oecumenism”. It was believed a long time that the unit of the Christians was treated by the bringing together of the doctrines. One ended up realizing that in fact, oecumenism was initially to treat questions of Ecclésiologie as the positive tests of work show it on the sacraments and the ministries.

Unionism

Plain churches
  • 1817 : In Prussia, union enters the Église calvinist calviniste-reformed and the majority Église Lutheran at the request of Frederic-Guillaume III
  • 1839: In Belgium, under the reign of the Protestant Léopold I {{er}}, King of the Belgians, sixteen Consistoire S links in the Synod of the Union of the Protestant Churches Évangélique of Belgium
  • (...)
DEBATEs, discussions, proposals
  • 1873 : the synod of the reformed Churches of France posed a certain number of questions of an oecumenical nature and had, at the time, a certain repercussion.
  • 1888 : The “quadrilateral of Lambeth”, initially formulated with Chicago in 1886, was an initiative of the Église Anglican in favor of the unit of the Christians. It invited the Churches separated to meet on the basis:
of the Holy Scriptures like word of God revealed;
  • of the symbol of Nicée-Constantinople, and of the Symbol of the apostles, like sufficient talks of the Christian faith;
  • of the Baptism and the Eucharistie;
  • of the historical episcopate. On the definition of the historical episcopate, nobody was of agreement: at that time, the history of Christianity was rather advanced so that everyone knows that the apostolic Succession rested on a Légende and a takeover by force of Charlemagne. Nobody saw the utility to modify the mode of government of their churches in a direction épiscopalien, i.e. hierarchical and nondemocratic.

    Oecumenism

    Unionism is abandoned with Willem Visser You Hooft, theologist Dutch who will become the first general secretary of the World Council of Churches (COE) in 1948. The declaration of intent of the COE specifies that it is not a super-Church and the intention does not have to become one about it.

    The modern oecumenical movement and the World Council of Churches

    See also: World Council of Churches

    Stakes

    • 1910 : more than 1200 delegated of 150 companies Protestant missionaries meet in Edinburgh
    • 1948: foundation of the World Council of Churches
    • 1961: entered of the orthodoxe churches with the COE, expulsion of the unitarian churches which were founding members.

    Biblical companies missionaries

    At the time of the conference of Edinburgh of 1910, the question of the unit of the Christians was been urgent especially by the delegates of the new Churches, Africa and Asia. Contemporary oecumenism was thus born from the problem missionary: how to preach the Gospel starting from separated churches, divided in connection with the doctrines even of the Évangile for little that she proposes one of them? But it appeared immediately that the problem of the separation of the Christians had two aspects: competitions in practice; divergences in interpretation.

    Three organizations were to be born from the Conference of Edinburgh:

    1. the International counsel of the missions which joins together its first congress with Lake Mohonk, in 1921;
    2. Life and Activité , more commonly called Christianisme practices , for the practical matters, which held its first world conference in 1925, with Stockholm; this last organization was animated by the archbishop Lutheran of Uppsala, Nathan Söderblom (1866 - 1931);
    3. Faith and Constitution , for the doctrinal questions, under the impulse of the bishop American Anglican Charles Brent (1862 - 1929) which held its first world conference in 1927, with Lausanne.

    The creation of the World Council of Churches itself, the COE, was delayed by the war of 1939 - 1945 and by the wild opposition of the Catholic church. The assembly constitutive of the COE was held in 1948, with Amsterdam. She saw the fusion of the organizations Vie and Activité and Foi and Constitution . This last organization however preserves its own life within the COE. The first general secretary of the COE was Pasteur and theologist Willem Adolf Visser' T Hooft, when it understood that one could not await the Vatican any more.

    Official creation of the COE

    The COE, in its background document, refers explicitly to the Bible, since 1961 (assembled plenary of New Delhi). This congress, during which adhere the orthodoxe churches, the churches members of the COE “confesses the Lord Jesus-Christ like God and Saver according to the Writings. ”. This assertion of a confession of faith (nonbiblical, in fact) causes the departure of the unitarian and the foundation of the unitarian universalists. In the passing, it starts again the christologic quarrel put under the bushel in 1948.

    The successive assemblies of the COE were to be:

    • Amsterdam, 1948: “Disorder of the man and the intention of God. ”. A provisional Base is adopted there: “the World Council of Churches is a community of Churches which confess the Lord Jesus-Christ like God and Saver. ”
    • Evanston, 1954: “Christ, hope of the world. ”
    • New Delhi, 1961: “Jesus-Christ, light of the world. ”. This assembly sees the entry of the International counsel of the missions in COE.
      Une new Base or definition is adopted there: “the World Council of Churches is a fraternal community of Churches which confess the Lord Jesus-Christ like God and Saver according to the Écritures and endeavor to answer together their common vocation for the glory of only God, Père, Fils and Holy Spirit. ” . On this declaration, the Church reformed of France (ERF) required that one not insist too much on the trinity because she did not wish to exclude her liberal minority, generally unitarian.
    • Uppsala, 1968: “Here that I make very new. ”
    • Nairobi, 1975: “Jesus-Christ releases and links. ”
    • Vancouver, 1983: “Jesus-Christ, life of the world. ”
    • Canberra, 1991: “Come, the Holy Spirit; renew all creation. ”
    • Harare, 1998: “We Turn towards God in the joy of the hope. ” At the time of this synod a scandal was very close because the orthodoxe churches boycotted the opening ceremony chaired by a woman bishop.
    • Porto Alegre, 2006: “Transforms the world, God, in your grace. ”. At the time of this world assembly of the COE, a new procedure of vote for the adoption of the texts, like motions, was used: the vote by consensus, or with the quasi unanimity, the votes in the majority, simple or qualified, of the participants. So a certain number of subjects could not be any more carried to the diary among most urgent. The most dogmatic Churches thus succeeded in locking the discussion

    Structures

    The plenary assembly elects a central committee of 150 members to which she delegates her attributions, subject applying the Constitution of the COE, during the recessions. The COE gathers today more than 340 Églises, denominations and communities of Churches, representing some 550 million Christians divided throughout the world. The head office of the COE with is based with Geneva.

    The movement since 1962

    COE facilitates the bilateral contacts which developed between the Église S,
    • either between the old catholics and the Anglicans,
    • or inside the Protestantisme, or between Protestantism and the Orthodoxie,
    • It grants a seat of observer the Roman Church which is not member. Indeed, she asserts a primacy which is not setting in this assembly.
    Various questions are hanging:
    • the question of the sacraments
    • the question of the ministries, i.e. mutual recognition of the ministries
    • the question of the female ministries
    • the question of the nature of the missions

    Orthodoxe churches and oecumenism

    The orthodoxe ones are not interested at all in the question in its beginnings because they are accustomed to the collegial structure of the churches because of the five Patriarcat S and do not feel the need for a unicity connected with the church. They consider in addition that the Roman apostolic Catholic church is a Hérésie resulting from the Schisme of 1054, even since the Concile of Chalcédoine of which she refused the conclusion on the primacy of the patriarchate of Constantinoople.

    The orthodoxe churches, very jealous of their collegial structure like theirs autonomy, withdrew outset of the company of the oecumenical Traduction of the Bible (TOB) of fear of doctrinal requirements. However, they entered in 1961 to COE under the reserve of the assertion trinitaire.

    However, the orthodoxe theologist Vladimir Soloviev (1853 - 1900) was particularly leaning with depth on the question of the unit of the Christians. He hoped for the eschatologic reconciliation, vis-a-vis the threat of the Antéchrist, the Churches of Jean (orthodoxe) of Pierre (catholic) and of Paul (Protestant) in which he saw three expressions complementary to the single faith and the experiment of deification, expensive with orthodoxe theology.

    The Roman Catholic church and oecumenism

    The S were one time not very favourable with the bringings together. She saw being born however several projects from reconciliation whose correspondence maintained during several years between the bishop Meaux, Bossuet (1627 - 1704), and the philosopher Leibniz, of Lutheran confession, is an example.

    But the Roman Catholic church planned oecumenism only starting from 1928 without to be integrated in the movement in progress in the Protestant mediums, preferring to develop its specificity. According to it, the oecumenical term is taken again usual adjective which one qualified the universal Concile S of all the particular Christian Churches, since the first of them: the Council of Nicée in 325. It means “of all the inhabited ground”. It was a time when the churches were regional and independent without another centrality that which Constantin gave them, who Paul Veynequalifie of “president of the Church” to underline its role of decision maker as regards doctrines as as regards organization.

    It thus has a specific vision whose broad outlines are:

    • the Encyclical Mortalium Animos (1928) which answers the invitation which was made to him for work of Foi and Constitution . In a word, it would not know to have there true oecumenism that by rehabilitation in the center of single the true Church of the churches resulting from the Réforme, the authority of the Pope and obedience. It is the line of Benoît XV, taken again recently by Benoît XVI.
    • To fill the ditch of the great schism between churches of the seven councils of the East and Roman Catholic church, if possible with its profit. The Uniatisme is one of these demonstrations that the orthodoxe ones include/understand like a predation.

    It is thus an oecumenism of authority which is recommended including in the bracket of the Vatican II.

    The catholic “unionism”

    The Pape S had never lost the hope to remake the unit of the Christendom, of which they estimated to have the load. The 19th century, in particular, was the great time of the intransigeantism which enjoignait with the separate confessions with the return to the Roman unit. In particular, in the Syllabus, Pie X tries the intimidation by claiming that one cannot make his safety with Protestantism. On another side, Pie IX invited the Greek bishop S, and other Eastern, to take part in the Ier council of the Vatican (1869 - 1870), that in which he intends to impose pontifical infallibility and he collects, in a rather coherent way with the orthodoxe collegial structure, an end not to receive.

    The pope Leon XIII, especially, was the cantor of unionism. He encouraged the Prière for the unit of the Christians, in the form of preparatory neuvaine with the Pentecost. In the encyclical Satis cognitum (1896), kind of charter of unionism, and in 35 other documents devoted to the cause of the Christian unit, it invited the Catholique S with greatest charity towards all the Christians, even towards all the men of good will.

    The pope Jean-Paul II finds an echo of this unionism; in De Eucharistia Ecclesia eucharistic hospitality is considered for the orthodoxe ones surrounded by a wealth of precautions which returns to a pure and simple conversion to Catholicism.

    Mortalium animos

    Roman magistère often expressed a great reserve with regard to the first oecumenical assemblies, suspected of “panchristianism”. In Mortalium Animos , Pie XI absolutely prohibited to the catholics to take part in it. “One thus includes/understands, Vénérables Brothers while addressing to the bishops, why this Apostolic Seat forever authorized its faithful to take share with the congresses of the not-catholics: it is not allowed, indeed, to get the meeting of the Christians differently than while pushing with the return of the dissidents to only true the Église of the Christ since they had formerly misfortune to separate some. ”

    However, even on the catholic side, the efforts for the Christian unit never ceased completely. One can quote the conversations of Malines, on the initiative of the Cardinal Draper, of December 1921 at April 1925, between theologists Anglicans and roman catholics. One can quote work pioneers of the catholic theologists: the French Henri de Lubac and Yves Congar, the German Karl Adam…

    The instruction of the the Holy Office Ecclesia catholica , appeared on September 9th 1949, judged that the desire of the unit concerned a “inspiration of the grace of the Holy Spirit”. She affirmed the duty of the bishops to be worried some, and envisaged a catholic participation in the oecumenical conferences under the responsibility of ordinary for the place.

    Relations with the orthodoxe churches

    Uniatism

    Two general councils of the Catholic church, the second council of Lyon (1274), held in the presence of the Basileus Michel VIII Paleologist, and that of Florence (1439 - 1443) adopted each one an act of union with the Greeks (with Florence, with several other Eastern Churches). Decided by the authorities, but without deep popular base in the East, these meetings could not last as a whole, more especially as the fall of Constantinople in 1453 reduced considerably the possibility of religious bonds with the Occident.

    The uniatism remains a wound in the relations between Eastern Christianity and the Vatican. The church uniate of Bielorussia east one of the primary reasons for which Jean-Paul II, the pope traveller, could never go to the USSR.

    The union of certain Eastern Churches with Rome follows the development of the Croisades:

    From, it follows the development of the Colonisation. The unions multiplied between Rome and of the minority Churches; their particular theologies are reduced to a Rite whose appearance remains similar to the Eastern rite, so that the people, little educated can be misled. It results a Schisme from it from the refractory residual part to the union for each joined together Church which remains faithful to the orthodoxe or not chalcédonienne.

    • With the agreement of Brest-Litovsk (1595) one part of the Church plain ruthene in Rome.
    • the Église melkite (orthodoxe of Antioche) entered the Roman communion under its patriarch Cyrille IV (death in 1760).

    To, it follows the political difficulties which the Christian minorities live, mainly in Moslem majority medium. The most recent meetings of style Uniate took place in

    • 1839 (Bielorussia)
    • 1930 Église syro-malankar in India of the south, of origin non-chalcédonienne. The other part, left with the abandonment in a difficult situation between the Moslems and the hindouist is known like " church of Mar Thomas" . It chose to be linked with the Communion Anglican which did not require any doctrinal allegiance and is occupied as well spiritually as materially to restore the theology and the liturgical traditions of this small church among oldest if one believes of it the tradition which gives him to Thomas the doutor like evangelist. However, the difficulty of their situation being accentuated, a great part of them found refuge in the United States.

    Other negotiations

    Since 1937 existed a nonofficial dialog between catholic and Protestant theologists, founded by Paul Couturier (1881 - 1953) and some Swiss reformed pastors. In 1942, it took the name of Groupe of Dombes. It published, since, a certain number of reports/ratios of high value like " Only one maître" - Doctrinal authority in the Church , Bayard, 2006. The method is the " consensus différencié" where each one exposes its faith in a preoccupation with a specificity for " to enter the point of view of his/her brother, for best including/understanding in its coherence and for of enrichir" . The dialogs between the Anglicanism and Roman Church, baptized ARCIC-I then ARCIC-II, produced rather remarkable doctrinal agreements. In 1999, the Roman Catholic church and the Fédération world Lutheran signed the “Joint Declaration on the Doctrines of the justification” which put practically fine at a controversy which lasted since the Réforme. It is also important to announce a big number of doctrinal agreements between the Roman Church and the old Churches not chalcédoniennes of the East

    • Failure of the congress of Baltimore

    • Role of the declaration Dominus Jesus and the question of the filioquism
    • Revival of the catholic missions in Russia

    The bracket of the Vatican II

    It was necessary to await the advent of the pope Jean XXIII (in 1958) and announces it council the Vatican II (1962 - 1965) to see the Roman Church engaging fully in the adventure of the oecumenical movement. Noncatholic observers were invited to the council. A Secretariat for the unit of the Christians was created, which will become Conseil for the unit of the Christians under Jean-Paul II. The council promulgated major documents for oecumenism: Unitatis Redintegratio (decree on oecumenism); Nostra Ætate (on the nonChristian religions); Dignitatis humanae (on the religious liberty). But the whole of its work took on a definitely oecumenical purpose: liturgical reform, definition of the Church like God's people and koinonia , communion.

    The successors of Jean XXIII, either with Rome or during their many voyages throughout the world, multiplied the contacts with the leaders of other Églises.Les Episcopal conferences are members of the Councils of Churches, which were formed in the majority of the countries. The faithful catholics themselves take part fully in work, like with the prayers, of the interdenominational congresses and the oecumenical meetings.

    The return to the former situation

    See also: sacerdotal Fraternity Saint-Magpie X

    • the schism with the right-hand side of the Catholic church
    • the rehabilitation of the catholics integralists

    Achievements

    August 1st

    Agreements inter-connected with the church

    Congress of the old catholics

    The congress of the Old Catholics, which refused the Bulle Unigenitus (1713) and for this reason were famous heretics (making waves bishops), leads to the Union of Utrecht (1889) then, in 1931, with an agreement of eucharistic hospitality with the Église Anglican and all the churches members of the union.

    Agreements of Lima

    Agreement on the baptism in 1962.

    Agree of Leuenberg

    See also: Harmony of Leuenberg

    Agreement of eucharistic hospitality in 1973 between many Protestant Churches of Europe. The Church community of Leuenberg (CONCEALMENT), which gathers some 105 Churches members, aims at to reinforce the voice of Protestantism in Europe .

    Common assertion of Porvoo

    The common assertion of Porvoo between Lutherans and Anglicans (9 October 13rd, 1992).

    Luthero-épiscopaliens agreement

    In the USA and Canada, in 1999; liturgical hospitality, eucharistic hospitality, recognition of the ministries: the épiscopaliens consider that the Lutherans have the apostolic succession. Exchange pulpit inter-ecclesiastic

    Luthéro-reformed agreement

    In Scandinavia and Great Britain, 2000; liturgical hospitality, eucharistic hospitality, recognition of the ministries: the épiscopaliens consider that the Lutherans have the apostolic succession. Exchange pulpit inter-ecclesiastic

    Common assertion of Reuilly

    In 2001, an agreement of mutual recognition of the ministries

    Actions

    Week of prayer for the unit of the Christians

    During one week, from January 18th to 25th of each year, since 1938

    The various Churches requested separately for the unit. In 1894, Leon XIII encouraged the Octave of the Prayer for the unit , within the framework of the Pentecost); it is now a common prayer for the same unit. Instituted for the first time in January 1908 ( Octave for the unit of the Church , on the initiative of the R.P. Paul Wattson) and existing under its current form since January 1939, on the initiative of the father Charles Journet, it invites the Christians of the various confessions to request of the same heart for the unit. The week of prayer for the unit of the Christians since January 1968 is prepared jointly by the World Council of Churches and the Roman Catholic church, which publish the booklet of preparation jointly.

    During this week, the Christians are invited to the prayer for the unit, in particular at the time of the mass or the worship of Sunday, but also at the time of taken care common of prayer locally organized in concert between churches of various confessions.

    Documents

    Oecumenical version of our Father

    In 1966 was published the common French-speaking text of the prayer of the Our Father, was adopted by the Roman Catholic church and the World Council of Churches (Text of the prayer).

    Oecumenical translation of the Bible

    The oecumenical Traduction of the Bible (TOB) results from several decades of reflection and common work, and was published for the first time in 1975. It is not adopted liturgiquement by the whole of the Churches, but it constitutes an important concrete stage towards the unit, as much as a reference book. It is not a " bible of travail" as are to it Jerusalem or Segond 2000. Different editions integrate or not the deuterocanonic pounds (not recognized " divinement inspirés" by the Protestants: Wisdom, Tobie…). She was challenged by the orthodoxe churches as of the beginning of work.

    The only text of the New Testament recognized by all the Christian churches is the critical edition Novum Testamentum Graece : Bibelausgaben, of Eberhard Nestle, Erwin Nestle, and Kurt Aland. For the Old Testament, it is Bibelausgaben, Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, critical edition of Karl Elliger, Rudolf Kittel, and Wilhelm Rudolph

    Oecumenical Lectionnaire

    Oecumenical Lectionnaire

    See too

    Related articles

    External bonds

    Site of the churches

    • the site of the World Council of Churches
    • oecumenical Service of the Protestant federation of France
    • the point of view of the Catholic church of France on oecumenism
    • the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the Unit of the Christians on the site of the Vatican

    Another sites

    • Oecumenism, a step ahead, two steps behind, pluralist vision
    • Let us stop oecumenism! Protestant vision opposed to the oecumenism seen like rendering of the Protestants vis-a-vis the catholics
    • Oecumenism VS communautarism?

    Random links:Crisis of the missiles North-Korean of July 2006 | Shunga (engraving) | Urbanball | Dario de Judicibus | Ophioderma panamense | 1581