The Ecumenism today

PRESENTATION DE D. BRIAN FARRELL The ecumenism today: Introduction

During the month of November of 2004, the Pontifical Advice for the Promotion of the Unit of the Christians organized an international meeting in the outskirts of Rome (Italy), with the purpose to remember the anniversary fortieth of the promulgation, occured in day 21 of November of 1964, of the Decree on the Ecumenismo redintegratio Unitatis, of Concílio Vatican Ecuménico II. More than 250 participants had been gifts in this meeting. Between them, the Presidents (or the Secretaries) of the some Ecuménicas Commissions of most of the Episcopal Conferences and the Sínodos of the Eastern Churches Catholics, the moderators of the bilateral theological dialogues with the main Christian Communions, the members and consultants of the mentioned ecuménico Dicastério. Thirty “fraternos commission agents” of the other Churches and eclesiais Communities were also gifts in this meeting more than, of the “Ecuménico Advice of the Churches” of Geneva (Switzerland) and of the “Conference of the European Churches”, beyond diverse representative guests of the Bar Roman, the some Pontifical Universities and the Facultieses of Theology. The meeting had as purpose to celebrate, necessarily, the anniversary fortieth of the ecuménico commitment of the Church, but also to reflectir on the meaning permanent of redintegratio the Unitatis Decree, to examine the way covered from Vatican Concílio II until today and formulating proposals for a future share.In preparation for this important international meeting, the Pontifical Advice for the Promotion of the Unit of the Christians had sent a questionnaire to the some Episcopal Conferences and the Sínodos of the Eastern Churches Catholics, with the objectivo to also elaborate a report concerning the current situation of the ecumenismo in the interior of the Church Catholic and the local level. By means of this initiative, the Pontifical Advice for the Promotion of the Unit of the Christians desired to select the degree of practical application, as much of the redintegratio Unitatis, the forty years of distance of its promulgation, as of the Directório Ecuménico, published ten years after the spreading of this Decree conciliating. Of the 163 questionnaires sent, 83 had been filled and restituted the Pontifical Advice. Considering the received answers the levels continental and regional, the following one can be evidenced: 20 answers of Africa (44% of the episcopal organisms and sinodais gifts in this Continent); 17 answers of Caribbean Latin America and (71%); a reply of Northern America (50%); 12 answers of Asia (60%); 24 answers of the Europe (60%); seven answers of the Average East (46%); e two answers of the Oceânia (40%).The Pontifical Advice for the Promotion of the Unit of the Christians is total conscientious of the limited nature of this sounding; the questionnaire had not been formulated with scientific bases; the answers had been less numerous in relation to the number that we waited, and quantitatively corresponded the diverse realities between itself, what it did not become possible a really credível comparison of the data and the statisticians. To give an example, Brazil cannot be compared with Gibraltar, nor Germany with the Cazaquistão. Not obstante, we judge to have to our disposal a solid base with regard to which we can trace a picture of the current situation of the ecuménico commitment. How much we present to follow constitutes a brief report on the results reached in the mentioned sounding.The received data had been subdivided according to four main subjects:1. The progress of the ecuménica conscience in the scope of the Church Catholic; 2. The organization of the ecumenismo; 3. The ecuménica share of the Church Catholic the local level; e 4. Some suggestions of reflection on the future of the ecumenismo.1. The progress of the ecuménica conscience in the scope of the Church Catholic1,1 Positive signals the sounding demonstrated evidently that, in all the regions of the world, the redintegratio Unitatis introduced a radical improvement of the attitudes catholics in relation to the other Christians; the polémica boarding of the past is not more predominant. The catholics have a positive attitude as for the ecuménica task to play. They desire to more deeply know the other Christian Churches and Communions, while they reveal the will in general to participate in the events and ecuménicos meeting, and in special way in what she says respect to the joint conjunct for the unit. The ecumenismo spiritual constitutes one practical one very spread out. Beyond the “Week of Conjunct for the Unit of the Christians”, that it remains as a main element of the ecuménica share, the joint celebrations of the biggest liturgical parties and commemorations, as well as the civil solemnities, national and local, almost everywhere are today a reality. Moreover, it has one spread out allotment of the cult places. Two terços of the answers to the related questionnaire had make reference to reference to the ecuménica contribution the parochial level and the publication of orientações for the ecuménica activity in the respective regions. In general, we can be certain of that the effort in sight to apply the ecuménico commitment of Vatican Concílio II continues and spreads out through all the Church.

Rafael Luís Dias Almeida