Relations with Protestants and Eastern Orthodox changed radically at Vatican II.  From enemies, they went to becoming separated brethren, and now brothers and sisters. But Ron Rolheiser OMI notes in his column of Feb. 1, 2013, “Ecumenism—Our Neglected Mandate,” that “for the most part, despite considerable good will and genuine effort in recent years, we are still not praying for each other and reaching out to each other with any real heart.”  He calls our continuing divisions “perhaps the biggest of all scandals that Christianity has given and continues to give to the world.” His observation that faith should trump denomination, and his referring to Jesus’ answer to the question “Who is my mother?” is a compelling reason for reading the entire column, available here on his website

In his talk of Jan. 25, 2011, Pope Benedict XVI emphatically stated “The journey towards the re-establishment of unity among divided Christians must be perceived as a moral imperative.” The title of Jared Wicks SJ’s presentation at St. Thomas University, St. Paul, MN on Jan. 23 sums up the situation:  “Vatican II:  The Ecumenical Imperative in Catholic Theology and Church Life.”

One of the two main problems with ecumenism today is that our Christian brethren are so complex.  From the almost united Eastern Orthodox, through liberal Protestantism, to evangelical Protestantism, there is a bewildering array of brother and sister Christians.  From our all too human side, such complexity discourages efforts towards Christian unity.

However, the Holy Spirit continues to push Christians together.  A growing number of Christian leaders sense that each Christian denomination has gifts and talents which the other denominations need. As we share these talents, we are, as Rolheiser notes, borrowing a happy expression from Avery Dulles SJ, “progressively converging.”

The complexity is discouraging.  We never thought, right after Vatican II, that we would diverge so sharply with our Protestant partners from the Reformation on moral issues such as abortion and gay marriage and openly practicing gay clergy.  We never imagined that evangelical Protestants would find common cause with us on these issues.

But Christianity has never been notable for neatness and stability.  We seem to lurch from one crisis to another, yet growing in richness and diversity.  This seems to be the reason why many ecumenists persevere, because the Holy Spirit is a Person of richness and diversity in unity. 

There is a greater emphasis today on spiritual ecumenism, ecumenism on our knees.  When the unity of Christians reaches the point where we can concelebrate the Lord’s Supper together, it will be because the Holy Spirit has taught us when to kneel and when to run.  It would seem there is much more kneeling involved than running.

So when Rolheiser calls Christian unity “a non-negotiable mandate,” and Wicks “the ecumenical imperative,” and Pope Benedict “a moral imperative,” we can see the Holy Spirit continuing what was begun so clearly at Vatican II. One of the first American observers at Vatican II, the Presbyterian James Hastings Nichols, later wrote (1968) “All the resources of Protestantism and Roman Catholicism together will be strained to interpret and convey Biblical realities to the modern masses, dominated by the mentality of a technological industrialized age.” To put it bluntly:  All the Christian Churches must work increasingly together, or we all will become more and more isolated, weak, dull and lifeless.

The second great problem with ecumenism today is the confusion over its relationship to Proclaiming the Message of Jesus as essential for salvation, and the integrity of Dialogue with Other Religions. Financial stresses have led many dioceses and episcopal conferences to merge their offices of ecumenism and dialogue. Each of the three impulses is unique and distinct, with Proclamation being overarching. But ecumenism and dialogue also have their integrity and completeness. Where is the preaching from the pulpit, where is the catechetical instruction both of youngsters and adults on these three areas?  John 17:21 includes both ecumenism and proclamation:  That all may be one that the world may believe.

When I first began teaching ecumenism courses in the seminary in the mid-1960’s, one still met seminarians who had grown up in a totally Catholic atmosphere, never meeting a Protestant or Eastern Orthodox Christian.  When they had to take elective courses with non-Catholic seminarians, or taught by a non-Catholic Christian, it was very interesting to see the reactions:  these people believe in Jesus too!

All great renewals begin on the personal level.  All great advancements in our faith continue on the personal level. The ecumenical mandate continues, especially if the Holy Spirit pushes each Christian into greater contact on a personal level with Christians from other Churches.  Look around you and see if there are not Christians from other Churches already at your side, who will be of great advantage to you and your parish on our pilgrimage to unity.