Unitatis Redintegratio - Decree on Ecumenicism - A Universal Outlook on the Church of Christ

How does Vatican I’s Session IV and Vatican II's Unitatis Redintegratio relate and compare? How do their methods and styles differ? How does each present the role and authority of the Church's hierarchy? What of the Pope's position? What do each of them say about non-Catholic Christians? What are the historical reasons for the differences in their presentations? How might some apparent differences be harmonized?

To be brief, the primary readings on Session IV of the Dogmatic Constitution on The Church of Christ and the Decree on Ecumenism or Unitatis Redintegratio say varying things about the progression of the Catholic church, Christians, and the hierarchy of the papacy until it’s changes to the modern day. The first says more about the hierarchical structure of the papacy. It highlights the infallibility of the pope, tracing it’s routes of authority back to the apostleship of the twelve disciples in regards to Peter being the Cephas, or rock on which the Church, is built and that “after Jesus resurrection, confided the jurisdiction of supreme pastor and ruler of his whole fold, saying: Feed my lambs, feed my sheep [44]. Anyone who does not believe in Peter and the succession of popes being supreme authority and primacy of Jesus succession on earth should be anathema. Catholics are to follow under the episcopal and immediate jurisdiction, whether it be the bishops or priests, of such in the faith and that the Roman pontiff speacks “EX CATHEDRA” for the whole church in the definition of doctrine concerning faith and morals.

In contrast, Unitatis Redintegratio, speaks of more “ecumenical” unity between all Christians in a movement bringing all followers of the Lord together, both East and West for the unity of the body of believers of the Church of God. It is spoken of as if the Holy Spirit has moved the Pope to write this as he says, “It is the Holy Spirit, dwelling in those who believe and pervading and ruling over the Church as a whole, who brings about that wonderful communion of the faithful. He brings them into intimate union with Christ, so that He is the principle of the Church’s unity” (2, 7). To harmonize the two, the idea of the Catholic church being imperfect but still infallible and the ecclesiastical communion needing to be accepted within the obstacles from the past and present, the document says:

For men who believe in Christ and have been truly baptized are in communion with the Catholic Church even though this communion is imperfect. The differences that exist in varying degrees between them and the Catholic Church – whether in doctrine and sometimes in discipline, or concerning the structure of the Church – do indeed create many obstacles, sometimes serious ones, to full ecclesiastical communion. The ecumenical movement is striving to overcome these obstacles. But even in spite of them it remains true that all who have been justified by faith in baptism are members of Christ’ body (3, 20).

This document also recognizes that some communities are still set apart from the Catholic church and are not in full communion with it, though they are still Christian and that by prayer, the Holy Spirit, action, and word will we fulfill Jesus Christ’ desires for unity in the body. Catholic, or of the whole, means one, holy, Catholic, apostolic, and universal church.

Works Cited

Vatican I, Session IV, "First Dogmatic Constitution on the Church of Christ" (July 18th, 1870)

http://www.papalencyclicals.net/Councils/ecum20.htm#SESSION 4 : 18 July 1870. Web.

Vatican II's "Decree on Ecumenism" (Unitatis Redintegratio), "Introduction" & “Chapter 1:

Catholic Principles of Ecumenism" (nos. 1-

4)http://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-

ii_decree_19641121_unitatis-redintegratio_en.html. Web.