Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
Encyclopedia
The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity origins are associated with the Second Vatican Council
which met intermittently from 1962–1965.
Pope John XXIII wanted the Catholic Church to engage in the contemporary ecumenical movement. He established a "Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity" on 5 June 1960 as one of the preparatory commissions for the Council, and appointed Augustin Cardinal Bea
as its first president. The Secretariat invited other Churches and World Communions to send observers to the Council.
The Secretariat prepared and presented a number of documents to the Council:
The PCPCU has two sections dealing with:
Following the Second Vatican Council, in 1966 Pope Paul VI
confirmed the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity as a permanent dicastery
of the Holy See
.
In the Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus
(28 June 1988), Pope John Paul II
changed the Secretariat into the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU).
Since its creation, it has also established a cordial cooperation with the World Council of Churches
(WCC). Twelve Catholic theologians have been members of the Faith and Order Commission since 1968.
The PCPCU is responsible for naming Catholic observers at various ecumenical gatherings and in its turn invites observers or "fraternal delegates" of other Churches or ecclesial Communities to major events of the Catholic Church.
At present, the PCPCU is engaged in an international theological dialogue with each of the following Churches and World Communions:
The Council also seeks to promote meetings with Evangelicals
.
.
. This is due to the fact that when the Council was being created the Commission of the Holy See for Religious Relations with the Jews was consulted as to whether it wished to come under the Inter-Religious Dialogue Council, it declined and thus remains part of the Promoting Christian Unity Council.
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
which met intermittently from 1962–1965.
Pope John XXIII wanted the Catholic Church to engage in the contemporary ecumenical movement. He established a "Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity" on 5 June 1960 as one of the preparatory commissions for the Council, and appointed Augustin Cardinal Bea
Augustin Bea
Augustin Bea, SJ was a German scholar at the Gregorian University specializing in biblical studies and biblical archeology. He was confessor of Pope Pius XII. In 1959, Pope John XXIII made him cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the first President of the Secretariat for Promoting...
as its first president. The Secretariat invited other Churches and World Communions to send observers to the Council.
The Secretariat prepared and presented a number of documents to the Council:
- Ecumenism (Unitatis RedintegratioUnitatis RedintegratioUnitatis Redintegratio is the Second Vatican Council's Decree on Ecumenism. It was passed by a vote of 2,137 to 11 of the bishops assembled and was promulgated by Pope Paul VI on November 21, 1964...
); - Non-Christian religions (Nostra aetateNostra AetateNostra Aetate is the Declaration on the Relation of the Church with Non-Christian Religions of the Second Vatican Council. Passed by a vote of 2,221 to 88 of the assembled bishops, this declaration was promulgated on October 28, 1965, by Pope Paul VI.The first draft, entitled "Decretum de...
); - Religious liberty (Dignitatis humanaeDignitatis HumanaeDignitatis Humanae is the Second Vatican Council's Declaration on Religious Freedom. In the context of the Council's stated intention “to develop the doctrine of recent popes on the inviolable rights of the human person and the constitutional order of society”, Dignitatis Humanae spells out the...
); - With the doctrinal commission, the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation (Dei VerbumDei VerbumDei Verbum was promulgated by Pope Paul VI on November 18, 1965, following approval by the assembled bishops by a vote of 2,344 to 6.23...
).
The PCPCU has two sections dealing with:
- The Eastern Churches - Orthodox Churches and ancient Oriental Churches;
- The Western Churches and Ecclesial Communities and for the World Council of ChurchesWorld Council of ChurchesThe World Council of Churches is a worldwide fellowship of 349 global, regional and sub-regional, national and local churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. It is a Christian ecumenical organization that is based in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland...
.
Following the Second Vatican Council, in 1966 Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
confirmed the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity as a permanent dicastery
Dicastery
Dicastery is an Italicism sometimes used in English to refer to the Departments of the Roman Curia....
of the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
.
In the Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus
Pastor Bonus
Pastor Bonus is an Apostolic Constitution promulgated by Pope John Paul II on 28 June 1988. It instituted a number of reforms in the process of running the central government of the Roman Catholic Church, as article 1 states "The Roman Curia is the complex of dicasteries and institutes which help...
(28 June 1988), Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
changed the Secretariat into the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU).
Purpose
The Council has a twofold role:- The promotion within the Catholic Church of an authentic ecumenical spirit according to the conciliar decree Unitatis RedintegratioUnitatis RedintegratioUnitatis Redintegratio is the Second Vatican Council's Decree on Ecumenism. It was passed by a vote of 2,137 to 11 of the bishops assembled and was promulgated by Pope Paul VI on November 21, 1964...
; - To develop dialogue and collaboration with the other Churches and World Communions.
Since its creation, it has also established a cordial cooperation with the World Council of Churches
World Council of Churches
The World Council of Churches is a worldwide fellowship of 349 global, regional and sub-regional, national and local churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. It is a Christian ecumenical organization that is based in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland...
(WCC). Twelve Catholic theologians have been members of the Faith and Order Commission since 1968.
The PCPCU is responsible for naming Catholic observers at various ecumenical gatherings and in its turn invites observers or "fraternal delegates" of other Churches or ecclesial Communities to major events of the Catholic Church.
At present, the PCPCU is engaged in an international theological dialogue with each of the following Churches and World Communions:
- The Eastern Orthodox ChurchEastern Orthodox ChurchThe Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
; - The Coptic Orthodox Church;
- The Malankara Orthodox ChurchIndian Orthodox ChurchThe Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, also known as the Indian Orthodox Church, is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church centred in the Indian state of Kerala. It is one of the churches of India's Saint Thomas Christian community, which traces its origins to the evangelical activity of Thomas...
; - The Anglican CommunionAnglican CommunionThe Anglican Communion is an international association of national and regional Anglican churches in full communion with the Church of England and specifically with its principal primate, the Archbishop of Canterbury...
; - The Lutheran World FederationLutheran World FederationThe Lutheran World Federation is a global communion of national and regional Lutheran churches headquartered in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland. The federation was founded in the Swedish city of Lund in the aftermath of the Second World War in 1947 to coordinate the activities of the...
; - The World Alliance of Reformed ChurchesWorld Alliance of Reformed ChurchesThe World Alliance of Reformed Churches is a fellowship of more than 200 churches with roots in the 16th-century Reformation, and particularly in the theology of John Calvin...
; - The World Methodist CouncilWorld Methodist CouncilThe World Methodist Council, founded in 1881, is an association of churches in the Methodist tradition which comprises most of the world's Wesleyan denominations.- Extension and organization:...
; - The Baptist World AllianceBaptist World AllianceThe Baptist World Alliance is a worldwide alliance of Baptist churches and organizations, formed in 1905 at Exeter Hall in London during the first Baptist World Congress.-History:...
; - The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)The Christian Church is a Mainline Protestant denomination in North America. It is often referred to as The Christian Church, The Disciples of Christ, or more simply as The Disciples...
; - Some PentecostalPentecostalismPentecostalism is a diverse and complex movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of God through the baptism in the Holy Spirit, has an eschatological focus, and is an experiential religion. The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost, the Greek...
groups.
The Council also seeks to promote meetings with Evangelicals
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
.
Structure
Directed by a Cardinal President, assisted by a Secretary, a Joint Secretary and an Under-Secretary.- President: Kurt KochKurt KochKurt Koch is a Swiss Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, currently serving as president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity since his appointment was announced on 1 July 2010...
, 2010- - Secretary: Brian FarrellBrian Farrell (bishop)Brian Farrell L.C. is a Catholic bishop and currently Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity....
, L.C.Legion of ChristThe Legion of Christ is a Roman Catholic congregation of pontifical right, made up of priests and seminarians studying for the priesthood. It was founded in Mexico in 1941, by Fr. Marcial Maciel, who directed the congregation as its General Superior until January 2005...
, 2002- - Under-Secretary:
The Bible
The Council is responsible for working with other Churches on ecumenical translations of Sacred Scripture, and promoted the establishment of the Catholic Biblical FederationCatholic Biblical Federation
The Catholic Biblical Federation is a worldwide "fellowship" of administratively independent Catholic Bible associations and other organizations committed to biblical-pastoral ministries in 129 countries...
.
Relations with the Jews
Interestingly, the Commission of the Holy See for Religious Relations with the Jews is the responsibility of the PCPCU, whilst the Commission of the Holy See for Religious Relations with Muslims comes under the direction of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious DialoguePontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue
The Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue is a dicastery of the Roman Curia, erected by Pope Paul VI on 19 May 1964 as the Secretariat for Non-Christians, and renamed by Pope John Paul II on 28 June 1988....
. This is due to the fact that when the Council was being created the Commission of the Holy See for Religious Relations with the Jews was consulted as to whether it wished to come under the Inter-Religious Dialogue Council, it declined and thus remains part of the Promoting Christian Unity Council.
See also
- Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue Between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church
- Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches