Unitatis Redintegratio: On Ecumenism
By John Graveline, Director of Parish Life
July 12, 2026
“[Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and prayed:] ‘I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be one in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
John 17:20-21
As we continue to reflect upon the documents of Vatican II at the beginning of the Year of the Holy Spirit, this week we continue to consider the question “How are we as Catholic Christians related to political authorities and non-Catholics?” by exploring Vatican II’s Decree on Ecumenism (also known by its Latin title Unitatis redintegratio).
The fact that unity preoccupied Jesus’ mind and heart mere hours before his death speaks to the importance of what it means to be Christian.
We rightly give greater weight to a person’s last words before their death. When time is limited, each moment and each word becomes very precious. Each of the four New Testament Gospels is heavily weighted toward sharing Jesus’ final words and actions before his Passion and Death. For example, a third of The Gospel according to John takes place from the beginning of the Last Supper through Jesus’ death on the cross. (John 13-19) During Jesus’ Last Supper discourse in John’s Gospel, an entire chapter is devoted to what is called Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer to his Father. (John 17) The theme of this prayer is unity: the unity within the Trinity and unity among Jesus’ disciples. The fact that unity preoccupied Jesus’ mind and heart at this decisive moment in his mission, mere hours before his death, speaks to the importance of what it means to be Christian. Jesus new commandment to his followers at the Last Supper was “love one another as I have loved you.” (John 13:34)
For the first 1000 years after Christ, the vast majority of Christians were united in liturgy, governance, service, and charity. This unity was expressed with great diversity, especially in the theological and liturgical traditions that organically grew in the Eastern churches (influenced by Greek culture) and the Western church (influenced by Roman culture). Sadly, in the 11th century some of these legitimately diverse practices and theological perspectives, as well as political tensions of the time, led to what history refers to as the Great Schism, where communion of all churches under the Pope in Rome was broken. Some Eastern ritual churches remained under the governance of Rome (we will consider these churches in a couple of weeks), and some Eastern churches declared independence from the Pope’s authority over the entire Church, leading to mutual claims of heresy and excommunications. These churches are now referred to as Orthodox Churches (Russian Orthodox, Ukrainian Orthodox, etc.). To this day, Catholics recognize that “although separated from us, [these Churches] yet possess true sacraments, above all—by apostolic succession—the priesthood and Eucharist, whereby they are still joined to us in closest intimacy.” (Decree on Ecumenism, no. 15)
About 500 years later, in the 16th century, there was another breech of unity, this time within the Western church. Around this time, especially in light of the too-close relationship between Church and State in late medieval Christendom, many corrupt practices were taking place within the Church which scandalized the faithful. Scandal was/is nothing new in the Church, made up as it is by sinners. Many times in the first 1500 years of Christianity, God raised up various saints as reformers in the Church: Sts. Benedict and Scholastica, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Sts. Francis and Clare of Assisi, St. Catherine of Siena, Sts. John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila, etc. However, some reformers, most notably Martin Luther and John Calvin, lost hope that the needed reforms could happen within the Catholic Church and the under the governance of the Pope. This movement, with its roots in theology, politics, philosophical anthropology, and technology, become known as the Protestant Reformation. The Catholic Church responded to the Protestant Reformation primarily through the Council of Trent (1545-1563), which condemned the theological positions of the Protestants in severe and unambiguous terms. Over time, Christian life, worship, practices, and theological beliefs for both Catholics and Protestants became reactionary, emphasizing the things that the other side downplayed, and vice versa. Fellow Christians were often viewed as the enemy, with violent consequences. This state of affairs directly contradicts Jesus’ prayer for unity at the Last Supper.
Vatican II called upon all Christians to focus on the underlying things upon which we are unified, beginning with our common baptism in Christ.
After 500 years of this scandalous state and the unprecedented bloodshed of the first half of the 20th century, the Catholic Church at Vatican II declared that “the restoration of unity among all Christians is one of the principal concerns” of the Council. (Decree on Ecumenism, no. 1) After the devastation of two World Wars, genocides, the Holocaust, the specter of nuclear annihilation, were Lutherans or Baptists really the enemy? After half a millennium of focusing on the issues that divided Christians, Vatican II called upon all Christians to focus on the underlying things upon which we are unified, beginning with our common baptism in Christ. (Ephesians 4:1-5) While never ignoring the genuine issues that divide us (after all, the true nature of the priesthood, liturgy, Sacred Scripture, and Eucharist, the number and meaning of the Sacraments, and the role of church governance and teaching authority are not incidental, but vitally important), our differences should be addressed through common prayer, dialogue and scripture study, and side-by-side compassionate Christian service for the good of all humanity.
At Assumption Parish, we can be proud of our commitment to Christian ecumenism, especially as it pertains to Christian works of justice and charity. Both through financial donations and volunteer service, we partner with ecumenical initiatives that assist all people such as Open Door, Care Giving Network, Life Clinic, Toni & Trish House, Global Compassion, Christmas Angel Trees, etc. Over the past few years, we have offered prayer services specifically designed to be open to all Christians, such as Advent Lessons & Carols, Good Friday Tenebrae, and healing services. They have been well received, but I would love to see us as a parish being more proactive in inviting more disciples from all denominations to participate in these opportunities to worship together. Special events such as our Neighboring Night, sacred music concerts, etc. are also occasions of ecumenical hospitality. May we continue as a parish to bring about the unity for which Jesus prayed at the Last Supper, with full dependence on the Holy Spirit, who is the ultimate source of unity among Christians.
This upcoming week, we will continue our reflections on the question “How are we as Catholic Christians related to political authorities and non-Catholics?” by reading the Vatican II document The Declaration of the Relations of the Church to Non-Christian Religions (also known by its Latin title Nostra aetate). Click here to read this document on the Vatican website.
John