Earlier this year, a bishop of the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), which does not fully accept the Novus Ordo Mass nor the teachings of the Second Vatican Council on ecumenism and religious freedom, consecrated four new bishops against the express will and permission of the Holy Father.

By doing so, he caused himself to be excommunicated along with the co-consecrating bishop and the new bishops.

But this act, in addition to being a canonical crime in itself, was a sign of the deeper schism by which the bishops, priests, and adherents of the Society have separated themselves from the Catholic Church.  

Praying for unity

This sad rupture inspires us to pray for unity within the Church in a time of great division within the world, our nation, and among Catholics.

Because the SSPX rejects these particular teachings, I thought it opportune to express in this column what Vatican II said about ecumenism and will follow in a subsequent column with its teachings about religious freedom.

In its decree on ecumenism, Unitatis Redintegratio, promulgated on November 21, 1964, the Second Vatican Council prioritized unity among all Christians, rightfully viewing our sad divisions as contrary to the will of Christ.

The document clarifies that the Church, founded by Jesus Christ who entrusted Her to the Apostles and their successors, is “God’s only flock, like a standard lifted on high for the nations to see it” (Paragraph 2).

Over the course of centuries, this one Church has suffered divisions, ruptures, and the separation of large communities.

We think of the Great Schism between the Eastern Churches and the Latin Church in the 11th century, as well as the Reformation in the West, beginning in the 16th century.

Sadly today, tens of thousands of Christian bodies exist; I say sadly because this situation is indeed contrary to the will of God.

While proclaiming the Church as the true and only one founded by Christ, Unitatis Redintegratio affirms non-Catholic Christians as brothers and sisters, and acknowledges that those who believe in Christ and are properly Baptized “are put in some, though imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church” (Paragraph 3).

While serious obstacles to full communion exist, some of the most significant elements which build up the Church exist outside the visible boundaries of the Catholic Church: “the word of God, the life of grace; faith, hope, and charity, with the other interior gifts of the Holy Spirit” (Paragraph 3).

In the East

The Catholic Church holds the Eastern non-Catholic Churches in special esteem because many of them find their origins in the Apostles, and the most basic dogmas of the Christian faith were defined in ecumenical councils held in the East.

In terms of Christology, Mary, the saints, the sacraments, and the liturgy, we Catholics hold the most in common with the Eastern Churches.

The major stumbling block to unity between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Churches is the latter’s rejection of papal authority, primacy, and infallibility.

In the West

Regarding the myriad manifestations of Protestantism in the West, the Church affirms the common themes of belief in Christ, the primacy of the Scriptures, the significance of Baptism, and the importance of faith.

Beyond these points, however, lie profound disagreements regarding the necessity of the Church for salvation; the Eucharist, Holy Orders, the other Sacraments; the papacy and the hierarchy; saints; Purgatory; the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary; and increasingly, Christian anthropology.

Dialogue for the common good

The innovation of Unitatis Redintegratio is its call for mutual theological dialogue, common prayer, and joint action in the service of the common good between Catholics and other Christians.

Before Vatican II, Catholics and Protestants held each other in suspicion, avoiding any sort of relationship or fraternity.

Because of this shift in Catholic thinking, the Church has held numerous ongoing dialogues with various Christian bodies over the last 60 years, and we have witnessed a myriad of methods and ways by which Christians have joined together in prayer, social action, and fellowship.

We have certainly seen the fruit of such initiatives, especially in a growing mutual understanding between Christians, shared prayer and fellowship, and working together to build a civilization of life and love in the world. I think of the pro-life movement as one example of the latter.

Seeking pathways of unity

Because some critics assert the contrary, including the Society of Saint Pius X, it is important to note that the Vatican II documents never waver from affirming that the goal of every ecumenical effort is “the reconciliation of all Christians in the unity of the one and only Church of Christ” (Paragraph 24).

In other words, the leaders of the Catholic Church did not suddenly change course 60 years ago and renounce the perennial truth that the Church indeed is the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church founded by Jesus Christ.

What did change at Vatican II was the innovative effort to engage and build relationships with other Christians, to seek pathways of unity, and to work together to proclaim and live the Gospel of Christ in the world.

Such relationships and actions do not diminish the unique character of the Catholic Church, but actually exemplify Her deep desire to realize the unity of faith and communion which Jesus Christ so ardently prayed for at the Last Supper.