May they all be one: a vision of christian unity for the next generation

• Autor(a) principal: Kasper, Walter
• Data de Publicação: 2011
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: https://doi.org/10.34632/didaskalia.2011.2311

The present text – a talk given at the Faculty of Theology at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Lisbon – serves as a reminder that, before all else, ecumenism is not a human invention nor a political question, but is founded on the Lord’s prayer and forms part of his testament, and hence is not dependent either on sudden success or temporary failures. For this very reason and despite all obstacles, we should have no doubt as to its importance or its obligatory nature: it is an irreversible process of fidelity to Christ, confirmed by the Council and by the post-Conciliar popes. What has already been achieved in the ecumenical dialogue of the last few decades, both in terms of theological dialogue and a drawing closer in a mutual relationship, is extremely significant. But there is an awareness that we have entered a new phase in ecumenism, marked by considerable disillusion, unfulfilled expectations, new questions that have arisen, internal tensions that have emerged within the Churches themselves. In this situation it is important to avoid both the risk of ecumenism becoming a mere academic question, and the danger of falling into an ecumenical activism, not ‘received’ by the Christian communities. It is essential particularly to remember that it is the Holy Spirit that is the true driving force of the ecumenical movement. For this reason, it is crucial for us to deepen and to live spiritual ecumenism as an interior renovation, a conversion of mentalities, a purification of memories, a capacity to pardon. In this sense we need to develop an ecumenical spirituality, giving new vigour to what is already happening in small groups at various levels: in this respect, decisively for the future, it is possible to go much further than hitherto, without harming the canonical laws in this respect. But the priority that is granted to spiritual ecumenism does not diminish the importance of theological dialogue, but rather provides it with an existential support that is broader, richer and more effective.