The Holy Father has written an Apostolic Letter "Orientale Lumen" (Light from the East) and an encyclical "Ut Unum Sint" (That they may be one) on the topic of ecumenism. Many persons think that the ecumenical movement, whose goal is "to re-establish full visible unity among all the baptized" has run out of steam. The pope encourages us to continue down the road of ecumenism because great progress has been made although there is still a long way to go.

The progress should make us want to continue the movement, but the will of Jesus makes work for unity not a matter of choice or expediency but a duty that springs from Christian community. Division among Christians is a serious reality that impedes the work of Christ. "How indeed can we proclaim the Gospel of reconciliation without at the same time being committed to working for reconciliation between Christians?" "Such wounds [among Christians] openly contradict the will of Christ and are a cause of scandal to the world." "How can we be fully credible if we stand divided before the eucharist, if we cannot live our sharing in the same Lord whom we are called to proclaim to the world?" With reference to the Eastern and Western churches the pope says that the Church must breathe with her two lungs. "We have deprived the world of a joint witness that could perhaps have avoided so many tragedies and even changed the course of history."

The pope’s recent writings give an impressive list of accomplishments of the ecumenical movement. Other Christians are considered as brothers and sisters and not as enemies. The broadening of vocabulary is witness to a change in attitude. Places of worship are lent to other Christian groups. The Catholic Church recognizes baptisms by others and it is to be hoped that all others will follow suit. Christians united together have been more effective than any one group could be. There are now ecumenical translations of the bible. This is significant when one considers the former acrimonious debates about the word of God. Some groups now have the Lord’s Supper every Sunday instead of infrequently. The cycles of scriptural readings in many churches appear to be substantially the same. There has been a withdrawal of mutual excommunications between the Catholics and the Orthodox. There are exchanges of visits between the Orthodox and Catholics on the feasts of SS. Peter and Paul and the feast of St. Andrew. Not everyone wants to make peace with the Catholic Church, but many do. A symbol of this desire is the act of Lutheran bishops from Scandinavia who, because of differing faiths about the eucharist, were unable to receive communion at a Catholic Mass but sought a blessing from the celebrant to show their desire some day to share the same eucharist. Some churches are taking a fresh look at the possibility of the church of Rome fulfilling a ministry of unity as it did in the early centuries of the Church. There is willingness on the part of the Holy Father to find exercising his primacy in a new way.

There remain areas of contention: 1) the relationship of scripture and tradition; 2) the nature of the eucharist; 3) priesthood; 4) the magisterium of the Church; and 5) the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The Holy Father reviews from the Decree on Ecumenism the means of promoting unity. He mentions prayer especially common prayer in which Jesus makes himself present (Matt. 18:20). We must eliminate words and judgments about our separated brethren that do not correspond to the truth. There must be ecumenical dialogue among representatives of the various churches. It has been discovered that past polemics have created incompatible positions from expressions that were two different ways of looking at the same reality. There must be practical cooperation among Christians on pastoral, cultural, and social levels. This cooperation witnesses to the unity that is already present in Christianity and shows forth Christ the Servant.