SUMMARY OF NO 1 OF UNITATIS REDINTEGRATIO

INTRODUCTION

The 1993 directory for ecumenism reiterated the first sentence of Unitatis Redintegratio promulgated on 21^st November, 1964 with its own words although with similar content, “the search for Christian unity was one of the principal concerns of the Second Vatican Council”. The introductory part of this document gave a general reflection into the oneness of Christ’s instituted Church. It exposes also on how many Christian communions cause division posing as Christ true inheritors. Through the prayer of our Lord of Age, men are called to ultimate contrition, thus searching for unity. There was recognition of the effort of our separated to seek for unity in many conferences.

Having said these, I will further go in depth in explicating more about the No. 1 of this document in the form of summary, thus applying the meaning to my intimate environmental cases found in my town.

SUMMARY OF NO 1 OF UNITATIS REDINTEGRATIO

The primary aim of this document owes from the conviction that Christ ensured unity among his followers thus he founded an undivided Church-one Church. The council noted those who pose themselves as true inheritors of Jesus Christ, thereby causing confusion and separation among Christ’s faithful. With their misconceived doctrine, they tend to differ in mind and thereby go different ways, as if Christ himself were divided. All the same, the Lord of Ages working through his presence found in the Holy Spirit bestows on our arrogant nature remorse and contrition over the divisions and thus longing for unity. This grace has instill in our separated brothers in most recent age to say the least, the mind to engage in a convergence movements counting from the Edinburgh conference, faith and order conference and life and work conference, showing forth their longings for the one visible Church of God, a Universal Church. It is on this ground that the Church declares an ecumenical initiative of Unitatis Redintegratio as an effort to seek unification among Christ body.

APPLYING NO 1 OF UNITATIS REDINTEGRATIO TO THE ENVIRONMENT OF MY TOWN-IHIALA

Ihiala is one of the areas that have celebrated their centenary. In the recent time, there is an overwhelming influence of the Protestant’s ecumenical council on the available Catholics. Thus, the maxim that ‘all Churches are one because they worship the same God’ fills the whole environment especially in the form of an excuse for Catholics to abandon their faith in the circle of marriage. There are a lot of such influences that disallows the authentication of faith and allow certain religious liberalism. Thus, certain staunch Catholic members are so uncomfortable about the situation of this ecumenical principle. Ecumenism for such group of Catholics is a profane attitude of the Church to make their life inauthentic. The recent instruction on Ebola, the changes in the missal, etc were certain prove that the Church is making a profane transformation. This made some of them to fall back to ATR.

EVALUATION AND CONCLUSION

Some biblical scholars envisaged from the tone of John 17 that there was a point of division prior to Jesus’ prayer of unity. This can be found in the reaction of the 10 disciples on the sons of Zebedee (cf Mark 10:35-45), who approached Jesus’ mission on Earth with some amount of misconception. At the eve of his earthly ministry, knowing that his death would cast-in division among them, he prayed that they may be one. The oneness of his mission gave birth to the Church. The Church calls for dialogue, compassion and love on this separated brothers who are victims of circumstances so that unity in mind and mission might be realized.