ECUMENISM AND THE SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL

Pope John XIII could be said to be the one who broke the Berlin wall which the universal magisterum and legislator had built to protect catholic from the supposed infection of religious indifferentism and false irenicism attributed to the ecumenical movement among the non-Catholics.
Pope John XIII took concrete steps to promote better understanding between the catholic church and other Christian bodies. He announced his intention to convoke the second Vatican council.
In announcing his intention to convoke
the second Vatican council, he showed that
the great event had ecumenical objections. It
was to favour the unity of Christians and
invited Christians of separated communities
to join him in the search for unity and
grace.
Even though the council was to be the affair of the catholic church, he invited non-catholic Christian communities and the world council. The observers were treated with great respect and had access to all the documents tabled before the council.
In 1960 John XIII set up the secretariat
for the promotion of Christian unity and
charged it with the responsibility of promoting
activities that would favour the unity of
christians
An evolution in the understanding of ecumenism can be seen in the change of the teaching of the council on ecumenism. During the opening of the council, the theological commission and the commission for the Eastern churches preparing documents to present to the council on ecumenism. The commission for the Eastern churches presented a document, ut omnes unum sint. This document was devoted to healing the wound of division between the catholic church and the separated church of the east. The decree on Ecumenism, unitatis Redintegratio, is the culminating point of the ecumenical activities and scope of second Vatican council.

“the decree gives the spirit that should
guide ecumenical undertaking, avoidance
of negative attitude consciously or
unconsciously acquired the era of
polemics and apologetics, attribution of
methodological misrepresentation and
over implication of the position and
doctrines of others in order to be
able to referee them, and positively ,
cultivation of a new spirit of self-
control and self critics to create
a better atmosphere and a climate
of mutual understanding among
christians.”
It promoted a spirit of dialogue instead of the congress of monologue. This dialogue was conducted among experts in a religious spirit and aimed at presenting one’s doctrine with clarity and charity. Besides, Christians should engage in common prayers and radical self-examination on the fundamental fidelity to Christ and a constant and serious self renewal and reformation. With the momentous declaration the council humbly begged pardon of God and of the separated brethren for the offence that led to disunity of the family, offering at thesame time it’s forgiveness to the separated brethren for the time it wronged the catholic church. The decree on Ecumenism is the crowning point of the ecumenical work of the second Vatican council.