It was the first encyclical on ecumenism in the history of the Church, the 25th anniversary of which we are celebrating this May. In the encyclical Ut unum sint, John Paul II pointed out the centrality of the ecumenical task with these words: "the movement for Christian unity is not a mere 'appendix' to be added to the Church's traditional activity. On the contrary, it belongs organically to her life and action" (UUS 20). Like his predecessor, Benedict XVI also wished to recall the importance of this essential dimension of the Church's life. "I renew [...] my firm will, manifested at the beginning of my pontificate, to assume as a priority commitment to work, without sparing any energy, for the restoration of the full and visible unity of all the followers of Christ."^[1]. The Church's mission statement is to build unity of faith and communion among all the men and women who are part of her. Pope Francis has only intensified the step in this same direction.

In today's multicultural and interreligious society, one of the priorities of every Christian is to recover the unity lost in the Church of Christ, bearing in mind that this "subsists in" the Catholic Church (cf. LG 8). "John Paul II reminded us that the Lord asked the Father for the unity of his disciples, so that this unity might bear witness to his mission statement" (UUS 23). Division contradicts the will of Christ and constitutes a serious difficulty for the evangelization of the "whole world" (Mk 16:15). Concretely, "the lack of unity among Christians is certainly a wound for the Church, not in the sense of being deprived of her unity, but as an obstacle to the full realization of her universality in history."^[2].

I. PRINCIPLES

In these lines, we will go through the text of John Paul II's encyclical Ut unum sint (1995), in order to see the perfect continuity with the conciliar decree Unitatis redintegratio (1964). We therefore follow the titles of the different chapters of the latter. As we know, the Council did not want to speak of a "Catholic ecumenism", but of "Catholic principles of ecumenism". In indicating the Catholic principles of ecumenism," wrote John Paul II, "the Decree Unitatis Redintegratio links first of all with teaching on the Church in the chapter of the Constitution Lumen Gentium which deals with the People of God. At the same time, it keeps in mind what is affirmed in the conciliar declaration Dignitatis humanae on religious freedom" (UUS 8). Having established these ecclesiological and anthropological premises, he proceeds to recall the principal Catholic principles.

As a premise was the "unity and oneness of the Church of Christ", together with the supernatural origin of the Church. The founder and the foundation are divine, so the Church is not a mere human grouping with a merely horizontal dimension. The bonds that unite some Christians with others are also supernatural. In fact," he says in issue 9, "the unity given by the Holy Spirit does not consist simply in the coming together of persons who are added to one another. It is a unity constituted by the bonds of the profession of faith, of the sacraments and of hierarchical communion. 10 The faithful are one because, in the Spirit, they are in communion with the Son and, in him, in communion with the Father: "And we are in communion with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ" (1 Jn 1:3)" (UUS 9).

II. THE INTERNSHIP OF ECUMENISM

The second chapter of Unitatis redintegratio deals with the dimension internship of ecumenism. It speaks of an "institutional" ecumenism (n. 6), a "spiritual" ecumenism (nn. 7-8) and a "theological" ecumenism (nn. 9-11), from which an "ecumenicalpartnership " emerges (n. 12). These are the so-called ecumenisms "of the head, of the heart and of the hands", complementary to each other and equally necessary. As a precondition, there must be a renewal of the Church as an earthly and human institution. But it is not simply a question of a purification of the collective report , but of an interior reform of each Christian: of a true conversion staff, John Paul II continued. The Spirit invites you to a serious examination of conscience," he continued. The Catholic Church must enter into what could be called a 'dialogue of conversion', in which ecumenical dialogue has its inner foundation. In this dialogue, which takes place before God, each one must recognize his faults, confess his faults, and place himself anew in the hands of the One who is the Intercessor before the Father, Jesus Christ" (UUS 82).

The centrality of the conversion sponsored by Vatican II is insistently recalled in the first encyclical on ecumenism in the history of the Church. "This refers, in a particular way, to the process initiated by the Second Vatican Council, including in the renewal the ecumenical task of uniting Christians divided among themselves. "There is no true ecumenism without interior conversion"(UUS 15), he concludes, quoting n. 7 of the UR. From there will come institutional reconciliation, not the other way around. "The "dialogue of conversion" of each community with the Father, without indulgence with itself, is the foundation of fraternal relationships that are different from a mere cordial understanding or only external coexistence" (UUS 82). Reconciliation with God can lead to reconciliation with others. The Council thus calls for both staff and communal conversion.

"Each person must therefore be more radically converted to the Gospel and, without ever losing sight of God's plan, must change his or her outlook" (UUS 15). This is where the conversion of each community will begin, as expressed in UR 6. The "conversion of the heart" is thus a premise for all ecumenical action. Thus, together with a necessarily positive evaluation of the ecumenical movement understood according to these Catholic principles, John Paul II invited all Christians to a "necessary purification of the historical report " and to "reconsider together their painful past" in order to "recognize together, with sincere and total objectivity, the errors committed and the contingent factors that intervened in the origin of their lamentable separations" (UUS 2). However, the Christians who are now being born in these Churches and communities - as the decree Unitatis redintegratio (n. 3) emphasized - are not to blame for the past separation and are loved by the Church and recognized as brothers and sisters.

There may have been in its origins, therefore, and this will require a necessary process of purification. With this we have entered fully into "spiritual ecumenism", the so-called "ecumenism of prayer" or "of the heart". No. 8 of the UR speaks of "prayer in common". John Paul II does not forget the "soul of ecumenism", as the conciliar decree affirms (UR 8). In n. 21 he speaks of the "primacy of prayer", thus quoting again n. 8 of UR; after this, he adds: "We advance on the path that leads to the conversion of hearts according to the love we have for God and, at the same time, for our brothers and sisters: for all our brothers and sisters, even those who are not in full communion with us. [Love is the deepest current that gives life and gives vigor to the process towards unity. This love finds its fullest expression in common prayer". Prayer with other Christians can lead to growth in communion in the whole Church.

But prayer also leads to seeing things in a different way. "Communion in prayer leads us to look at the Church and Christianity with new eyes," he concluded two issues later. After referring to the Octave for Christian unity, St. John Paul II also alluded, for example, to various prayer meetings with the Archbishop of Canterbury, with Lutheran bishops and at the headquarters of the ecumenical committee of the Churches in Geneva. With the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, however, he refers to "my participation in the Eucharistic liturgy", which denotes a different tone in the mode of prayer. The principles of communicatio in sacris, set forth in UR 8 and 15, and explicitly recalled in UUS 46, therefore remain in force: "Certainly, because of divergences concerning the faith, it is not yet possible to concelebrate the same Eucharistic liturgy. And yet we have a burning desire to celebrate together the one Eucharist of the Lord, and this desire is already a common praise, the same imploration" (UUS 45).

Finally, as the UR points out in its epigraph on "individual and communitarian holiness" (n. 4, § 6), John Paul II also recalled the need for holiness of persons, communities and institutions as the secret of the ecumenical movement. In the first place, there is the so-called "ecumenism of the martyrs", "more numerous than we think". These situations have always been fruitful in ecumenical fruits. "If it is possible to die for the faith, this shows that it is possible to reach goal when it comes to other forms of that same requirement. I have already noted with joy how communion, imperfect but real, is maintained and grows at many levels of ecclesial life" (UUS 84). But it will be above all the witness of holiness that moves to that unity willed by Christ and worked by his Spirit. "In the radiation emanating from the "patrimony of the saints" belonging to all the Communities, the "dialogue of conversion" towards full and visible unity then appears under a light of hope" (ibid.). The saints are also the best ecumenists, who always seek unity in the one Church of Jesus Christ.

Finally, and as a consequence of all the above (conversion and prayer), the necessary "partnership internship " will emerge, which was already predicted by UR 12. It is what we called "ecumenism of the hands". After conversion and contemplation comes action. "Moreover, ecumenical cooperation is a true school of ecumenism, it is a dynamic path towards unity. [In the eyes of the world, cooperation among Christians takes on the dimensions of common Christian witness and becomes an instrument of evangelization for the benefit of one another" (UUS 40). The common Christian witness, offered through solidarity and cooperation, can be a privileged evangelizing agent. It is necessary, however, that these common initiatives be imbued with a true Christian spirit. "Such cooperation, founded on a common faith, is not only rich in fraternal communion, but is an epiphany of Christ himself" (ibid.).

III. THEOLOGICAL DIALOGUE

With regard to "theological ecumenism" or "ecumenism of the head," John Paul II recalled the "fundamental importance of doctrine. We must see what unites us and what separates us in our faith, thus seeking together the fullness of revealed truth. "It is not a question in this context of modifying the deposit of faith, of changing the meaning of dogmas, of suppressing essential words in them, of adapting the truth to the tastes of an age, of removing certain articles of the Creed on the false pretext that they are no longer comprehensible today. The unity willed by God can only be achieved in common adherence to the full content of the revealed faith. At subject of faith, a compromise solution is in contradiction with God who is the Truth. In the Body of Christ who is "way, truth and life" (Jn 14:6), who would consider legitimate a reconciliation achieved at the cost of truth?" (UUS 18).

Truth, together with love, are the keys to success in ecumenical dialogue. "However," adds a later issue , "doctrine must be presented in a way that is comprehensible to those for whom God intended it. The presentation of Christian doctrine in its integrity must be clear, but not for that reason polemical. At the same time, it must also be accessible to Christians who have certain doctrinal presuppositions, without betraying the integrity of the doctrine. In this way the necessary dialogue will be born. "If prayer is the "soul" of the ecumenical renewal and of the aspiration to unity, everything that the Council defines as "dialogue" (UUS 28) is based on it and finds its strength in it. This dialogue will revolve around the concepts of truth and love, which will be inseparable in every ecumenical dialogue (cf. UUS 29).

Specifically, John Paul II's encyclical recalls the ecclesiological principles on "Churches and Ecclesial Communities" set forth in chapter three of the UR. First of all, it speaks of dialogue with other Churches and ecclesial communities in the West (cf. nn. 64-70). After alluding to the convergences and divergences with them (cf. UR 9), it establishes a realistic diagnosis of the status: "The Second Vatican Council does not pretend to "describe" Christianity after the Reformation, since "these Churches and Ecclesial Communities differ greatly, not only from us, but also from each other", and this "because of the diversity of their origin, doctrine and spiritual life". Moreover, the same Decree notes how the ecumenical movement and the desire for peace with the Catholic Church has not yet penetrated everywhere" (UUS 66; cf. UR 19). Ecumenical dialogue thus presents itself with its nuances and complexity.

Thus, after referring to the common treasure of Baptism and love of Scripture - albeit with a different understanding of its relationship with the Church - (cf. UR 21-22, UUS 66), John Paul II also recalls that "doctrinal and historical divergences have arisen from the time of the Reformation at purpose concerning the Church, the sacraments and the ordained ministry" (UUS 67). It thus recalls the doctrine of the defectus ordinis exposed in UR 22, by which these ecclesial Communities would lack the apostolic succession, the true ministry and, therefore, most of the sacraments. Nevertheless, Baptism and the word of God remain in common, so that it could be said that unity has been initiated, but has not reached its fullness. "In this broad subject - he concludes - there is great room for dialogue on the moral principles of the Gospel and their applications" (USS 68). A few theological problems also remain to be resolved: Baptism (in those communities that have lost it as well), the Eucharist, the ordained ministry, sacramentality and the authority of the Church, apostolic succession. Finally, he ends by appealing once again to "spiritual ecumenism" and the need for prayer as the foundation of any possible ecumenism.

In the same way, UUS recalls that the communities that arose from the first Christological disputes and the Eastern Schism (the so-called ancient Eastern Churches), by preserving the apostolic succession, must be considered as true particular Churches. After mentioning various ecumenical agreements reached in recent years (Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate, Patriarchate of the Church of Antioch, Assyrian Patriarchate of the East, Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople: cf. UUS 50-54, 62), he alludes to the need to maintain the principle of the Petrine primacy as a ministry for unity and love. "The Catholic Church, both in her praxis and in her official documents, holds that the communion of the particular Churches with the Church of Rome, and of her Bishops with the Bishop of Rome, is an essential requirement - in God's design - for full and visible communion" (UUS 97). From this full communion also flows full efficacy in the fulfillment of the mission statement entrusted by Christ to his Church (cf. UUS 98).

At the same time that he cried out for Europe and the whole world to breathe with the "two lungs" of East and West (cf. UUS 54), John Paul II insisted on the importance of the Bishop of Rome's "ministry of unity" (cf. LG 23). After noting that this could in some cases be "a difficulty for most other Christians" (UUS 88), he proposed a careful study of the role of the successor of Peter in the communion of the Church, on the scriptural and theological levels (cf. UUS 90-96), the encyclical on ecumenism brings to report that "all the Churches are in full and visible communion because all the pastors are in communion with Peter, and thus in the unity of Christ. The Bishop of Rome, with the power and authority without which this function would be illusory, must ensure the communion of all the Churches" (UUS 94). Ubi Petrus, ibi plena Ecclesia. The Petrine ministry is thus constituted as a guarantee of full communion in the Church of Christ.

CONCLUSION

With regard to the relationship with other Christians, it is worth considering another task, which is - in the words of Unitatis redintegratio -"the work of preparation and reconciliation of individual persons who desire full Catholic communion" (UR 4), that is, attention to those Christians of other confessions who wish to become Catholics. It is necessary to distinguish, as the conciliar decree does, between ecumenical activity and attention to these particular situations. The first - ecumenism - aims at the full and visible union of the Churches and ecclesial communities as such. Secondly, there are also individual persons who, in conscience, freely consider the possibility of becoming Catholics. The two tasks are based on the desire to collaborate with God's plan and, far from being opposed to each other, are intimately interpenetrated (cf. ibid.). In this way, ecumenism would remain perfectly compatible with the full incorporation of other Christians into the Catholic Church (cf. UR 22, UUS 66).

REFERENCES

Gustave Thils, The Decree on Ecumenism, Desclée de Brouwer, Bilbao 1968.
John Paul II, Documentos sobre ecumenismo, Palabra, Madrid 1995.
Pedro Rodríguez, Iglesia y ecumenismo, Rialp, Madrid 1979.
"Ecumenismo", www.collationes.org