what is the point of "christian unity" and "ecumenism"???

[ajoyfulconvert]

What is the point? I don’t hate non-Catholics, I was a Lutheran myself and have several protestant friends and family member.

I understand what the Church means by “there is no salvation outside of the Church.”

But…I just dont get it…what is the ecumenical goal of the Catholic Church… if the Catholic Church is the true church, what form of unity can be achieved. Please explain.

I am also disturbed at some of the possible abuses in my parish. In RCIA, I was told the Catholic is not the true churhc of Jesus Christ… “it’s just a denomenation”, honestly, I hated the RCIA process at my parish…

 

[Dr.Colossus]

I think the idea is that the more we find that we can agree upon, the closer we get to one day reconciling all our beliefs and reincorporating Protestant denominations into the True Church.

 

[theodorro]

The point of ecumenism is the unity of the Church, to be one Church: Holy, Catholic and Apostolic.
In the past centuries the method of Apology was used to convert, now is the century of ecumenism, so we try to convert non-Catholics with dialog and love and of course useig the Apology, there is one Church, the Catholic Church and in the future all schismatics will come to the true faith from the Fathers which is only in our Church.

 

[robertaf]

Greetings Church
The greatest point is that in the Gospel of John, Jesus prayed for unity.
That was His desire. He prayed that we be one like He and the Father are one. That is about as tight and unified as it gets. Jesus said if we see Him, we see the Father.
I think this is “point” enough, don’t you?
smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/8/8_8_10.gif

 

[hlgomez]

The prayer of Jesus Himself is exactly the purpose of this ecumenism. The real key here is LOVE.

Also another point, there can be no real unity with the Protestants if they still not believe in the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the very heart of Christianity that the Catholic Church believes is the life of the Church. Without the Eucharist there can be no Church. The Orthodox Churches is close to being united once again with Rome. It’s just a matter of time.

Pio

 

[Mike]

Anyone know about enumecial ECT (Evangelical & Catholics Together)

I was surprised that J.I. Packer who is Reformed/Presbyterian had signed with ECT. Most were surprised about his stance. Does anyone know what J.I. Packer’s personal comments/stance on Catholicism and ECT?

 

[Funky_Cedars]

ajoyfulconvert:

But…I just dont get it…what is the ecumenical goal of the Catholic Church… if the Catholic Church is the true church, what form of unity can be achieved. Please explain.

as she is the true church, holy mother church needs be working for a unity that is ultimately within herself. however, there are many folks out there who are absolutly aflame with love for Jesus Christ. we, the members of the church, must learn from them what the Holy Spirit has been pleased to teach them. when we can burn alongside them, they will be able to better see the true light of the church.
it’s not her changing, its really us just finding better ways of exlpaining her so our brethren will recognize their home in her. otherwise, i think its hard to explain.
thanks for listening, love and peace, terry

 

[headman13]

If there is a disagreement in a family, the members should work toward reconciliation in a loving,caring manner, not by throwing bricks at each others’ windows. I think this is the point of Christian Ecumenism. My Mom always says “You catch more flies with sugar than with vinegar.” How right she is. The Church will make much greater strides towards reconciling “Separated Brethren” through open, loving dialogue than through the ministrations of the Spanish Inquisition or Crusades. Faced as we are with an increasingly saecularized world, more often than not openly hostile to Christianity in ANY form, with so many CHRISTIAN people having what St. Paul calls “itching ears” looking anywhere BUT the Church for spiritual guidance, with the aggressive growth of so many non-Christian religions, it is HIGH time for Christians of all stripes to learn to love one another and to look for things that unite us rather than for things that separate us. We only harm ourselves with internecine squabbling, ecclesiastical eye poking and beard pulling. We need to realize we are ALL of us in the same boat and need to learn to row together.