Ecumenical Dialogue from the Second Vatican Council Onward

Abstract

This article analyzes ecumenical dialogue from the perspective of the Second Vatican Council, seeking to highlight the specific contribution of the Catholic Church to the rediscovery of Christian unity as an evangelical imperative. It is grounded in the understanding that ecumenism is not a peripheral issue, but a central dimension of the Church’s self-understanding, since divisions among Christians undermine the credibility of the Gospel’s witness. Initially, the study examines the concept of ecumenism and its origins, emphasizing the historical development of the modern ecumenical movement from the Edinburgh Conference in 1910 to the establishment of the World Council of Churches. It then addresses the participation of the Catholic Church in this process, underscoring the shift brought about by the Second Vatican Council, particularly through Lumen Gentium and Unitatis Redintegratio, which moved the question of unity from a logic of return to one of communion, dialogue, and conversion. Finally, the text examines the contemporary challenges of the ecumenical movement, including ecclesiological and doctrinal impasses, the insufficient reception of achieved consensus, the purification of historical memory, and the cultural obstacles of the present time. It is maintained that ecumenism remains an indispensable theological, spiritual, and pastoral task for the reconciling mission of Christian communities in the contemporary world.